Fresh Thinking by Snowden Optiro

In this episode of Fresh Thinking by Snowden Optiro, Susan Havlin (Managing Consultant) speaks with Dr Tarrant Elkington (Snowden Optiro General Manager) about extending generative AI into coding practical engineering solutions.
They discuss how mining engineers and scientists can use AI tools to prototype bespoke solutions, automate niche problems, and build simple applications without being expert programmers.
If you've ever thought about using AI, but didn't know where to start, this conversation is for you.
Key moments:
0:36 – Why generative AI and coding is relevant for mining professionals
2:41 – What "AI coding" actually involves and how it works
4:22 – Real mining examples: road design optimisation and waste dump planning
6:46 – Does it really work first time? Debugging and validation
8:24 – What you learn through the process
9:37 – When it won't work and why starting small matters
11:06 – Practical advice for engineers and scientists wanting to begin
Generative AI is changing how we work. The question is not whether to use it, but how to use it well. Listen now and see how you could start building your own tools.
If you enjoyed this episode, please Subscribe for more mining-focused technical discussions across the mine value chain.
If you would like to contact Tarrant Elkington or Susan Havlin: [email protected]
Listen on the go: Fresh Thinking by Snowden Optiro is rapidly becoming the best mining podcast globally, and is available on most audio podcast platforms and also as a video podcast on Snowden Optiro's YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/v3dQDfaU-vg
👍 Like, comment, and subscribe for more technical mining insights from our global consulting team.
Snowden Optiro:
Snowden Optiro is a resources consulting and advisory group that provides independent advice, consulting and training to mining and exploration companies, their advisors and investors. We help mine developers to advance their projects, mining companies to improve their operations and their professionals, and investors to de-risk their investments by the provision of quality advice, training and software in the field of Mineral Resources and Mineral/Ore Reserves.
Explore more: https://snowdenoptiro.com/

Gregory Zhang (Senior Geology Consultant) to talk about what convolution actually means in a geostatistical and geological context, and how it shows up in tools ranging from moving averages to convolutional neural networks (CNNs).
Building on part one of the conversation, they focus on practical use, common pitfalls, and how to combine modern machine learning approaches with classic geostatistics without losing geological control.
Key moments
00:02 – What convolution means in day-to-day geology and resource work
00:51 – Moving averages, detrending and kriging in practice
01:30 – Using external data like magnetics and structure with kriging
02:09 – Common pitfalls: edge effects, over-smoothing and stationarity
05:14 – Letting geological structure guide smoothing
05:17 – A worked example using folded geology and copper grades
06:11 – Where CNNs fit, and how they compare to traditional geostatistics
07:28 – Tools and software for convolution, kriging and CNN workflows
09:05 – When not to use moving averages or CNNs
10:39 – Practical sanity checks after detrending
11:05 – A clear framework for combining geostatistics and machine learning If you work in resource estimation, geostatistics, or applied geology, this episode is packed with practical insights you can take straight back to your own workflows.
👍 If you enjoyed this episode, please Subscribe for more mining-focused technical discussions across the mine value chain, from out global consulting team.
If you would like to contact Jamie or Gregory: [email protected]
Listen on the go: Fresh Thinking by Snowden Optiro is rapidly becoming the best mining podcast globally, and is available on all major podcast platforms including Snowden Optiro's YouTube channel. Link to video podcast: https://youtu.be/z5Gz1lYQ0Jg
Snowden Optiro:
Snowden Optiro is a resources consulting and advisory group that provides independent advice, consulting and training to mining and exploration companies, their advisors and investors.
We help mine developers to advance their projects, mining companies to improve their operations and their professionals, and investors to de-risk their investments by the provision of quality advice, training and software in the field of Mineral Resources and Mineral/Ore Reserves.
Explore more: https://snowdenoptiro.com/

In this episode of Fresh Thinking, Ian Glacken and Dr Gregory Zhang explore why mineral resource models and grade control models often fail to reconcile and how convolutional neural networks (CNNs) can help bridge that gap. This is Part 1 of a 2 part series.
The discussion focuses on early-stage resource estimation, sparse drilling data, and how machine learning can learn from dense grade control information to improve confidence, reduce bias, and support better decision-making. Importantly, this approach is positioned as a supplement to sound geology and geostatistics, not a replacement.
Speakers Ian Glacken – Executive Consultant Geology - Snowden Optiro Dr Gregory Zhang – Senior Consultant Geology - Snowden Optiro
Key moments in the episode
00:22 Why resource models and grade control often don't match
02:55 Systematic bias and the limits of traditional reconciliation
04:22 Using CNNs to learn relationships between sparse and dense data
06:02 Treating resource models as 3D images for machine learning
07:18 What CNNs can actually predict in a mining context
10:07 Using grade control areas as calibration zones
12:43 Why AI should supplement, not replace, good geology
This is Part 1 of a two-part conversation on applying machine learning responsibly in mineral resource estimation.
If you enjoyed this episode, please Subscribe for more mining-focused technical discussions across the mine value chain.
If you would like to contact Ian or Gregory: [email protected]
Listen on the go:
Fresh Thinking by Snowden Optiro is rapidly becoming the best mining podcast globally, and is available on all major podcast platforms.
👍 Like, comment, and subscribe for more technical mining insights from our global consulting team.
Snowden Optiro:
Snowden Optiro is a resources consulting and advisory group that provides independent advice, consulting and training to mining and exploration companies, their advisors and investors. We help mine developers to advance their projects, mining companies to improve their operations and their professionals, and investors to de-risk their investments by the provision of quality advice, training and software in the field of Mineral Resources and Mineral/Ore Reserves.
Explore more: https://snowdenoptiro.com/

Ian Glacken (Executive Consultant geology) and Dr Gregory Zhang (Senior Consultant Geology) explore how machine learning and convolutional neural networks (CNNs) can be used to bridge the gap between grade control data and resource estimation, and why treating resource models as static can hold operations back.
Key discussion points:
⏱ 00:00 Introduction and context for using CNNs with grade control data 
⏱ 00:55 Why machine learning must be an ongoing, iterative process
⏱ 03:18 Handling multivariate data and complex geological relationships
⏱ 04:00 Practical considerations: data quality, alignment, and validation
⏱ 06:02 Trust, interpretability, and keeping geologists in the loop
⏱ 07:19 Using lithology and categorical data in CNN models
⏱ 08:58 How an operation can get started with these techniques
⏱ 11:58 Final thoughts on machine learning as a decision-support tool
If you enjoyed this episode, please Subscribe for more mining-focused technical discussions across the mine value chain.
If you would like to contact Ian or Gregory: [email protected]
Listen on the go: Fresh Thinking by Snowden Optiro is rapidly becoming the best mining podcast globally, and is available on all major podcast platforms including the video format on the Snowden Optiro YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZm0zjSNmpo27fX_tfI79Yzhxy3VXjvMt 
👍 Like, comment, and subscribe for more technical mining insights from our global consulting team.
Snowden Optiro: 
Snowden Optiro is a resources consulting and advisory group that provides independent advice, consulting and training to mining and exploration companies, their advisors and investors.
We help mine developers to advance their projects, mining companies to improve their operations and their professionals, and investors to de-risk their investments by the provision of quality advice, training and software in the field of Mineral Resources and Mineral/Ore Reserves.
Explore more: https://snowdenoptiro.com/

In this episode of Fresh Thinking, Senior Consultant Jamie Oppelaar is joined by Dr Gregory Zhang, Senior Consultant at Snowden Optiro, to explore what convolution really means in a geostatistical and mine planning context.
Jamie and Greg walk through how it already shows up in everyday resource estimation workflows. From moving averages and detrending through to kriging residuals and convolutional neural networks, this episode focuses on practical application, not theory for theory's sake.
This is Part 1 of a two-part discussion, laying the foundations for how convolution links classical geostatistics with modern machine learning approaches.
Key topics and timestamps 
00:01 – Introduction to convolution - geostatistics and machine learning
00:21 – Separating geological trend from local variability in grade data
02:26 – Detrending, residuals, and the link to universal kriging
03:15 – Moving averages as a defensible trend model using convolution
03:41 – What convolution actually is, explained practically
05:08 – Choosing window sizes using variograms and cross-validation
05:57 – Stationarity, variograms, and kriging residuals
07:19 – How convolution relates to convolutional neural networks (CNNs)
09:22 – A step-by-step workflow mine geologists can apply with existing data
13:19 – Summary of key ideas and what's coming in Part 2
If you enjoyed this episode, please Subscribe for more mining-focused technical discussions across the mine value chain.
If you would like to contact Gregory or Jaimie: [email protected]
Listen on the go: Fresh Thinking by Snowden Optiro is rapidly becoming the best mining podcast globally, and is available on all major podcast platforms.
👍 Like, comment, and subscribe for more technical mining insights from our global consulting team.
Snowden Optiro:
Snowden Optiro is a resources consulting and advisory group that provides independent advice, consulting and training to mining and exploration companies, their advisors and investors. We help mine developers to advance their projects, mining companies to improve their operations and their professionals, and investors to de-risk their investments by the provision of quality advice, training and software in the field of Mineral Resources and Mineral/Ore Reserves.
Explore more: https://snowdenoptiro.com/