MINERAL EXPLORATION motto .”
Speeding up the automated sequences was a key consideration in the development phase of the Explorac RC30 Smart .
“ We had to ensure that the rod handler system would be faster than the operators , otherwise they would simply continue doing the job manually ,” Gobbert said .
The Explorac RC30 Smart not only improves operating performance and safety , but it has been designed in a manner that supports future scaling of rig features and functionality , according to Epiroc . As a result , Ausdrill and other contractors can upgrade the equipment when new automation features become available .
Exyn on the exploration trail
Exyn Technologies is looking to bring its crossindustry expertise to mineral exploration , with the company ’ s high level of autonomy and ability to access GPS-denied environments safely and swiftly already finding favour with companies looking to explore previously-mined areas or brownfield assets .
In British Columbia , Canada , for instance , Ascot Resources has used drones fitted with Exyn payloads to investigate underground mine passages that have not been seen since the 1940s . This has helped the company assess the validity of re-establishing a mine at its Premier gold-silver project near Stewart – a plan that includes mining ore left behind from the historical operations at Big Missouri .
Using an Exyn solution , the company was able to replace historical hand-drawn maps of the underground mines with an accurate 3D model of historical underground passages , enabling Ascot engineers – who were unable to access the workings due to safety concerns – to assess just how much ore remains and if a modern underground mine could be developed to extract it .
With surveyors stationed near the surface , the Exyn solution was able to scan stopes in two-tothree minutes and collect more than 20 million points of data in real-time , capturing a highly accurate view of the underground voids .
Leveraging space tech for exploration
The mineral exploration market is increasingly looking to adjacent and other industries for ways to speed up the discovery-to-development phase associated with mining , and those looking to space have made inroads of late .
Fleet Space Technologies , a leading Australian space company , recently announced three innovative features to its mineral exploration technology , ExoSphere by Fleet ® , each purposebuilt to enhance the agility and accuracy of datadriven exploration efforts worldwide .
Exploration customers are now able to download several new data intelligence assets on-demand from the ExoSphere platform that , the company says , will deliver greater insights into ambient noise conditions , data quality and confidence levels across different parts of their 3D model .
Leveraging Fleet ’ s constellation of low Earth orbit satellites and the latest advances in passive seismic array technology , ExoSphere has rapidly disrupted mineral exploration 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 Space says .
It does this by scanning the ground using the advanced Ambient Noise Tomography seismic technique , where highly transportable ‘ Geode ’ devices listen to faint background vibrations from natural and manmade sources . The data is then processed rapidly and transmitted through Fleet Space ’ s constellation of low earth orbit satellites , launched by SpaceX .
Over 35 global exploration companies have used the technology to conduct surveys on a variety of commodity types across five continents , including Rio Tinto , Barrick Gold and Core Lithium , among others , the company states .
Flavia Tata Nardini , CEO of Fleet Space Technologies , said : “ 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 .”
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 .
The latest updates to the platform include the Sensitivity Model , Data Processing Report and Source Data Pack .
Customers can now access a Sensitivity Model to help visualise and quantify confidence levels
ExoSphere by Fleet has rapidly disrupted mineral exploration 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 Space says
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 , the company says .
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 ( 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 : “ With over 250 ExoSphere surveys completed across five continents , it ’ s clear that near-real time access to 3D velocity models , combined with these new ExoSphere features … 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 .”
IM
28 International Mining | FEBRUARY 2024