In This Issue

Newsletter December 2013

> In this issue Vulcan 9 Stope Optimiser Pit Optimiser feasibility study One World Big Data Better blasts with BlastLogic I-Site shines at diamond mine PerfectDig your mine Eureka models complexity I-Site rehabilitation solution Contents Latest news 1

Vulcan 9 Stope Optimiser 3 Updated tools generate value Vulcan Pit Optimiser 4 Third dimension to feasibility studies One World. Big Data. 5 Spatial data opens our world In this issue Maptek Users Conference 6 During 2013 Maptek has made solid investment into products and services Photo gallery and news that add value to miners. New functionality and upgrades to existing software BlastLogic case study 8 architecture result in exciting technology that unlocks the value in spatial data. Drill & blast at Wesfarmers Curragh Vulcan 9 has entered a new phase as the most flexible and powerful I-Site case study 9 technology partner for mining. I-Site R&D continues to focus on improvements Laser survey at De Beers Venetia to survey workflow and functionality. PerfectDig provides field-ready conformance data of digging against designs, and BlastLogic delivers a PerfectDig your mine 10 measurable increase in drill and blast productivity. Improved processes reduce costs At the close of the Australian users conference and looking ahead to the South New release Eureka 11 American event, Maptek CEO Barry Henderson emphasised the significance Modelling complex structures of connections with our customers. I-Site case study 12 ‘Users conferences are important venues for hearing directly from customers. Effective rehabilitation measures This is just one way to tell us what you need, and I encourage everyone to talk to our technical services staff. The more feedback we receive from you, the Calendar of events better we can make our products.’ In November, we were saddened to hear of the death of Peter Manning, a valued supporter of Maptek for many years. Southern Geologic NZ has been a well-respected consultant in the coal industry, and Peter will be missed. We wish you the best for the holiday season. Contributions are welcome for Want more? the March 2014 issue of Forge. Contact [email protected] More information available online

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MAPTEK FORGE / DECEMBER 2013 Vulcan 9 released soon APCOM 2013 Customers can see the benefits of Vulcan 9 at roadshows, As gold sponsor of APCOM, Maptek recognises the regional forums and online. importance of the international event for sharing ideas and learning for geostatistics, mine planning and optimisation. Available from December, Vulcan 9 will provide a significant boost in processing power. Users will benefit from new tools The 36th session of APCOM, which focuses on applications of to improve modelling and mine design. computer and operations research in mining, was held in Porto Alegre, Brazil in early November. Implicit Modelling - Combine implicit modelling with existing Vulcan tools to rapidly generate accurate geological models. Maptek presented papers in the Production Planning stream, covering the simulation of fleet dynamics and congestion Object Attributes - Access unlimited information about analysis, quality management principles for blast processes, objects on demand for faster reserving and design. and techniques for extra large datasets for mineral exploration. Stope Optimiser - Dynamic 3D approach to a 3D problem. ‘Participating in an event like APCOM is valuable to Maptek Save time on manual stope generation. because it provides a showcase for the latest innovations in the mining industry and a chance to discuss new ideas and Locally Varying Anisotropy (LVA) - Apply LVA to improve emerging trends,’ said Marcelo Arancibia, Vice President of results when modelling complex stratiform orebodies. Maptek South America. Users will experience immediate productivity gains when ‘As a long-time attendee, I enjoy witnessing the next running Vulcan 9, particularly when working with large data. generation of mining professionals challenging well established Customers can see Vulcan 9 at dedicated networking events. paradigms and pushing the boundaries of what is possible.’ December 3 - Reno, Nevada December 4 - Mexico City, Mexico December 5 - Elko, Nevada December 10 - Perth, Western Australia December 11 - Saskatoon, Canada December 12 - Vancouver, Canada

Our 2014 tradeshow calendar on the back page shows where you can see Vulcan 9 live.

You can also watch videos and webinars highlighting tools and benefits of Vulcan 9 at www.youtube.com/user/MaptekVideo

Vulcan 9 webinar Vulcan 9 webinar Underground design What’s new Performance & display in Vulcan 9

LATEST NEWS 1 Vulcan training in Senegal Vulcan training in India Maptek Technical Services staff from Edinburgh office Maptek provided Vulcan training to the open cast and recently conducted Vulcan training for geologists at geological divisions of Central Mine Planning and Design Teranga Gold’s Sabodala Mine in Senegal, West Africa. Institute in their offices in Ranchi, India during September.

Following a basic grounding in Vulcan, 10 of the geologists at This company manages all the geological modelling and the mine learnt techniques for applying the latest geological mine planning for Coal India Ltd, the largest coal producer. and block modelling tools. Additional training is being provided in late November to the underground mining and exploration divisions.

Vulcan student recognised Maptek’s commitment to education continues with Mining Education Australia (MEA) incorporating Vulcan as a standard component of the curriculum for mining engineering students.

Maptek donates Vulcan licences and time with technical services personnel to provide students with a solid foundation in Vulcan software before entering the workforce.

At the recent national awards ceremony, Curtin University graduate Mark Ren took third prize. Mark used Vulcan to impress the judges with his project, ‘Using clustering methods for block aggregation in open pit mine planning’.

MEA is a joint venture between Curtin University, The University of New South Wales, The University of Queensland and The University of Adelaide.

Webinars Join Maptek experts for webinars on subjects ranging from product overviews to specific tools and applications.

Don’t forget – if you are unable to participate in the live event you can view the recording later from our website. January 16 - Vulcan Geostatistics Tools February 20 - New Tools in I-Site Studio 5, Tips & Techniques March 20 - Vulcan Plotting Tips and Tricks April 17 - PerfectDig Your Mine May 15 - Vulcan Training - Advanced Triangulations Register for and view webinars at www.maptek.com/webinars/

2 LATEST NEWS At the Leeville Mine in Nevada, gold occurs in structurally controlled veins, with current mining via transverse stopes about 750 metres underground. Sills at different elevations provide a robust test bed for the Stope Optimiser tools. Stope framework options allow far and near dilution to be modelled against the orebody and accounted for in producing stopes and grades. Stope Optimiser generates value Maptek™ Vulcan™ 9 includes significant Stope Optimiser enhancements, streamlining strategic and tactical applications for short and medium term planning.

Stope Optimiser in Vulcan 9 allows Stope Optimiser accounts for Stope Optimiser provides a users to generate a stope design geological structures that can cause dynamic 3D approach to a delivering expected ore grade. overbreak into a stope. An annealed The tools target productivity for stope shape within a nominated 3D problem. It saves time different mining methods. distance of the modelled wireframe on manual stope generation, snaps to the surface. improving confidence in results. Vulcan 9 features stope output saved directly as triangulation Stope Optimiser will evaluate Filters can be applied to the attributes, giving immediate, right- whether an expanded stope processing of the stope shapes, click access to data. Colouring should be accepted in preference allowing block model variables data by attribute produces easy to to a minimum offset from the to constrain the shapes. Naming understand results. Hovering over structural surface voids. options include coordinates, triangulations displays the results levels and reference lines. Users can choose 3 reserve as a datatip. Reporting includes separate options evaluation modes. Fast (model for undiluted, diluted and dilution The new Prism method joins Slice and stope shape framework are volumes. and Fixed methods in an enhanced orthogonal) and slow (model and stope generation toolbox. The stope shape framework have a Vulcan 9 Stope Optimiser provides optimisation floats in the orebody rotation offset) typically report underground designs that take into without being constrained by levels. more metal/value. They are 5-10 account all realisations, generating times faster than precise mode the best stope at the selected In Vulcan 9 Stope Optimiser will (traditional mine planning method) confidence. take level drift centre lines at any but are less sensitive to sub-cell Thanks to Chris Alford, Alford Mining Systems orientation in an orebody. Strings approximation. that match drainage or access Extract from paper presented by Robert Slade at Maptek Users routes can also be used as Conference, Brisbane, 2013 bounding factors. Processing & reporting New rules allow stopes to be Flexible options split on a grid, centred, or at a distance from hanging wall or Vulcan 9 introduces greater footwall. Stopes can be smoothed flexibility in stope layout, which is to eliminate gaps and sub-stope ideal for stratigraphic and horizontal corners can be adjusted. Stope deposits. Strips and blocks can be shapes can be re-labelled based used to guide mining; variable strip on grid or strike length. and block sizes and orientation are allowed. Sub-stoping allows Expanded design options allow primary and secondary drive and flexing of spacing, location and Head and cutoff grade pillar shapes to be defined. offset, over multiple zones. Sorted options allow dynamic choice between results guide designs; all or the bulk and selective mining to achieve the average grade required best design can be output.

MAPTEK FORGE / DECEMBER 2013 3 Pit Optimiser adds the third dimension Maptek™ Vulcan™ Pit Optimiser was the ideal solution for assessing the economic value for a coal project and providing the basis for detailed design and scheduling work.

When MEC Mining was asked A variable was created for each otherwise have been recovered to complete a feasibility study price point before haul roads were using margin ranking were for a steeply dipping resource digitised, to derive a waste cost included in the optimisation. in a complex metallurgical coal per block, a critical requirement project, Vulcan Pit Optimiser when mining waste at depth. Following the staged mining provided the solution. shells, MEC incorporated haulage Six price thresholds were set and and in-pit dumping considerations The deposit contained 5 seam profit was assigned to each block. into the sequence to ensure the groups, 3 major overthrust faults Vulcan Pit Optimiser was run on a most profitable coal recovery. and shears, and normal faults in 30 x 30 x 5 metre block size. a single pit. Information supplied Tips & tricks included a block model, economic By flagging the variable ‘Pit’, grade Trimming the block model to assumptions and a geotechnical shells could be run to generate a remove blocks outside the pit assessment. Margin rankings shell for each price increment to shell cut run time from 1.5 hours provided some clarity on basal guide staging for early mining and to 10 minutes. seam and economics. final shell extents. Pit Optimiser setup panels allow The primary goals were to define Mining stages were designed users to enter and calculate the location of the final highwall, based on the Vulcan Pit economic value. Alternatively the low wall and basal seam. In this Optimiser shell sequence economic value can be assigned instance of multiple occurrences which delivers optimum NPV. through block model variables, of single overlapping seams, Pit as was the case in this project. Optimiser provided a ‘shortcut’ Pit Optimiser delivers superior to the basal seam. Running results to margin ranking by Vulcan Pit Optimiser provided advanced reserves in Vulcan adding the third dimension. With the sequence of resource validated the volumes and the outputs provided as images, the development, final highwall final block model. tool promotes instant acceptance location, basal seam and coal and confidence in the results. recovery strategy around major Assigning variables faults. This allowed MEC Mining Variables for cost and revenue Better coal recovery to deliver accurate mining plans quickly and within budget. were assigned in the block model, In this project Pit Optimiser including volume of coal recovered showed the low wall changing Thanks to Ted Boulton, MEC Mining after mining losses, and mining dynamically between seams Extract from paper presented at Maptek Users Conference, Brisbane, 2013 coal to ROM, product tonnes, as mining moved along strike. processing and rail costs. Duplicates which might not

4 VULCAN One World. Big Data. LiDAR and imaging technologies capture the natural and built environments in unique ways. 3D spatial visualisation provides a reality mirror for confident decision making.

A history lesson The now The future In the early 1940s, 2 photographs were Spatial disciplines ‘mirror’ our physical Visualisation of rich data can be delivered published which for the first time brought world in its digital counterpart. Innovations through many metaphors - animated 3D viewers to a single point above Earth to in 3D printing, numerical control and scenarios, info-graphics, reports or logic see all of the continents. self-assembly robotics enable the diagrams. These must be fit for purpose. realisation of digital ‘bit based’ models. For example, a map of the London One World, One War (left) depicted the 3D printers can fabricate increasingly Underground is better for catching a train rapidly growing conflict of World War II, complex artefacts from human organs than an interactive 3D model of the city. while the Fuller Projection Map (right) is to tall buildings to coral reefs. the only flat map of the entire surface of Super computer clusters and cloud the Earth which reveals our planet as one This interplay between the physical and computing will service the increasingly island in one ocean. digital worlds creates an arena in which complex models and massive demands innovation can take place, and opens for data storage, computation and Buckminster Fuller intended his projection exciting opportunities for developing visualisation. As the spatial industry map to be unfolded in different ways to new knowledge economies. matures, greater diversity will continue emphasise different aspects of the world. to drive innovation and opportunity. In the late 1960s, Fuller was particularly The spatial industry dramatically reshapes involved in creating World Game®. This the way we view infrastructure and asset Thanks to Richard Simpson, Spatial Industries Business Association (Queensland) large-scale simulation aimed to help management. Imagery, point cloud and Extract from Keynote Address to Maptek humanity better understand and benefit survey data collated from the natural Users Conference, Brisbane, 2013 from the world’s resources. and built environment are structured into models, which can be augmented by Vast amounts of data are collected Fuller’s World Game was to be played precision data of the physical world. inside the Geoscope, an immersive during the process of exploring for environment for Earth information. The minerals, developing a resource model Geoscope was a tool for a more mature The result is rich, full lifecycle and mine plan, conducting feasibility technological time, offering experiential models offering a multiplicity of and approval studies, and constructing, opportunities to discover vast amounts applications and facilitating high level commissioning and operating a mine. of information in geospatial context. collaboration between stakeholders. The challenge is to recognise where the value lies in this body of data and Fuller’s Geoscope was predictive as The multi-dimensional data modelled and take advantage of the convergence the first interactive geo-environment that tested can be visualised so that we can of computing, global communication, would take advantage of the computing make best use of it in specific tasks such visualisation and simulation tools to power that is available to us now. as simulating floods or seismic risk. develop systems to apply it profitably.

MAPTEK FORGE / DECEMBER 2013 5 ‘The technical presentations and workshops provided a wealth of information, most of which I can use in the very short term.’

‘The strat modelling workshop with Peter Odins was great. It was exactly what I was looking to get out of the conference.’

Maptek staff and customers met for 3 days of product demonstrations and networking in Brisbane recently. The technical program included case studies, presentations and workshops on the latest Maptek technology. Customer presentations covered applications of Vulcan, I-Site and BlastLogic for improving productivity. Maptek displayed the latest tools available in Eureka exploration software, and explained how PerfectDig compares designs with as-builts in the field. Vulcan 9 talks highlighted what users can expect from implicit modelling, stope optimisation, underground ring design, stratigraphic modelling and performance enhancements. Users received a preview of tools under development and participated in a feedback forum to close the event. Maptek was saddened to hear of the recent death of Peter Manning. Peter was a valued contributor to Maptek users conferences for many years.

6 ‘Great cross-section of input that broadened my knowledge of different mining processes and features of Maptek software.’

‘There are some remarkable developments happening now, or about to happen. The 3D scanner technology and applications are magical.’

MAPTEKMAPTEK FORGE FORGE / DECEMBER /JUNE 2013 7 Blasting with accuracy and confidence Maptek™ BlastLogic™ targets productivity at surface mines by delivering immediate access to all operational drill and blast data for analysis.

Wesfarmers Curragh Mine introduced BlastLogic in 2012 to optimise drilling contract resources, providing improved collation and assessment of as-drilled data, a single reference for all drill and blast data, and increased accuracy for charge placement.

The mine covers approximately 12,600 hectares in Queensland’s Bowen Basin, producing around 8.5 mtpa metallurgical coal for Modelled surfaces allow export of coal holes for updating charge depths, mine designs and export and 3 mtpa steaming coal burden volumes for scheduling for domestic consumption. Reviewing drillhole depth against In addition, accurate data helps Significant faulting and 4 seams modelled surfaces in 3D protect the coal hard cap and toe. ranging from 1.8 to 6.5 metres streamlines assessment and ‘With Maptek help on site and thick pose challenges for coal identification of redrills. support from management we’ve recovery. Drill and blast breaks BlastLogic field tablets save more been able to confidently roll out more than 100 million cubic metres than 20 hours a week in dip data BlastLogic. It is now an integral of burden every year. entry. Updating drill patterns and part of our drill and blast process.’ charge rules on-the-fly keeps BlastLogic provided the key the blast crew up to date with Near term goals include tighter to accurate drill and blast for variations to the plan. conformance of the design- maximising productivity and implementation-reconciliation minimising coal loss. BlastLogic allows Curragh to process. Taking advantage of the optimise explosive products used new BlastLogic interval loading Creating a single source of data by reviewing historical data for hole tools will help Curragh evaluate realised immediate benefits. conditions and blast performance. and manage through-seam Increased accuracy of charge Topography, coal surfaces and vibration and other sensitive placement and separation of holes videos can be attached to reports. blasts, as well as create an allowed Curragh to get optimum accurate geological database. Curragh now experiences greater value from its drilling contracts. consistency across drilling and can ‘Access to accurate drilling data Correct hole placement and monitor daily progress. provides confidence that the blast separation is vital for improving design meets desired outcomes.’ Curragh can proactivey manage wall control. Daily collar accuracy hard dig operations, quickly identify reports help Curragh easily identify Looking ahead, Curragh anticipates areas of concern and address holes drilled outside of specification that options such as the tie-up tool equipment wear and tear or before equipment leaves the area. will provide further improvements material loading issues before for modelling blasts and managing they become critical. consumables. Thanks to Peter Rodrigues Wesfarmers Curragh Extract from paper presented at Maptek Users Conference, Brisbane, 2013

8 BLASTLOGIC I-Site shines on diamond mine The Maptek™ I-Site™ 8800 laser scanning system helps De Beers track and manage pit surfaces, ore stockpiles and waste dumps at the Venetia Mine in South Africa.

In 2006 the De Beers survey team Solution 01 began using I-Site laser scanning ™ to survey the pit and stockpiles, I-Site Studio software is used to upgrading to the I-Site 8800 laser create a pit surface for month end scanner in 2012. The longer range production calculations. scanner surveyed the pit more Toes and crests, and contours efficiently, and handled the large from this surface are applied to stockpiles with ease. generate various plans for different De Beers Venetia Mine, in Limpopo departments. Province, is close to the border The pit surface is important for of Botswana and Zimbabwe. The identifying the amount of waste mine opened in 1992 and produces and ore mined. This is measured 02 about 3 million carats per year, by making the waste and ore block making it the leading diamond models part of the overall volume producer in South Africa. calculations. Challenges I-Site Studio is used to model Venetia’s 9 ore stockpiles and With a pit measuring more generate volumes in the order than 2100 m x 1300 m and still of 7.1 million cubic metres. expanding, there is a continual problem with overspill material Benefits falling from the top benches onto ramps and benches below. Previously, surveyors had to enter 03 every loading area to record This needs to be measured for material being loaded. The long month end reconciliation, which range scanner requires far fewer could not be achieved accurately setups, which saves time and or safely before I-Site technology minimises safety issues. was introduced. Measuring the rehabilitated waste Rehabilitation on waste dumps dumps with a GPS or Total Station is an integral part of the Venetia typically took 1 day. This was cut operation. Despite their vast area to 3 hours with the I-Site 8800 long of 6.7 million square metres, the range scanner, with fewer setups dumps are easily measured with reducing the physical effort as well. 04 the long range scanner. Plans can continually be updated to track ‘One of the biggest advantages progress. of the Maptek I-Site 8800 laser scanner is the integrated telescope, making orientation and registration of the data seamless.’

‘I-Site Studio is easy to use - especially for combining surfaces, which can be very difficult in other software.’ 01 Overspill material is measured for EOM Thanks to Gerhard Smith 02 Contour maps are handed off to planning Mine Surveyor, Venetia Mine 03 Pit model provides accurate surfaces 04 Scanned surfaces help monitor waste dumps

MAPTEK FORGE / DECEMBER 2013 9 PerfectDig your mine Maptek™ PerfectDig provides a true 3D, non-topographic comparison of as-built surfaces against design for improving drill & blast, contract management and site practices.

01 02 03

Improve drill & blast Manage contracts Avoid bad practices PerfectDig allows stakeholders For bulk handling contracts, Rapid feedback ensures batters to assess blast results and adjust all stakeholders should clearly meet design, avoiding loss of patterns for future activity. understand requirements and commodity and perpetuation deliver accordingly. of bad practices. Comparing overhang structures and identifying patterns improves By tracking excavation progress, This batter (image 3) has not blasts. Viewing the results of a PerfectDig gives early indications met design, with potential for pre-split blast which resulted for design conformance (image 2). propagating errors to subsequent in remaining material (image 1), levels, resulting in loss of commodity. highlights issues such as poor Results are available in less than If the batter is not checked until fragmentation, over pressure or 10 minutes, reducing excavation after excavation machinery leaves face bursts. downtime. The traditional process the area, productivity is lowered. takes 2-3 hours. Measures to avoid these factors The block model has an average can be taken into account in the Survey pegs are still needed material density of 2.0, yielding next drill pattern design. to identify the starting point for 3.5 g/t gold. The difference in batters. PerfectDig provides volume between the design and Result: Better understanding feedback for maintaining correct as-built is 938 cubic metres. of blast results to improve blast position along the entire wall to patterns. better guide contractors. 938 x 2.0 x 3.5 x 0.03215 = 211 oz of gold @ $1300/oz When overburden remains after There is no need for surveyors to a blast, there is potential for return after excavation, replace = $274,300 LOST poor fragmentation, casting and pegs and assess whether the Conveying critical design vibration. Poor performance correct batter has been achieved. conformance information before impacts downstream processes machinery is moved out improves Working several areas a day, such as chopping the wall, and profitability. increases the wear on equipment PerfectDig saves 1315 hours a year excavating to specification. - a $74,250 labour expense. Result: Avoid potential loss of income of $274,300. Result: Cost effective use of Result: Contracts can be equipment, fewer repairs and managed in near real time. reduced downtime. Save $74,250 on labour.

Timely contract Avoid loss of management Early detection commodity Early detection 1315 hours $74,250 938 m3 $274,300

10 PERFECTDIG Eureka unravels complex structures Maptek™ Eureka™ provides drillhole and seismic tools within an integrated platform for viewing and modelling exploration data. New modelling tools will be released soon.

Eureka uses the Radial Basis Ribbons can be used like strings or 01 Function (RBF) methodology as a points to add data points, but they tool for understanding structurally differ from strings in that they have complex deposits. RBF is a form 2 sides. This is represented by of implicit modelling. double-sided colouring (image 3). Input data Ribbons may also be used individually to create surfaces from complex Design strings, points, ribbons, and overturned strings. The surface drillholes, triangulations and obeys the direction of the ribbon, scans - and any combination of with the inside of the surface these - can be used as input for matching one side of the ribbon 02 the modelling process. and the outside matching the other. A surface is created from the input data; the constituent points form on Anisotropy & ellipsoids the surface. For drilling data, Eureka Ellipsoids influence the model by creates a surface from drillhole deforming the space in which the points matching assay values or sample points sit. The model then formation codes. becomes stretched or contracted in the directions of the ellipsoid. Drillhole data The size of the ellipsoid has no 03 Image 1 shows a surface influence; the ratios between representing high grade layers the directions of the ellipsoid, as within a banded iron formation. indicated by the coloured bands, The Maptek Vulcan™ ISIS database control the orientation, as well as was accessed by Eureka. The the ratio between different axes surface was generated from iron in the ellipsoid (image 4). assay values exceeding 60% Fe. Ellipsoids are particularly useful A slice shows the iron assays for modelling steeply dipping contained within the surface (image deposits, as they direct the surface 2). Values on the drillholes of 60% generation along the trend of the 04 or greater are displayed as orange; deposit. Multiple ellipsoids can be less than 60% are grey. used in combination to honour local structural trends. Using ribbons Borehole graphics, seismic and Interpretation ribbons can now implicit modelling modules can be used for better control of the be added to a base Eureka licence. resultant model. For further information, email [email protected] 01 Model of high grade layers within a banded iron formation 02 Iron assays within the surface 03 Ribbons are ideal for creating surfaces in complex and overturned deposits 04 Ellipsoids control surface trends in a deposit

MAPTEK FORGE / DECEMBER 2013 11 I-Site solution gains regulatory approval Maptek™ I-Site™ has provided a solution for monitoring landforms and vegetation that is gaining acceptance from authorities signing off on mine closure plans.

Quantitative assessment of landforms; identifying problematic that critical decisions regarding the rehabilitation performance is one and unstable rehabilitation; longevity and closure of a site can of the most critical aspects in mine quantifying erosional features; be made. closure and obtaining sign-off and determining fill rates of surface relinquishment from regulatory water management features; and Soil matters authorities. measuring and monitoring floristic Australia’s arid climate means that parameters over time. To gain final approvals, post-mine stability is the most critical aspect landforms must be safe, stable and Traditional techniques involve influencing rehabilitation success sustainable. Current rehabilitation onerous and costly data capture and overall closure of a mine site, techniques do not provide at isolated points or transects as rainfall runoff is exacerbated by quantitative monitoring data for across the post-mine surface. dry soils and low vegetation cover. stability and landform evolution, In comparison, laser scanning In the early years of rehabilitation making it difficult for regulators with I-Site allows users to rapidly accurate, quantitative measurement to approve mine closure plans. visualise, measure and process and monitoring is therefore critical. data over larger areas than Surface erosion carries away seed Soilwater Group, based in Perth, previously physically possible. Western Australia, has implemented of revegetation species (limiting a new rehabilitation monitoring Through I-Site technology, revegetation potential); fills surface approach using the I-Site™ 8800 Soilwater is able to pinpoint drainage features (decreasing laser scanner and I-Site Studio™ the erosional and rehabilitation overall structural stability of post- software. Rapidity and ease of processes occurring within a mine landforms); and results use was a major consideration in mine site over time. in unwanted sediment loss. implementing I-Site technology. This improved understanding I-Site technology makes measuring The new approach involves enables the regulators to more and monitoring of these surface detailed landform surveys that rapidly evaluate rehabilitation processes easy and routine, which can be used for auditing post-built performance and function so is ideal for rehabilitation and closure.

12 CASE STUDY / I-SITE

I-Site technology enabled Soilwater to model a previously unattainable surface for an in-pit tailings dam. By scanning the release point from a remote stand-off, Soilwater was able to create a Digital Elevation Model with 1 cm contours, providing evidence of the size of the beaching effect for monitoring.

I-Site allows slope shape, angle, Comparing surfaces year on year Floristic parameters are generally length and setback to be compared using the Colour by distance option measured and monitored using to the rehabilitation design. Surface in I-Site Studio allows the rate a quadrant or point/line transect soil parameters such as the of erosion and deposition to be approach, and are expressed percentile of rock and exposed measured to millimetre accuracy. per unit area. Given that a high soil can be quantified, and surface resolution I-Site scan acquires erosion and deposition monitored. Measuring erosion depth and more than 1000 points per square volume of soil lost without having metre, the resulting point cloud can Overlaying photographic imagery to walk the surface is a huge be used to identify the majority of on the point cloud proved advantage. Scans can be taken emerging and establishing species. invaluable for differentiating year after year without interfering between ground and vegetation with natural processes. Generating Accurate data in complex areas. volumes for comparing the current landform to the as-built removes Large amounts of quantitative data When filtering unwanted parameters, guesswork, and is easy to replicate allow Soilwater to more accurately tiling different windows in I-Site over a large area. plan rehabilitation and closure Studio makes it easy to distinguish activities. This data can also be between soil, rocks and vegetation. Plant cover used to audit all rehabilitation and High resolution Digital Elevation mine closure earthworks to ensure Models (DEM) can be constructed I-Site point cloud data allows conformance to design. Scans showing all landform features. Soilwater to estimate plant height of general mine site areas can and growth rates, foliage cover and determine volumes of soil materials The volume of any or all rills plant density. These parameters are that can be directly input into cost critical for successful rehabilitation and gullies can be precisely estimation software to accurately of post-mine landforms, particularly determined to quantify erosion determine mine closure costs. in stabilising surface soils, and are and filling rates of water Thanks to Celine Mangan, Soilwater Group often used as completion criteria to management structures. Extract from paper presented at Maptek assess performance. Users Conference, Brisbane, 2013

MAPTEK FORGE / DECEMBER 2013 13 Vulcan training for economic geology students at the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Maptek Calendar

January 27-28 February 23-26 May 11-14 AME BC Roundup SME CIM Convention & Exhibition Vancouver, BC, Canada Salt Lake City, Utah, USA Vancouver, BC, Canada June 5-6 February 3-6 March 2-5 PDAC International Convention Elko Mining Show African Mining Indaba Elko, Nevada, USA Cape Town, South Africa Toronto, ON, Canada

February 9-12 April 2-4 International Society of Explosives Engineers X Conferencia Internacional de Mineria Denver, Colorado, USA Chihuahua, México - Booth 198

Maptek, Vulcan, I-Site, BlastLogic, Eureka and the stylised M are registered and unregistered trademarks of Maptek Pty Ltd; Maptek Computación Chile Ltda; Maptek Computación Chile Ltda, Sucursal Perú; Maptek S de RL de CV; Maptek Informática do Brasil Ltda and KRJA Systems, Inc. Registered marks are registered in one or more of the following countries: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Greece, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Peru, Russia, South Africa, Spain, United Kingdom and United States.