The exploration and mining industry is known for having warehouses and office warehouses full of old geological data in paper boxes and map tubes, or digital files buried in hard drives, floppy disks and servers.
These data sets are typically passed from one group to another during mergers and acquisitions or when miners retire. Most of the time, they are rarely used, but they are full of potential.
“There is tremendous value in our industry’s historical mapping, drilling and mining datasets when they are in usable and accessible formats, yet very few teams have the time, expertise or systematic process to handle the work of digitizing and extracting all the historical data,” says Ashley Kirwan, co-founder, president and CEO of Orix Geoscience, a Canadian geological consulting firm.
Since its founding 14 years ago, ORYX has partnered with Canadian and global exploration and mining companies at all levels to do just that, using its geological expertise and refined processes to deliver projects of this type. The company’s geology and geomatics teams comb through historical data to help companies understand the relevant technical data they already have and how to use it to increase geological understanding of their project, implement strategic exploration programs and even reopen old mines.
Two years ago, Orix partnered with Willeson Metals to scan, index and interpret historical data sets held by the privately held mineral exploration company that owns a group of former production and early-stage projects along the Lynn Lake Greenstone Belt in Manitoba. Specifically, Willison wanted Oryx to help them identify potential areas for focused exploration by generating a new surface geological interpretation for their Hatchett project, which included the previously producing Fox copper-zinc mine and 30 kilometers of unexplored greenstone belt.
Digital transformation
Much of Willison’s available data was paper-based and in inaccessible formats, Kirwan says, so Oryx designed software to collect, digitize, integrate and interpret. Orix scanned and indexed 2,198 paper drill logs and 1,545 large-format maps at its surveying facility in Sudbury. They then extracted geological and structural observations and test results from selected scanned records and maps into usable geospatial formats and databases.
ORYX then layered Willison’s new high-resolution magnetic survey with new digital historical outcrops, faults, contacts and drill log observations from paper data sets. Finally, an advanced 1:5,000 scale structural and petrological interpretation was conducted across the project area to determine the deformation history and assess the exploration potential for both volcanic massive sulphide (VMS) and gold mineralization.
The result has been increased geological understanding of the structurally complex area, interpretation of controls on mineralization, and identification of new targets for future exploration programs and partnership discussions.
“Leveraging historical datasets prior to drilling provides an essential foundation for exploration teams to develop robust geological theory, supported by technical excellence, which can then be tested through initiatives such as future geophysical surveys, mapping and drilling programmes,” says Kirwan.
“Explorers know well the need to use exploration dollars wisely and give investors confidence. A good starting point for building that confidence and strategy is to develop and communicate a strong technical hypothesis to test, informed by new insights from aggregated historical data sets.”
Original article
Orix also integrates historical datasets to support advanced projects and mining companies. They have collaborated with Magna Mining (TSXV: NICU) to create updated geological and resource models for some of its core assets, including the former producing Levack and Crean Hill mines and the producing McCreedy West mine.
The Crane Hill Mine produced copper and nickel over three periods of operation between 1900 and 2002, but although it produced a rich set of data, much of it remained unintegrated and locked away in paper data sets.
Orix’s technical team systematically scanned and indexed historic paper maps from Crean Hill and then combined the data with hundreds of other scanned but underutilized sections and plans. Geological and engineering information from historical mine level plans and sections was then incorporated into the dataset.
In the end, the entire set of underground levels, stops and hundreds of production and service increases were created in 3D space, filling the technical gaps. In addition, underground level mapping and cross-section interpretations were digitized and used to create new geological and mineralogy models, which were accurate to the original source material.
“Combining historical datasets with modern techniques supported the large 20,000 tonne Magna sample in 2024 and the pre-feasibility study currently underway,” says Kirwan.
Unearthing the past
ORYX has also designed the infrastructure across the three mines, including more than 23 million cubic meters of development and underground mining, and produced a new mineral resource estimate for the Macready West mine by incorporating historical data and modern technologies. This planning supported the life and primary Magna Mineral Reserve at Macready.
At the Livac mine, Oryx updated the geological model and resource estimate, increasing the indicated and inferred Livac resources by more than 3.5 million tonnes with an increase in in situ value of $1.8 billion (US$1.3 billion) at today’s metal prices. Magna is using resource estimation to conduct a preliminary economic evaluation of Levack this year.
“Our world needs new discoveries and more productive mines to meet future demand for commodities, and the past is the key to the future,” says Kirwan. “Digging through historical mining datasets takes skill and strategy, but the payoff can be worth it.”
The previous joint venture article is sponsored content Oryx Earth Sciences Produced in cooperation with Northern Miner. Visit: www.orixgeo.com For more information.
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