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Company’s software can support exploration boom

Image of an open pit mine in Arizona, the US

GRADE-CONTROL OFFERING Instantly available and dynamically updated data improves geologists’ knowledge of a deposit, and their ability to predict the location, quality and quantity of the orebody

18th February 2022

By: Cameron Mackay

Creamer Media Senior Online Writer

     

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The North American mining industry is experiencing a “remarkable period of expansion in exploration”, with mining companies rapidly turning to technology for support. This, in turn, is accelerating the uptake of software company Seequent’s solutions, states Seequent mining exploration director Rob Ferguson.

“The Seequent business unit has mirrored the great success and expansion of the exploration sector in North America. Our metrics show growth in exploration, people and contracts. We have new branches and services, while exploration expenditure is the highest it’s been in a decade.”

Seequent has also expanded significantly in the North American region through its acquisitions, including software companies, such as Canada-based MX Deposit, as well as US-based Imago and AR2Tech.

Despite the economic insecurity caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, global exploration investment has surged, with “Canada’s exploration budget in the lead”, Ferguson points out.

“Our future outlook is buoyant, with more juniors entering the market and becoming active in exploration. Energy transition is here to stay, with copper and nickel as essential elements. The metals and mining sector will be put to the test, as it must uncover vast quantities of raw materials to support the energy transition and achieve new environmental goals.”

He emphasises that miners that are able to capture the right data and harness it effectively can use it to prove that they are committed to sustainable and energy efficient mining operations.

Seequent’s software solutions extend across the entire mining life cycle and, as sustainable mining has become a priority for many miners, companies are turning to technology to better understand the geology of potential mining sites.

“Seequent is seeing an uptick in user numbers across our solutions. Miners need to keep up with the growing demands of metals and minerals to discover faster, drill faster and impress investors – and are using geoscience technology as an enabler.”

Ferguson says the technology also empowers companies to ensure compliance with increasingly stringent regulations, set new environmental, social and governance (ESG) “gold” standards, and deliver demonstrable sustainability efforts.

ESG
Seequent North America executive VP Iain McLean relays that miners are dealing with the need to secure and maintain their social licence to operate.

“ESG is a major topic of conversation at board level and throughout operations. If the industry is going to be successful in translating the current exploration boom into new mines and extended operations, we must use every element of ESG programmes to gain the confidence of all stakeholders,” he explains.

Seequent’s products can play a crucial part in minimising the environmental impact through digital twins of the subsurface.

Seequent is working with companies in the region that want to employ digital tools to support their ESG efforts. This is done by creating and refining geological digital twins capable of inputting large data sets to generate detailed models that help to inform operation-critical decisions.

“We’re helping miners bypass time-consuming wireframing so that they can quickly visualise and interpret geological data, down to the smaller volumes of interest. Users and stakeholders are then able to connect, confer and analyse the most up-to-date production models. This allows for time-critical decisions to be made immediately, even if teams are spread across the world.”

Combined with sophisticated model management platforms that provide a repository for all modelling data, users have easy access to the exact data as and when it is needed, McLean stresses.

Range of Solutions
Seequent’s production suite of solutions includes MX Deposit, Leapfrog, Imago and Central.

MX Deposit is a cloud-based solution for collecting, managing, sharing and accessing drillhole and sample data to find deposits.

Leapfrog Geo is a three-dimensional modelling solution that allows for rapid integration, communication and interpretation of geological data, while Leapfrog Edge is a solution used for resource estimation and brings “dynamic updates” to graphs and block models.

Imago is a cloud-based platform for capturing, cataloguing and reviewing drill core and chip images from any source. This is used to support all aspects of the geological process, from exploration to grade control.

Seequent Central is a cloud-based data management system that brings teams and data together to visualise, track, integrate and manage geoscience data from a centralised, auditable environment.

Further, data that is instantly available and dynamically updated improves mine geologists’ knowledge of the deposit, and their ability to accurately predict the location, quality and quantity of the orebody, says Seequent mining operations segment director Pieter Neethling.

When used together, these products provide a powerful workflow solution that can help manage the entire process, share it with relevant stakeholders and improve production efficiencies.

“Seequent’s grade-control offering provides a holistic view of operations, empowering production personnel to mine the orebody in the most efficient way possible. Grade control is about maximising value and reducing risk. By having the tools and technologies that allow for a greater understanding of what’s in the ground, you can make better-informed decisions, driving a profitable and sustainable operation,” concludes Neethling.

Edited by Nadine James
Features Deputy Editor

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