Streamlined data collection from pit to sample submission

It’s hard to believe, but manual data capture in the pit is still one of the most common methods for recording original observations and measurements of geological data. Geologists then spend a lot of time ensuring their sampling data is transferred back into a central database and preparing sample submission reports to send to the lab. Ask any geologist, and they’ll say unnecessarily working with data is one of the least satisfying parts of their job, but it’s an essential function of any mining operation.

Efficiently managing the blasthole workflow from data collection in the pit to sample submission to the lab makes a big difference to all the data in the mining value chain. What can be done to improve the current process? Is there a way to streamline the whole process without compromising quality control?

The blasthole data workflow from pit to sample submission

Managing the blasthole data workflow has traditionally required several steps and plenty of opportunity to inject errors or unintentionally corrupt data. Good tools and businesses processes help, but most geologists are faced with a workflow that’s stitched together with manual processes and uses multiple tools for:

• Capturing data in the pit, often using manual processes and under time pressure
• Transcribing notes (and scribbles) from data collection cards into a geological database
• Validating geological data and ensuring there are no missing or overlapping sample intervals
• Batching samples together
• Despatching the sample submission report to the lab.

The quality of the assay results are directly related to how well the workflow is managed. At every step, there’s an opportunity to change data, discard critical metadata or disregard essential business rules needed to ensure the quality and integrity of all your geoscientific information relating to a blasthole. Maintaining consistency over time is difficult.

Streamlining the blasthole workflow while improving geological data quality

Ideally, geologists need a seamless integration of all these steps, allowing for mobile pit data capture and progressing through to sample submission. The more streamlined the workflow, the easier it is to maintain high-quality geological data from the point of capture throughout the history of the mine site.

acQuire’s GIM Suite has introduced a seamless integration between mobile, desktop and web and continues to enhance functionality in the blasthole data workflow with each new release of GIM Suite. Geologists who are using the latest version of the mining data management software benefit from purpose-built data capture tasks for surface and blasthole sampling:

• The ability to visualise blastholes through an interactive map and log geology and capture samples from a mobile device
• The Arena mobile app works offline while still ensuring more accurate, efficient data capture
• Geologists can log the geology or collect sample data on a handheld device, synchronise captured data with GIM Suite and create sample despatches for the laboratory from a single web interface.

Direct synchronisation in the field of original measurements and observations helps eliminate human error. In addition, the Arena mobile app recognises the same business rules applied to GIM Suite improve the overall quality of all the data captured. Because all functionality is fully integrated, assay results are of a higher quality and geologists experience an easy to use, more efficient workflow.

Additional benefits to using GIM Suite’s streamlined blasthole workflow include:

• No special devices are needed for mobile data capture in the pit
• Software/applications are deployed via Apple App Store or Google Play
• New versions and upgrades are made directly on the server so field devices remain in the field
• Need for end-user training is reduced
• The need and cost for managing multiple systems for geological data management are reduced
• Business rules and validations can be applied when needed, even if a device is offline during data capture
• One device and one interface promote data quality and workflow efficiency.

If you’d like to discover more about the latest GIM Suite release and GIM Suite’s powerful data management capabilities, sign up to our monthly newsletter. Or if you’d like to discuss how you can partner with acQuire, a leading mining technology vendor focused on all aspects of information management, get in touch.