SAMPLING , ANALYSIS AND LAB ASSAY
In May 2022 , Foran Mining contracted Boart Longyear to provide TruScan services at its McIlvenna Bay property , with the data collected currently used for detailed chemo-stratigraphy in support of the ongoing exploration efforts
exploration efforts . To date , over 13,000 m of historical core and 2,500 m of exploration core has been scanned using the TruScan system at McIlvenna Bay .
A pilot study is also ongoing to investigate the feasibility of integrating the data into a semiautomated logging process . Should the study prove successful , TruScan could reduce future reliance on laboratories , providing opportunities for time and cost savings , improving the company ’ s exploration strategy and turnaround time , Foran said .
Ravella flagged the ability to automate a large portion of the geotechnical logging process as a TruScan growth driver .
“ Lab assays can take months at a time , which could lead to millions of losses in opportunity costs ,” he said . “ Not to mention the labour and carbon cost of cutting , bagging and freighting all those samples to labs and back . We ’ d prefer our clients use labs for quality assurance / quality control , and we provide meaningful results to their geologists ‘ on the day ’.
“ As an aside , it does look like the more the immediate demand appears to be in the inevitable backlog of geotechnical logging our clients tend to run into and TruStructure ’ s capability when paired with TruScan to automate a large portion of that process .”
TruStructure is the software base that displays TruScan ’ s outputs , allowing geologists and geotechnicians access to standardised , accurate and high-speed access to structural data while reducing manual handling and rework .
The process is getting even more automated with Autologger , which uses artificial intelligence and software to , Ravella says , “ accurately log core correctly the first time , eliminating the possibilities of needing to relog the core .”
Outside of the ability to reduce the number of samples for assaying , carry out logging of ore for lithological / structural purposes and targeting orebodies / controlling drilling programs , TruScan is now also providing detailed elemental geochemistry of blasthole chips rapidly prior to blasting in the mine production space .
Ravella explained : “ The application of TruScan on blasthole chips differs from offerings from OEM / plant equipment offerings . TruScan allows for fast and accurate detection of not only the primary elements of concern , but also the contaminant elements even at low concentrations . This allows for a detailed understanding of the ore grade within the block as well as the profitable ore within the block .”
Boart Longyear is also using TruScan to provide other orebody defining parameters beyond geochemical parameters in high definition . “ Rock properties that are traditionally obtained with very low data density from very few samples can now be quantified with TruScan in very tight intervals on every hole where the samples are scanned with TruScan ,” Ravella said .
Lastly , the company is developing other digital sensing capabilities outside of TruScan to provide in-situ sensing information “ downhole ” as well as sensing of the drill rod string itself . “ We fully believe the integrated information derived from these disparate datasets will be the key to unlocking unified orebody knowledge from our clients ,” Ravella said of these developments .
He concluded : “ Our focus for 2023 is ‘ digging deeper into data ’ ( rather than blindly into the Earth ’ s surface ), so that our clients can be both Earth-friendly , economically friendlier , and can successfully provide the critical minerals that drive electrification for humanity .”
OEM orebody knowledge pursuit
Epiroc is also getting involved in the core scanning game , thanks to the recent acquisition of Geoscan Pty Ltd , an Australia-based provider of digital geological imaging solutions to mining companies .
Geoscan has a presence in Australia , Latin
America , North America , Europe and Africa , with its main offerings being Corescan and Coreshed .
Corescan is a leader in hyperspectral scanning , core photography and 3D laser profiling of drill core , rock chips and other geological samples with the associated processing and interpretation , according to Epiroc . It offers an automated solution that increases both the speed and reliability of imaging , processing and data delivery .
“ Providing a rapid and reliable mineralogical profile of each drill core , Corescan improves mining companies ’ decision making across exploration , resource modelling and ore processing ,” it explained .
Coreshed complements this by providing an advanced digital core storage , visualisation , management and data integration solution for drill core and other geological samples , according to Epiroc .
At the time of the announced acquisition in 2022 , Helena Hedblom , Epiroc ’ s President and CEO , said : “ Mining companies continue to strive for greater orebody knowledge to strengthen productivity and consistency in their operations , and Geoscan ’ s solutions play a vital role in achieving that . This acquisition will complement our existing offerings well .”
Automated sampling
IMA Engineering is also providing the mining and metals industry with drill core analysis through IMA Scanmobile . The company ’ s solutions go beyond this , encompassing ore grade analysis on conveyor belts , blasthole sampling , drill chip sampling and slurry analysis .
The Finland-based company continues to gain traction in the ore sorting and sensing space with its Fast Conveyor Analyzer ( FCA ) – many units of which have been sold and deployed over the last 12 months – but it has also been developing its AutoSampler units for automated drill chip sampling on blasthole drills .
Around this time last year , the company had deployed its first commercial AutoSampler unit to a precious metal mine in Finland , but , fastforward 12 months , and it can reflect on units being sold to clients in North America , South America , Europe , South Africa and Turkey .
“ We have delivered 20-plus units now , the most recent one going to Ireland ,” Ilpo Auranen , Chairman of IMA Engineering , told IM .
And the wins have not just been happening on surface , with the company having developed an AutoSampler for underground operations . The first unit was deployed at a gold mine in northern Finland , fitted on an Epiroc Cabletec drill .
“ We have delivered AutoSampler Underground systems to five underground mines located in Finland , Mexico , Austria and Spain ,” Auranen said in early January . “ They are being used in
46 International Mining | FEBRUARY 2023