Geological map of field-work areas, indicator-mineral schemes and prospecting maps in pdf, GeoTIFF and shp.
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What the service is used for
Deposit mapping
Mapping of deposits and bedrock.
Lithology and structure
Lithological and structural mapping.
Mineral exploration
Exploration of mineral deposits, including high-value commodities — diamonds and gold.
Environment and geobotany
Study of environmental geology and geobotany.
Sediments, hazards, deformation
Mapping and monitoring of sedimentary deposits, hazard sources and surface deformation at deposits.
Did not find your task?
Send the site coordinates, questions and analysis dates — we will prepare a feasibility and cost estimate.
What you will receive as a result of the work
01
Geological map
Geological map showing field-exploration areas close to a successful outcome.
Maps are delivered in pdf, GeoTIFF and contour (shp) formats. Geological maps in Russia usually correspond to a scale of 1:50 000; from RS it is possible to obtain maps at 1:25 000–1:10 000 so that they match geophysical work.
What you get
- geological map of field-work areas
- materials in pdf, GeoTIFF and shp
- scale 1:25 000–1:10 000 from RS
Scale, projection and map composition are fixed in the contract and terms of reference.
02
Indicator minerals
Indicator-mineral schemes at scales 1:50 000, 1:25 000 and 1:10 000 and composite anomaly schemes by analogy with reference objects.
At known deposits and ore occurrences a reference library of spectra of minerals and rocks of near-ore alteration zones is selected and informative indicator minerals are chosen. Prospecting geological maps are built from them.
What you get
- indicator-mineral schemes at 1:50 000, 1:25 000 and 1:10 000
- composite anomaly schemes from reference objects
- prospecting geological maps
The set of schemes and scales is fixed in the contract and terms of reference.
03
Structures and lineaments
Mapping of linear, arcuate and circular structures — potentially ore-hosting or ore-feeding channels — and refinement of geological-body boundaries.
Structural (lineament) and spectral analysis help detect contrasting geological bodies, including with machine-learning classification, carry out tectonic zoning and refine or optimise the drilling plan.
What you get
- linear, arcuate and circular structures
- body boundaries at the surface and beneath Quaternary deposits
- refinement or optimisation of the drilling plan
The composition of the structural analysis and the volume of classification are fixed in the contract and terms of reference.
04
Report and field verification
Report with explanatory text to the cartographic materials and recommendations on selecting prospective sites for field verification.
Field verification is mandatory: each method identifies mineral groups with a defined accuracy. Geologists are additionally engaged for on-site laboratory studies and the main geophysical work.
What you get
- report with notes to the maps
- recommendations on field-verification sites
- option of laboratory and geophysical work
The volume of the report and field confirmation is fixed in the contract and terms of reference.
How the work goes
Cost and timeline
Cost depends on site area, archive or new survey, number and quality of images, terrain and geology complexity, and whether you provide your own materials.
- consultation — free of charge
- image selection, preliminary analysis and preparation of the terms of reference — free of charge
- ordering images: free materials and/or commercial images; the cost of RS materials is calculated individually if the customer does not provide their own materials or free images cannot be used
- work of technical specialists and expert(s) — from 10 000 USD
- total cost — from 10 000 USD; in the order steps the study is from 10 000 USD, images are paid separately
- timeline in the duration field — from 20 days; in the timeline block and order steps — from 20 working days from the date the advance is received
- the timeline depends on the total area of interest, availability of archive RS materials or a new survey, and requirements for the materials and the final product
- payment by bank transfer only; the advance amount affects the cost
Order guide — from 10 000 USD
Timeline — from 20 working days
Consultation, image selection and ToR — free of charge
What is needed for a quote
To estimate feasibility, cost and timeline, please provide:
- location of the study object (coordinates in any convenient form; specialists will clarify the coordinate system)
- questions to be solved and dates for which the analysis is needed
- size, terrain character and product requirements
- all available geological maps of the search area
- your survey materials or consent to select archive, free or commercial optical, IR (near and thermal), hyperspectral and radar images
If the listed information cannot be provided, describe the site, task and period — specialists will analyse the need and propose an option.
Describe the area, questions and analysis dates — we will assess the archive and the scope of work.
Why Innoter
Prompt access to archives
Suitable archive imagery can be obtained faster when the required area and date are already available from operators.
No aviation clearances
A new satellite survey does not require the flight clearances typical of aerial surveys.
Large and remote areas
A single satellite pass covers large areas and makes it possible to work in hard-to-reach regions.
Direct agreements with operators
Distribution agreements help select archive imagery and order new surveys from different providers.
Software and server infrastructure
Modern software and computing capacity for quality control and processing of large data volumes.
Experienced specialist team
Years of experience on complex projects and specialists in cartography, photogrammetry and remote sensing.
Imagery, analysis methods and source data
Composition depends on area, archive or new survey, reference objects and prospecting-map requirements.
1
Geological exploration for mineral resources using RS methods is non-traditional work to search for the indirect presence of mineral resources based on satellite, aerial and UAV sensors across a wide electromagnetic range.
Images are collected with optical sensors (spectral data of reflected sunlight) or synthetic-aperture radar sensors (microwave radiation and backscatter). Two key indirect-exploration methods: mapping and analysis of geology, faults and fractures of the ore deposit; recognition of hydrothermally altered rocks by spectral features.
Mapping of hydrothermal-alteration minerals and structural lines, for example from Landsat 8 or ASTER multispectral images, provides information for exploration. Gold mineralisation occurs as quartz veins associated with hydrothermal alteration halos; faults are interpreted as pathways for mineralising fluids. Band combinations, band ratios and PCA are applied to the visible, near-IR and short-wave IR ranges of Landsat 8.
2
Over the last 10–15 years the quality and availability of satellite images have increased. There is world RS experience in searching for copper-porphyry, gold and other deposits in Iran, Argentina, China, the USA and Canada. Worldwide the preparatory stage of geological exploration includes RS methods; Russia still lags behind. Free ASTER, Landsat ETM+, Landsat-8 and Landsat-9 images are used, which have proven themselves in geology.
The commercial introduction of WorldView-3 imagery — 8 SWIR 3.7 m + 8 MS 1.24 m + PAN 0.31 m — improved the efficiency of preliminary exploration and refinement of previously explored deposits. The source states that GEO Innoter specialists were trained in applying MAXAR (USA) RS data to geological tasks.
3
Indirect support of traditional prospecting reduces large investments in geological exploration. Remote sensing does not pinpoint a large deposit exactly, but it narrows surveys to smaller sites. The method is best suited to high-value commodities such as diamonds and gold.
RS tools help reduce project risk and prioritise sites. Costly operations — drilling and fieldwork — are carried out after geospatial materials have been collected and analysed. Synthesising data (drilling, topographic map, aerial photography, structural maps, ore grade) increases the accuracy of the exploration programme.
According to the source, applying RS makes prospecting cheaper: ground-exploration costs, equipment and personnel are reduced; information is obtained in from 1–2 days to several weeks (this is the speed of obtaining images/information, not the service timeline of “from 20 working days”); images document the terrain at a specific time; large-area coverage without being tied to boundaries and without a special flight permit.
4
Mineral exploration requires as much information as possible: rare metals are easy to miss, and the search is a costly risk. Remote sensing in geological surveys is used for mapping deposits and bedrock, lithological and structural mapping, mineral exploration, studying environmental geology and geobotany, and monitoring sedimentary deposits, hazard sources and surface deformation at deposits.
Method algorithm: reference objects of similar deposits (gold, diamonds, platinum, copper, etc.) are selected in the funds; multispectral, radar, hyperspectral and geophysical surveys are studied and spectral signatures are created; using search attributes, electromagnetic-spectrum images of the territory are analysed and a prospective area is delineated.
5
Before the contract: alignment of the task, size, terrain character and product requirements; collection and primary analysis of RS data (Terra/Aster, Landsat/ETM+, Hyperspectral, Hyperscan, SWIR, etc.); survey planning after geological analysis taking the archive into account; vector topographic map of the search area at 1:10 000–1:50 000.
Delivery: survey in all available ranges; construction of structural geological models and a library of spectral signatures; selection of a reference library of spectra of near-ore alteration zones; indicator-mineral schemes at 1:50 000, 1:25 000 and 1:10 000; composite anomaly schemes; prospecting geological maps; report with recommendations on field verification.
Spectral and subpixel analysis methods (not limited to these): principal component analysis (Principal Components); spectral angle mapper (Spectral Angel Mapper — source wording); Minimum Noise Fraction Transform; Pixel Purity Index; Multi range spectral feature fitting (Multi Range SFF); structural interpretation; calculation of mineralogical indices.
6
Exact geographic coordinates of the object in the required coordinate system (specialists will clarify coordinates provided in any convenient form). A set of optical, IR (near and thermal) and radar images. All available geological maps of the search area.
Software: GIS — QGIS, ArcGIS and others; processing — ERDAS, ENVI SARscape, SNAP and others. Source guarantees: work in accordance with SNIP, GOST and SP and modern software; we do not carry over the wording “100% quality” as a numerical guarantee. The source states more than 20 years of experience in mineral-resource exploration.
Frequently asked questions
Answers to key questions about service parameters, timelines, deliverable formats and workflow. If you did not find what you need — contact us and we will help.
Direct identification of, for example, ore-bearing gold by remote sensing is unlikely because there is little of it in the rock, so the contribution of "light" from gold particles will be suppressed by the "light" of the rock. Therefore, only indirect identification of ore-bearing rocks by the "color" of the rock or other known criteria of gold content of the environment is possible.
It is not at all necessary to know the intricacies of aerial and space surveying, as it uses the final materials in the form of geologic anomaly maps (color, intensity, etc.).
- The algorithm of the remote sensing method in most cases is constructed as follows:
- Reference objects of similar deposits or mineral deposits close to the area of study (gold, diamonds, platinum, copper, etc.) are selected in geological funds.
- On the selected objects study the features of multispectral, radar, hyperspectral and geophysical surveys and identify patterns, create spectral signatures of reference objects.
- They create a data bank of spectral signatures and identify features that are used later as search criteria.
- Using these search attributes, an analysis is performed on all images of the electromagnetic spectrum for a given area.
- Comprehensive analysis helps to identify a promising area and structure for further mineral prospecting.
Usually geological maps in Russia correspond to a scale of 1:50,000. But it is possible to obtain maps at a scale of 1:25,000 -1:10,000 using remote sensing to match the next stage of prospecting work, namely geophysical work.
The success of remote sensing technology largely depends on the competence of prospecting geologists, their ability to analyze and synthesize. In general, their ability to correlate geologic information.
Region, for example, rich in gold are Aldan, Mamsko-Chuysky district, along the Lena River. Traditionally: Yakutia, Kolyma, Krasnoyarsk Territory, Amur Region. Large mines are located in the north, in Norilsk.
Over the last 10-15 years there has been a significant technological breakthrough related to the improvement of quality and availability of space images. This made it possible to revise traditional approaches to mineral resources forecasting.
The world experience of using remote sensing methods has proved its efficiency by the example of searching for copper porphyry, gold and other deposits in Iran, Argentina, China, USA, Canada, etc. All over the world the preparatory stage includes remote sensing methods in the field of exploration, but Russia is still lagging behind. Free space images ASTER, Landsat ETM+, Landsat-8 are used, which have become publicly available relatively recently, besides, these data have proven themselves in the field of geology.
Mandatory field certification is required, as each method allows to define mineral groups with a certain accuracy.
These methods were used in combination with traditional geological methods, which allowed to significantly reduce the time of work and reduce the costs of exploration.
Based on the study of reference fields, methods of complex analysis of space (including radar), gravimetric and magnetometric survey materials were developed to identify patterns of gold mineralization location
Objectives and principles of exploration of solid mineral deposits.
The purpose of exploration is to identify commercial deposits of minerals, obtain mineral reserves explored in the subsoil and other data necessary and sufficient for the rational design and subsequent operation of mining and processing enterprises.
Exploration of mineral deposits
Exploration works are more labor-intensive and expensive than prospecting works. They require a greater volume of both labor, material and energy costs, which are similar in structure to the costs of mining and capital works. These costs should be linked to a gradual progressive increase of exploration information up to optimal volumes (for a certain period), ensuring quality and reliability. As a consequence, the exploration process, unified in methodological terms, develops as if in stages, called stages.The exploration stage combines a set of geological and exploration works carried out in the field as a whole or in its part in order to solve the tasks set by the project to study the geological heterogeneities of the object, calculate reserves and geological and industrial evaluation.
Initial stage of exploration of mineral deposits
Initial {preliminary) exploration of mineral deposits is carried out after the prospecting and evaluation stage and continues at a higher qualitative level to obtain reliable information capable of providing a reliable geological, technological and economically justified assessment of the industrial significance of the deposit. At this stage, the geological structure of the deposit, its general size and contours are clarified. The exploration of the near-surface part of the deposit with the help of trenches, trenches, pits and shallow wells is completed; large-scale (up to 1 : 500) geological maps are prepared.The main direction is exploration of the field to the depth of horizons available for development. It is carried out mainly by drilling wells, and in case of complex geological structure of the field - in combination with underground mining. In the process of these works and geophysical studies, the morphology of mineral bodies, their internal structure, conditions of occurrence and qualitative composition are clarified.
Technological samples are taken for laboratory testing of the main natural types of ores, based on the results of which the allocation of industrial types and grades of ores is planned. In addition, hydrogeological, engineering-geological, mining-geological and other natural conditions affecting the opening and development of the deposit are studied. Such study should ensure the possibility of calculating reserves in categories C, and C2. The ratio of reserves of these categories depends on the complexity of the geological structure of the deposit and the variability of the main parameters of ore bodies.
Based on the results of preliminary exploration, temporary conditions are developed and a technical and economic report is prepared on the feasibility of commercial development of the deposit and detailed exploration.
Detailed exploration of mineral deposits
Detailed exploration of mineral deposits is carried out on deposits positively assessed by preliminary exploration and planned for commercial development in the next 5-10 years. It prepares deposits for transfer to industrial use in accordance with the requirements of classification of reserves of deposits and inferred resources of solid minerals. The required number of detailed explored reserves is determined on the basis of the production capacity of the future enterprise and the normal period of supplying it with these reserves. The detail of studies is increased in the areas of priority mining.Along with these, the reserves of minerals occurring together with the main minerals are determined, and mineral resources for the production of construction materials are identified.
Based on the results of detailed exploration, a feasibility study of permanent conditions is prepared. According to the approved conditions, mineral reserves are calculated and submitted to the State Commission for Reserves (GKZ) of Russia or the Territorial Commission for Reserves (TKZ).
The previous Regulations on the Staging of Exploration Work envisaged additional exploration stages. Currently, the need for additional exploration is determined by the subsoil user.
Additional exploration of mineral deposits
Additional exploration of mineral deposits that have not been developed by the industry, although explored in detail, may be carried out to obtain additional information required in connection with the revision of the design production capacity of the mining enterprise, the technology of mining and processing of mineral raw materials. The need for additional exploration of a deposit may also be due to the inconsistency of the available geological information with the current classification of reserves and instructions for its application. The methodology and scope of exploration works are determined by the tasks arising therefrom. A report is prepared based on the results of the work, with a recalculation of reserves where necessary.Additional exploration of a mineral deposit under development is focused on its less studied areas: flanks, deep horizons, isolated ore-productive bodies or deposits. It solves the tasks of detailed study of these areas with replenishment of depleted reserves with proven reserves of high (industrial) categories.
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