SAMPLING , ANALYSIS AND LAB ASSAY
Veracio , through solutions like its TruScan technology , is delivering more granular and higher-density results in quicker times , according to JT Clark
Dan Gleeson speaks to some of the players in the sampling , analysis and lab assay space to find out how new technology is being leveraged to improve the outcomes for mining companies
The push to get more minerals and metals out of the ground and onto the global marketplace in the quickest and most efficient way is leading to a mindset shift in the sampling , analysis and assaying space .
Simply put , the typical duration from sample collection to laboratory analysis – which at the height of an exploration boom can be measured in months – does not work in the current market demand scenario .
Yet , for mining companies to address this problem , they need technology that provides the accuracy and efficiency needed to speed up decision making . Fortunately , this technology exists .
These two factors are leading to a reprioritisation of data analysis in this space , where , depending on the sample characteristics and where the sample fits into the mining value chain , closer to real-time analysis is being leveraged .
IM looks at some of the main protagonists taking part in this evolving story .
Creating AI-centric datasets
One of the biggest news stories to come out of this space in the last 12 months is the acquisition of Minalyze by Veracio .
Two companies with fundamental expertise in drill core scanning and other complementary tools , Veracio and Minalyze , combined , could transform the way the mining industry captures , analyses and interprets geological information , ushering in an era of informed decision making in an increasingly complex and data-driven world , the companies said .
Boart Longyear spun off its Geological Data Services division into Veracio in early 2023 , embedding this new entity with key digital sensing platforms and artificial intelligence ( AI ) expertise that helps miners move beyond the borehole and see the entire orebody in fine detail . Included within this was data capture and intelligence platforms such as TruProbe™ , an expandable system for multiple sensors combined in a single downhole platform ; TruSub™ , a digital sensing technology based on the rod string system ; and TruScan™ , a patented , in-field scanning platform leveraging X- ray Fluorescence ( XRF ) sensor and highresolution photography to geochemically and structurally log large volumes of core ( or chips ) consistently – ready for AI . All these technologies are complemented by a foundational , integrated cloud platform that gives global teams access to these technologies .
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 – also using XRF sensors – 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 .
Veracio Chief Executive Officer , JT Clark , told IM that the addition of Minalyze is helping the company achieve its goal of creating “ next generation solutions ” to drive mining forward .
“ It is helping us in two ways ,” he said . “ The first one is the technology play .
“ On the surface , people look at the TruScan and Minalyzer CS units and remark on their drill core scanning similarities . After the transaction was announced , I certainly got asked the question : ‘ why would you look to combine them ?’ The reason is that underpinning these two bits of hardware are separate teams that had the same objective but took two separate pathways to achieve it and , as a result , built highly complementary solutions and technologies .
“ This has made for a tight technological fit that enhances the quality of the solutions and , together , solves some challenges or impediments that were inhibiting the technology adoption .”
The second related element behind the deal was the ability to drive critical mass around the technologies both companies have been pushing , Clark said .
“ To drive adoption , you need to generate critical mass around a solution ,” he said . “ If we are to achieve our goals of building AI-centric datasets to support the application universe that is coming , better utilise the scarce talent we have in the industry and move up the mining development curve quicker , we need to build this critical mass .”
Reaching this critical mass looks a lot more achievable than it did , say , five years ago , with both Veracio and Minalyze having chalked up some major mining company wins in recent years .
The likes of Newcrest ( now Newmont ), Anglo American , Glencore , LKAB and Foran Mining have deployed one of the two companies ’ core scanning and software solutions to date , with many other undisclosed firms also leveraging their technology .
Clark says Veracio already has the world ’ s largest XRF spectra to geochemistry database ; a database that comes with a depth and breadth of
12 International Mining | FEBRUARY 2024