Data-Driven Short-Interval Control Using AI in Open-Pit Mining

ABSTRACT

Introduction: In open-pit mining, the gap between planning and execution of the bench construction cycle (preparation, drilling, blasting, and excavation) is a primary source of value loss for mining companies. Data from each stage is typically managed in silos, preventing agile reconciliation. This causes deviations in one stage, such as drilling, to unexpectedly impact subsequent stages, hindering plan compliance. This presentation introduces "TIM Insight Engine," an AI platform developed in strategic collaboration with Google Gemini (Google Cloud Team). The solution integrates a real-time digital mine model with an LLM conversational multi-agent system, powered by Gemini, designed to monitor, reconcile, and project the entire bench construction cycle.

The core of the solution is a dynamic mining digital model that unifies short-term planning with real-time data from mining equipment, generating a “single source of truth” in near-real time over which a multi-agent system (MAS) operates with. The MAS includes an orchestrator agent that manages user queries and coordinates a series of specialist agents (experts in equipment, geometry, simulation, etc.).

SPEAKER BIO

Ximena Araya is a mining technology and operational intelligence specialist, currently serving as Founder and Principal Consultant at Foix Consulting Ltd. Her work focuses on supporting mining operations in North America through the adoption of advanced digital tools, data-driven decision frameworks, and technology-enabled performance improvement.

With a background that includes serving as COO for an Australian company providing services to mining, Ximena has spent her career working closely with operational and technology teams across Canada, Australia, and Latin America. She holds a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and has worked in mine sites in both Chile and Canada, giving her a grounded understanding of operational realities and the technical constraints that shape day-to-day decision-making. Her transition into mining technology emerged from her work helping clients evaluate digital solutions, quantify operational value, and prepare organizations for implementation at scale.

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