The GIS Project at Rio Tinto Exploration
July 2013
The vision… Provide Exploration with
comprehensive, coherent data and
enhanced digital tools and systems,
to enable Tier One discoveries and
increase the effectiveness of the
exploration process. Marcelo Braghin RTX Global GIS Manager
Agenda
GIS Project 2
Background
Business Problem and Solution
Benefits of the GIS Project
Selected Solution Components:
• Infrastructure
• Design
• Application
Sample 3D and 2D analysis
Questions
Background: Rio Tinto at a glance
GIS Project 3
– We are a leading global business delivering value at each stage of mineral and metal production
– We employ approximately 71,000 people in more than 40 countries
– We fulfil vital consumer needs and improve living standards
– Our commitment to safety is fundamental to the way we do business
– Sustainable development is at the heart of everything we do
– Underlying earnings in 2012 of US$9.3 billion
RTX approach
Clear strategy
Rigorous global
prioritisation
The right people in right places
A range of tools and innovative techniques
Delivery of Tier 1 discoveries
GIS Project 4
Traditional approaches and exploration innovation
Traditional methods
New technology
GIS Project 5
Where we operate
6
Aluminium Copper Diamonds & Minerals Energy Iron Ore
Greenfield projects
Brownfield projects We currently explore for 7 different commodities over 20 countries
GIS Project
RTX has a 65 year tradition of discovery
Year Project Commodity Country Year Project Commodity Country
1947 Lac Allard Ilmenite Canada 2000 Potasio Rio Colorado Potash Argentina
1952 Weipa Bauxite Australia 2002 Resolution Copper USA
1962 Tom Price Iron Ore Australia 2004 Simandou Iron Ore Guinea
1963 Kirka Borates Turkey 2005 La Granja Copper Peru
1965 Panguna Copper PNG 2005 Caliwingina Iron Ore Australia
1967 Ok Tedi Copper PNG 2008 Sulawesi Nickel Indonesia
1968 Rossing Uranium Namibia 2008 Mutamba Ilmenite Mozambique
1971 Paragominas Bauxite Brazil 2009 Jadar Borates Serbia
1982 Kaltim Prima Coal Indonesia 2011 Amargosa Bauxite Brazil
1983 Lihir Gold PNG 2012 Saskatchewan Potash Canada
1985 QMM Ilmenite Madagascar
1990 Century Zinc Australia
1991 Corumba Iron Ore Brazil
1995 Orissa Iron Ore India
1996 Diavik Diamond Canada
In operation
• 16 of the 25 discoveries were in developing countries with 5 impacted by sovereign risk
• 3 of the 25 came from junior company alliances (Argyle, Lihir, Diavik)
• 7 discoveries were sold in FS or after commencement of production
• Typically > 10 years from discovery to production Divested/suspended
In evaluation
May 2013 GIS Project
65 year track record of discovery success
1947 Canada Lac Allard Ilmenite Kennecott
1953 Canada Elliot Lake Uranium RTZ
1955 Australia Weipa Bauxite Zinc Corporation
1956 South Africa Palabora Copper RTZ
1960 Turkey Kirka Borates US Borax
1962 Australia Tom Price Iron Ore CZP 1968
Namibia Rossing Uranium RTZ
1970 Australia Tarong (QLD) Coal CRAE
1972 Brazil Paragominas Bauxite RTZ
1979 Australia Argyle Diamonds CRAE
1982 Brazil Moro de Ouro Gold RTZ
1983 PNG Lihir Gold Kennecott
1986 Australia Kintyre Uranium CRAE
1996 Canada Diavik Diamonds KEX
1999 Zimbabwe Murowa Diamonds RTX
2002 USA Resolution Copper RTX
2004 Guinea Simandou Iron Ore RTX
2008 India Bunder Diamonds RTX
2008 Indonesia Sulawesi Nickel RTX
2008 Mozambique Mutamba Ilmenite RTX
2011 Brazil Amargosa Bauxite RTX
1960 USA Sierrita Copper Kennecott
1955 Australia Mary Kathleen Uranium RTMA
1964 PNG Panguna Copper CRAE
1968 PNG OK Tedi Copper Kennecott
1972 South Africa Richards Bay Ilmenite RTZ
1977 Indonesia Kelian Gold CRAE
1984 Indonesia Kaltim Prima Coal CRAE
1990 Australia Century Lead-zinc CRAE
1996 Spain Las Cruces Copper RTX
2000 Argentina PRC Potash RTX
2009 Serbia Jadar Lithium RTX
2005 Australia Caliwingina Iron Ore RTX
2005 Peru La Granja Copper RTX
2007 South Africa Chapudi Coal RTX
1947
1950
1953
1956
1959
1962
1965
1968
1971
1974
1977
1980
1983
1986
1989
1992
1995
1998
2001
2004
2007
2010
2013
1991 Brazil Corumba Iron ore RTZ
1996 Lao PDR Sepon Copper/gold RTX
2012 Canada Saskatchewan Potash RTX
1956 Guinea Sangaredi Bauxite Alcan
1968 Brazil Trombetas Bauxite Alcan
2004 USA Eagle Nickel KEX
GIS Project
Problem definition
• Current GIS approach within Exploration: – Disconnected
infrastructure
– Multiple GIS applications
– Decentralized and unstructured data
• Challenges – Exploration data is a local
rather than corporate asset
– Geo professionals use different GIS applications which can hinder communication
– Data sharing between GIS applications is difficult
GIS Project 9
Solution: Unified GIS platform based on ESRI applications
• ArcGIS desktop / server and mobile
– Modified to include selected plug-ins, tools and extensions
• Unified infrastructure
– Hub and spoke design
• Common business processes
– Workflow based on ESRI Geodatabase
• Common training and support
– Application and process training
• Common central database
– One “source of the truth”
– Supported with spokes to for faster, local access
GIS Project 10
Solution requires change
GIS Project 11
Current Mapinfo or ArcGIS
Identify & download GIS data from local server
Analyze / edit data using local standards
Maintain data on local servers and desktops
Future ArcGIS
Identify & download GIS data from Hub and Spoke
as a cache
Analyze / edit data using global standards
Maintain data using global protocols on central Hub
Benefits of the GIS project
GIS Project 12
• Enable more confident and informed decision-making Improved data quality and consistency
• Ensure that our data is treated as the valuable asset that it is
Improved data management
• Optimise staff time on value adding activities • Minimise ramp up time for staff moving from project
to project Increased consistency
and reduced duplication
• Provide for integration with new, improved applications (3D, mobile apps/field data capture, visualisation and solution discoveries)
Increased opportunities to leverage synergies
• Maximise geoscientists’ time on data analysis • Facilitate data sharing, collaboration, and innovation
Improved data discoverability and
analysis
Infrastructure: Hub and spoke architecture puts data close to the user
GIS Project 13
Global ARCGIS Hub
Regional ArcGIS Spokes
Stand-Alone ArcGIS Spokes
Design: Conceptual architecture for GIS platform
14 GIS Project
SDE Geodatabases
ArcGIS Server
acQuire DBs
Flexi Cadastre
Sharepoint
Metacarta
RTX SQL Databases
ESRI Data Appliance
File Geodatabases
Imagery
External Map services
ArcPAD
SQL Server ETL
ESRI replication
DAP 3D packages
Application: ArcGIS 10.1 desktop
• Benefits of new ArcGIS Package:
– Puts everyone on the same system, facilitating future upgrades
– Gives users enhanced functionality (plug-ins)
– Performance enhancements (Rio Tinto specifics)
– Provide RTX standards (style sheets and templates)
• Components:
– ArcGIS 10.1
– Plugins: • Geosoft plug-in / Target for ArcGIS
• xTools Pro
• Metacarta plug-in
• ET Geowizards
• Customized Geodatabase plug-ins
– ESRI Extensions: • Spatial Analyst
• 3D Analyst
• Geostatistical Analyst
GIS Project 15
ArcGIS 3D Capabilities and Integration ArcScene 10.1
Mag grid: captured from Geosoft DAP
Drilling: ETL from acQuire to SDE Geodatabase
Grade shells: Leapfrog imported as multi patch in a
file Geodatabase GIS Project 16
ArcGIS 3D Capabilities and Integration ArcScene 10.1
LiDAR topo in a file Geodatabase
Drilling: ETL from acQuire to SDE Geodatabase
Grade shells: Leapfrog imported as multi-patch in a
file Geodatabase GIS Project 17
ArcPAD Data is easily brought into the field using a combination of ArcPAD and Trimble Juno
Mag data from geophysical survey • Anomalies identified by geophysicists • Roads for navigation • Claim boundaries • Viewed in ArcPAD and used for Anomaly
checking while in the field
GIS Project 18
Surface Samples ETL from acQuire to SDE Geodatabase
Standard symbology applied Daily updates in a versioned SDE Geodatabase
GIS Project 19
QUESTIONS?
GIS Project 20