Integrated Database Systems Foresee Problems, Trends

Q: How do you perceive the quality of Mexican mine labs and how does Mexico differ from other countries?

A: We find that there are absolutely no differences in quality between mine laboratories in Mexico, the US and Canada. But in comparison to other countries, Mexican mines have laboratories that are more labor intensive due to the country’s lower labor costs. Laboratories in the country can afford to employ a larger number of highly qualified personnel while other countries have to pay employees much more. Companies often find that robots are most cost-effective in other areas of the world. We just installed a program for a large iron-ore mine laboratory in Australia that is almost completely operated by robots.

Q: What are the advantages of the data management system AssayNet offers? A: We find that integrated database systems are new in Mexico as the programs that are used by the different divisions within mine sites are quite isolated. We help integrate systems by communicating with vendors that supply the existing databases of a mine. They are usually quite happy to share with us the data we need as it is a mutually beneficial arrangement. The suppliers, the operators and our team all receive a more complete spectrum of data to offer better solutions.

AssayNet is a software company that offers laboratory information management systems (LIMS) as its main product. The company targets mine laboratories, and commercial and governmental laboratories that are complementary to mines in the country. We originate from Canada and we already manage mines such as Peñasquito for companies such as Goldcorp. In Mexico, we serve various Canadian companies that are familiar with our services but Grupo México is the only Mexican company we serve. We hope to work more with local companies.

We differ from existing companies in Mexico by offering services that go beyond mining laboratories. Mine sites are usually divided into different areas that have separate systems and our program collects information from all these departments to integrate it into a single database. It creates a much more complete panorama of the mine that can be used to foresee patterns, trends and areas of opportunity.

LIMS is a way of managing, collecting, storing, validating and distributing the analytical results. Different departments are usually simultaneously sending samples to mining laboratories, which can be tricky to manage without a proper program. Throughout the processing plant, the ore needs to be continuously analyzed to make sure that it is under control and continuing as planned throughout the production chain. The idea of LIMS is to avoid human errors. It speeds up the process and promotes traceability for audits.

Q: In what ways does your program help mitigate accidents in mine sites?

A: Our system may not be able to prevent large accidents like Grupo México’s incident in its Buenavista del Cobre mine but it can help with more minor incidents that often do not get the attention of the media, such as small seepages of cyanide solution. These leaks are usually so tiny that companies do not notice them. Our system can help find them by mapping trends. For instance, a PH that randomly varies from 7.8 to 8.1 is not usually a concern but our system can warn operators when it finds that the balance is slowly increasing over time from 7.5 to 8.3.

Q: What future do you see for mine laboratories within the industry as a whole?

A: Our vision is to expand within mining laboratories by building mobile applications that facilitate the real-time view of the data we offer. Traditionally, companies receive data though phone calls. This is dangerous because it allows room for misinterpretation and errors. We inform clients through monitors that can instantly show results on the screen and send alerts if something goes wrong, which is faster, more accurate and efficient.