Drilling contractors and resource companies impacted by COVID-19 restrictions can continue to operate by using cloud-connected sensors that deliver and analyse critical data, says leading global Mining-Tech company IMDEX.

Despite restrictions disrupting travel and work, IMDEX says key staff can still make time-critical decisions backed by accurate data delivered in real-time.

The majority of the company’s clients have indicated they intend to keep operating while working within government-imposed restrictions in each region globally and with the main priority of keeping their workers safe.

“People are still trying to work,” IMDEX Structural-IQ Global Product Manager Nick Payne said.
“We are working with all our clients to find solutions to keep them operating and safe in these difficult circumstances.”

Existing IMDEX clients using a range of instruments already have access to the IMDEXHUB-IQ^TM, a secure, cloud-based portal for validating field data transmitted from the drill rig.

IMDEXHUB-IQ Global Product Manager Tara Bennett-Connell said that this is the perfect time to access, review and take time to analyse data, using IMDEXHUB-IQ.

It is ideal for applications across the exploration life cycle, providing efficient drillhole and sample data management, from daily reporting and QA requirements to structural logging, survey, geochemical analysis.

Ms Bennett-Connell said that while IMDEX HUB-IQ^TM was available free to clients already using IMDEX tools, some companies were still opting to use tools where data was being transferred via email and USBs.

“More secure, efficient and reliable methods are available, and when you can’t get access to the data through those old methods, it’s time to change.”

IMDEX clients were assured of data security. The company has received international recognition for its robust and secure information security management system and processes.

The system has been certified against the rigorous standards of ISO/IEC 27001:2013, an international information security standard recognised in 161 countries.

Another key Other IMDEX technologies that can keep clients working from home is geochemistry and structural geology analytics instrument IMDEX ioGAS^TM.

IMDEX ioGas is an exploratory data analysis software application, enabling users to perform exploratory data analysis, machine learning and predictive analytics.

The software can be used in conjunction with REFLEX IQ-Logger and IMDEX MUD AID^TM.

Mr Payne said now is the perfect time to consolidate and verify structural data collected by the Reflex IQ-LoggerTM and available in the IMDEXHUB-IQTM and conduct a rigorous structural assessment using IMDEX ioGASTM all of which can be done while working from home.

Drill programs can be re-assessed and modified, with the new plan available in the IMDEXHUB-IQTM for when drilling resumes.

Mr Payne said the critical difference for clients using IMDEX ioGAS^TM was that licences could be altered to allow operators to use it on PCs.

“More than half of the people who have IMDEX ioGAS^TM have a server-based licence,” Mr Payne said. “If you can’t access your server, we can change the licence to your PC, and you can keep working.

And finally, it’s not just geological data delivery and interpretation that IMDEX solutions can provide for remote scenarios. IMDEX MUD AID^TM is a remotely monitored, automated in-field diagnosis unit which enables remote assessment of drilling fluids, negating the need for a mud engineer on-site.