ACALA

Geological Expertise, Mining Excellence

Featured topic · Geology Modeling

A geology model is only as good as the data it honours, and the hypotheses it survives.

Geoscience data is the most important input to any technical or financial evaluation of a mineral deposit, because it defines the location, shape and grade of the orebody. Mining and civil projects spend millions of dollars and thousands of hours every year collecting it, and older data gains value as new interpretation methods appear. Collecting is not enough: the data must become an accurate, reliable model of the subsurface. GEOVIA lets geologists visualise the geology of a site better than before and test hypotheses above ground so that below-ground decisions are the best possible.

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A cross-section that gains detail as more datasets are added: drillholes, lithology, structure, geochemistry and geophysics geophysics fault cross-section, illustrative6 drillholes 3 of 5 datasets · drillholes, lithology, structure The model now honours the fault: units are offset, not smeared across it.
Every dataset a geologist collects constrains the model a little more. With holes alone the section is interpolation; with lithology, structure, geochemistry and geophysics it becomes an evidence-based model that can be tested. Drag the handle from 1 to 5 datasets.
Geoscience dataLocation, structural, geochemical, lithological and remote-sensing data from exploration and operations.
InterpretationFaults, folds and mineralised zones identified by correlating data from different sources.
Implicit modellingSurfaces computed from the data by rules, rebuilt when the data changes.
ValidationThe model checked against new holes and refined as they arrive.
Scenario analysisAlternative interpretations tested against the same data.
Machine learningPredictive data brought directly into the modelling process.
Geology Modeler: layered 3D geological model
A geology model is only as good as the data it honours. Image from the GEOVIA brochure distributed by ACALA.

The idea

Master the complexities of the Earth: see the geology, then test it.

Geologists collect vast quantities of data. More data is more knowledge, but only once it can be managed and, above all, visualised, so that trends, patterns and flawed data show up before interpretation begins. GEOVIA geology modelling tools combine, interpret, validate and refine even the largest datasets into realistic, evidence-based models of the subsurface.

Four data sources feeding one 3D environment, with a misplaced collar and an out-of-range assay flagged before interpretationdrill holesassayssurveymappingONE 3D ENVIRONMENT1212collar sits 3 m off the survey pickupassay above the detection limit, flagged not deleted
Visualise the geology of your site better than ever before.

Visualise the geology of your site

Import, manage and securely store all geoscience data, then see it in one 3D environment where trends, patterns and errors are visible before any interpretation is drawn.

Two candidate interpretations drawn through the same drill intercepts; the one that leaves two ore intercepts outside is discardedInterpretation A8 of 8 ore intercepts explainedkeptInterpretation B6 of 8 · two intercepts left outsideore interceptwaste interceptSame holes, same assays, in both panels.
Test hypotheses above ground to ensure the best below-ground decisions.

Test your hypotheses above ground

Comprehensive data interrogation and scenario analysis let the team compare interpretations against the same evidence, and keep the one that explains the most.

What GEOVIA gives the geologist

Applications and workflows for accurate, reliable geology models.

Store and manage

Import, manage and securely store all geoscience data, so every interpretation starts from the same validated set.

Automate and accelerate

Improve the efficiency of modelling by automating data consumption and the modelling process, and generate consistent 3D models based on geoscientific best practice.

Integrate and interrogate

Bring predictive machine learning data directly into the modelling process, and run comprehensive data interrogation and scenario analysis to test hypotheses.

The steps

Geological modelling in four steps, and what each one needs.

The steps are the same on every project. What changes is how much of each step the software does for you.

1Collect

Data collection and analysis

Drillhole logs, geophysical surveys and geochemical analyses gathered and analysed for the geological character of the area.

Needs

  • A validated drillhole database with QAQC.
  • Structural and surface data in one coordinate system.

Tools

  • GEOVIA Surpac database and data plug-ins; the Geoscience Referential Manager on 3DEXPERIENCE.
2Interpret

Interpretation and correlation

Faults, folds and mineralised zones identified, and data from different sources correlated into one coherent geological story.

Needs

  • Sections, plans and 3D views of the same data.
  • A place to record the interpretation and its reasoning.

Tools

  • Surpac strings and solids; implicit modelling in the Geology Modeler role.
3Construct

Model construction

A 3D model of the geology that integrates all interpreted data in a visual, interactive format.

Needs

  • Rules for contacts, faults and grade shells that can be re-run.

Tools

  • GEOVIA Surpac solids and surfaces; Geology Modeler on 3DEXPERIENCE; the Geology Model solution.
4Validate

Validation and refinement

The model checked and refined as new data arrives, so it stays accurate and current.

Needs

  • New holes compared with the model before they are added.
  • A version history of the interpretation.

Tools

  • Referential versioning on the platform; ACALA review when the model feeds a resource estimate.

How ACALA helps

Tools, hands or training: the three ways ACALA works on geology models.

ACALA licenses GEOVIA Surpac and the 3DEXPERIENCE geology roles, builds and reviews geology models as a service, and trains geologists on their own data.

Reading on this topic

What our geologists have written about modelling.

Other topics

Five more topics, and the four disciplines behind them.

Questions people ask

Geology Modeling FAQ

What is geological and geophysical modelling?
A scientific process that builds a representation of the subsurface from geophysical measurements such as seismic, magnetic, gravity and resistivity data, integrated with geology, to reveal the structure, composition and physical properties of the ground. It is used for mineral exploration, oil and gas, groundwater and hazard studies.
What is a 3D geological model?
A digital, three-dimensional representation of subsurface structures and properties, built from drillhole data, geophysical surveys and rock properties. It shows where resources, geological features and risks are, and guides mining, resource estimation and environmental assessment.
What are the steps of geological modelling?
Data collection and analysis, interpretation and correlation, model construction in specialised software such as GEOVIA, and continuous validation and refinement as new data arrives.
Implicit or explicit modelling?
Both have a place. Explicit digitising gives full control on complex contacts; implicit modelling rebuilds surfaces from rules in minutes when data changes. ACALA typically uses implicit for the first model and explicit where the geologist must override the rule.
How does ACALA help?
Licences and training for Surpac and the geology roles, geology models built or reviewed as a service, and the resource estimate that follows.

Next step

Bring the drillhole database. We will build a first model and show you where the data does not yet support the interpretation.

A working session with an ACALA geologist on your own data, then a proposal for licences, training or modelling services.

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