Tag Archives: exploration

CoreTech to expand reach of Orica advanced geospatial and geotechnical technologies

Mineral exploration, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , , ,

Orica Digital Solutions and Core Tech, a leading distributor of exploration technologies in Latin and Central America, have announced distribution agreements marking a significant milestone for both companies.

The agreements aim to enhance the availability and reach of Orica Digital Solutions’ advanced geospatial and geotechnical technologies throughout Latin and Central America.

Under these agreements, Core Tech will distribute Orica Digital Solutions’ Orebody Intelligence geospatial technologies (Axis Mining Technology) and geophysical technologies (WIREBmr™) to customers across Peru, Colombia, Ecuador and Mexico. These technologies are designed to provide comprehensive geospatial and geotechnical insights, crucial for optimising exploration and mining operations.

Orica Digital Solutions Senior Vice President, Rajkumar Mathiravedu, said: “By leveraging Core Tech’s robust and extensive distribution network and deep industry expertise, we can deliver our geospatial and geotechnical technologies to our customers in Latin and Central America. These agreements will enable us to better serve the mining industry’s needs and deliver innovative solutions in this dynamic region, ensuring that our advanced technologies reach the right hands, ultimately driving safety, efficiency and productivity in mining operations across Latin and Central America.”

The agreements are effective immediately, and both companies are working closely to ensure a seamless transition and uninterrupted supply of Orica Digital Solutions’ geospatial and geotechnical technologies to the exploration market in Latin and Central America.

Director General Manager of Core Tech, Jose Antonio Fernandez, said: “We are excited to reaffirm Axis Mining Technology and add WIREBmr products to our distribution portfolio. These distribution agreements align with our shared commitments of providing safe, reliable and high-quality technologies to customers across Latin and Central America.”

These distribution agreements underscore the commitment of both Core Tech and Orica Digital Solutions to driving innovation and excellence in the mining industry.

Pictured from left: Angus Melbourne – Chief Technology Officer – Orica, Jose Antonio Fernandez – Director Core Tech; and
Rajkumar Mathiravedu – Senior Vice President Orica Digital Solutions

DIG CT’s coiled-tubing rig completes deepest hole to date at Moonera project

Mineral exploration, Mining equipment, , , , , , , ,

DIG CT, a niche mineral exploration drilling company founded in Western Australia, has reported that after three successful months drilling at Premier1 Lithium’s 40%-owned Moonera project, in the Madura Province of WA, its CT500 rig has delved to 500.9 m, yielding high-quality core samples every 50 m.

DIG is focused on showcasing and commercialising MinEx Cooperative Research Centre’s (MinEx CRC) prototype Coil Tubing (CT) rig globally, with the Moonera project acting as the latest place the technology will be showcased.

The company reported: “As with any drilling program, there have been challenges, specifically record rain and flooding – all within our inaugural week of drilling!”

The highlights include:

  • Successfully completing two drill holes with a third about to commence; and
  • Drilling the deepest hole and core section the CT500 rig has ever achieved;

Moonera, a copper and rare earth elements joint venture project, is around one hour’s drive east of Cocklebiddy or more specifically, 1,231 km east of Perth, Western Australia, and 271 km to the Western/South Australian border. The project was aptly named given its proximity to Moonera Agricultural Station, known for its vast pastoral enterprises (sheep grazing), reported to be larger than some sovereign countries.

Back in March, Premier1 Lithium said that the Geological Survey of Western Australia (GSWA) previously advised SensOre (now Premier1) in 2023 that it wished to use the coiled-tube drilling method to test its applicability in the area. The program, as it was envisaged then, consisted of three to four deep drill holes and was part of a precompetitive stratigraphic borehole program which will fill a gap in GSWA drilling in the region.

This work is part of a long-running precompetitive geoscience program by GSWA which will improve understanding of the mineral, energy and groundwater potential of the region. MinEx CRC seeks to obtain drill core, chips and downhole data (such as semi-automated scanned geochemistry) from a series of stratigraphic boreholes up to an approximate depth of 700 m, penetrating through cover of the Eucla Basin. The obtained multi-element data will allow Premier1 to further test the copper and rare earth element potential of the project at no cost. The boreholes also further test the use of novel, smaller footprint coiled-tube drilling techniques for stratigraphic drilling in covered geological terranes.

DIG CT says the CT500 rig is now expected to move onto the Pilbara where the coiled-tube drilling techniques will be further tested.

Fleet Space’s new EXOSPHERE features to enhance agility, accuracy of customers’ exploration efforts

Environmental, Mineral exploration, Mining software, , , , , , , , ,

Fleet Space Technologies, a leading Australian space company, has announced three innovative features to its mineral exploration technology, EXOSPHERE BY FLEET®, each purpose-built to enhance the agility and accuracy of data-driven exploration efforts worldwide.

Starting today, for all in-progress or future surveys, exploration customers will be able to download several new data intelligence assets on-demand from the ExoSphere platform that will deliver greater insights into ambient noise conditions, data quality and confidence levels across different parts of their 3D model, the company says.

Leveraging Fleet’s constellation of low Earth orbit satellites and the latest advances in passive seismic array technology, EXOSPHERE has rapidly disrupted the mineral exploration industry by reducing the time it takes to receive an actionable 3D model of a survey area from months or years to a matter of days – with near-zero environmental impact, Fleet says. Over 30 global exploration companies have used the technology to conduct surveys on a variety of commodity types across 5 continents, including Rio Tinto, Barrick Gold and Core Lithium, among many others.

Flavia Tata Nardini, CEO of Fleet Space Technologies, said: “We have arrived at an inflection point in humanity’s journey towards renewable energy. The mineral exploration industry is on the brink of unprecedented transformation as shallow discoveries are exhausted and demand for critical minerals needed for the energy transition continue to intensify. Fleet’s space-enabled EXOSPHERE technology has demonstrated a path to scale critical mineral exploration globally while also helping to reduce environmental impact, which is the only approach that will enable humanity to reach its net-zero ambitions over the coming decades.”

Traditionally, data acquisition and processing from geophysical surveys can take years or months before they can be leveraged as part of any exploration campaign. This has made it difficult for field teams to make quick operational decisions on-site and home in on new waves of discoveries. As global demand for critical minerals intensifies, advances at the intersection of space technology and geophysics are helping the exploration industry to become more data-driven and agile in a rapidly changing landscape, the company says.

Fleet brings together the benefits of satellite connectivity, remote geophysical data acquisition, and near real-time data processing to deliver actionable 3D models of the Earth’s subsurface for customers around the world, it says. With today’s announcement, Fleet has added several new features to its ExoSphere platform which include the Sensitivity Model, Data Processing Report, and Source Data Pack.

Customers can now access a Sensitivity Model (pictured above) to help them visualise and quantify confidence levels for every 3D model that is generated. This will provide customers with a relative indicator of the likely resolution and quality across different parts of the model, highlighting areas on a spectrum from higher to lower confidence. Ultimately, the Sensitivity Model will give customers an enhanced view into the confidence levels about potential subsurface findings in addition to areas of the model that would benefit from further surveying.

Featuring 14 technical charts, data processing parameters, and an explanatory narrative, the Data Processing Report is designed to give customers enhanced insight about the ambient noise conditions of the survey, data quality, and the steps taken to generate their 3D model.

Edge-processed data from the passive seismic sensors, called Geodes, used within a customer’s survey area will be downloadable on-demand from the ExoSphere platform as a Source Data Pack. This will enable customers to re-process the data using different geophysical tools or update their existing 3D velocity model with additional insights they unlock as part of their exploration efforts in the future.

Hemant Chaurasia, Chief Product Officer at Fleet, added: “Space-enabled technologies in the field today will profoundly shape the future of mineral exploration. With over 150 EXOSPHERE surveys completed across five continents, it’s clear that near-real time access to 3D velocity models, combined with these new EXOSPHERE features announced today, are unlocking new data-driven approaches that reduce the time, resources, and trial-and-error needed to build valuable subsurface insight and accelerate mineral discovery. This will be critical for the mineral exploration industry as we work towards the renewable energy future that our world so desperately needs.”

IMDEX delivers record H1 revenue amid ongoing M&A drive

Explosives and blasting, Mining equipment, Mining finance, Mining mergers and acquisitions, Mining services, , , , , , , , ,

IMDEX has announced record first-half revenue to end-2022 matched with targeted acquisition activity designed to, it says, further enhance its market-leading position.

The company reported strong growth in Africa, South America and the Asia Pacific, and increasing demand for critical minerals as it revealed record revenue of A$198.8 million ($137.7 million), an 18.4% increase on the same time last year.

During this period, the company announced plans to acquire Norway-based Devico AS in a A$334 million ($230 million) deal that, it said, would reinforce its market-leading position in mining technology and deliver increased market penetration. This deal, the company says, is expected to be completed by the end of February. The company also signed a binding heads of agreement to acquire a 40% in Krux analytics, which delivers drilling analytics software, and an increase in its Datarock holding to 40.9%, from 30 per cent, in the period.

Revenue from the Americas in the six-month period was up 14% on the same period last year to A$89.3 million; Africa and Europe up 22% (A$48.4 million); and Australia and Asia up 22% (A$61.1 million).

IMDEX Chief Executive Officer, Paul House, said the M&A activity was a highlight of the first half of the year and the results demonstrated the strength of the company’s core business.

“We are very pleased with the performance, particularly our ability to grow the business notwithstanding the current macro-related uncertainty in our operating environment and to deliver further margin expansion on a normalised basis,” he said. “The company is well positioned to leverage the robust industry fundamentals through the unique competitive position our global presence, leading technologies and integrated solutions provide.

“Combining the IMDEX and Devico businesses is expected to further strengthen this position.

“Directional drilling, a market where Devico is the leader, is one of the fastest growing segments of the mining-tech space, as companies continue to look for deposits at depth, explore complex ore bodies and respond to the growing needs of faster, cheaper more accurate drilling services.”

Normalised EBITDA for the first half of the year of A$62.8 million, which excludes the exceptional litigation costs not expected to recur during the remainder of the financial year, was up 22% on the same time last year, and up 11% on a constant currency basis.

House said revenue from sensors and software had increased as had activity linked to the search for critical minerals.

“The global commitment towards net-zero emissions and the resultant demand for critical metals or the continued extraction of reserves is outstripping their replacement,” he said.

“Critical minerals are growing at a faster rate and IMDEX is well place to benefit from the necessary supply demand rebalance.”

Industry growth was underpinned by strong demand from mid-to-major mining companies, which reported ongoing or expanded exploration budgets for 2023, and strong financing for junior and intermediate companies in December.

Other first-half highlights included:

  • Rock knowledge sensors on rent up 6% and IMDEX HUB-IQ™ connected revenue increased by 41%;
  • Released next generation IMDEX ioGAS™ V8 data analysis software;
  • Completed first generation IMDEX MINEPORTAL™ software to support BLAST DOG™ trials and contracts;
  • Commercial prototype IMDEX BLAST DOG™trials progressing as planned; and
  • Spectra analysed with aiSIRIS™ software up 4%.

METS Ignited-backed program to fund OreFox’s AI exploration ambitions

Base metals, IoT, Mineral exploration, Mining finance, Mining services, Mining software, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Artificial intelligence-based geological data analytics company, OreFox, has successfully secured funding via the Queensland METS Collaborative Projects Fund to further its geological mapping efforts at the Mount Chalmers mine site in Queensland, Australia.

The Queensland METS Collaborative Projects Fund is delivered by METS Ignited with funding support from the Queensland Government as part of its Queensland Mining Equipment, Technology and Services 10 Year Roadmap and Action Plan.

OreFox is working with QMines Ltd and Ironbark Marketing to further commercialise its technology that, it says, solves a pressing challenge facing the Queensland mining sector of how to accelerate critical mineral deposit discovery and mine more efficiently.

The consortium led by OreFox will use cutting-edge proprietary AI technology to gain further knowledge of the Mount Chalmers deposit, located near Rockhampton. As a historical producing mine, there is significant potential to increase the known mineral endowment and add new economy mineral opportunities.

QMines has commenced exploration activities across the Mount Chalmers project, including an aggressive drilling program and is planning an airborne EM survey. QMines has reported an initial JORC 2012 inferred resource equal to 73,000 t of contained copper. Historical drilling at the site shows the mineralisation is open in multiple directions.

The consortium will carry out a multi-element geochemical sampling program focused on critical minerals at the mine site and other notable prospective sites around the historic mine site.

Data collected from this program, including assays from the current drilling program, will be processed by OreFox, using its machine and deep learning systems to gain further insights. QMines believes the discovery of further economic minerals will enable the company to move to development faster, thus bringing economic benefits to the region and the state.

QMines has recently acquired Traprock Resources and Rocky Copper, which both held significant tenements in the Mount Chalmers region. QMines has extended their tenement and landholding within the area since these acquisitions.

OreFox Chief Executive Officer, Warwick Anderson, said: “This project has the potential to increase exploration activity in Queensland, particularly for new economy minerals and could be applied to numerous other historical mines and deposits.

“The partnership between OreFox, QMines and Ironbark Marketing is anticipated to bring more regional jobs to Queensland and aid Queensland exploration frontiers.

“If we can prove the value of this project, then that opens the door to a significant export market for the processes we are developing.”

The OreFox project is one of five recipients of the Queensland METS Collaborative Projects Fund receiving a share in A$1 million ($733,978) to accelerate the commercialisation of technology into industry.

METS Ignited CEO, Adrian Beer, said the growth centre is backing the collaborative projects to fast-track the commercialisation of innovative technologies and provide value to both the local and global resources sector.

“METS Ignited is driving collaborative projects to accelerate commercial outcomes for the Australian economy and promote collaboration opportunities as part of a long-term strategy for growth,” he said.

“We are backing projects using technologies such as sensors, data analytics, machine learning, optimised x-rays, and solar energy that result in improvements in productivity, efficiency, safety and sustainability.

“The OreFox project is a great example of how AI and data science technologies can be harnessed to improve exploration and unlock the economic benefits of a historical mine site.”

Seequent adds to cloud-based geoscience software base with Imago acquisition

IoT, Mineral exploration, Mining services, Mining software, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Bentley Systems’ Seequent business unit has acquired Imago Inc, a developer of cloud-based software for the capture and management of geoscientific imagery.

The acquisition, which comes only a month after announcing the purchase of Aarhus GeoSoftware, will expand Seequent’s technology solutions portfolio while boosting cloud capabilities to help geoscientists and engineers solve earth, environment and energy challenges, it said.

Imago’s cloud-based platform enables the capture, cataloguing and review of drilling core and chip images from any source, to support every aspect of the geological process from exploration to grade control. Continued development of Imago’s machine learning will lead to a step function in the interpretation of geological data, according to Seequent.

Seequent said: “Mining companies around the world apply Imago’s solution in conjunction with geology data management and modelling tools to enable teams to make more confident, profitable decisions using instantly available, high-quality images. Seequent already integrates its Leapfrog, Oasis montaj, Target, and Minalytix MX Deposit with Imago’s solution, making it easy for geologists, engineers and other stakeholders to extract knowledge and learn from geoscientific imagery. The goal is to unlock significant potential for mining and other industries, transforming image data into meaningful insights for geological activities.”

Imago establishes a consistent process for capturing high-quality images, which integrate with existing workflows and allow the application of machine learning

Graham Grant, CEO of Seequent, said: “It’s an exciting step to welcome the Imago team on board to help advance Seequent’s progression into the cloud. We’re continually exploring ways to provide new technologies and solutions to solve workflow challenges, improve operational efficiency and deliver greater value for our users who are working to solve some of the world’s major civil, environmental, and energy challenges. This acquisition demonstrates Seequent’s continued growth and our commitment to make a positive contribution to the industries we serve globally.”

Imago’s Co-Founder, Federico Arboleda, said: “As a small team in Phoenix and Perth, we’re excited to join forces with Seequent, as this will now allow us to substantially scale Imago’s solutions in mining and other markets. We founded Imago to help mining companies manage the high volume and size of geological images and unlock the great value in this geoscience imagery. Image data is an increasingly important source of data across the geosciences – and can come from potentially any source, including core photos, hyperspectral, aerial photos, drones, and handheld devices. It will become even more important to transform image data into knowledge as automation needs increase.”

LKAB to trial AI-backed XRF drill core logging with help of Minalyze and Sentian

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LKAB, Minalyze AB and Sentian say they have joined forces in a consortium to develop the latest technology for scanning drill core.

In March 2020, LKAB started a test with the Minalyzer CS drill core scanner where the goal was to improve the workflow for core logging – ie how the results of exploration drilling are analysed. The test led to a permanent installation in Kiruna (Sweden) and expansion to Malmberget where data from the Minalyzer CS is used to help geological logging of the drill core.

The consortium of LKAB, Minalyze and Sentian are now set to take the use of data to the next level when boreholes in LKAB’s deposits are to be investigated. The new artificial intelligence application being developed by the trio will make the analysis much faster, with the time to evaluate a drill core reduced from weeks to minutes, with increased accuracy.

This could see Minalyze’s X-ray Fluorescence-backed CS scanner analyse LKAB drill core while leveraging Sentain’s industrial artificial intelligence solutions to make real-time decisions relating to drilling and exploration activities.

The technology development driven by the consortium will be a world first, changing the entire industry, the companies say.

Jan-Anders Perdahl, Specialist at LKAB’s Exploration Department, said: “With the collaboration, the core logging takes a big step through machine learning and artificial intelligence. The geologist can, at an early stage, place greater focus on the parts of the core that show chemical or other changes. Opportunities are opened up to gain increased knowledge about ore formation processes and alterations in a completely different way than before. One can also get indications that you are close to mineralisation and where it may be located, and thereby streamline exploration.”

The technological leap will give LKAB’s staff increased competence, increased quality in and efficiency of the work, as well as reduced need for other analysis methods, according to the companies.

Annelie Lundström, CEO of Minalyze AB, said: “We are at an interesting time when the hardware to extract consistently high-resolution data from drill cores is available and we can now take the next step and generate value from data together with our customers. In this collaboration, we will develop algorithms that can map rock layers in so-called lithological logs with very high confidence. This can only be done by combining expertise from all three parties.

“The results from our collaboration will forever change how drill core logging takes place everywhere and will result in a more efficient, non-subjective and consistent process.”

Martin Rugfelt, Sentian CEO, added: “We see great power in the application of modern artificial intelligence to data from the mining industry and there is major potential in further combining our machine learning technology with Minalyze’s unique capabilities in data collection and analysis.”

IMDEX continues to connect with clients as new tech trials gain momentum

Explosives and blasting, IoT, Mineral exploration, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , , ,

A record half-yearly revenue and progress with new technologies such as COREVIBE™, XTRACTA™ and MAGHAMMER™ has IMDEX riding a positive wave.

The company recorded revenue of A$127.9 million ($86 million) in the six months ending December 31, 2019, up from A$125 million a year ago.

IMDEX said it was present on around 70% of drilling programs globally, providing an opportunity to market a wider range of products to clients. Some 35% of its revenue in the six-month period was generated in Asia Pacific, 45% in the Americas and the balance in Africa and Europe, it explained.

And the company also singled out its cloud connectivity platform IMDEXHUB-IQ™ – which provides secure access to validated data, seamlessly transmitted from a range of sub-surface instrumentation, analytical instruments and mobile form data inputs – during the results. At the end of December 2019, IMDEX said 58 of its top 100 clients were “HUB-enabled”, up from 49 clients as at June 30, 2019.

The company completed its acquisition of Flexidrill in January and it provided an update on the status of the patent-protected drilling productivity technologies that came with this addition, COREVIBE and MAGHAMMER, in its results.

It said successful client trials with COREVIBE were undertaken throughout its financial year first half. “These trials continue to validate the significant benefits of this unique technology, including substantial increases in productivity,” it said. For the balance of its 2020 financial year, IMDEX said it has a full pipeline of client trials and was confident of converting trials into active rentals.

XTRACTA, which complements COREVIBE and MAGHAMMER by allowing drillers to change the bit when core is retrieved, has been extensively trialled at IMDEX’s test site in New Zealand for the past 12 months and client trials are scheduled to commence late in the March quarter, it said.

Development of the MAGHAMMER at its test site is also progressing well, IMDEX said, and the company intends to commence client trials in the June quarter.

South Australia government invites explorers to trawl Gawler Craton exploration data

IoT, Mineral exploration, Mining finance, Mining policy, Mining services, , , , ,

The South Australia Government is to host a A$250,000 ($169,397) crowd-sourced open data competition to fast-track the discovery of mineral deposits in the state.

Called ‘ExploreSA: The Gawler Challenge’, it will see the government partner with open innovation platform, Unearthed, in a worldwide call for geologists and data scientists to uncover new exploration targets in the state’s Gawler Craton region.

Using the Geological Survey of South Australia’s historical records, primary data and research, the competition combines geological expertise with new mathematical, machine learning and artificial intelligence to increase the number of potential drill targets across central South Australia, Unearthed said.

South Australia Minister for Energy and Mining, Dan van Holst Pellekaan, said: “This state-of-the-art competition has the potential to unearth the next Olympic Dam or Carrapateena by encouraging global thinkers and innovators to interrogate our open-file data and generate new exploration models and ideas for targeting.

“Mining is one of the pillars of the South Australian economy and this competition should add to the pipeline of projects in the resources and minerals processing sector.”

He said the state’s existing inventory of discoveries suggest there are “major prospects” and many other deposit styles and commodities to be identified, with this competition only serving to bring those internationally significant discoveries forward.

“ExploreSA is an example of the bold and progressive thinking required to assist industry in accelerating the state’s annual economic growth rate to 3%.”

All targets generated, including those from the winners of the A$250,000 prize pool, will be publicly shared to increase innovation and understanding in the resources sector by enabling access to data science approaches and modern geoscience thinking, according to Unearthed.

Unearthed Industry Lead – Crowdsourcing, Holly Bridgwater, said the competition served to leverage data science to its full potential at a time when significant new discoveries are becoming rarer.

“This exciting crowdsourcing competition and world-class open dataset will attract a global community of innovators, some whom won’t have worked in the mining industry before,” she said.

“We can’t wait to see how they will apply their diverse skills, fresh ideas and novel approaches to mineral exploration to accelerate discovery in South Australia.”

Earlier this year, OZ Minerals partnered with Unearthed on an online crowdsourcing competition to find new exploration targets at the Mount Woods tenements of the Prominent Hill copper-gold mine, in South Australia.

ExploreSA: The Gawler Challenge will open early next year. To find out more, visit: https://unearthed.link/ExSAGC_IM

Major Drilling bolsters northeastern Ontario offering with Norex buy

Equipment maintenance, Mineral exploration, Mining equipment, Mining mergers and acquisitions, Mining safety, Mining services, , , ,

Major Drilling Group has entered into an agreement to acquire Norex Drilling, a family-owned drilling company and leading exploration drilling contractor based in Timmins, Ontario, Canada.

The purchase price for the acquisition is valued at an amount up to C$19.7 million ($14.8 million), consisiting of cash and shares.

Denis Larocque, President & CEO of Major Drilling, said Norex had been operating successfully in the Ontario marketplace for around 40 years and had a solid reputation with its clients.

“The acquisition of Norex is a unique opportunity for Major Drilling to gain a strong position to service our customers in both surface and underground exploration drilling services in the prolific northeastern Ontario region,” he said. “The culture and operational values of both companies are very similar in terms of personnel and strategies, and this will allow us to provide our customers with expanded drilling services.”

Major Drilling is retaining the management team, is gaining access to skilled and experienced drillers and personnel, and is taking over existing contracts, according to the company.

Through the purchase, it will also acquire an additional 22 drill rigs, including 17 compatible specialised surface drill rigs and five underground drills, together with related support equipment and inventory.

For the last two years, Norex had average yearly revenue of approximately C$21 million and EBITDA of aroundC $5 million.

The company said: “While Norex’s historical performance should not be viewed as guidance for future performance, we are optimistic about the continuing growth potential in this region considering Norex’s customers’ stated plans and the current market condition in the mining industry.”

The acquisition is expected to close on or about November 1, 2019, and is subject to customary closing conditions.