Originally posted by Canadian Mining Journal

Continuous geochemical scanning is enabling geologists to interpret core samples with an unmatched level of detail. This technology transforms the understanding of detail.

This technology transforms the understanding of the subsurface by generating new hypotheses about kimberlite bodies and improving exploration decisions with dense, visual, and comparable data.

Geologists are revolutionizing how drill cores are evaluated by incorporating the continuous geochemical scanning tool Scan by Veracio (formerly Minalyzer). This tool surpasses the limitations of handheld sensors, especially in handling complex geological contexts like kimberlites, which are volcanic igneous rocks often containing diamonds.

For Alexandrina Fulop, a petrologist with over 15 years of experience studying these deep magmatic bodies, the difference is substantial. “I’ve worked with portable XRF for years, doing thousands of analyses. But the Scan by Veracio, a solution provided by the company Veracio, was a turning point. Scanning the entire core reveals details that simply couldn’t be visualized before”, she explains.

In her work with De Beers, Fulop reports that Scan by Veracio was implemented as part of a broad technology evaluation. Although different options were evaluated, the expert identifies the Minalyze XRF solution as a key enabler in that project.

“It’s possible to detect anomalies in a single element over hundreds of meters and correlate them precisely with other cores. A data scientist I worked with once said: ‘with this data, I can build whatever I want.’”

In this context, one of the most revealing observations was the geochemical effect of the host rock on the kimberlites, as evidenced by continuous scanning with Scan by Veracio. “We thought the chemical changes marked different magmatic pulses, but in reality, some were the result of fragments incorporated from the country rock (or host rock). That finding disproved a hypothesis that had been assumed for years in the study of the origin of these bodies”, Fulop states.

Beyond the diamond context, Fulop highlights the value of having dense, continuous, and visual data. “It’s possible to detect anomalies in a single element over hundreds of meters and correlate them precisely with other cores. A data scientist I worked with once said: ‘with this data, I can build whatever I want’”, the expert notes.

An integrated technology

In an environment where absolute precision is not always necessary, continuous scanning offers something equally valuable, if not more so: context.

“You don’t need 100% accuracy if you have a reliable baseline and an enormous amount of data. Today it’s possible to compare, see patterns, and above all, make informed decisions much faster”, the expert explains.

This approach is already influencing how exploration campaigns are designed and how mineral deposits are interpreted. For Fulop, the key is for geologists to take ownership of these tools, not avoid them. “Yes, it means stepping out of your comfort zone. But once you see the results, there’s no going back”, says Fulop.

In this regard, the expert maintains that continuous geochemical scanning does not replace the geologist; rather, it enhances their work. “It provides a dense, coherent, high-resolution database with which to interpret, correlate, and project hypotheses. As this technology is more widely adopted, lithological interpretations, deposit models, and even operational decisions will likely be transformed. This is not the future of exploration geology. It’s already happening”, concludes the renowned petrologist.