SAMPLING, ANALYSIS & LAB ASSAY
The non-destructive nature of the technology allows for detailed mineral characterisation while preserving the core, enabling more efficient and responsible mining practices, Veracio claims.
“ With this innovation, we provide accurate mineral data without destroying the sample,” Molina added.“ It’ s a critical breakthrough as the industry faces increasing environmental and social scrutiny. We’ re committed to delivering tools that not only drive efficiency but also support more intelligent, decarbonisation-aligned exploration strategies.”
This technology has been driving efficiency and intelligent exploration strategies at the likes of Northisle Copper and Gold Inc’ s North Island project in British Columbia, Canada, where, during the 2025 campaign, a drill hole that was close to being considered complete ended up delivering one of the strongest intersections to date.
The turning point came with drill hole RD25-07. After more than 250 m with few indications of notable mineralisation, shutting down the hole was being considered. As that call was evaluated, the Scan by Veracio platform was returning real-time geochemical results from nearby RD25-05, indicating the potential for a mineralised horizon at greater depth. With that information, and despite the lack of visual indicators at the current depth of RD25-07, the exploration team decided to continue drilling.
The decision led to the interception of a 39 m intersection grading 1.16 % copperequivalent within a broader interval of 93 m at 0.77 % CuEq – one of the best results obtained to date at the West Goodspeed target.
“ The results not only confirmed deeper high-grade mineralisation but also redefined the interpretation of the model for the area,” Veracio says.
Foran Mining, in need of making geological decisions faster with higherprecision data at its McIlvenna Bay project in Saskatchewan, also adopted the Scan by Veracio tool.
During the winter of 2025, the company completed over 30,000 m of drilling in a campaign notable for both its scale and logistical complexity, with simultaneous operations in high-potential areas such as the Tesla and Bridge zones.
The objective was to reduce the lag between drilling and geochemical analysis: a step that traditionally relies on sending samples to external laboratories that can take several weeks.
With the incorporation of this technology – which comes on top of the company’ s use of the Elemission ECORE rapid core scanner – the technical team was able to determine in the field whether a drill hole should be extended or closed, optimise sample selection for laboratory analysis and detect mineralised intervals not easily visible to the naked eye, Veracio says. This was achieved without increasing the geological team’ s size, yet it had a significant impact on work quality and overall campaign efficiency.
One of the most notable achievements was the identification of a 52.6 m intersection with an average grade of 2.54 % CuEq in the Tesla Zone, including sections reaching 4.65 % CuEq. This represents the highest grade-thickness recorded to date at the project, and its analysis was possible even before full geological logging, thanks to data obtained via Scan by Veracio, the company says.
SGS backs ColdBlock tech
Moving downstream of core logging, assaying is another area of the exploration flow that is quickly evolving, with ColdBlock Technologies Inc part of that evolution.
ColdBlock sample digestion technology is used by laboratories performing elemental analysis across a wide range of sample types, including base metals, lithium and rare earth elements, among others. It provides an alternative for labs relying upon separate assaying methods such as fire assay for gold and hot-plate digestion for copper.
Fire assay is a common, multi-step assaying method that takes hours to complete, requires a
Accelerate assaying with ColdBlock
ColdBlock is the only sample digestion technology that uses focused short-wave infrared heating and a cooling zone to dissolve solid sample matter for elemental analysis. Digestions are fast, accurate and repeatable:
Base metals Precious metals Lithium Uranium Rare earths Black mass
ColdBlock is being used in some of the world’ s largest mining operations and global commercial labs, delivering:
SPEED Average cycle time of 20-45 minutes is significantly faster than traditional technology.
SAFETY No pressurization. Safer handling of samples. Reduce the need for dangerous reagents like lead and perchloric acid.
SIMPLICITY Fits into existing lab space. Minimal maintenance required.
SAVINGS Shorter cycle time and increased throughput leads to increased lab productivity.
www. coldblock. ca | info @ coldblock. ca
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