Carolina Marin Suarez, MSc
C. Marin Suarez1, S. Barker1, C. Harraden1, L. Heagy1, H. Grema1, A. Rutley1
1Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric sciences, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
A comprehensive understanding of geological information and its uses across the Mining Value Chain (MVC) (in the form of orebody knowledge, OBK) is essential for improving the reliability, efficiency, and sustainability of mining operations. While geological information represents the data generated through exploration, drilling, and testing, OBK is the integrated interpretation of that information, supporting cross-disciplinary decision-making across the MVC. Although OBK underpins risk reduction and value realization, geological data often remain fragmented or disconnected from operational and strategic decisions.
This study introduces the Geological Information in the Mining Value Chain Map (GiM Map), a systems-based framework that visualizes how geological information flows, transforms, and integrates into OBK to support decision-making across the mining value chain—from exploration and mineral processing to environmental management and closure. The GiM Map integrates 505 information nodes and 2,786 directed connections, classifying data by type, certainty, and function across the MVC. A proxy-weighting analysis ranks models by their cumulative input score. The number of data linkages increases downstream through the MVC, quantifying the transformation of raw data into decision-oriented outputs. The GiM Map establishes a reproducible foundation for applying Value of Information (VoI) and Return on Information (RoI) approaches, linking data quality and connectivity directly to economic and environmental outcomes. The findings position OBK as a strategic enabler of corporate performance and sustainability, demonstrating that the flow, quality, and integration of geological data across the MVC are fundamental determinants of value creation, operational transparency, and long-term resilience in the mining industry