“If you want a post-carbon economy, you have to mine more.” – Sally Goodman, Vice President of Generative Exploration, Newmont, during Seequent’s panel discussion at the 2024 Prospectors and Developers Association Conference (PDAC) in Toronto.
It’s hard to disagree
Today’s mining landscape is increasingly complex, with expanding commitments to sustainability, rising production costs, declining ore grades, a volatile commodities market, and a skills and labour shortage – to name a few.
Yet, despite these challenges, leading mining companies are paving the way for a low-carbon future and supplying essential materials for infrastructure and consumer needs, says the PwC report Mine 2024. How is the industry continuing to navigate the complexities and growing demands of a low-carbon future?
An industry challenge or an opportunity for positive change?
The World Bank estimates the demand for critical minerals will surge nearly 500% by 2050. Mining companies are facing a dual imperative: to rapidly discover and produce the minerals vital for the energy transition while concurrently transforming their operations to achieve net-zero carbon emissions.
Rob Ferguson, Director, Exploration and Mineral Resource Management, Seequent, explains: “The industry is under more pressure than ever to increase productivity, and efficiency, particularly as demand grows for critical minerals. Timely decisions must be made based on the most accurate data and insights. From drillhole to models, Seequent’s integrated workflows break down silos that have slowed mining and exploration for decades”.
Embracing emerging technologies
The mining industry has traditionally been hesitant to implement new technology and lags behind adoption curves in other industries.
In 2021, Science Direct, the world’s leading source for scientific, technical and medical research, published a paper looking at barriers and enablers to technology adoption in mining. It found that while the industry was slow to adopt and implement technological change, technology played a significant role in helping mining firms reduce costs, lessen their environmental impact and increase production outputs.
More recently in 2023, Seequent’s own Beyond the Hype insights paper brought tech innovators together to give their perspectives on the increasing role of technology in the performance of mining operations – including insights from Marcelo Godoy, Chief Technology Officer at AngloGold Ashanti, and Matt Blattman, Director Technical Services at Hecla Mining.
”Companies are going to have to take a leap forward and develop new practices and adopt new innovations that will increase sustainability and improve performance says Blattman
Pieter Neethling, Director of Mining Operations, Seequent, added: “Seequent has been supporting the mining industry for several decades, and over that time we have seen a big shift in attitudes towards technology. The industry has recognised the need to accelerate the adoption of innovative technologies, and great progress has been made. However, there is still a lot more opportunity ahead with emerging technologies including automation, digital twins and AI. The industry cannot afford to lag behind.”
Efficient Data Management and Meaningful Collaboration
Seequent’s latest Geoprofessional’s Data Management Report, published in May 2023, found that almost 1 in 4 survey respondents felt that they do not have the information needed to make data driven decisions.
1/4
Don’t have the information to make data driven decisions
57%
Stated that unmanaged historical data remains a challenge for their organisation
2 in 3
now use or word consider usuing new technology such as AI or ML
Neethling says: “By recognising the critical importance of managing data effectively, addressing the challenges of disparate data, and embracing innovative solutions, mining companies can unlock greater productivity, mitigate project risks, improve safety and sustainability, and drive success across their operations.”
The transition from traditional, manual record-keeping to integrated data management technologies and cloud-based platforms has allowed for the consolidation of disparate data sources; granting seamless and secure access to a single source of truth and removing barriers for better collaboration and faster, more transparent decisions.
“The focus of Seequent’s industry-leading solutions,” explains Ferguson, “is to drive better subsurface intelligence from the geoscience data that is at the heart of modern mining, from exploration to production to mine closure.”
The future mining workforce
The workforce in mining is ageing, with some of the industry’s most prominent figures voicing concerns about the future talent pipeline. Globally, the industry is experiencing a notable shortage of skilled workers and challenges in hiring and keeping mining experts, a topic explored at the PDAC 2024 panel discussion hosted by Seequent.
John Vandermay, CTO, Seequent, emphasised that “starting at the grassroots and drawing people into the industry is absolutely key.”
What appeals to the next generation of skilled mining workers looks very different from a decade ago. Goodman said: “the younger generation doesn’t want to do manual labour work on mine sites. If we can utilise technology so that a lot of the work can be done from a desk, and log drill core virtually in 3D, then we can widen the pool of talent available”.
With Seequent’s recent launch of Visible Geology, a free web-based application built to teach and explore geological concepts, Seequent hopes to inspire the next generation of geoscientists. Dr Kate Pedley, Geology Lecturer at the University of Canterbury, says, “Visible Geology builds a bridge for students, providing them with an opportunity to access the professional geoscience software they will use in their careers.”
Mining Health and Safety
Health and safety is paramount in the mining industry, and the goal of risk avoidance and reduction is galvanising major change in operations. A great example of this is the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management. Established in 2020, the standard aims to prevent catastrophic failure and enhance the safety of mine tailings facilities. A fundamental pillar of the standard is the requirement for an integrated knowledge base: a single source of truth to support informed decision–making and standards compliance throughout the tailings facility lifecycle.
”A positive impact of going digital is more responsive management and governance, to ensure better resilience and ultimately minimise environmental risks or impact to our local communities says Andre Alipate
The future of subsurface intelligence
Seequent, The Bentley Subsurface Company is a global leader in subsurface software deployed by some of the world’s largest mining companies, including BHP, Teck, Vale, Anglo American, and Newmont, as well as prominent junior exploration players such as Fireweed Metals and Arizona Metals Corp.
Mining operations require good, trusted and standardised geoscience data.
Our industry-leading digital solutions bring geoscience data and teams together seamlessly, enabling subsurface intelligence for a new way of working:
- Precise resource estimations to speed up discovery of critical minerals and support sustainable extraction
- Agile and confident data analysis to improve drilling programs, saving costs and minimising environmental footprint
- Reliable, accurate ore body knowledge to optimise production workflows, maximise ore and mineral recovery, at a lower cost with less waste
- Integrated and innovative solutions that enable data accessibility from any location, and reduce reliance on specialised skills
- A single source of truth for improved auditability, reporting and compliance for safer mining
As Marcelo Godoy, CTO of AngloGold Ashanti notes, “data is at the centre of everything we do. I commend the work that Seequent is doing because they are moving in the direction towards an agnostic database, something we have been crying for, for some time. The possibilities are endless”.