Technology & equipment
learning and AI to diagnose equipment failure days, weeks or even months ahead of time. Nicholas Kenny takes a look at how predictive analytics can benefi t mine operators, from asset maintenance to ventilation to a mine’s ESG portfolio, and more.
he mining industry is facing a growing array of challenges, from volatile markets – not helped in the least by the two-punch combo of the Covid- 19 pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine – and tougher competition, to regulatory compliance and decarbonisation, among many others. In September, Ernst & Young (EY) published a survey looking at the top priorities for mine operators, with environmental, social and governance (ESG) objectives holding on to its top spot from the year prior. Unsurprisingly, geopolitics has soared to second place amid the ongoing global conflict and uncertainty. Digital innovation, on the other hand, has dropped down the rankings all the way to ninth place – however, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing for its proponents, as the fall comes partly due to operators developing confidence and capabilities in this area, as the report notes. Today, many mining companies are
already taking advantage of the significant cost, productivity and safety gains from the implementation of emergent technologies like drones, remote operating centres and autonomous trucks, to name but a few. Yet, the EY report also notes that the mining sector still has a largely siloed approach to digitalisation, holding back its full potential, despite the encouraging progress in recent years. A more integrated strategy would help mine operators tackle their most pressing challenges, including ESG, productivity and cost- efficiency. Technological innovation, and artificial intelligence (AI) in particular, is already benefitting the mining industry in a wide variety of ways, from supporting the discovery of more financially viable mineral deposits to optimising operations. However, there’s one area that’s proving pivotal to providing actionable insights for the mining sector, and that’s predictive analytics.
Analyse this T
Predictive analytics provides a host of potential benefi ts to the mining industry – for example, by using the data generated through mining operations alongside machine
24 World Mining Frontiers /
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