Incorporating High-Resolution Aerial Geophysical Surveys into Value Stream Mapping for Zambia’s Mining Sector
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Editorial or Opinion- Rainbow Newspaper Zambia Limited Edition 132 – Monday 19th August 2024 – Sunday 25th August 2024
Incorporating High-Resolution Aerial Geophysical Surveys into Value Stream Mapping for Zambia’s Mining Sector
Rainbow Newspaper Zambia Limited (RNZL) Edition 132 Opinion
By Shadreck Saili
Industrialisation and Regional Integration Expert
On August 14, 2024, the Zambian President, H.E, Mr. President Hakainde Hichilema launched a groundbreaking high-resolution aerial geophysical survey, marking a significant advancement in the country’s mining sector resource management. This initiative aims to utilise a state-of-the-art airborne geophysical technology to uncover hidden geological resources, optimise exploration efforts, and ultimately drive the mining industry toward its ambitious production target of 3 million tonnes of copper by 2031. Understanding how this new survey technology fits into the Value Stream Mapping (VSM) framework of mining treasures can highlight its pivotal role in enhancing efficiency and productivity across the mining value chain in Zambia.
High Resolution Aerial Geophysical Surveys and Their Role in Mining
Better Resource Identification: High-resolution geophysical survey from the aerial distance gives a
detailed and precise knowledge about geological constituents of minerals. This radical approach greatly increases the pinpoint accuracy to locate new resources otherwise left unpursued and significantly reduces both timeframe and overhead compared with traditional exploration techniques. Quicker exploration and faster extraction would be the target, with creating resource maps as efficiently as possible serving to maximize value-added activities associated with mapping these resources in Zambia.
Improved decision-making: Data obtained through an aerial survey gives a broad view of the geological landscape within mining tenements which is critical in guiding resource investment and targeting for both strategic planning, national interest and life cycle expectation of resources. This meets the VSM aim of optimising information and material capabilities, with critical resources focused on the most efficient uses. This aligns with the VSM goal of improving the flow of information and materials, ensuring that resources are directed to the most valuable activities by current and prospective investors into Zambia.
Cut down on Non-Value Adding Activities: With better and accurate delineation of the resource bodies; the aerial survey helps in minimising futile exploration work — right from significant reduction in trialand-error-based methodical drilling and sampling. The goal is to eliminate non-value-adding activities (NVA) in the value chain and effectively utilise investment. The focus of VSM is on waste and the actual data from these surveys shortens exploration (find work) phase by eliminating redundant effort.
Improved Operational Efficiency: By having clearer, more reliable data on the where resources are located and in what forms means that mining operations can be planned better & executed accordingly. This results in lower operational downtime and more optimised resource utilisation. VSM optimises only the value add (VA) activities and supported by Geophysics high quality data, it would become more effective where operations could be better planned & managed. With the given time target of revamping copper production in Zambia it is a necessity to use such technic to address downtime.
Improved Coordination and Integration: The results of surveys lead to improved synchronization between exploration, extraction, and processing work. The responses the survey receives give a clear picture of how resources are distributed and can help concentrate these tasks more firmly than ever, meaning each segment of the value chain runs consistently effectively. This is an essential component of VSM, which aims to improve the flow of materials and information in general for better engagement of all necessary players in the mining sector Zambia for guaranteed participation.
Continuous Improvement Facilitation: Cooperate entities can monitor the high-resolution data continually and enhance exploration as well as mining strategies. Continuous improvement is a key part of VSM, and the survey technology helps with this by giving real-time metrics that could be used to recalibrate processes over time. A country Zambia requires continuous improvement in the mining sector to ensure attainment of optimal Value from the sector.
Integrating Survey Insights into Value Stream Mapping
For mining companies- both current and prospecting – to fully leverage the benefits of high-resolution aerial geophysical surveys through Value Stream Mapping framework, the fine detail survey data should be integrated into their value stream maps. This integration utilises will ensure utilization of the 79% accuracy rate of this survey data to enhance exploration and resource identification.
First up, high-quality geodata will be aligned with VSMs to ensure that they portray an accurate reflection of current conditions as observed on the ground leading into future improvement opportunities.
Secondly, aligning survey results with production targets is important: it will help in focusing exploration efforts towards achieving 3 million tonnes copper output by 2031 as set for Zambia.
Lastly, continuous monitoring and adjustment of the value stream maps using new survey data will allow mining companies to adapt to changing conditions and improve their processes over time.
Conclusion
The high-resolution aerial geophysical survey launched by HE, President Hakainde Hichilema brings great progress to Zambia’s mining industry, and the value of the acquired data for exploration and mineral resources will been appreciated by those in relevant fields. Integrate these findings into Value Stream Mapping. Stop mining companies spreading themselves too thin but would optimise their operations, eliminate waste, and align their efforts with the goal of achieving 3 million tonnes of copper production in Zambia by 2031 and beyond. This whole thread of thinking respects the mechanical application advanced technologies can achieve in making a mining value chain more efficient and productive. www.rainbownewszambia.com
