Press Release

Geosoft's Target software gains ground in exploration

Platreef Resources selects Target for drillhole program planning and visualization

Apollo Gold deploys Target and Metech’s acQuire as part of integrated exploration system

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Toronto, Canada, July 29, 2003 - Geosoft, a leading provider of geospatial software for earth science industries, announced two new customer deployments of its Target surface and drillhole mapping application.

Platreef Resources, a South African-based exploration company working on the Platreef, the Northern limb of the Bushveld Complex, has chosen Target for the planning and visualization of their drillhole program.

Apollo Gold Mining, an emerging, Australian-based small gold producer exploring in the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia, has deployed Geosoft’s Target for target identification, and Metech’s acQuire for data management as part of an integrated exploration system.

Superior visualization capabilities

Platreef Resources 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 Platreef Resources. “The difference it’s made has been fantastic. We no longer have to wait for our mine modeling geologists to give us sections. With Target, 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 Platreef 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 drill hole data and a perspective on one page.”

Platreef has also used the Target mapping software 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.”

Integrated solution approach

When Apollo Gold Mining began looking for technology to support their exploration program, 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 targets,” said Kingsnorth. “With Target and acQuire, data is more readily available and we can compare all the data we have in one environment. Our geologists now spend less of their time assembling the relevant data, enabling them to put their effort into understanding the geology.”

Available worldwide, Target supports a range of industry applications and users, including geologists, exploration managers and environmental scientists.

Earlier this month, Geosoft announced the launch of Target for ArcGIS, enabling the integration of exploration data within ESRI’s ArcGIS environment.

For more information about Target, Target for ArcGIS, or acQuire contact Geosoft at info@geosoft.com or visit www.geosoft.com.

About Geosoft

Geosoft's commitment to software innovation for the geosciences dates back to the company's inception in 1986. The company has grown to be a global, earth data solutions leader with offices in all five continents. Geosoft ranks among the top 150 software companies in Canada, providing software and services in over 100 countries around the world. Geosoft solutions enable simple and natural access to data, efficient and collaborative knowledge development, and sharing with others. Our mission is to make the earth data experience work, so geoscientists are free to explore.

Target and Oasis montaj are trademarks of Geosoft Inc. Other brand and product names mentioned herein are properties of their respective trademark owners.

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