New research tool to bridge data divide
A new advanced mineral characterisation platform at the University of Queensland (UQ) will support research aimed at helping miners improve decision making from the geological data collected throughout the life of a mine.
The TESCAN Integrated Mineral Analyser (TIMA), housed at UQ’s Natural Resources Innovation and Characterisation Hub, provides detailed information on mineral composition, grain size and mineral liberation. It will be used to support the research of Dr Pia Lois-Morales, a geologist specialising in geometallurgy.
“The geological characteristics of an orebody are collected and generated across different stages of the mining value chain and throughout the life of mine,” Lois-Morales said.
“That makes geology one of the industry’s richest sources of information. The challenge is ensuring that information can be effectively integrated into the decision-making process and used by stakeholders across the mining value chain.”
While similar systems to the TIMA are already used across the mining industry, Lois-Morales said access to the technology in a university setting will create opportunities to improve data collection and analysis methods.
“In industry, these systems are often focused on delivering information needed for operational decisions, and there is limited time to explore the full capability of the equipment and the data being generated,” Lois-Morales said.
“Having a TIMA at UQ gives us the opportunity to investigate how we can collect better data, improve measurement workflows, refine data treatment procedures and ultimately provide feedback to industry.
“It also allows us to explore how different datasets can be integrated to generate insights that may not be possible within the time constraints of day-to-day operations.”
Lois-Morales was the inaugural Jim Askew Evolution Mining Fellow at UQ’s Sustainable Minerals Institute, a fund dedicated to postdoctoral research position which focuses on unlocking unrealised potential in orebodies.
Evolution Mining general manager of long-term planning, Stean Barrie, said supporting research that addresses long-term challenges was a key driver behind the Fellowship.
“What stood out about Pia is that she has worked across industry, consulting and academia and understands the challenges from all angles,” Barrie said.
“The Fellowship was created to bring that breadth of experience into a research environment, where there is time to explore bigger questions and develop solutions that can deliver lasting benefits for the industry.
“At Evolution, our operations are long-life assets with rich and diverse orebodies. It will be exciting to see how this Fellowship can make a positive and lasting contribution to our business.”