Fresh Thinking by Snowden Optiro

Snowden Optiro
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Natural Sciences
  • Updated Biweekly

News and information from the world of geology and mining, Fresh Thinking by Snowden Optiro provides a new perspective on the mining industry and seeks to educate on best practice. Snowden Optiro is a resources consulting and advisory group that provides independent advice, consulting and training to mining and exploration companies, their advisors and investors. We help mine developers to advance their projects, mining companies to improve their operations and their professionals, and investors to derisk their investments by the provision of quality advice, training and software in the field of Mineral Resources and Mineral/Ore Reserves. contact@snowdenoptiro.com www.snowdenoptiro.com Snowden Optiro Mining Advisory Consulting, Software and Training.

  1. 5d ago ·  Video

    EP 177 | Rethinking Grade Control: When Ordinary Kriging Isn't Enough

    When does ordinary kriging stop being the best approach for grade control? In this episode of Fresh Thinking, Ian Glacken, Executive Consultant, and Dr Gregory Zhang, Senior Consultant at  @SnowdenOptiro , explore direct SMU estimation and the circumstances where conventional ordinary kriging may not provide the best result. They discuss the challenges presented by highly skewed grade distributions, mixed populations and complex anisotropy, and consider alternative approaches including categorical indicator kriging (CIK), multiple indicator kriging (MIK) and localised MIK. Drawing on a case study, Ian and Gregory examine why different estimation methods should be tested and assessed against reconciliation results, rather than assuming a single approach will work for every deposit. They also emphasise an important point: more sophisticated estimation techniques are not a substitute for appropriate drilling and good-quality data.  Listen to Fresh Thinking for technical insights and practical perspectives from Snowden Optiro's mining and geology experts.

  2. Sep 23 ·  Video

    EP 176 | Evolving Air Quality Regulations: A Catalyst for Electric Machine Adoption

    Changing workplace exposure limits could become an important driver of battery electric vehicle adoption in underground mining. In this episode of Fresh Thinking by ‪@SnowdenOptiro‬, Hamish Guthrie is joined by Sarah de Vries to discuss Sarah's recent presentation at The Electric Mine Conference 2026, "Evolving Air Quality Regulations: A Catalyst for Electric Machine Adoption." Sarah explores the changing regulatory environment for diesel particulate matter (DPM) and other airborne contaminants, and what tighter exposure limits could mean for underground mine ventilation, operating costs, productivity and equipment selection. The discussion also considers the growing role of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) in underground mining, including current technology limitations, ventilation and infrastructure considerations, and the importance of evaluating BEVs within the specific operating and financial context of each mine. Sarah also shares key takeaways from The Electric Mine Conference, including emerging operating data from mines trialing and operating full BEV fleets underground. In this episode: Changes to workplace exposure limits for DPM Implications for underground mine ventilation Options for reducing diesel emissions underground The role of BEVs in meeting changing air quality requirements Current limitations and considerations for BEV adoption Emerging operational data from underground BEV fleets Subscribe to the ‪@SnowdenOptiro‬ YouTube channel for more technical discussions from our mining and geology specialists.

  3. Sep 10

    EP 174 | Platinum: Is It Worth Its Weight in Gold?

    Platinum is one of the world's rarest and most geographically concentrated metals, with applications spanning the automotive, industrial, jewellery and emerging hydrogen sectors. But what does its evolving supply and demand outlook mean for the mining industry? In this episode of Fresh Thinking by Snowden Optiro, Senzeni Mandava Matondi and Julian Aldridge explore platinum's geology, market dynamics and strategic importance. They discuss the concentration of global platinum supply, changing automotive demand, the potential role of hydrogen technology, substitution between platinum group metals (PGMs), supply constraints and the challenges of bringing new mines into production. The conversation also considers what these trends could mean from a mining perspective, including the potential for renewed exploration, mine life extensions and new project development. Subscribe to Fresh Thinking by Snowden Optiro for more technical discussions covering geology, resource estimation, mining and the commodities shaping the industry.

  4. Sep 2

    EP 173 | The Theory of Sampling: Why Every Mining Decision Begins with a Representative Sample

    Was the sample representative? Every geological model, resource estimate, grade control decision and reconciliation result ultimately depends on the quality of the samples behind it. In this episode of Fresh Thinking by Snowden Optiro, Melanie Bulley is joined by Senzeni Mandava Matondi to explore the Theory of Sampling and why representative sampling is fundamental to reliable decision-making throughout the mining value chain. They discuss why natural heterogeneity makes sampling challenging, the difference between correct and incorrect sampling errors, why precision should not be confused with representativity, and why even highly precise laboratory analysis cannot correct a sample that was unrepresentative from the beginning. The episode also explores the practical consequences of poor sampling, including ore loss, dilution, poor reconciliation and unreliable resource estimates. In this episode: Why sampling is the foundation of mining data Understanding representativity and natural heterogeneity Correct vs. incorrect sampling errors Precision vs. representativity Why laboratories cannot fix poor sampling The impact of sampling on grade control and reconciliation Principles of good sampling practice

  5. Aug 26

    EP 172 | Tailings Are Not Just Relocated Ore: The Nuances of Tailings Mineral Resource Estimates

    Tailings Mineral Resource Estimates can appear straightforward. The material has already been mined, crushed, processed and deposited in one location — but tailings facilities present their own unique set of technical challenges. In this episode of Fresh Thinking by @SnowdenOptiro  , Senzeni Mandava and Melanie Bulley explore the nuances of estimating Mineral Resources within tailings facilities. They discuss how tailings differ from conventional in situ deposits and why depositional engineering, rather than natural geological controls, can become fundamental to understanding continuity. opics covered include: Density and moisture uncertainty Sampling unconsolidated and saturated material Variography and spatial continuity in tailings • Depositional history and hydraulic segregation The importance of the phreatic surface and hydrogeology Metallurgical recoverability and project economics Mineral Resource classification Tailings reprocessing, critical minerals and ESG considerations As Senzeni and Melanie discuss, a tailings facility is not simply a relocated orebody. It is an engineered, evolving sedimentary system with its own geotechnical, hydrogeological, metallurgical and operational complexities.

  6. Aug 19

    EP 171 | Part 2 of 2: Managing Uncertainty - How Better Grade Control Leads to Better Decisions

    In Part 2 of our Fresh Thinking by @SnowdenOptiro  two-part series, host Melanie Bully is joined by Senzeni Matondi to continue the discussion on why the most expensive mistake in grade control isn't necessarily mining low-grade material — it's making the wrong decision about whether material is ore or waste. Following on from Part 1, this episode explores how mining operations can make better grade control decisions by understanding and managing uncertainty. Melanie and Senzeni discuss why average grade alone doesn't tell the full story, how conditional bias and grade smoothing can affect ore and waste classification, and why local accuracy around the cut-off grade is so important. They also explore grade control as a complete value chain — from sampling, QA/QC and geological logging through to estimation, dig planning, mining execution, stockpile management and mine-to-mill reconciliation. The conversation then turns to modern approaches to uncertainty and risk, including conditional simulation, probability-based ore classification and risk-based digline optimisation. In this episode Melanie and Senzeni discuss: Why two models with similar average grades can deliver very different operational outcomes Conditional bias and the impact of grade smoothing The importance of local accuracy around the cut-off grade How ore loss and dilution result from misclassification • Why reconciliation reflects the performance of the entire grade control system Moving from deterministic estimates to risk-informed decision-making What best-practice grade control looks like at high-performing operations The key message from this two-part series is simple: grade control isn't about producing the perfect block model — it's about consistently making better mining decisions.

  7. Aug 17

    EP 175 | Why Resource & Reserve Reconciliation Matters

    In this episode of Fresh Thinking by Snowden Optiro, Rayleen Hargreaves, Principal Consultant at Datamine and Product Owner of Reconcilor, talks with Ian Glacken, Executive Consultant at Snowden Optiro, about the importance of reconciling mineral resources and reserves across the mine value chain. Resource and reserve reconciliation is often given less attention than the production stages of the mining process, yet it provides an important link between what a company reports, what it plans to mine, and what is ultimately produced.  Rayleen and Ian discuss: The role of resources and reserves in the mine value chain The differences between mineral resources and mineral reserves • Why resource and reserve reconciliation is important The value of monthly reconciliation and early warning indicators Why reserves need to be represented as a model that can be depleted How to approach reconciliation when mining occurs outside the reported reserve The relationship between resource, reserve and grade control reconciliation The growing importance of transparency and reconciliation in reporting codes The discussion also considers potential changes to the JORC Code and the role that resource and reserve reconciliation could play in improving transparency for companies, shareholders and other stakeholders.

  8. Aug 12

    EP 170 | Part 1 of 2: Why the Most Expensive Mistake in Grade Control Isn't Low Grade

    What if the most expensive mistake in grade control isn't mining low-grade material — but making the wrong decision about what is ore and what is waste? In this two-part episode of Fresh Thinking by Snowden Optiro, Senzeni Matondi, Principal Consultant, joins Melanie Bully, Senior Consultant, to explore why grade control is fundamentally a decision-making discipline, not simply a grade estimation exercise.  In Part 1, Senzeni and Melanie unpack the operational and financial consequences of misclassification, including: Ore loss — when valuable material is classified as waste and potentially lost forever Dilution — when waste enters the ore stream, reducing head grade and consuming valuable processing capacity Misclassification — and why it can result from accumulated uncertainty across sampling, geological interpretation, estimation, blast movement, survey accuracy and mining execution Reconciliation — and why poor reconciliation can reflect issues across the entire mining value chain, rather than the resource model alone The key takeaway? A technically sound grade estimate is only useful if it supports the right operational decisions.

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About

News and information from the world of geology and mining, Fresh Thinking by Snowden Optiro provides a new perspective on the mining industry and seeks to educate on best practice. Snowden Optiro is a resources consulting and advisory group that provides independent advice, consulting and training to mining and exploration companies, their advisors and investors. We help mine developers to advance their projects, mining companies to improve their operations and their professionals, and investors to derisk their investments by the provision of quality advice, training and software in the field of Mineral Resources and Mineral/Ore Reserves. contact@snowdenoptiro.com www.snowdenoptiro.com Snowden Optiro Mining Advisory Consulting, Software and Training.

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