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AI Transforming Gold Mining Exploration

Gold exploration has seen a decline in discoveries despite increased spending, with advanced AI technologies now playing a crucial role in identifying deeper and more complex deposits. AI is also being utilized to reduce the environmental impact of mining through real-time monitoring and data analysis, enhancing safety and operational efficiency across various mining sectors. Companies like Goldspot Discoveries and Kraken are leveraging AI to improve mineral exploration and underwater mining, while addressing challenges such as safety in coal mining and the volatility of copper prices.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
91 views7 pages

AI Transforming Gold Mining Exploration

Gold exploration has seen a decline in discoveries despite increased spending, with advanced AI technologies now playing a crucial role in identifying deeper and more complex deposits. AI is also being utilized to reduce the environmental impact of mining through real-time monitoring and data analysis, enhancing safety and operational efficiency across various mining sectors. Companies like Goldspot Discoveries and Kraken are leveraging AI to improve mineral exploration and underwater mining, while addressing challenges such as safety in coal mining and the volatility of copper prices.

Uploaded by

darshduejain
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Gold exploration needs:

Historically, major gold discoveries have outpaced exploration spending;


however, in 2012, spending peaked at USD $6.1 billion. And a total of
four deposits were discovered between 2013 and 2015, whereas before
2012, the industry found an average of 10 per year.

Source: [Link]
Future discoveries are likely to be deeper and more complex ore bodies
that are hidden by overburden and other geological structures. Machine
learning has shown to be a promising tool in processing the
overwhelming amount of data collected during exploration and is key to
finding these more complex deposits. The way it accomplishes that is by:
1 Using training data (maps with known deposits and characteristics)
2 Data is cleaned, transformed, interpreted, and then used to train
machines in order to predict targets
3 Targets are identified with high potential for mineralization or extraction
Goldspot Discoveries Corp uses artificial intelligence for improving
mineral exploration by ingesting different data from which to discover
potential gold deposit locations. The company, through AI, advanced
analytics, and simulation modeling, has the potential to add more than
$11 billion in additional value to the mining industry.

Reducing environmental impact with AI

Mining by its nature is destructive and has a negative


environmental impact. While it isn’t possible to completely
eliminate the negative environmental impact of mining, it is
possible to significantly reduce this impact by managing how
resources are extracted, transported, and treated. Cameras
and sensors are being deployed around mines, both on the
inside and outside to have constant surveillance. These devices
are able to monitor excavation, extraction, and general mining
activities, keeping tabs on the spread of waste and harmful
materials.

What makes AI monitored devices different from “dumb”


devices is the analysis of the data. These AI enabled devices
are capable of instantly analyzing and interpreting large
volumes of sensor data, and alerting when an issue is present.
These systems can spot patterns that may be of concern.
Regular tremors, temperature changes, and events across
multiple parts of the mine can all be recognized by machine
learning.

Artificial intelligence has had a broad impact on the mining


industry. Mining equipment manufacturers and development
companies are increasingly making use of AI to provide
greater value and reliability to the industry while also
increasing safety and reducing environmental impact. The
impact AI is already having is being shown through safer
mines, reduced impact on the environment, improved
economics and profitability, and increased extraction of
precious resources.

Challenges
There are 10 billion tons of polymetallic nodules in the world’s ocean
floors, rich in minerals like gold, copper, and cobalt. As of January 2020,
the International Seabed Authority (ISA) has entered into 30 contracts
for deep-sea mining around the world. These involve exploration for
polymetallic nodules, polymetallic sulphides, and cobalt-rich
ferromanganese crusts. ISA is expected to issue regulations for mining
in the ocean by 2021. But the biggest challenge confronting companies
is the disruption from environmental impact assessments.

AI-based solutions

Kraken, a company based in Germany, has already received $900,000


in contracts for their SeaVision product. The foundation of this
underwater vehicle is AI and it addresses many of the challenges that
underwater mining operations face.

The SeaVision AUV (Autonomous Underwater Vehicle) uses scanners


and sensors while crawling at the bottom of deep underwater seabeds,
identifying safe mining locations. The SeaVision system has an
autonomous obstacle avoidance system and will identify species in a
benthic (the bottom of a body of water) habitat, preventing its
destruction. Over time, it begins to add to its own database and
improves its ability to locate optimal undersea mines.

This type of application will significantly reduce the environmental


footprint associated with sea mining and will provide the basis for
meeting industrial subsea activity regulations. The sensors and scanners
on the AUVs ensure that the geography of the seabed in question won’t
lead to algae bloom or habitat destruction based on elevation levels. AI
enables this task to be done on-demand and remotely, which helps not
only the environment but also employees.
Challenges

The most prevalent problem in coal mining is safety. Black lung and
silicosis are two highly damaging health conditions for coal miners due to
the gasses and chemicals they are exposed to daily. The issue goes well
beyond illness. Miners the world over are constantly in danger of gas,
water, fire, structural collapse, and dense dust.

AI-based solutions

Artificial intelligence in coal mining can go a long way in improving


workers’ safety.

In hazardous environments, there need to be systems in place that will


reduce the number of people who are active in the mines at any one
time.

In every coal mining plant, there are operators who conduct repetitive
but judgment-based decisions that ensure the scrapers mine the right
locations. At a mine in Inner Mongolia with an annual output of 21.7
million tons, 900 people are needed to act as operators. However, AI
and a neural network mean that many of these operators don’t need to
be physically inside a mine.

Mine Brain, Huawei’s big data-powered solution, brings impressive


safety improvements by optimizing workplace presence and control. By
using Mine Brain, coal mining companies can input data from previous
years and allow the product to develop thorough algorithmic capabilities
to operate the scrapers without needing human interaction or
involvement from within the cave.

In addition, Huawei’s AI solution can also protect other workers inside


the mines by alerting them of any changes in the workplace environment
such as gas levels. Similarly, computer vision can warn of people
working in front of shears or spot missing hydraulic support guard plates.

Application of AI in copper mining

Copper mining has remained one of the main industries in the US ever
since the emergence of the northern Michigan copper region in the
1840s. Today, the USA is the fifth largest copper producer in the world
after Chile, Peru, China, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Challenges

Volatile commodity prices are a major concern for the copper mining
sector, which results in pressure on profitability. Another challenge is
determining the maturity level of the mine. Later in its life span, a mine
yields lower grades, while transportation distances lengthen.

AI-based solutions

In mining, fast and accurate decision making is crucial. By employing


insight-driven decision making, enabled by AI, companies can
substantially boost their profits.

A Deloitte-Norcat report highlights how AI can dramatically improve


efficiency. Companies can use AI to eliminate errors and quickly derive
patterns from large amounts of data. This increases the consistency of
positive returns, which are usually subject to human error.
This technology brings with it the promise of a closed-loop, thanks to a
set of mechanical or electronic devices that don’t involve human
interaction, since they themselves automatically regulate the process to
the desired state or setpoint. This advance is critical to the copper
mining industry, and not only because it cuts costs and eliminates errors.
It also allows companies to establish standards of best practice and
helps them to monitor each operator so that they can preemptively act
on decline in performance and drive forward workforce excellence.

In 2018, McKinsey AI data scientists worked with Freeport-McMoRan, a


mining company based in Arizona. The McKinsey employees facilitated
the creation of a custom-built AI program in mining that looked for
operational inefficiencies and was loaded with three years’ worth of
operating data from the mill. The impact was hugely impressive: copper-
ore concentrating mills sustained a faster pace with no loss of efficiency.

In fact, Freeport-McMoRan reported that as time progressed and they


became more familiar with AI techniques and analytics, they could scan
vast amounts of data, identifying even more operational changes that
might improve performance. This case study of a company that
embraced AI in copper mining very early on proved to the entire industry
that the technology had the capability to transform bottom lines and
much more.

Challenges

REEs are essential for renewable energy, especially in the creation of


wind turbines for offshore power. The future of US offshore wind energy
relies on a consistent supply of REEs. The US and many other countries
are reliant on Chinese REE imports. Unfortunately, Chinese litigation is
restricting mining in many locations, meaning exports may become
unstable.

AI-based solutions
There are five phases within REE mining: prospecting, discovery,
development, operation/production, and reclamation. In the
operation/production phase companies answer the question of how to
mine, mill, and process the discovered ores. It is here that AI has the
most impactful presence.

The Kore Geosystems company won $500,000 in funding for their idea
of leveraging AI in combination with installing measurement instruments
onto drill rigs for real-time automated geological data acquisition and
decision making. This will fast-track exploration campaigns and vastly
reduce costs. For Chinese mining companies, this equates to efficiency
and informed decisions about which plots of land they will use for drilling
and which plots they will reserve.

On a similar note, Ozius Spatial, a company utilizing machine learning,


has figured out practices to better prevent environmental destruction –
the root cause of Chinese restraints on mining. By deploying satellite
imagery and drones, companies don’t have to be on-site and can use
remote-sensing algorithms, supported by machine learning, to enable
them to assess large tracts of land.

Common questions

Powered by AI

AI has transformed traditional practices in REE mining by enabling real-time geological data acquisition and analysis, which optimizes exploration and reduces costs. Companies like Kore Geosystems use AI with measurement instruments on drill rigs to fast-track operations. This transformation aids Chinese mining operations by providing efficient decision-making regarding land use for drilling, thus improving extraction practices amidst regulatory constraints. Moreover, the use of remote-sensing algorithms via satellite imagery and drones helps address environmental concerns by preventing land degradation, crucial for maintaining supply chains despite export restrictions .

The key challenges faced by the coal mining industry include safety hazards such as exposure to harmful gases, risks of fire, structural collapse, and the health problems like black lung disease. AI-based solutions help address these by reducing the need for humans in dangerous mining environments through automated decision-making systems. Technologies like Huawei’s Mine Brain optimize workforces by reducing human presence, and provide data to maintain operational safety, significantly minimizing risks related to environmental changes inside the mines .

The significance of a closed-loop system in AI-powered copper mining operations lies in its ability to automate decision-making processes independent of human interaction. This system uses feedback from mechanical or electronic devices to maintain a desired operational state automatically, reducing human error and increasing efficiency. By ensuring consistent quality control and operational excellence, closed-loop systems enhance productivity, lower costs, and streamline mining processes. As industry benchmarks for best practices develop, closed-loop systems facilitate proactive management of performance declines and operational risks, positioning companies for long-term success .

AI contributes to reducing the environmental impact in the gold mining process by improving the precision and efficiency of mining operations. AI systems monitor and analyze real-time data on resource excavation and extraction, ensuring minimal waste and contamination. By identifying optimal mining sites and monitoring environmental factors such as waste spread and temperature changes, AI helps minimize the ecological footprint of mining activities, thus contributing to more sustainable operating practices within the industry .

Machine learning facilitates more accurate mineral exploration by analyzing vast datasets that are often too large and complex for human processing. By using historical data and various geological metrics, machine learning models predict potential mineral-rich areas more accurately. These systems adapt and improve over time, continuously refining prediction accuracy. Compared to traditional methods reliant on manual data interpretation, AI dramatically enhances precision and efficiency in locating viable mining sites, thus revolutionizing exploration strategies .

AI enhances the efficiency and safety of copper mining operations by facilitating fast decision-making and minimizing errors. AI systems can analyze large data sets, improving the consistency of operation returns and setting best practices standards. In mining operations where AI is deployed, such as Freeport-McMoRan, AI identifies operational inefficiencies and suggests optimizations, leading to sustained operational paces without loss of efficiency. These factors enhance both economic and safety outcomes as the technology can preemptively address performance declines and safety risks .

Volatile commodity prices exert pressure on the profitability of the copper mining sector, as fluctuating demand and price instability threaten economic viability. AI provides solutions by improving operational efficiency through advanced data analytics. By eliminating human errors and enhancing predictive capabilities, AI enables companies to maintain consistent and positive returns. These technological advances allow the industry to better adapt to and mitigate financial instabilities, safeguarding economic interests during periods of price volatility .

AI-based surveillance technologies improve safety in high-risk mining environments by providing real-time monitoring and analysis of operational data. These technologies use cameras and sensors to detect hazardous conditions such as dangerous gas levels or structural weaknesses. They can alert management to patterns that suggest imminent risks, allowing for timely intervention. Moreover, AI systems reduce the need for direct human involvement in perilous areas by providing remote oversight, thereby protecting workers from exposure to harmful conditions and potential accidents .

The application of AI has become crucial for the future of gold exploration due to the increasing complexity and depth of potential gold deposits, which are often obscured by geological structures. Machine learning can process expansive datasets to identify these complex deposits, thereby overcoming the limitations of human-led exploration. By using training data of known deposit characteristics, AI can predict high-potential mineralization targets, thus improving the success rate and efficiency of gold discovery efforts .

AI technology in mining of polymetallic nodules addresses environmental concerns by using autonomous vehicles like the SeaVision AUV. This technology uses sensors and scanners to identify safe mining locations, avoid obstacles, and detect species, thus preventing destruction of benthic habitats and reducing environmental footprints. By remotely operating and managing these activities, it significantly minimizes the ecological disruption associated with sea mining operations .

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