Tag Archives: Seequent

Orica looks to deliver real-time drill workflow to geologists with AXIS Connect

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Orica Digital Solutions has announced the launch of AXIS Connect™, an open, secure and integrated platform that simply, reliably and efficiently connects measurements made by drillers with the geologists who need them, the company says.

Orica’s purpose is to sustainably mobilise the earth’s resources, and precise knowledge of resource location is essential data that supports optimal outcomes in the downstream phases of the value chain. Precise borehole identification and orientation are key to orebody characterisation, influencing essential operational processes such as resource estimation, mine planning, grade control, dilution management and blending.

AXIS Connect stands as a trusted source for directional survey data, fostering confidence between drillers and geologists by delivering reliable data precisely when needed. The software simplifies drilling operations, minimising disruptions while ensuring accurate and efficient data collection in the field.

Orica Digital Solutions Senior Vice President, Rajkumar Mathiravedu, said: “Orica Digital Solutions mantra is to release customer-centric products that can simplify their workflows and deliver a step-change in safety and productivity. In the industry we operate, where traditionally software is tied to tools, our vision has been to make the software platform “open” in order to offer the customers to choose tools of their preference. We are bringing the “Open, Secure, Integrated” vision of our end-end digital platform to the Orebody Intelligence domain through AXIS Connect.

“AXIS Connect is a testament to our leadership in Orebody Intelligence, driven by our global team of hardware and software engineers who are dedicated to creating the best-in-class user experience not just for the initial users of the tools or recipients of the data, but for any companies in the value chain that rely on this critical data for downstream operations.”

AXIS Connect receives and processes surveys immediately upon completion and delivers real-time insights to customers on drill hole progress versus plan enabling faster decision making, a reduction in cost per metre drilled and drill holes that hit the target.

Integrations are at the heart of AXIS Connect with user driven connections to key partners in the geological modelling and drilling workflow space, including Seequent, CorePlan and Blackfox, as well as general API availability for automated data transfer and custom reporting. Best-in-class user experience means simple connections.

Mathiravedu concluded: “Orica has been at the forefront of mining innovation for 150 years, and our digital solutions like AXIS Connect are a clear reflection of our ongoing commitment to safety, innovation and delivering value to our customers. The future is open and Orica is leading the way to deliver the end-end integrated workflows in the resources industry.”

Leapfrog continues to evolve to tackle increasingly complex mining projects

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Seequent, The Bentley Subsurface Company, has unveiled what it says is a considerable update to its industry-leading 3D earth modelling and analysis tool Leapfrog.

The new functionality enhances core tools and workflows to improve productivity and help solve a range of geoscience challenges in mining projects, including resource estimation, mine planning, and exploration targeting.

Highlights for Leapfrog Geo include:

  • Ability to run multiple instances of Leapfrog on a single machine for project multi-tasking;
  • Visualisation of downhole survey data to aid drilling analysis;
  • Attributed mapping data to create better models more quickly; and
  • A re-blocking tool to easily produce regular block models for mine planning optimisation.

In the 2024.1 release, resource estimation tool Leapfrog Edge also benefits from various performance improvements and the ability to work with more complex deposits.

Rachel Murtagh, Product Manager, Geology, Geostatistics and Data Science, Seequent, says: “The industries we serve are solving critical challenges under increasingly tighter economic and ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) conditions. Our goal is to help our customers focus as much of their time as possible on the geoscience. The latest update of Leapfrog emphasises enhanced productivity, investment in core functionality and puts in place key capabilities to enable an evolving future.”

Leapfrog’s continued customer-led evolution resonates with users and is demonstrated in the number of models created with our software, according to Murtagh.

In 2023, Leapfrog users created nearly 200,000 new geological models, providing crucial subsurface insights for mining, civil, energy and environmental projects.

Murtagh added: “We spend a lot of time listening to customers about what they need to succeed, and we iteratively work through a discover-design-build-test loop with expert and early user groups. This ensures we capture the feel and function that works best of our customers allowing them to master new workflows quickly and become experts in dynamic modelling so they can better understand the subsurface and its resources.

“Leapfrog 2024.1 is a strong release that strengthens and broadens key capabilities of Leapfrog and significantly enhances the users’ experience.”

3D subsurface modelling software Leapfrog Geo for mining and exploration projects allows users to build and refine models fast, the company says.

Murtagh added: “Seequent pioneered implicit modelling in geology with Leapfrog, and we’re still leading the way. Its user-centric, intuitive, well-designed interface and dynamically linked workflows hugely simplify the updating of models with new data. So, we are continuing to build on what’s made Leapfrog so successful.”

Leapfrog 2024.1 release updates boost 3D modelling, interoperability and visualisation capabilities:

  • Users can now run multiple instances of Leapfrog on a single machine, while utilising a single seat. This allows users to work faster, working on one project while another one runs simultaneously;
  • Drilling improvements deliver new visualisation and access to survey data. The visualisation of downhole survey data provides additional insights and validation of drill hole orientation to aid drilling data analysis. Features to evaluate and sub-set by geology, drilling orientation, drilling type, hole diameter and more are also enabled. Other drilling improvements focus on saving time when modelling resource grade or contaminants, flexible tools to execute complete workflows, and gaining more comprehensive context for data in the 3D context alongside other geological information;
  • Improvements to geological modelling with new flexibility for inputs help users create better informed models quicker by supporting attribution of mapped data, improve insights into the data points influencing the model surfaces with updates to mesh surface values, and provide better control over vein surfaces when modelling; and
  • Leapfrog Geo is now interoperable with OpenGround, a cloud-connected geotechnical data management and reporting tool, to streamline ground investigations.

Updates for resource estimation tool, Leapfrog Edge, focus on improved overall performance for estimating resources in situ, including tonnage, grade and metal. They include:

  • Functionality advancements help users work with more complex estimates and better understand their resources. These advancements include enhanced parameter table editing, new change log tracking, upgraded declustering, and improved overall performance; and
  • Regular model outputs from sub-block models can now be produced from Leapfrog Edge, an extension of Leapfrog Geo and readily shared with engineering and mine planning teams to streamline mine planning.

Rob Ferguson, Director of Mineral Exploration at Seequent, says: “Resource estimation is a critical process in the mining industry, providing the foundation for understanding both potential and risks of a proposed project. Trusted estimates and reporting are essential for companies investing, planning and executing mining operations.”

Murtagh adds Leapfrog Edge is fantastically visual and being dynamically linked with Leapfrog Geo estimates are fully integrated with 3D geological models: “Edge combined with Leapfrog Geo delivers a powerful integrated solution for mineral resource estimation and management, but importantly, they deliver a set of tools that aren’t complicated to use.”

With an eye to the future, the Leapfrog 2024.1 release also includes technologies to improve interoperability between desktop and cloud products, which, in the future, will unlock hybrid workflow opportunities through the new geoscience data platform being built by Seequent.

Seequent out to transform earth science learning with Visible Geology

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Seequent, The Bentley Subsurface Company, has launched Visible Geology, a free web application to teach earth science students how the earth works – in 3D.

Visible Geology, Seequent says, offers an immersive, intuitive gaming experience that is set to transform the way earth science students are taught the key concepts of geology – a foundational science for understanding the earth. The app was developed with CerebralFix, a game development studio that creates innovative interactive, digital experiences for companies including Disney, Pixar and Dreamworks.

The app moves beyond traditional 2D and paper-based teaching methods into immersive 3D modelling in the cloud via an intuitive interface. Anyone with access to the internet can access Visible Geology for free – no subscription is required.

Graham, Grant, CEO, Seequent, said: “At Seequent, we are passionate about inspiring the next generation of earth scientists. We know how critical earth scientists are to understanding the earth’s resources and solving some of the world’s most urgent and complex challenges – from climate resilience to the energy transition. With falling enrolments and older professionals retiring, there is a workforce crisis ahead that is set to impact our way of life. That’s why we have taken our world-leading expertise in earth science software and brought in gaming expert CerebralFix to build Visible Geology and make it available to everyone, for free.”

Around the globe, universities are reporting a significant decline in earth science enrolments and courses are being cut. Australia has witnessed a 40% slump in geoscience students completing degrees in the last eight years, according to reports, and in 2020 the UK reported a 43% decrease in students studying geology since 2014 (A joint report from The Geological Society of London and University Geoscience UK found). The American Geosciences Institute has reported a workforce deficit of 130,000 geoscientists in the US by 2030.

CerebralFix co-CEO, Chelsea Rapp, said: “Video games have an incredible ability to transform education by blending immersive experiences with interactive learning. They are much more than just entertainment; applications like Visible Geology are dynamic tools that empower learners to explore and experiment in ways that traditional methods cannot match.”

Dr Kate Pedley, Geology Lecturer, University of Canterbury, New Zealand, was part of the Visible Geology testing process with her students and is already incorporating Visible Geology into her undergraduate courses. Dr Pedley said: “Visible Geology is intuitive and easy to use. Students can play around with it and have a bit of fun and it builds understanding in a way that complicated 2D maps can’t. Visible Geology builds a bridge for students to the professional geoscience software they will use in their careers.” |

Visible Geology, the company says, complements Seequent’s academic program, an international network of students, educators and researchers using Seequent’s professional software for low or no cost, to advance our understanding of the earth at more than 500 leading universities.

Seequent expands subsurface software presence in Central Asia with Kazakhstan hub

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Seequent, The Bentley Subsurface Company, has announced the establishment of a regional hub in Kazakhstan, expanding its presence in Central Asia.

Staffed by a dedicated local team, the strategic move demonstrates Seequent’s commitment to providing cutting-edge subsurface software solutions to the rapidly growing local market and wider Central Asia region, it says.

Seequent shared the news last week at an event in Almaty, which brought together partners, stakeholders and leading industry representatives. Seequent has supported the Central Asian business community since 2011, and major companies in the region are already using Seequent’s earth-modelling, analysis, data management and collaboration software, the company says. These applications help users understand the underground in the mining, energy, civil infrastructure and environment industries.

Colin Hay, EMEA, Executive Vice President, EMEA with Seequent (pictured on the left with Inna Shalovenkova, Regional Sales Director, Mining and Minerals on the right), said: “Seequent’s expansion into Central Asia marks a significant milestone in our global strategy. Kazakhstan, situated in the heart of Central Asia, serves as an ideal hub for the region. With a robust economy, rich metal reserves, advantageous location and a focus on attracting foreign investment, Kazakhstan stands out as a key market for Seequent’s solutions.”

Hay added: “We are seeing a growing demand for our solutions that support the evolving needs of industries in this market seeking digital innovation to drive efficiency and value in their operations. We will continue to hire locally as our Central Asia operations expand.”

Seequent offers software solutions for geoprofessionals including geologists, geophysicists, geochemists, geotechnical and geomechanical engineers, hydrogeologists, ecologists, as well as builders, designers of structures, quarries and underground mine workers. Products include the geological 3D modelling solution Leapfrog and Oasis montaj for working with geophysical data.

AngloGold eyes autonomous haulage advantages at Nevada project

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AngloGold Ashanti says it is considering the use of autonomous haulage at its Expanded Silicon project, in Nevada, USA, as part of plans to leverage new technology at the in-development asset.

Speaking on a roundtable discussion titled ‘Beyond the hype: how technology can drive mining operations performance’ organised by global subsurface software company Seequent, Marcelo Godoy, Chief Technology Officer at AngloGold Ashanti, said the company was studying the application of autonomous haulage to optimise efficiency and reduce risks at its projects in Nevada.

Discussing automation and robotics as one of three transformational technologies the company is looking to leverage to achieve its net-zero emissions goals by 2050 – electric vehicles and renewable technologies being the other two – Godoy said he saw robots running key production activities at the company’s mines by the time they reach net-zero emission status.

AngloGold has been leveraging automation in its drilling operations, with Godoy noting on the roundtable that the company was seeing improvements in terms of efficiency, precision and safety.

“We also make extensive use of semi-autonomous LHDs in our underground mines, and we are studying the application of autonomous haulage vehicles to optimise efficiency and reduce risks in our projects in Nevada,” he said.

Asked to expand on this by IM after the roundtable, he said: “Our Nevada projects are conceptualised as open-pit mining operations and, at this point, we are only looking at autonomous haulage.

“As far as I know, there is no proven and off-the-shelf autonomous loading technology that could successfully work in the hard-rock environments where we operate. Autonomous loading is still an ongoing technological development and I expect that it will become prevalent in the mining industry before the end of this decade.”

He added that the option of autonomous haulage is being considered at the company’s Expanded Silicon project, which builds off AngloGold’s discovery of the Silicon gold deposit in the Beatty District of Nevada.

In 2022, the company outlined a maiden inferred resource estimate of 3.37 Moz of gold at a grade of 0.87 g/t Au and 14.17 Moz of silver at 3.66 g/t Ag contained within a base of 120.4 Mt. A prefeasibility study is being worked on currently.

Bentley’s Seequent gets geophysical with Aarhus GeoSoftware buy

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Bentley Systems’ newly acquired business unit, Seequent, has added Danish company Aarhus GeoSoftware, a developer of geophysical software, to its portfolio.

The acquisition extends Seequent’s solutions for operational ground water management, and for sustainability projects involving exploration, contaminants, and infrastructure resilience, Bentley said.

Aarhus GeoSoftware, a spinoff company from Aarhus University in Denmark, develops the software packages AGS Workbench, SPIA, Res2DInv, and Res3DInv for the processing, inversion, and visualisation of geophysical data from ground-based and airborne electromagnetic, electrical resistivity tomography remote sensing, and other sources. AGS software enables users to create 2D and 3D images of subsurface electrical resistivity, according to Bentley, with the outputs used to distinguish and differentiate subsurface materials. They can subsequently be modelled in Seequent’s Leapfrog to aid in various subsurface investigations.

The software uses electric field measurements, collected at ground level or with airborne sensors, to map the subsurface distribution of certain materials such as water, mineral deposits and clays.

Electrical resistivity, Bentley says, allows a better understanding of the distribution of these materials and, when the water contains other compounds such as salt, researchers and industry professionals can infer the distribution.

The genesis of AGS software was to ensure clean drinking water for future generations by mapping groundwater across Denmark. It is now used in many different areas, including investigating orebodies and waste rock and tailing processes in mining.

Seequent says it will continue its tradition of collaborating with universities and research organisations worldwide through ongoing engagement with Aarhus University for the development of AGS geophysical solutions.

Graham Grant, Chief Executive Officer of Seequent, said, “The acquisition will add new geophysical data processing capabilities to our workflows to help advance subsurface investigation and modelling. AGS software, coupled with Seequent’s advanced geologic modelling and analysis software, creates a key tool in helping understand and manage groundwater and assessing risk in infrastructure such as dams and canals. We’re excited about the new possibilities this opens up for our collective users worldwide, improving life-time digital twins.”

Toke Højbjerg Søltoft, Chief Executive Officer of Aarhus GeoSoftware, said: “Seequent’s global reach will allow AGS software to positively impact more projects worldwide. As we continue to develop solutions, our users will benefit from our tools being in Seequent’s ecosystem and workflow. We’re excited to join Seequent and to work together on our shared vision of helping organisations make more informed and sustainable decisions through a better understanding of the subsurface.”

Seequent looks to mining’s future with latest software updates

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Geoscience software company Seequent has revealed major updates to its mining portfolio, focused on improving user’s productivity to solve their geoscience challenges and further enabling connectivity and collaboration between users and their stakeholders.

Included in this major release are updates to Leapfrog® Geo for 3D geological modelling and visualisation, Leapfrog Edge for resource modelling, and cloud-based Seequent Central for model management and collaboration. The releases, which represent Seequent’s biggest update to its mining portfolio in more than a decade, include technologies that will ensure a smooth and seamless transition to Seequent Evo, its new ecosystem of hybrid cloud and desktop solutions, the company says.

Seequent’s Chief Technology Officer, James Lawton, says: “As projects become increasingly complex, organisations are generating greater amounts of data. We want to enable organisations in their digital transformation journey and enhance productivity.

“We’ve planned for the future with these releases, expanding the capabilities of Seequent Central at the centre of the user’s workflow to improve digital effectiveness and enable better decisions.”

Central 4.0 makes projects more accessible, shareable, and collaborative, with all-new visualisation capability, enhanced modelling workflows, direct communication with notifications, links and sharing, and more publishing improvements, Seequent says. The new import capability bridges the gap between geoscience disciplines via a common workflow.

The milestone Leapfrog Geo 6.0.1 release delivers smoother, more intuitive workflows and a significant improvement in performance with up to 25% faster overall processing times, supporting users with large datasets, it explains. Leapfrog Edge 4.0.2 introduces a parameter report facilitating the checking of estimates, which allows users to see their choices to be exported to excel for internal or external reporting.

Seequent’s Chief Revenue Officer, Daniel Wallace, says: “Our latest releases allow for better connectivity to cloud products and between different software solutions, and enable large processing tasks and multi-user workflows by taking advantage of cloud computing capabilities. The releases are geared for the transition to Seequent’s Evo ecosystem – which links operations, data, and technology, to provide real-time decision support.”

Seequent’s GeoStudio Core to help geotech engineers tackle major engineering challenges

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Geoscience software company Seequent has announced the release of GeoStudio Core, a new, completely reformulated SIGMA/W product.

These upgrades allow geotechnical engineers to understand and tackle major engineering challenges for infrastructure and mining projects – from dams and levees to tunnelling and the stability of cuts in underground and open-pit mines, the company says.

Paul Grunau, President of Seequent’s GEOSLOPE, says GeoStudio Core 2021 is the most significant GeoStudio release in the past five years.

“SIGMA/W has been completely redeveloped from the ground up, delivering new levels of confidence and capability for geotechnical engineers needing to assess ground deformations and stability,” Grunau said. “The new strength reduction stability analysis in SIGMA/W complements the industry-trusted solutions in SLOPE/W to provide a rigorous understanding of slope failure mechanisms, allowing the engineer to design effective stabilisation measures. These products integrate with SEEP/W to include the impact of changing groundwater conditions, providing a comprehensive solution for stability problems.

“The combined GeoStudio Core solution runs in a single integrated environment, speeding up the project workflow and easily scaling with the user’s needs. All project data and analyses can be combined into a single project file, enabling smooth data exchange and simpler data management.”

GeoStudio Core, with SIGMA/W’s expanded material model library and new analysis types, allows for comprehensive modelling of a wider range of soil and rock behaviour, according to Seequent. For example, simulating the strain-softening behaviour of brittle clays enables stability control of a tailings dam or roadway cut.

The new GeoStudio multi-physics solver enables SIGMA/W to offer improved solver performance and enhanced modelling of rapid reservoir drawdown, open-pit mine dewatering effects on highwall stability, and solute transport from tailings ponds.

Seequent helps miners in COVID-19 era with remote geoscience software tools

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Geoscience software company Seequent says it is accelerating the development of its cloud-based solution, Seequent Central, to enable organisations to continue work on critical, large-scale, earth, environment and renewable energy projects in the COVID-19 impacted environment.

Central works alongside Seequent’s other geoscience analysis, modelling and collaborative technologies, to contribute understanding to subsurface geoscience and engineering design solutions.

The cloud-based solution allows people in any location to visualise, track and manage geological models created for infrastructure and critical services projects, in a centralised, auditable environment, according to Seequent.

This means a wide range of stakeholders can readily access highly visual up-to-date information to manage risk and make better environmental and investment decisions, to progress projects, it said.

Seequent CEO, Shaun Maloney, said the company was working alongside customers to do everything it can to make it possible to meet the demands and operational challenges they may be facing in the current environment.

“In response to increased need and demand, we’re accelerating the development of Central to help our customers to continue to operate in interdependent and often remote work environments,” he said.

Seequent’s software is being used on hundreds of diverse projects across the globe, ranging from infrastructure projects including large-scale rail, road and tunnel projects across North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific; renewable energy projects in the US, Finland, Iceland, Indonesia, Philippines and New Zealand; mining and exploration projects in North and South America, Africa and Australia; and environmental projects such as groundwater management in North America, Europe, Africa and Asia-Pacific.

One of these projects is with Canada-based mining company First Majestic.

Focused on silver production in Mexico, First Majestic currently owns and operates the San Dimas silver-gold mine, the Santa Elena silver-gold mine and the La Encantada silver mine. The company is pursuing the development of its existing mineral property assets with industry practice modelling using Seequent’s solutions, according to the geoscience software company.

“First Majestic use Seequent’s Leapfrog Geo to develop a realistic presentation of the geology at each site (complex silver deposits with multiple veins), and Leapfrog Edge to aid resource estimation – and when geologic models are changed resource estimates also change dynamically,” Seequent says.

“Seequent Central allows the company to publish models and resource estimates – so they are immediately available to everyone from the mine geologists to management in real time.”

First Majestic Resource Geologist, David Rowe, says the company can now capture multiple resources across multiple mines.

“We can now get all cross-discipline experts together to review projects in one place, and I am notified when those reviews have happened,” he said. “This enables better access and collaboration for everyone.”

Seequent addresses contaminants with latest Leapfrog Works extension

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Global geoscience software company, Seequent, says it has released a “Contaminants extension” for its 3D modelling and analysis solution, Leapfrog Works.

The integrated solution enables geoscientists to easily and intuitively create robust 3D models of subsurface contamination plumes to enable reliable definition and estimates of contamination and its location, Seequent said. The highly visual models can be readily shared with project stakeholders to aid communication and understanding at each stage of contaminated site management, it added.

Seequent’s Environmental Segment Director, Thomas Krom, said: “By combining 3D dynamic geological models with best practice geostatistical methods, we’re enabling people to build, maintain, communicate and track defensible interpretations and mitigation strategies for contamination resolution – enabling better, transparent decision making.

“Currently, environmental scientists estimate contaminate plumes in a spreadsheet or use GIS, or they rely on one or two people in their organisation to create 3D models. The Contaminants extension leverages Leapfrog’s intuitive workflows to allow users to be productive almost immediately, making industry-standard geostatistics accessible for everyone and valuable on any sized project.”

Leapfrog Works with the new Contaminants extension forms part of Seequent’s wider set of contaminated site solutions, the company said.

“Leapfrog Works allows users to quickly build 3D models from environmental data in hours, which dynamically updates each project lifecycle,” Seequent said. “Robust and intuitive geostatistical tools in the Contaminants extension allow users to create transparent and defensible estimates of contaminant mass and location in saturated and unsaturated zones.”

Cloud-based data and model management solution, Seequent Central, enables teams and project stakeholders to share data and collaborate on models from any location – to ensure contamination resolution decisions are based on the latest information, according to the company.

Eryn Torres, Senior Professional at Geosyntec Consultants, was one of the environmental scientists who worked closely with Seequent to test Leapfrog Works and the Contaminants extension on a variety of contaminated site projects.

“The organised workspace and powerful algorithms, as well as the reporting capabilities, have made Leapfrog and the Contaminants solution invaluable tools for our team,” Torres said. “I have been truly impressed by the level of enthusiastic support and engagement that Seequent has provided.

“I have become an avid user of the solution during this early phase, and it is now a part of our daily workflows, especially for contaminated sites with the need to compute reliable mass estimates in complex scenarios.”

Krom added: “Seequent solutions enable clear communication to end clients, regulators, and the general public with 3D models of contaminated sites and associated groundwater systems in a fully auditable data-driven approach across the entire lifecycle of site management.”