Collaborative Geology and Mine Planning Solutions
Gemcom GEMS is the product leader in collaborative geology and mine GEMS Benefits
planning solutions. For over 20 years GEMS has been providing the right
capabilities for open pit and underground mining professionals in exploration, To Users
modelling, mine design, long-term planning and production scheduling. All departments can share in
Designed specifically with data accuracy, integrity and scalability in mind, the unifying benefits of a single,
GEMS is the leading choice worldwide for enterprises of all sizes who see collaborative platform.
their mining data as a valuable and lifelong asset. GEMS meets enterprise Centralised data means less time
needs through innovations such as global profiles to display data consistently transferring data, and more time
company-wide, and with rich, user-assisted dialogs for workflow productivity analysing it.
and repeatability.
Rich, user-assisted workflows enable
mining professionals to focus on what
GEMS Configurations they do best: getting mining results,
GEMS is built around open, industry-standard databases that support not programming scripts.
both client-server and single use modes of operation. With its scalable
To Management
architecture, GEMS fits easily into your computing environment, interacting
with your existing Microsoft applications and enabling you to achieve Global display profiles support best
unprecedented levels of integration and information sharing. practices by displaying data the same
way throughout the organization.
GEMS’ modular architecture lets you select from optimised configurations
to specifically meet the functional needs of your operation. The most Centralised database eliminates
popular configurations are described in this brochure (see table on page 7). data redundancy and increases data
Your Gemcom sales professional can provide information about all GEMS integrity, accuracy, auditability, and
configurations and applications, and can help you choose the ones that management.
best meet your needs. Industry-standard, Microsoft-based
technologies give the peace of mind
Exploration enterprises need to grow and expand
into the future.
GEMS offers scalable options geared towards different levels of exploration,
each building upon the previous configuration. Spanning a range from basic to
advanced, all systems harness GEMS’ powerful 3D graphics environment.
The GEMS Field Unit is a data manager and graphics display system. The
Field Unit offers the on-site geologist or geoscientist a simple, inexpensive
way to enter data, print reports and plot sections and plans that show
exploration sampling data.
GEMS Essentials allows you to merge your exploration information into a single
database, conduct statistical analyses to assess and manipulate your data,
and plot maps and sections. GEMS Essentials features 3D-rendered viewing
capabilities for topographic, drillhole, traverse, polyline and point data.
When you need to calculate reserves, you need the tools in GEMS Exploration
for a more in-depth analysis of your deposit. You can composite sample
intervals, interpolate lithological outlines using GEMS’ powerful polygon
tools, and perform classic polygonal resource generation and reporting.
GEMS Advanced Exploration is a fully-integrated data management,
analysis and 3D geological modelling software system that contains state-
of-the-art 3D modelling tools combined with visualisation and analytical
volumes. GEMS Advanced Exploration lets you actually see the ore deposit Attach core photos to drill hole intervals.
and determine, with confidence, the extent of your ore body.
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“At De Beers’ Snap Lake Mine, GEMS has been an integral part of the development of the underground resource since
evaluation began in 1999. We have benefited from many upgrades and improvements to GEMS over the last eight years.”
— Josh Harvey, Senior Supervisor MRM and Specialized Geology at De Beers Canada.
When the time comes to do a feasibility study or a long term mine plan,
Resource Evaluation provides the tools that you need. With its full range of
block model creation and estimation techniques, this configuration makes
it both easier and faster to assess economic potential of either open pit or
underground mines. Resource Evaluation also includes all the features of
GEMS Exploration and can be customised for any metal or mineral.
At Gemcom, we understand the importance of accurate, unbiased block
models of your ore deposit. That’s why we offer the most powerful and
flexible geological and grade modelling system available today.
Using a variety of methods, from simple polygons to highly sophisticated 3D
solids modelling, GEMS allows you to create the best possible geological
model. To model grade values, choose from block models or grid models
Orebody modelling.
for the solution that best suits your deposit. Next, take advantage of the
complete set of grade estimation methods, such as inverse distance and
ordinary or indicator kriging to interpolate multi-element values. You have
full control of the interpolation process to account for anisotropy, geological
domains and anomalous grade values.
Gemcom’s unique, volumetric process, known as “needling,” gives your project
an immediate advantage. Needling differentiates the proportion of each solid
as it intersects the blocks of a block model, providing you with weighted
tonnage and grade estimates for each rock type. In almost no time at all, you
can produce accurate and comprehensive reports of your modelled resource.
Mine Design
Gemcom knows your primary concerns when it comes to mine design work:
profitability and safety. The mine design configurations available in GEMS,
each extensions to the powerful Resource Evaluation configuration, help
you to protect both your investment and your people. All data is stored and
Block model of ore reserve estimation.
linked in the database to ensure a secure and organised IT infrastructure
for your entire mining operation.
GEMS Open Pit Mine Design configurations for open pit mines add powerful
graphical pit design tools and mine planning features to an already outstanding
system. Using optimised pit shells from Gemcom Whittle or quick pits from
GEMS’ design tool, you can easily create detailed pit designs.
Once you incorporate your pit designs into surface topographies and
evaluate them for mining reserves, you can use the common options, such
as short-term and long-term planning tools, to map out your mining strategy.
To ensure that your plan is practical to mine, use the optional Go Simulator
application, which comes complete with equipment fleets, to simulate actual
mining. In addition, Go Simulator works closely with the grade control tools,
making information flow in a streamlined, straightforward path.
GEMS Underground Mine Design configurations for underground operations
eliminate the hassles that can often arise when laying out underground mine
designs in complex 3D formats. For underground mines, you can use the
Open pit design. powerful 3D solids modelling tools to create comprehensive development
layouts and stope designs.
gemcom GEMS 3
GEMS includes polyline creation and editing tools for positioning development
centre lines, while its solid modelling tools make it simple to convert them to
a complete 3D model of your mine. Following these actions, you can then use
the solid modelling Boolean operations for creating accurate stope designs
and layouts. GEMS’ volumetrics and resource reporting will efficiently and
accurately determine stope volumes, dilution and mineable reserves.
GEMS Tunnel Object automates much of the tunnel design process by
turning lines you draw into complete underground tunnels that include safety
bays and filleted intersections. Tunnel Object significantly reduces the labour-
intensive, manual drawing that can lead to economically inferior designs.
Both GEMS Open Pit and Underground Mine Design Editions are built around
a fully-integrated 3D graphical environment that allows you to see what you Intersecting tunnels.
need to make such vital decisions regarding your operation’s safety.
Mine Production
In the production environment, GEMS lets you control the essential
processes that make the difference between a cost-effective, productive
operation and an under-performing, expensive one. Using the power of our
two GEMS Mine Production Editions, you can accurately plan and monitor
the day-to-day progress of all aspects of ore extraction.
GEMS Open Pit Mine Production configurations for open pit mines manage
every aspect of production from blasthole data management to surveying grade
control, and reconciliation. The powerful database handles single and multiple
bench blastholes with ease, with tools for importing sample data from multiple
sources. The standard polygonal and block modelling tools in GEMS form the
key components of a flexible grade control system designed to maximise your
extraction of ore. The configuration also interfaces with Whittle.
GEMS Underground Mine Production configurations are customized for Open pit with intersecting blocks.
production and provide detailed stope design tools and surveying facilities.
The underground Blast Ring Design tool has been written in conjunction
with several major underground mining operations to provide your engineers
with state-of-the-art ring blast pattern planning and layout tools. The blast
ring design integrates tightly with our stope design and 3D solids modelling,
ensuring that your designs are accurate and up to date.
Additional GEMS Tools and Applications
Here are just some of the additional tools and applications available
within GEMS.
Using GEMS’ Survey application, you can transfer data directly between
GPS or Total Station data recorders, making downloading the latest survey
information a simple task. GEMS’ status map management and data reduction
facilities fit seamlessly with the mine planning and modelling features, so
reconciliation of as-mined against planned designs is quick and easy.
To help measure underground mining progress, GEMS provides a Underground mine survey.
comprehensive survey toolbox, and the best interface to the Optech Cavity
4 gemcom GEMS
“What is there not to like about it? I love the database … the ore finds … the drill holes … There isn’t a feature I don’t like about
it! This product is a tremendous help in my job. The presentations, the features and to be able to print things off is AMAZING! I
would absolutely recommend this product to anyone in mining.”
— Roger Perzan, Geological Technician, Myra Falls, NVI Mining Ltd.
Monitoring System (CMS), an advanced laser-based auto-scanning system
that provides efficient and accurate measurements of dangerous and
inaccessible cavities.
Using Go Simulator you can watch ongoing operations animated on the
screen to test short-term schedules ahead of time to see if production
targets can be met, determine the effectiveness of changing fleet sizes (by
acquisition or removal of equipment), and compare different scenarios to
yield an improved schedule.
Fully integrated into the GEMS 3D graphical environment, the Pit/Ramp
Design application uses polyline editing tools and several specialised
operations for the creation of detailed pit designs. You can watch in 3D
Triangulated modules of underground workings (from as the application creates the pit to your exact specifications. It will then
survey data and CMS laser survey systems).
analyse the pit to detect any problems with the design, showing you exactly
where they occurred so that you can make any necessary changes.
PlotMaker is included in all of the GEMS configurations, it offers an intuitive
interface with dockable toolbars and an “Object Properties” feature that lets
you customise the properties of any object. PlotMaker is compatible with
standard Windows-compliant objects, allowing you to embed simple objects,
such as text blocks and bitmaps, through to more complex files, such as
Excel spreadsheets and Word documents, in your plot. PlotMaker provides
you with the right tools to quickly and professionally annotate your plots.
Overlooked intersections between drillholes and excavations, like crosscuts
or raises, can lead to hazardous blasting effects. The Drillhole Excavation
Warning System (DEWS) helps planning engineers identify such potential
hazards before they occur. Completely integrated into GEMS’ central SQL
database, DEWS allows for real-time integration with data from other mine
departments, so that that nothing is overlooked.
Open pit blast design.
Gemcom’s integration with elements of GDM technology, developed by
France-based Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières (BRGM),
allows you to create detailed strip logs from the GEMS drillhole data.
Using the Blasthole Design tool, users can specify blast pattern layouts and
easily convert the layout to drillholes. The drilling depth can be controlled by
pre-defined surfaces, and the hole collars can be “pressed” onto existing
surfaces for elevation control.
The Ore Control tool allows grade control engineers to effectively use
blasthole assay data and polygons to manage the daily operational grade
control requirements of their open pit mine.
With Cut Evaluation and Material Management (Ore Control), users are
provided with a set of simple, quick, and flexible methods that allow them to
design mining plans to meet their volumetric and grade objectives.
Long-Term Planning tools allow mine planners to first set mining targets,
and then test scenarios to find the best way to mine over multiple working
Underground blast design. periods. Using both 2D and 3D functionality to interpret block model values
or mining areas, planning becomes fast and easy.
gemcom GEMS 5
“I have been a GEMS user since 1996. I find it to be a very intuitive and easy system to use.”
— Kevin T. James, Manager, Geology, Peace River Coal Inc.
Developed to handle deposits in which folding or faulting is relatively gentle,
Unwrinkling temporarily “flattens” the deposit in order to maintain the
correct spatial relationship between points. Based on triangulated surfaces
developed from the actual data points, the application transforms the
points into a regular space for analysis and interpolation purposes, and
then transforms the estimates back into original space.
Deposits that are controlled by complex folding and/or faulting present
unique challenges in terms of modelling, because the actual location of
data points often does not reflect their true spatial relationship. Based on
a flexible 3D framework construct, the Unfolding application “unfolds” the
data points into a transformed space in which the correct spatial relationship
is maintained for analysis and interpolation purposes, and then transforms
Unfolding complex geology for better Geostatistical
the estimates back into original space.
analysis.
At Gemcom, we know that block caving offers its own unique set of challenges.
Designed specifically for block caving, Gemcom PCBC offers a computerised
look at initial drawpoint coverage, mineable reserves calculations, sensitivity
analyses, visualisation, and scheduling. The system is fully integrated into
the GEMS suite of geological and mine design software, and provides an
abundance of design tools and a powerful graphical environment.
GEMS Production Scheduler (powered by MineMAX Technology) is an
interactive Gantt-chart based production tool giving users the ability to
rapidly generate accurate mine production schedules to manage production.
GEMS Production Scheduler ensures your production plans are as accurate
as possible by utilising:
Starting layout of voids and in situ material.
Detailed equipment and available information.
Thorough information about the order of activities.
Specific details about the effect of activities on material movements and Typical draw point layout in Gemcom PCBC.
transformations.
Meticulous revenue and cost information.
Production scheduling.
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TOOLBOX MODULES
Core
Workspace
Drillholes
Block Modelling
Points
Polylines
Polygons
Surface Modelling
Solid Modelling
OPEN PIT TOOLS
Layout Operations
Pit/Ramp Design
Blasthole Design
Gemcom Whittle Interface
Material Management (Ore Control)
Survey Maps
Survey
UNDERGROUND TOOLS
Survey Maps
Survey
Blast Ring Design
Optech CMS Interface
Drillhole Excavation Warning System
Tunnel Object
BLOCK CAVE MODULES
Gemcom PCBC Block Caving
Cave Management System
Footprint Finder
LSQ Sample Analysis
Optimisation in Block Cave Scheduling
COMMON APPLICATIONS
Analysis
Plane Plot Creation
Volumetrics
Cut Evaluation
2D Planning
3D Planning
Go Simulator
Unwrinkling
Unfolding
Reconciliation Reports
Mine Roads
Volume Depletion Reporting
Multiple Grade Elements
Volumetrics for Multiple Surfaces
Production Scheduler
GDM Strip Log
gemcom GEMS 7
GEMS Collaborative Solutions
With a GEMS collaborative solution running on Microsoft SQL Server, workflows are optimised and mining professionals
freed from managing data, allowing more time to be spent on running the operation.
The Problem The GEMS Solution The Benefits
Drill & Blast Business process
Mine Planning Geotech
Grade Control improvement approach to
Mine Geology implementation.
Survey Grade Control
Optimised workflows enable
faster and better decision
Mine Central making.
Planning Geotech
Database
Role-based access to data.
The right data is always available.
Survey
Mine Exploration
Geology Data is secured and managed.
Drill & Blast Ore Control Redundancy of data is
Exploration
Ore Control eliminated.
Multiple Sources of Questionable Information A Single Source of Trusted Information Auditable information trails.
Disclaimer and copyrights
This document gives only a general description of products and services and except where expressly provided otherwise shall not form part of any contract. Changes may be made in products or services at any time without
B.7.2
notice. Copyright 2007, Gemcom Software International Inc. Gemcom, the Gemcom logo, combinations thereof, and GEMS, Whittle and Gemcom InSite are trademarks of Gemcom Software International Inc. All other names
are trademarks, registered trademarks, or service marks of their respective owners.
gemcomsoftware.com
When mining companies seek to increase mine productivity, they turn to Gemcom for technology and services.
The Company is home to world-renowned mining solutions like GEMS, Surpac, Minex, Whittle, and InSite, and to
industry thought-leaders who are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in mining.
