Each year, over $12 billion is invested in mining exploration worldwide. To maximize the return on this investment, geological interpretation through structural data is crucial for optimizing resources and minimizing risks in projects. Accurate and reliable data during exploration can prevent multimillion dollar losses in mining operations. It is estimated that proper geological investigation can reduce additional exploration costs by a factor of ten.
However, achieving this level of accuracy depends not only on the quantity of information collected, but also on the quality of its analysis and interpretation. The use of tools and methodologies that enable these elements to be properly identified, recorded and analyzed is therefore critical to strategic decision making in the mining industry.
Understanding structures: an effective guide in exploration mining projects
Structural geology plays a crucial role not only in mining but also in geotechnical projects. It provides key information on the orientation and configuration of geological structures, enabling the delineation of high mineralization zones and the continuity of deposits for mineral discoveries. Structural geology helps to understand the origin and development of a mineral deposit by identifying and mapping faults, joints and veins.
Core oriented with CoreMaster™
These structures often have irregular or deformed shapes, making them complex to analyze and display. This is a major challenge for geologists who analyze crustal deformation to understand the stresses acting on rocks and how they have altered the arrangement and orientation of rock layers.
A variety of tools and techniques are used to interpret mineral deposits and the resources they contain, including analysis of geophysical data processing, geological maps, detailed fieldwork and oriented core studies. These techniques provide valuable information during exploration campaigns.
In addition, structural geology not only optimizes resources by increasing the probability of success in exploration and exploitation but also plays a key role in engineering by assessing the stability of rock masses and slopes to prevent collapse and landslides, thereby improving the safety and efficiency of extractive activities.
Coring and geological logging
When a potential mineral deposit is identified, exploration drilling becomes essential. Methods such as diamond drilling with core recovery provide direct structural data from extracted cores, making them the true value of mineral exploration. These cores, properly logged and sampled, contain critical structural information about discontinuities, veins, layers or vein systems – key aspects for constructing geological models and accurately determining the location of the mineralized body.
The orientation of these structures is recorded using tools such as goniometers, templates and Orientation frames (Rocket Launchers) to measure alpha (α), beta (β) and gamma (γ) angles. In addition, geological logging systematically and accurately documents rock characteristics at various depths.
Marjoribanks, R. 2023
This process includes the identification of features such as rock type, alteration, mineralization, structures and physical properties such as density and magnetism. Codes, abbreviations, colors, numbers and symbols are used to facilitate data organization and analysis, allowing detailed deposit descriptions. The resulting information forms the basis for understanding lithology, generating key data for modelling and optimizing mining exploitation, making structural data acquisition a priority during drilling.
These measurements are essential for analyzing and validating structural models and for determining the orientation, direction and dip of geological structures. Accurate interpretation of these measurements contributes significantly to more effective exploration, strategic mine planning and engineering control of rock masses, slopes and dams.
However, measurement accuracy can be affected by variations in working conditions, operator experience and the need for constant recalibration of the system and devices used in the field. In addition, data acquisition and analysis challenges arise when structural controls are integrated with lithological, alteration and mineralogical information in complex geological or geotechnical scenarios.
Incomplete observations and the need to infer structural shapes from logged core fragments alone complicate the work of geologists, particularly in environments where precision is key to strategic decision making.
Geological and structural challenges
Today, there are alternatives for more efficient core analysis, such as geological and geotechnical logging by oriented core scanning. These tools process data using reflectance spectroscopy, visual imaging and 3D laser profiling, among others, to provide mineralogical, geochemical and textural morphological mapping of the core.
However, most of these solutions require specialized hardware or constant access to external platforms. They also require additional software, accessories, machines or plug-ins, and significant processing time, which reduces accessibility in remote environments and makes immediate implementation in exploration projects difficult, delaying results and increasing the likelihood of interpretation errors.
Although logging of diamond drill core follows a methodology, inconsistencies often arise during core logging and sampling, such as transcription errors, measurements errors in recovery data, wrong calculation of Rock Quality Designation (RQD), density and other parameters to mention some.
These inconsistencies often occur due to manual data entry, repeated digitization, incorrect application of formulae, missing intervals in data tables (e.g. Excel), blank spaces due to insufficient information, not standardized abbreviations on logging sheets even the absence of a proper logging protocol and sampling of the core.
Traditional mapping and manual representation techniques have significant limitations, especially when working with large volumes of data. Although digital tools have improved these processes, many still rely on manual data entry, which increases the likelihood of errors, resulting in less reliable geological models in special when it comes to structural data, which becomes in slower turnaround times and uncertain decision-making.
Another key issue is that interpretation of structural data often can requires a return to the core shack to recalculate or verify core samples and measurements made, this second inspection or logging becomes more challenging when it only available half of core due to sampling of it, which is time consuming and costly.
Manual structural logging often is a long process of entry data, highly influenced by human error which lacks of direct visual support. This context makes it difficult to validate information or conduct subsequent audits, and limiting direct access to cores and identification of inconsistencies once they have been sampled and stored.
In addition, in many cases it is not possible to review original measurements for adjustment or validation because of cores have been cut for geochemical analysis, leaving only segments or half-core sections and also because of storage of it.
Furthermore, external factors such as lighting variability and seasonal changes significantly affect the quality of structural observations, increasing the likelihood of inaccurate field and core data.
In a sector where interpretation can mean the loss or gain of millions of dollars, it is essential to have advanced tools that ensure that exploration projects are well executed and mining operations are carried out quickly, safely and sustainably. Most importantly, these tools must provide accurate, reliable and efficient data information.
At this stage, a detailed understanding of the geological model with the great value of structural data can mean the difference between a successful project and a collection of costly mistakes. Modernizing logging and structural analysis processes – including automated calculations, instant stereographic plotting and visual measurement validation – is therefore essential.
StructMaster™, the oriented core structural logging revolution
The mining industry is constantly evolving towards developments that improve operational performance in many areas – not only in terms of production, environmental impact and safety, but also in terms of providing companies with a competitive advantage by ensuring optimal and sustainable resource use.
Stockholm Precision Tools (SPT) has been developing high precision tools for the mining industry for thirty years. With cutting-edge technology, SPT helps major companies ensure quality control, reduce costs and maintain precision standards in drilling projects worldwide.
From March 2 to 5, SPT participated in PDAC, the largest mining and mineral exploration convention in Canada and one of the most important global industry events, bringing together key industry players to showcase StructMaster™, its latest innovation for oriented core structural logging that transforms geological analysis in mining.
This new digital solution facilitates the acquisition of structural information in the exploration phase and optimizes the results of mining operations. StructMaster™ is the next generation oriented core logging solution, designed to simplify data collection and reduce human error in real time from anywhere in the world.
This launch of oriented core logging expands SPT’s product catalog, which includes tools for rig alignment, directional surveying and core orientation, to take the accuracy of mining projects to the highest level, demonstrating the SPT commitment to data accuracy and reliability for more informed and strategic decisions in mining exploration and development.
