Efficiency & Extraction Operations in Mining

XRF in your backpack, lab in your hand - how rugged real-time tools are helping explorers strike faster, drill smarter, and stay one step ahead in the field

From deserts to drill pads, remote exploration teams increasingly need to make informed, high-impact decisions without waiting weeks for lab results.

By Jamie Wade on August 1, 2025
Efficiency, Production Optimisation, Process Improvement, Workflow Management, Costs, Cost Control, Procurement Efficiency, Innovation, Technology Adoption, Process Innovation, Mines & Projects, Case Studies, Exploration, Geophysical instruments and their applications, Geoscience data visualisation and analytics, Exploration technologies and methodologies
Australia, Western Australia
Neodymium, Precious Metals, Gadolinium, Gold, Strategic Minerals, Base Metals, Lithium, Copper, Industrial Metals, Zinc, Magnesium, Rare Earth Elements, Cerium

Tire checks without the pit stop as AI thermal tech keeps trucks rolling, boosts uptime and spots problems before they blow out the bottom line

In the mining world, where uptime is profit and safety is paramount, innovations that reduce risk while boosting operational efficiency are prized.

What lies beneath might surprise you as site characterisation gets a tailings-fuelled rethink driven by smarter tools sharper data and braver decisions

At the AusIMM 2025 Life of Mine - Mine Waste and Tailings Conference in Brisbane, a standout panel on site characterisation dug deep into the evolving challenges - and innovations - facing tailings engineers.

Tailings truths laid bare in Brisbane as Williams and Hatton dig deep on risk, resilience and the future of dam design

Tailings engineers aren’t just designing structures - they’re safeguarding legacies.

No more blind spots: how explorers are finding buried data, busting silos, and ditching surveys thanks to smarter workflows and sharper metadata

Gem Midgley, principal consultant at Mira Geoscience, knows a thing or two about the practicalities of integrating complex geoscientific data.

Smart miners know one plan won’t cut it - stochastic thinking is helping them outsmart uncertainty, reduce risk, and mine with more confidence than ever

For decades, mine planning has leaned heavily on deterministic models - tools that simplify the earth into a single version of the truth.

Ernest Henry’s bold cave reorientation boosts productivity, tames seismicity, and sets new benchmark for deep underground mine design

When mining engineer Eddy Zhang took the stage at the 2025 AusIMM Underground Operators Conference in Adelaide, he was candid about the task at hand: “Today I’ll be presenting learnings from reorientating the Ernest Henry sublevel cave.

Critical minerals get political as tariffs tighten supply chains and China plays hardball with the West’s electrification ambitions

As global demand for clean energy technology intensifies and geopolitical tensions rise, the importance of critical minerals has reached new heights.

Why going back to data basics will decide who wins the mining tech race and who’s left behind in the digital dust

In a sector awash with smart tech, real-time data and emerging AI capabilities, it's easy to overlook the nuts and bolts of data management.

Turning rocks into riches with smart sorting that cuts waste, boosts recovery and powers the next generation of leaner, cleaner mining

As ore grades decline and sustainability pressures rise, mining operations are being forced to find new ways to optimise resource extraction.