Orexplore Technologies (OXT) has signed a binding agreement with mining company BHP for the deployment of mobile field scanning installation and technology platform at the miner’s Carrapateena copper-gold mine in South Australia.
According to the agreement, which is valued at approximately A$1.55m ($99,196), OXT will be responsible for scanning and analysis services of approximately 15,000m of drill core and samples at the Carrapateena mine.
OXT’s solutions are expected to unlock new rock mass characterisation and geometallurgical information that would help BHP advance the mining and operational planning and decision processes.
Furthermore, OXT said that its Smart Domaining (SDM) solution will allow improved orebody knowledge across the deposit. This will help “drive improved modelling, with value drivers for downstream mining, processing, and reconciliation outcomes”.
The company’s Technology Platform includes GeoCore X10 field-sensing hardware and the Orexplore Insight software.
GeoCore X10 is designed to rapidly extract information from drilled core in less than 15 minutes per metre while Orexplore Insight allows users to analyse and interpret results to improve ore body knowledge acquisition.
OXT managing director Brett Giroud said: “This agreement further demonstrates increasing global demand for non-destructive, 3D information sourced rapidly from the field to inform decision processes, drive traditionally siloed collaboration around digital models, and create value within an operating mine.
“The in-field deployment of Orexplore’s patented Technology Platform provides an innovative new data set to BHP through the technology’s ability to ‘see through the core’ in addition to its full surface sensing and advanced modelling and analysis capabilities.”
Located on the eastern margin of the Gawler Craton in South Australia, the Carrapateena mine has a production capacity of 4.25 million tonnes per annum.
