Geosoft mapping software for geophysics, geology, geochemistry
 

Software essentials for exploration: Geosoft and Metech technologies support exploration companies from initial target identification through to resource development

In exploration, knowledge and data are your two greatest assets. Geologists depend on data to provide direction on where to explore and drill. Investors, analysts and partners use data to assess the value and integrity of an exploration company's results.

Therefore it's not surprising that industry use of technology has focused on maximizing the value of the data asset; through better access, manipulation and visualization of the data for day-to-day exploration and drilling decisions, and through better organization and data management for improved reporting and resource development.

Essential software for exploration

Geospatial mapping and visualization applications, like Geosoft's Target software, have proven to be essential for improving exploration efficiency, and for showing drilling program results to investors, analysts and potential partners.

African Minerals (formerly known as Platreef), a South African-based exploration company working on the African Minerals (Northern limb of the Bushveld Complex) began using Target three months ago, and the company has already seen a difference in the way in which geological information is used and disseminated.

"We selected Target because we needed tools that could assist us in planning and visualizing our sections and drilling program." said Mark Le Grange, Project Geologist for African Minerals Resources. The difference it's made has been fantastic. We no longer have to wait for our mine modeling geologists to give us sections. We can update them on a daily basis and are able to look at a section immediately at our desktop. It's made our lives as geologists that much easier."

Professional mapping software has given African Minerals geologists the tools to show their results, to company executives as well as investors. Target has given us superior visualization capabilities for seeing, and showing, what we do as geologists," said Le Grange. We found Target's strip log function to be a very effective tool for giving potential investors a drill holes data and perspective on one page."

The Target mapping software has also been used to support other areas of mining exploration and project feasibility, such as environmental assessment and advanced 3D modeling. We were able to use many of our Target cross sections, as well as our strip log, in our environmental baseline study," said Le Grange. Our contractors found it helpful in deciding on which sections to use for their samples."

African Minerals' modeling geologists found the Target sections easier to work with, when identifying intersections and lithologies, and they were able to transfer them back into their 3-D modeling package for further use.

Integrated solution approach

When Apollo Gold Mining, an emerging small gold producer based in Australia, began looking for technology to support their exploration program in the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia, they sought an integrated solution that would enable them to bridge the gap between exploration and production.

Apollo selected Geosoft's Target for surface and drillhole mapping and Metech's acQuire for data management based on the software's individual strengths but, more importantly, based on its ability to provide an integrated system for exploration data.

We saw great value in having an integrated system," says Dudley Kingsnorth, CEO of Apollo Gold Mining. From the exploration sense it's more efficient, and as we move from being an exploration company to being a producer, we don't have to use a different database. We can use it as the basis for mine design."

In the past, geologists have spent up to 70% of their time accessing the data, and trying to get all the data in a form where they could compare one data set with another. That left 30% of their time for finalizing their drill target," said Kingsnorth. With Target and acQuire, data is more readily available and we can compare all the data we have in one environment. Geologists spend less of their time assessing the data, so they can put their effort into understanding the geology."

For Apollo, maximizing the value of their data asset meant having it accessible for resource development, as well as exploration. They needed a system that could be used by both exploration and operations.

In the first instance, the database provides data for identifying targets, for drilling, follow-up drilling and joint ventures. However, that alone does not make it an asset," said Kingsnorth. The database is also a key tool in the development and quantification of our resources and reserves. Furthermore, it is in a format that consultants, analysts and potential JV partners recognise as credible, so can readily be used to assess the value of the company's tenements on a geological prospectivity basis."

With a large tenement holding, Apollo also found the system to be effective in helping to decide which ground to pick up and which ground to drop. Rather than going through a multitude of tables, as in the past, they can now look at all the drillhole data and visually identify potential exploration areas.

Having the right technology can help to improve exploration productivity and increase prospecting capabilities. Taking an integrated approach towards your exploration technology can yield the greatest benefit, providing a solid data foundation for resource development as well as active exploration projects.