Extracting vital resources is key to economic growth, with materials such as coal, oil, gas, and minerals being exploited for numerous industrial activities.
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Over the past few decades, drilling technology has rapidly evolved, with several innovative solutions emerging in recent years to address key challenges in the mining industry. This article will explore some of the current rig innovations and techniques driving the industry forward in the 21st century.
Automated Drilling Rigs
Automation has become a game changer in several industries in recent decades. The power of automation lies in its ability to reduce labor costs, increase efficiency and profits, and improve safety, a critical need in mines, which are some of the most dangerous working environments in the world.
Automated drilling rigs (ADRs) have emerged as a critical innovation driving technological progress in the modern mine. Requiring fewer workers to operate than conventional rigs, ADRs provide mine operators with a wealth of benefits, including less downtime, more efficient exploration, and built-in safety features.
Smart capabilities are central to ADRs, giving them significant advantages over traditional drilling rigs. Integrated AI and machine learning capabilities help to optimize equipment, reducing downtime and maintenance costs while improving safety for workers.
One of the key benefits AI brings to ADRs is improved decision-making capabilities. A controlled input/output system optimizes analytical decisions, taking them out of the hands of operators and mitigating the risk of human error, which could severely affect the entire drilling process.
Drone-Assisted Exploration
Mines are notoriously dangerous environments. Add to this the need to exploit ever-depleting resources in increasingly remote and hard-to-reach locations, and it can be seen that innovation is needed to ensure the continued economic viability of resource extraction.
Traditionally, exploration would have been carried out by teams of workers, using helicopters and other vehicles to seek out critical minerals and plan new mines. However, this approach is time-consuming, costly, and can have severe safety issues for workers undertaking this critical endeavor.
Drones can significantly improve exploration capabilities. Able to operate remotely and safely, this innovative technology can safely survey an area either above or below ground in a fraction of the time needed with a much more attractive financial investment and return.
Drone-in-a-box solutions, such as RocketDNA’s technology, give mine operators the tools to efficiently survey and explore target areas and gather critical data, such as topography and geology, informing drilling decisions.
These drones operate autonomously with their landing pad and charging base (also the box), with one operator able to fly multiple drones. However, while the technology is mature and better able to operate in weather conditions that hinder satellite exploration, regulatory approval is a critical bottleneck.
Sustainable Drilling Practices
Zero-emission mines are slowly becoming a reality, integrating several innovative green technologies that reduce their carbon footprint. This is one of the main aims of the industry, which is traditionally one of the world's most carbon-intensive and polluting sectors.
Several sustainable practices have been developed in recent decades, focusing on technological innovation and improved efficiency. Central to the mining industry's evolution into a low-carbon ecosystem is the rapid electrification of equipment and processes, with renewable energy increasingly powering new mines.
Portable drilling rigs can be easily broken down and transported to remote locations, reducing carbon emissions and disturbance to local ecosystems. The industry is currently exploring energy-efficient rigs, water-recycling systems, better tailings management, and many other innovative approaches.
While regulatory pressures persist, market demand and technological innovation are pushing sustainability in the sector.
Deep-Sea Mining Innovations
Deep-sea mining has been touted as one of the next frontiers in resource extraction. This highly controversial practice could hold the key to overcoming a fundamental economic challenge: resource depletion.
The ocean floor contains critical minerals urgently needed to power the current energy revolution, with abundant lithium, manganese, and other materials. However, the sector is subject to intense scrutiny and regulatory hurdles due to the catastrophic damage it could cause to fragile marine ecosystems.
Technologies such as seabed mineral collection systems, robotic mining vehicles, and lifting systems are being developed. AI-enabled sensors, GPS systems, and other emerging technologies enable better control systems.
Unique environmental conditions in the deep ocean provide some critical challenges for the sector: equipment must withstand extreme pressure, for instance.
Furthermore, the remoteness of locations means that maintenance is difficult if an asset breaks down. Digital twins could help enhance predictive maintenance and reduce downtime and associated costs, improving the economic viability of deep-sea mining.
Real-Time Monitoring of Rigs
Real-time monitoring of rigs and other equipment in mines is crucial. Predictive maintenance, information on ore characteristics, and multiple mission-critical factors are improved by using AI- and IoT-enabled sensors, which feed data back to central hubs, which are then analyzed and used in decision-making processes.
These enhanced capabilities improve rig performance, ore and mineral extraction, safety, and efficiency. Furthermore, it improves a mine’s bottom line, which is especially critical in an increasingly volatile market.
Challenges and Future Prospects
Mining is a highly volatile industry, with several key challenges for the future but, conversely, prospects. Specific issues related to the sector's environmental impact, geopolitical risk, resource depletion, public scrutiny, shareholder action, and regulatory pressures persist.
The industry is known for its reluctance to embrace new technologies and working practices due to high capital costs and staff training. However, the will to transform mining is growing, with many leading companies investing heavily in a sustainable future.
All of this presents a considerable risk but an opportunity for mining companies. Technological innovation, ongoing research and development, and evolving working practices are causing a paradigm shift in the mining industry, ensuring its continued relevance and importance in the 21st century.
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References and Further Reading
Equipment & Contracting (2019) 6 Crucial Innovations in the Mining Industry [online] Available at: https://www.equipmentandcontracting.com/6-crucial-innovations-in-the-mining-industry
Sunarto, E (2023) RocketDNA CEO explains why ‘drone-in-a-box’ is a game-changer for the company and drones industry [online] stockhead.com.au. Available at: https://stockhead.com.au/tech/rocketdna-ceo-explains-why-drone-in-a-box-is-a-game-changer-for-the-company-and-drones-industry/
Legge, H et al. (2021) Creating the zero-carbon mine [online] mckinsey.com. Available at: https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/metals-and-mining/our-insights/creating-the-zero-carbon-mine
Buckley, T, Jones, A & Clarke, M (2021) Use of an Adaptive Management System to Minimize Impacts of Deep-Sea Nodule Collection, Marine Technology Society Journal, 6 pp.110-116. [online] ingentaconnect.com. Available at: https://doi.org/10.4031/MTSJ.55.6.1
Bryce, B & Engdahl, C (2021) Mining 4.0: How innovation is shaping mines of the future [online] miningdigital.com. Available at: https://miningdigital.com/smart-mining/mining-40-how-innovation-shaping-mines-future
Nunoo. N.A (2018) How Artificial Intelligence Will Benefit Drilling [online] jpt.spe.org. Available at: https://jpt.spe.org/how-artificial-intelligence-will-benefit-drilling
Vella, H. (2013) Green technologies: making mining more sustainable and energy efficient. [online] Available at: https://www.mining-technology.com/features/feature-green-technologies-sustainable-energy-efficient
Liu, Z et al. (2023) Deep-sea rock mechanics and mining technology: State of the art and perspectives. International Journal of Mining Science and Technology [online, in proof] sciencedirect.com. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmst.2023.07.007
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