Mining-tech company IMDEX has become a member of global research group the Mineral Deposit Research Unit (MDRU) as the two embark on a study to determine the real value of orebody knowledge in mineral exploration and mining.
IMDEX is partnering with MDRU and the Bradshaw Research Institute for Minerals and Mining (BRIMM) at the University of British Columbia (UBC), and Ideon Technologies, a company that applies muon tomography for orebody imaging, in the million-dollar, two-year deep dive into the economics of orebody knowledge (OBK). The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) will supply part of the funds through its NSERC Alliance program.
Previous research done at UBC revealed that geoscientific challenges were associated with financial losses by mine projects in at least 30% of cases, presenting the value of information case that has now expanded into the economic benefits of enhanced orebody knowledge.
MDRU is seeking two postdoctoral research fellows who have completed their PhD within the past five years at the time of appointment to work on the OBK project. IMDEX chief geoscientist Dave Lawie, one of several key personnel involved in the new OBK study, will join the MDRU board.
Other MDRU foundation members include Anglo American, Barrick, Newmont, Rio Tinto and Teck.
“IMDEX is looking forward to working closely with MDRU and solidifying our commitment to the continuous growth and innovation of the mining industry,” Dr. Lawie said in a statement Thursday.
“I’m pleased to be joining the board and, along with other board members and MDRU director Shaun Barker and his team, embarking on our two-year study centred on orebody knowledge and quantifying the value of information.
“Our aim is to contribute to knowledge on the economic benefits of enhanced OBK, promote adoption of new technologies, and help define future research and development directions in the mining industry.
“As exploration increasingly targets greater depths, deep OBK and efficient, environmentally sound methods of drill testing will become more relevant for making accurate early estimates of mineral reserves at speed.”
More information can be found here.