Episode #7 – Data-driven decisions: The power of mineralogical data collection

Building a reliable understanding of any deposit begins with strong collaboration between metallurgists and geologists. Key sources of mineralogical data include:

• Geological core logs – providing insights into valuable and gangue minerals, as well as ore textures.
• Laboratory and plant analyses – ranging from traditional optical microscopy to automated mineralogy using tools such as QEMSCAN or MLA, which deliver detailed modal analyses.
• Liberation studies – defining mineral liberation by size and class to determine locking characteristics and optimum liberation size.
• Advanced techniques – such as microprobe analysis for trace element chemistry and, increasingly, X-ray tomography, which will hopefully enables in the near future to complete three-dimensional assessment of particles.
  
  Ultimately, these data will answer critical questions: what minerals are present, what they are associated with, how they deport through processing, and what size we need to grind to to achieve adequate  liberation.

This episode emphasizes that accurate data collection is the foundation of effective process design, performance optimization, and long-term operational success.