Finalist

OceanaGold initiated this pilot project to validate the use of digital applications for safer, more effective management of their Waihi Tailings Storage Facility (TSF) in New Zealand. Typically, TSFs are designed, built, and operated using manual observational methods, data comparison, and reporting processes. Faced with vast amounts of siloed data, OceanaGold sought to integrate their data sets and develop a cloud-based digital twin for collaborative, proactive deformation monitoring by both internal and external engineers.

They selected Seequent Central, Leapfrog Geo, GeoStudio, and iTwin IoT to develop 3D geological and geotechnical models and a digital twin in a dynamic, cloud-based environment, facilitating digital monitoring and automated, consistent reporting. Combining observed and real-time data within the digital twin provides a proactive virtual paradigm for better understanding of the safety of the physical asset, optimizing prediction and preventive capabilities. The solution allows for ore responsive management and governance ensuring resilience, ultimately minimizing risk of environmental or social impacts of the TSF in New Zealand’s Waikato and Bay of Plenty regions.