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Geoscience Data Management Report – 2021 and beyond

Geoscience data underpins every decision made on underground projects, from road tunnel construction to mining operations, energy exploration to environmental assessment.

Garnering over 700 responses from 320 organisations across mining, civil infrastructure, energy, environment and education industries, the 2021 Geoscience Data Management Report identifies key challenges and barriers to success, while looking at the approaches geoscience organisations are taking to overcome these obstacles.

Data Management is not simply about collecting and storing data. It sits at the core of business success – especially as resources become harder to find, and infrastructure projects become more complex.

It has been 10 years since the first Geoscience Data Management Report was published, and despite rapidly evolving practices and technology such as cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and collaboration tools – consistent challenges remain. These challenges include ensuring data is securely and consistently stored and managed, while making it accessible, shareable, and auditable.

While there are always going to be data challenges in geoscience, this report aims to examine and monitor what they are, how they are changing, and how different industries are responding.

83% of respondents stated that data management is a critical issue for their organisation.

Over 1 in 2 organisations are currently using or considering data practices such as data science scripting or machine learning/AI/advanced analytics.

35% of respondents stated they spend greater than 30% of their time on data management tasks.

69% of respondents stated their readiness to leverage the cloud for geoscience data management.

40% of respondents stated version control was their biggest challenge when collaborating on active project data.

60% ranked data security and confidentiality of high importance.

Previous reports

Geoscience Data Management Survey: 2017

Geoscience data management is a key issue across many industries and while organizations recognize it as critical, they continue to struggle with the challenges it presents.

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Exploration Information Management Report 2015

Exploration data quality is improving, however organizations continue to grapple with historical and duplicate information, collaboration in real time and the cost and complexity of data management solutions.

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Exploration information management report 2013

Managing data has become a critical concern in the exploration community, according to the 2013 Exploration Information Management Survey report.

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Exploration information management survey 2011

More than 90% of respondents to a recent survey, reported having challenges with managing their exploration information within the mineral exploration industry.

View Report