Since the dawn of civilisation, humans have mined the earth beneath us, extracting valuable resources and materials to create tools, weapons and items of value to be shared in the primitive barter economies of eons past.  

Archaeological records show that resources such as flint were mined extensively during the neolithic era, for example. And later, precious metals like copper, tin and iron became key to economic growth in ancient civilisations scattered across Greece, Egypt, the Italian peninsula and the Near East.  

Fast forward to the modern day and mining operations are truly monumental in scale and dwarf even the largest of ancient mines. Contemporary mining plants and pits are monstrous in size and operate more like small cities, with thousands of workers operating across a myriad of functions – all working in-sync to meet the insatiable demand of the modern global economy. 

And while manpower is still a key component in meeting this demand, technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning and advanced analytics are transforming the industry and unlocking huge benefits for operators.  

Speaking at DIGIT Expo on Thursday 10th November, Gillian Tomlinson, Chief Data Officer at Weir Group offered a fascinating insight into how the mining industry is leveraging emerging technologies to unlock value, streamline operations and enhance efficiency.  

In particular, Gillian discussed the concept of data monetisation, exploring how organisations can better harness the data they use to deliver value and long-term commercial benefits.  

While data has often been referred to as the ‘new oil’ for businesses in a host of global industries, Gillian noted that data can now create a far greater long-term value if used efficiently.  

She said: “There are similarities between data and oil. You mine it, you process it and it fuels your processes and business.   

“But the fundamentals of data monetisation are where data and oil are not similar. Firstly, it’s a non-depleting asset – it can be consumed multiple times. You can sell it and provide it for multiple different uses or purposes and for different processes.  

“It’s also regenerative. So when you use oil it doesn’t generate more oil. But every single time you use data it generates more data.  

“The real core component of data monetisation is that it increases in value the more and more you connect.”

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Notably, Gillian highlighted several key points around the value of data monetisation and the benefits it can deliver for businesses.  

Firstly, in terms of harnessing internal data, organisations are becoming increasingly adaptive and innovative. 

Rapid investment in data science capabilities is enabling companies to better quantify the economic benefits, cost reductions and customer experience improvements generated through data.  

Continuing on the economic benefits, she added that by giving data science teams more freedom to fine-tune their capabilities, firms are becoming more intelligence-led and are able to deliver products, solutions and services at a much faster pace.  

Harnessing second and third-party data is also unlocking huge benefits for organisations, especially within the mining industry, she noted.

The growing range of industry platforms, APIs and marketplaces now at a company’s disposal helps develop more diverse pools of data and is driving closer integration of data sets.  

Emerging technologies in a traditional industry 

Increasingly, drone technology is now being leveraged in the mining industry, Gillian said. This enables operators to fly over mines to identify potential faults, highlight key areas of interest and address health and safety issues.  

Similarly, operators are using autonomous vehicles and AI-powered robots to do the work of humans and monitor hazardous environments and dangerous areas of a mining site.  

Wearable technology is also an area of growing interest in the space, Gillian revealed – providing frontline workers with dynamic new technologies to streamline day-to-day activities.  

She said: “We are also experimenting with wearables and the use of augmented reality tech, but this is not without its challenges. 

“Imagine an engineer who’s been on a site in Chile for 30 years, but now we are telling them ‘here’s your visualisation dashboard and this piece of kit in the background that’s going to tell you what you don’t know’ and areas of an operation that humans can’t reach.” 

Gillian added that a key challenge for operators is fostering cultural change when deploying new technologies. Simply rolling out a shiny new range of products and expecting staff to harness these effectively is difficult.  

This requires close collaboration with the workforce to drive upskilling and training to maximise the value of technology.  

AI and digital twins 

Mining operators are now also leveraging AI and machine learning at scale across the supply chain, much like other contemporary industries.  

In particular, Gillian highlighted Formula One as a key example of an industry in which AI and analytics are being used to deliver huge benefits.  

Simulations are used to model the optimal performance of vehicles and establish the ideal route around specific race tracks. All of this takes into account metrics such as driver ability and weight, vehicle efficiency and dynamics, she said.  

And in the mining industry, it’s a similar situation for operators.  

She explained: “We have 3D imaging cameras that sit on the mine site and stream footage in real-time. This helps us improve predictive maintenance.  

“And there are far bigger propositions [for AI & ML] in the industry. We believe that if we can improve the transparency of a mine or mine site, you can generate far more insight and more value for customers.  

“We have products that measure shadow metrics and particle analysis metrics. We have analytical products that are streaming real-time data and measuring whether your digger’s hung has fallen into the mine, which can debilitate operations.” 

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Gillian added: “We can also measure how trucks are loaded in an optimal way, or the weight of the trucks and payloads. 

“This helps us drive predictive maintenance and gives us an understanding of how we can prevent situations like this from occurring in future.” 

Environmental concerns 

The use of emerging technologies in the mining industry offers more than just better cost margins, however.  

Amidst an era of growing climate concern, technologies which help to improve operational efficiency play a key role in reducing environmental impact and greenhouse gas emissions.  

The mining industry is responsible for between four to seven percent of greenhouse gas emissions globally, a significant portion of the world’s overall emissions.  

Pressure from governments, investors and society is prompting greater investment in transformative technologies and new methods, Gillian added.  

She said: “We’ve got some real shifts and challenges where ESG, and our ESG footprint, is going to be a license to operate. 

“There’s amazing stuff happening out there in terms of synthetic resources, alternatives to water and energy and how you recycle materials.” 

This wave of investment means that the global mining automation market is expected to grow in value rapidly. A study from Grand View Research in September this year predicted the market to surge from $5 billion to around $8.6bn by 2030.  

The mining industry plays a critical role in the global economy. And so long as investment in emerging technologies continues, the sector will have a consistently steady supply of tools and solutions to accelerate efficiency, feed our tech-driven world and redefine itself as a forward-thinking, environmentally conscious industry.