Seequent Evo – a new geoscience data and computing platform that allows for integrated workflows and collaboration – was launched by subsurface solutions company Seequent, the Bentley subsurface company, at the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) conference, held in Toronto, Canada, last month. 

The software has already garnered a “plethora” of attention from the global mining market, says Seequent mining segment director Janina Elliott. 

While the software – suited to deep-level, shallow and opencast mining operations – does not focus on a specific depth limit, its capabilities for centralising and analysing large data sets, coupled with enhanced real-time collaboration, make it a “good fit” for the conditions of deep-level mines, she explains. 

“Deep-level mines are intricate systems that function based on the precise interplay of multidisciplinary information – an environment in which Seequent Evo thrives.” 

Seequent Evo’s openly integrating geoscience tools relevant to an organisation, including the company’s desktop solutions and native cloud applications, enables it to effectively handle the terabytes’ worth of multidisciplinary data common at long-standing operations of significant scale. 

The launch of Seequent Evo comes at a critical time for industries reliant on geoscience data, particularly mining. 

To service pressing global demand for critical minerals, the industry needs to find new ways of working faster and more efficiently, to address “the critical shortage of geologists, which makes it more crucial than ever to empower and optimise the capabilities of the geologists to the fullest”, she explains. 

Voluminous Information 

Mining operations need reliable geological information to find and extract resources effectively while reducing harm to the environment; however, handling and analysing large amounts of scattered data can be difficult, says Elliott. 

Seequent Evo helps solve this problem by bringing together below-surface teams and the data they have gathered, into one easy-to-use platform, making it simpler to work together by improving workflows and allowing for better decision-making. 

By centralising geoscience data, the software allows for faster, smarter decision-making, which is crucial for navigating the complexities of deep-level mining environments. Elliott enthuses that Seequent Evo is an ever-evolving technology, with its launch being just the start, with further development and expansion to continue. 

Tech Backup 

The company has been working closely with a small group of customers in a limited availability programme to ensure that Seequent Evo meets industry requirements. 

Consequently, BlockSync and Driver – two new native applications that tie directly into Seequent Evo data – have been introduced, and they cater to specific needs of the mining industry. 

“BlockSync is an application that offers an open, auditable system-of-record where teams can manage, analyse and collaborate on block model data from any source. 

With rapid model updates and real-time resource insights, BlockSync enhances orebody knowledge to support strategic and operational decision-making,” notes Elliott. 

Driver is a cloud-based exploratory data analysis tool comprising machine learning to quickly understand the geological structure of deposits and domains, and improve downstream models, with little manual effort and no coding. 

“Driver gives geologists a boost, helping [to] inform their 3D models automatically while enabling them to adjust, based on their understanding of the orebody,” posits Elliott. 

The response from the mining industry to the launch of Seequent Evo has been “immensely positive”.