Geology 4.0: The final bow?Mark Burnett: Principal Geologist
The Four Industrial Revolutions
2https://www.nicva.org/sites/default/files/d7content/attachments-articles/the_impact_of_the_4th_industrial_revolution_on_jobs_and_the_sector.pdf
https://www.tinamoe.dk/2018/08/17/do-you-know-the-definition-of-the-4th-industrial-revolution/
Industrial Revolution Timespan Trigger Impact
First 1760 - 1840 Steam engine and railways Mechanical Production
Second Late 1800’s to early 1900’s
Electricity and the assembly line Mass Production
Third 1960’s to early 2000’s Semiconductors, computers, internet
Automation
Fourth Mid 2000’s onwards Internet of Things (IOT)4 D PrintingHyper connectivityVirtual Reality (VR)Artificial Intelligence (AI)Intelligence Augmentation (IA)
“Everything”
New core skills (From WEF)
3
2020 2015
Complex problem solving Complex problem solving
Critical thinking Coordinating with others
Creativity People management
People management Critical thinking
Coordinating with others Negotiation
Emotional intelligence Quality control
Judgement and decision making Service orientation
Service orientation Judgement and decision making
Negotiation Active listening
Cognitive flexibility Creativity
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/01/the-10-skills-you-need-to-thrive-in-the-fourth-industrial-revolution/
Impact on jobs
4https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/McKinsey/Featured%20Insights/Future%20of%20Organizations/What%20the%20future%20of%20work%20will%20mean%20for%20jobs%20skills%20and%20wages/MGI-Jobs-Lost-Jobs-Gained-Report-December-6-2017.ashxhttps://www.replacedbyrobot.info/ranking
Mine Surveyors (100%) Telemarketers (99%) Geologists (63%) Mining Engineers (13%) Recreational Therapists (0.3%)
Vulnerable to automation Physical RepetitiveAgriculture
ManufacturingHousehold WorkMining
Years
% im
pact
Aspects that will impact geoscientists
5
Robotics
Virtual reality (VR)
Artificial intelligence (AI)
Intelligence augmentation (IA)
Cross-disciplinary sciences (systems thinking)
The Geologist that was
http://www.geologyin.com/2014/11/geological-field-equipment-and-safety.html6
Already adapting
7https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Portable-XRF-analysers-can-be-used-in-mineral-exploration-due-to-its-easy-and-fast_fig1_283641425https://www.maptek.com/forge/june_2014/eureka_enters_the_exploration_field.html
Drones: old news, new applications?
8Y. Vasuki et al. / Computers & Geosciences 69 (2014) 22–32
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources
Interactive geologic maps
9https://www.geosociety.org/gsatoday/archive/20/4/figure/i1052-5173-20-4-4-f04.htmhttps://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/9653382.pdfhttps://macrostrat.org/map/#/z=8.8/x=28.0198/y=-26.0535/bedrock/lines/satellite/fossils/
Real-time 3D modelling
10https://www.geoexpro.com/articles/2019/05/artificial-intelligence-and-seismic-interpretationhttps://www.linkedin.com/pulse/minescape-delivering-implicit-modeling-decades-william-wilkinson-jr-/
Real geology
11https://www.leapfrog3d.com/__data/assets/pdf_file/0012/21603/Vale-Case-Study.pdf
Implicit modelling: real models?
12https://www.leapfrog3d.com/__data/assets/pdf_file/0012/21603/Vale-Case-Study.pdf
Coiled tube drilling
13http://www.dmec.ca/getattachment/281a0d63-4fc0-49b7-a8d1-118525c366dc/Resources/Exploration-17/Geological-Logging-with-X-ray-Vision.aspx
Pros and cons
14
Known technology No coreContinuous drilling Chips recovered from a fluid
Increased rate of penetration Sample representativity
Safer (fewer people) Not designed for metal explorationLower environmental impact Cost-effective prospecting tool
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/269932356_Coiled_tube_drilling_and_real-time_sensing-enabling_prospecting_drilling_in_the_21st_century/link/54bc3d180cf253b50e2d17cd/download
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/264440912_Coiled_Tube_Turbodrilling_A_proposed_technology_to_optimise_drilling_deep_hard_rocks_for_mineral_exploration
Top-of-hole geochemistry
Uses diamond drillhole cuttings, i.e. chips.
Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) (DET Deep Exploration Technologies).
X-ray (Olympus).
Uses self-organizing maps.
15http://www.dmec.ca/DMEC/media/Workshops/Future%20of%20mineral%20exploration%20drilling/The-Future-of-Mineral-Exploration-Drilling-and-Sampling-(for-printing)-111017.pdf
Rich data sets in real time
16http://www.dmec.ca/getattachment/281a0d63-4fc0-49b7-a8d1-118525c366dc/Resources/Exploration-17/Geological-Logging-with-X-ray-Vision.aspxhttps://www.fei.com/uploadedFiles/FEISite/Pages/Products/Software/Models/Pergeos/Tutorials/Improving-Whole-Core-Characterization-with-Automated-Log-Generation-in-PerGeos.pdf
But what about my core?
Repetitive task (80% capture, 20% processing)
Inconsistencies between geologists
Relogging expensive and time consuming
17https://www.koregeosystems.com/the-spector-solution/
01Scan
02AI Segmentation
05Interpretation and integration
03AI Geology logging
04Logging and approval
Continual learning
Case study
18
Major company required all exploration core to be logged and validated in a very short space of time.
Historical inconsistencies in database .
Apparently complex geology.
Automated core scan + machine learning algorithm.
https://www.fei.com/uploadedFiles/FEISite/Pages/Products/Software/Models/Pergeos/Tutorials/Improving-Whole-Core-Characterization-with-Automated-Log-Generation-in-PerGeos.pdf
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/74b7/f180e7f941fd8a1786dec07e9a52cbbdf3ad.pdf
Case study All core logged on time and under-budget.
Average logging rate of 1,000 m/day (one machine).
Included first-pass geotechnical and structural logging.
Machine classified lithology 91% accurate.
Consistent, electronic database available for analysis and modelling.
19https://www.fei.com/uploadedFiles/FEISite/Pages/Products/Software/Models/Pergeos/Tutorials/Improving-Whole-Core-Characterization-with-Automated-Log-Generation-in-PerGeos.pdf
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/74b7/f180e7f941fd8a1786dec07e9a52cbbdf3ad.pdf
The Machine
20https://www.koregeosystems.com/https://disruptmining.com/
Big data
21https://www.ibm.com/news/ca/en/2018/11/26/i702101t77169m61.htmlhttps://www.3blmedia.com/News/Goldcorp-and-IBM-Watson-Gaining-New-Exploration-Insights-Through-Artificial-Intelligence
Big data—case study
22https://www.herox.com/crowdsourcing-news/408-history-of-challenges-the-goldcorp-challengehttps://www.redlakemuseum.com/innovation.html#
The challenge
23
In March 2000, Goldcorp Inc. invited contestants from all over the world to submit exploration proposals for its Red Lake Mine Property.
The contest was named “The Challenge”.
Each proposal had to be: concise, identify specific targets, be supported by appropriate geological reasoning, and be submitted by e-mail in the English language.
Proposals could be submitted by individuals or by teams.
Geological information about the Property was available by CD-Rom and supplemented with additional information on the web site (http://www.goldcorpchallenge.com/ challenge.homepagesatic.html).
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/289720730_The_Challenge_Goldcorp_Inc_Gold_exploration_via_Internet_Application_of_the_gold_shear-zone_model_to_the_Red_Lake_property_Ontario_Canada
The results
24
More than 110 sites were identified.
Half of these were previously unknown to the company.
Of these new targets, more than 80 % yielded significant gold reserves.
The then CEO, was of the opinion that process cut two to three years off the company’s exploration timeline.
The estimated value of the targets was estimated at being worth than USD6 billion in value.
The prize money was only a little over half-a-million dollars. https://www.ideaconnection.com/open-innovation-success/Open-Innovation-Goldcorp-Challenge-00031.html
The new tools – in summary
Automated drill rigs. Real-time monitoring. Real-time downhole geophysics . Real-time sample analysis and systems. Hyperspectral analysis. Big data integration and analysis.
25http://sea-implicit-modelling.azurewebsites.net/future-of-modelling/the-future-of-geological-modelling
Education and training
26https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10217998859339555&set=g.242181875831448&type=1&theater&ifg=1https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tswaing_crater
The field in the classroom
27https://www.geoexpro.com/articles/2019/03/virtual-reality-geology-field-trips
Virtual outcrop mapping
28http://gigapan.com/galleries/10310/gigapans/123221
Virtual outcrop mapping
29http://gigapan.com/galleries/10310/gigapans/123221
Analogue underground mapping
30Source: Clinton Birch
Virtually underground
31https://www.mining-technology.com/features/featurereality-check-augmented-and-virtual-technology-in-the-mining-industry-4913055/
Full immersion deposit modeling
32https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/0c5a/85d0ccfa0058071eea770a087d4a94823393.pdf
The next step?
33https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_Dynamics#/media/File:Atlas_from_boston_dynamics.jpghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_rover#/media/File:Curiosity_at_Work_on_Mars_(Artist's_Concept).jpg
Unmanned unattended mineral exploration drilling and sample return system
34https://patents.google.com/patent/US20140190746A1/en
Dave Lowell’s 9 rules
Ore is rock which can be mined at a profit.
Mines are found in the field, not the office.
Mines are found by drilling holes.
Exploration is a cost-benefit business.
High-tech devices and geophysical surveys are very rarely of value in mine discovery.
35https://www.mining.com/nine-rules-for-exploration-success-from-the-worlds-best-mine-finder/https://www.segweb.org/pdf/views/2014/04/SEG-Newsletter-Views-Siegfried-Muessig.pdf
Dave Lowell’s 9 rules
It is important to have a good understanding of the target you are looking for, including understanding some mining engineering, metallurgy, mine finance, and mineral economics.
Mineral exploration has a very low probability of success.
Finding mines is a high-risk business. Plan your own exploration project.
36https://www.mining.com/nine-rules-for-exploration-success-from-the-worlds-best-mine-finder/https://www.segweb.org/pdf/views/2014/04/SEG-Newsletter-Views-Siegfried-Muessig.pdf
What does it mean for me? Geological understanding will always be the most
important skill in building valid geological models.
Implicit modelling will provide maximum benefit from the flood of real-time geoscience data.
Geoscientists must develop multi-discipline skill sets.
Understand the requirements of all downstream customers of resource models.
37http://sea-implicit-modelling.azurewebsites.net/future-of-modelling/the-future-of-geological-modelling
www.amcconsultants.com
Thank you