Seequent Unveils Evo: Using Open-source Tech to Reshape Mining Exploration

The data fragmentation challenge

One of the issues Evo seeks to address is data fragmentation.

While today’s geologists and miners are privy to more data than ever, much of this data is distributed across different systems and locations, preventing companies from achieving full visibility and control.

To streamline the process for mining sector workers, Evo centralizes geoscience data from various sources, improving accessibility, collaboration and analysis. By integrating data that is spread across platforms, Evo helps users work with up-to-date information and draw insights from past projects.

Its geospatial search incorporates Cesium technology, and Seequent has introduced two related applications, Driver and BlockSync, to enhance functionality. Graham explained that to achieve this, Evo was designed to be open instead of siloing data and forcing mining companies to also be technology companies.

“The modern way is open source, it's platforms," he explained to INN.

"It's enabling things to move quickly and easily across whatever the device,” he continued. “We saw this problem years ago, but we knew it would take cloud and cloud architecture to break this paradigm, and so what Evo is doing is it's breaking that paradigm, and it's approaching the world from the perspective of being open.”

The open platform design enables seamless connectivity and automation, even with competing software, according to Graham. This approach is key as even though mining companies are not tech firms, they often employ skilled professionals who can leverage automation and coding tools.

Additionally, the system allows users to develop custom solutions without relying solely on third-party vendors, marking a significant shift in how technology can be used in the industry.

Critical minerals discovery and jurisdictional risk

With the search for critical minerals deposits intensifying on a global scale, Graham said that technologies like Evo can can be leveraged to analyze data and better pinpoint deposits.

“We know the discovery process and the development process now is just a whole lot more complex," he said during the interview. "(Deposits are) harder to find, they’re deeper, the grades are lower, the easy stuff is gone. So the way to deal with that is to use the best science you can find.

The Seequent CEO also acknowledged the geopolitical challenges facing mining executives.

“Being a mining CEO and a mining executive right now has got to be one of the most complex tasks in the world,” said Graham, pointing to trade restrictions, tariffs, inflation, permitting challenges, community expectations and unpredictable geopolitical shifts as some of the reasons why the job is difficult.

“As an executive, the one thing you have to do is build a resilient and adaptable organization that can see its way through these kinds of changes,” he said. “Adaptability is the key, and this is what we can bring to a mining company — a flexible, adaptable technology framework that enables you to flex your organization fast, revisit scenarios and recalculate.”