Exploration Assessment Digital Data Formats

Creating a unified Canadian standard for digital data submission within the provincial and territorial recording offices, will facilitate a more straightforward and efficient analysis of mineral assessment report data. Data will be more easily integrated into exploration programs for Canadian mineral exploration and mining companies. The government bodies, can also use the data to better catalog their jurisdictional endowment, and create easily accessible databases for industry use, as well as providing other government sectors with this valuable baseline geoscience data.

Digital data, and increasing the quality of data shared, can help to increase the effectiveness of exploration, and increase Canadian mineral discovery rates.

Canadian jurisdictions have a wide range of requirements for submitting digital data in exchange for assessment credits.

• No jurisdictions require metadata to be submitted, or specify any minimal standards for digital data submission (Shapefiles, processed geophysics survey data, etc.).
• Subsequent users of the assessment data, encounter difficulty integrating data embedded in PDF files.

Its is difficult and tedious to compile essential information (drill hole coordinates, geophysical surveys, geochemistry surveys, etc.) from PDF assessment report files.

• This sequence of compilation is costly, and time consuming. 

Provincial and territorial governments may not currently be taking full advantage of their geoscience data.

Ideally, the final assessment report will include:

1. PDF report
2. Manifest File
3. Shapefiles for additional information
4. Metadata tables for additional information. If applicable (see guidelines for description):
   a) Geophysics table data (PS1, PSA)
   b) Drill hole information (DS1, SL1, DG1, DL1)
   c) Geochemistry Information (SG1)
   d) Geological information (GO1, GS1, GM1, GL1, GP1)
5. Dictionary file in order to describe short form.