Tag Archives: Minalyze

Veracio shows off latest tools to transform orebody sciences at PDAC 2024

Automation, IoT, Mineral exploration, Mining events, Mining services, Mining software, , , , , , , , ,

Veracio, an orebody knowledge technology company that formerly operated as Boart Longyear’s Geological Data Services division, has used the backdrop of the PDAC Convention in Toronto, Canada, to unveil new and refreshed orebody knowledge tools set to, it says, improve, automate and digitally transform orebody sciences in exploration, resource definition and production globally.

TruScan® 2, TruProbe® and Strata™ were launched when the event kicked off on March 3, close to a year since Veracio came into existence.

JT Clark, CEO of Veracio, said: “In just one year – from introducing Veracio to the world to now – our progress has been remarkable. Our new technologies, our team’s dedication, and our strategic acquisitions like Minalyze have all been steps towards realising our overarching vision of transforming how we capture and utilise orebody knowledge, from exploration to production.”

TruScan 2, featuring HyperXRF™, a mineralogical solution integrated into Veracio’s core scanning platform boasts co-registered data streams from both hyperspectral and XRF (X-ray Fluorescence) scanning supported by enhanced QA/QC, the company says. The scanning capabilities of both chips and core provide scanning data, including mineralogical data, to teams within 24 hours. Field trials are commencing early in the June quarter, followed by first deliveries to customers in the September quarter of 2024.

TruProbe is an integrated app, cloud and stackable hardware solution; combining both rig and downhole sensing technologies. Building upon the foundations set by Veracio’s north seeking TruGyro, TruProbe “stacks” a robust gamma sensor to enable operators to log both borehole deviation and gamma simultaneously, Veracio claims. On the rig, the app connects to an azimuth rig aligner and wireless depth counter. The software in both the handheld app and the cloud drives efficiency and accuracy through a simple, easy-to-use design, while the hardware is integrated with industry-standard running gear for safer, faster operation, according to the company.

Strata is Veracio’s cloud technology environment, and 2024 will see more added to the experience. This cloud environment ensures there are sophisticated software offerings available to pair with all Veracio hardware, now further enriched by the recent additions to the Minalyze™ software offering, including Minalogger™. For downhole surveying, the seamless connectivity to the TruProbe app will, Veracio says, provide a new way to visualise 3D hole path and empower teams with easy-to-use data access to advance their projects no matter where they are in the world.

Mike Ravella, Chief of Innovation, added: “This portfolio represents just the beginning of our journey. We are constantly evolving, striving to pioneer the next-generation orebody knowledge and bring it to the forefront of the industry.”

Veracio captures more drill core scanning market share with Minalyze acquisition

Automation, IoT, Mineral exploration, Mining mergers and acquisitions, Mining services, , , , , , ,

Veracio has entered into a binding agreement to acquire pioneers in scanning and data innovators, Minalyze, for a total consideration equal to $29.3 million.

With the combination of Veracio’s AI and advanced analytics solutions and Minalyze’s geological data visualisation technology, this strategic acquisition will transform the way the industry captures, analyses and interprets geological information, ushering in an era of informed decision-making in an increasingly complex and data-driven world, according to Veracio.

Boart Longyear Group spunoff its Geological Data Services division into a separate entity called Veracio earlier this year, saying the company is “ideally suited to combine science and digital technologies in a single, integrated platform and help mining companies get more value from their orebody data, faster, while mitigating the environmental impact of their decisions”.

Minalyze, meanwhile, has a history of developing scanning instruments for core samples and software for the visualisation of geological data. The company’s patented scanner and cloud-based software for digitising large volumes of drilling samples generate high-resolution and consistent data through fast, non-destructive collection of multiple datasets. This has seen it achieve commercial success with clients in Europe, Australia, Africa and North America.

“This acquisition represents an exciting new chapter for both Veracio and Minalyze,” Veracio Chief Executive Officer, JT Clark, said. “We see this as a ‘better together’ opportunity, leveraging our collective expertise to push boundaries and create a product portfolio that goes beyond anything previously available for the mining and exploration industry.”

Annelie Lundström and Mikael Arthursson, the co-Founders of Minalyze, will assume integral leadership positions within Veracio, while the entire Minalyze team will seamlessly transition under the Veracio banner, according to Veracio.

Lundström said: “Joining forces with Veracio is a remarkable step forward. We believe this acquisition will enable us to enhance what we’ve accomplished to date, deliver distinct value to our clients and redefine industry benchmarks collaboratively.”

Mike Ravella, Veracio’s Chief Innovation Officer, said: “We are committed to maintaining the quality and innovation the industry has come to expect from both Veracio and Minalyze. We want to assure our clients on both sides of this transaction that the products and quality of services they trust and value will continue to be available and well-supported, and we encourage and appreciate their continued support.”

This deal will, according to Veracio, capitalise on the synergy between Minalyze and Veracio’s scientific and technological progress and prowess. Veracio remains steadfast in its mission to evolve data acquisition and AI in geosciences, and to unveil vital resources globally with enhanced speed.

Completion of the transaction is scheduled to occur on September 20, 2023.

Minalyze CS drill core scanner heads to Intertek’s Global Centre of Excellence

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

Intertek, a Total Quality Assurance provider to industries worldwide, has announced an agreement with Minalyze to install a Minalyzer CS patented drill core scanner at Intertek’s new Minerals Global Centre of Excellence in Perth, Western Australia.

The Minerals Global Centre of Excellence opened in July 2021, which consolidated Intertek’s Minerals operations into a single 19,000 cu.m building and houses over 500 employees. With the introduction of the Minalyzer CS, the centre’s state-of-the-art laboratory will support the mining and exploration industry allowing its customer’s geological data acquisition and access to related software for data visualisation, Intertek says.

John Fowler, Intertek’s Senior Vice President of Minerals and Exploration and Production, said: “Our new Minerals Global Centre of Excellence is designed to provide instant and efficient access to world-class technology, expertise and service. Incorporating the Minalyzer CS into this exciting new facility delivers on our commitment to investing in advanced technology to continuously improve quality, sustainability, safety, efficiency and deliver value for our clients.”

Minalyze CEO, Annelie Lundström, added: “We are excited for this new agreement with Intertek which demonstrates Intertek’s commitment to bring value to the industry through state-of-the-art technology and through the new Minerals Global Centre of Excellence in Perth. Our strategic collaboration provides our clients with the tools that will enable faster and more efficient discoveries needed for a sustainable green transition.”

Minalyzer CS is a scanner offering a contactless and non-destructive service able to generate geochemistry, high-resolution images, rock quality designation (RQD), structures, specific gravity and bulk density for drill cores and other drill samples. The patented scanner is designed for handling large volumes of drill samples and is capable of scanning drill cores directly in core trays. A laser (LiDAR) generates a 3D model of the topology of the core and trays, and enables the control and precision of the continuous XRF scanning. RQD and structures are also derived based on the 3D model.

The objective, continuous and consistent nature of the datasets as well as the high but compact data density generated by the scanning technology is paramount in machine learning and deep learning applications and approaches to geology, according to Minalyze.

LKAB starts core logging automation, digitalisation process with Minalyzer CS

Automation, IoT, Mining equipment, Mining services, Mining software, Steel and iron ore, , , , , , , , ,

LKAB has become the first iron ore miner in the world to implement the continuous XRF scanner Minalyzer CS, starting the process of automating and digitalising its drill core logging workflow.

By collecting data in an automated system, LKAB is aiming to improve the consistency and efficiency of its core logging process, Minalyze said.

LKAB and Minalyze initiated the collaboration in March 2020 when the first scanner was installed at the Kiruna iron ore mine for a test. It was then expanded to Malmberget where data from the Minalyzer CS was used to help geological logging of the drill core. The focus for the tests was to assess the datasets: geochemistry, high resolution images, RQD and specific gravity generated by the scanner and to determine how these datasets can assist in the core logging process.

Following these developments, the two companies plus Sentian, in May 2021, said an artificial intelligence application developed by the trio would be trialled to make drill core analysis faster, with the time to evaluate a drill core reduced from weeks to minutes, with increased accuracy.

LKAB Senior Vice President Exploration, Strategy and Business Development, Pierre Heeroma, said: “The tests with the Minalyzer in Kiruna and the more complex Malmberget geology confirmed that this Swedish technology is disrupting the core logging process – now we have fast access to rich data as guidance when classifying the rocks. Our core logging is now consistent and efficient.”

Annelie Lundström, CEO Minalyze AB, said: “The rest of the iron ore industry should closely follow the transformation LKAB is undergoing. With the Minalyzer they have one of the more automated and digitalised core logging workflows in the world. And they are setting a new world standard for sustainable mining with the fossil-free iron ore and steel making.

“We are very proud to be part of LKAB’s transition into the future.”

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.”

SGS pairs portable instrumentation and machine learning with FAST

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SGS has announced a new service for the metals and mining industry, Field Analytical Services and Testing (FAST), in North America and Australia.

FAST provides real-time data acquisition in the field by pairing portable instrumentation and machine learning, according to the company, which used the backdrop of the annual Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada show, in Toronto, Canada, to make the announcement. “It will bring instrumentation into the field, provide data within 24 to 48 hours and, with the use of machine-learning, enable real-time decision-making capabilities for clients,” the company said.

Part of the solution includes Minalyze AB’s Minalyzer ED-XRF core scanning technology, according to the company.

Russ Calow, Vice President Global Analytical Services, Minerals at SGS in Canada, said: “This service offering will allow our clients to optimise their exploration programmes and production procedures, while making rapid decisions that support quicker speed-to-market.

“SGS is committed to providing analytical procedures that yield meaningful, reliable data – while integrating our in-house, industry leading machine-learning capabilities to give innovative, field based solutions to our clients.”

SGS calls itself the global leader in the geochemical laboratory analytical testing sector with over 160 geochemical laboratories in 45 countries. Its FAST solution reflects a commitment to servicing the mining and smelting industries throughout the entire value chain, leveraging leading technologies, according to the company.

“SGS operates on-site and near-site laboratories in some of the most remote locations in the world, regardless of the climate, the altitude, the logistics or the sample volume,” the company said.

“Whether requirements are at the mine site or in metal smelting and refining plants, SGS has the experience, technical solutions and laboratory professionals to help clients maximize value from their operations and reach their goals efficiently and effectively.”

SGS services to the minerals sector include geochemical analysis, resource calculation, mineralogy, metallurgy, engineering, process design and engineering, process control, water treatment and trade services.