Location
The second XTRACT pilot site is located in northern Sweden at the Björkdal underground gold mine, within the Boliden mining district in Västerbotten County.
64°56′22″ N, 20°36′1″ E
Description
The Björkdal mine uses narrow sub-level stoping to extract the ore. Given the number of ore bodies, this places high demands on both planning and extraction processes, which must be accurate and efficient to remain competitive.
The success of the narrow vein mining technique is closely dependent on the ability to drill long, straight production holes. Improving these challenges will also enhance the ability to exploit other narrow, thin, vertical mineralizations in Europe.
In this pilot site, the MWD (Measurement While Drilling) system will be installed on production drill rigs. The main objectives, to be demonstrated and documented in the Live document, include overall mining process optimization, fragmentation optimization through reduced hole deviation, blast optimization via accurate rock mass characterization, improved ore recovery due to straighter boreholes, and reduced side rock dilution.
Objectives
The objectives defined for the implementation of functional requirements in this pilot focus on improving the efficiency, safety, and environmental sustainability of mining operations through advanced technologies:
-
Remote monitoring and prospecting
Integration of SLAM-LiDAR, hyperspectral drone inspection, and advanced satellite-based InSAR techniques. These tools improve mine face evaluation and planning by providing precise, real-time spatial and compositional data in complex mineralized environments. -
Digital technologies for energy-efficient mining and GHG reduction
The use of advanced sensors such as MWD dataloggers helps reduce the extraction of sterile rock, improving the economic ratio of operations and contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. -
Conventional mining and inaccessible environments
Mapping and monitoring abandoned, remote, or underground mining areas require fast and safe precision mapping in GPS-denied environments. This is enabled by real-time location and monitoring sensors adapted for underground use.
Available Data Layers
This pilot site provides access to multiple geospatial data layers, combining thematic WMS services, on-demand satellite imagery, and local vector datasets. These layers support the assessment of ground motion, mining operations, and environmental conditions.
WMS Layers
The platform integrates vector-based WMS layers containing mining-related spatial information, such as infrastructure, extraction zones, and reference features. These are provided as standard OGC services and integrated into the viewer for contextual analysis.
The platform also includes Soil Pollution maps published by the European Soil Data Centre (ESDAC). These layers identify areas with topsoil concentrations of harmful elements exceeding defined thresholds.
| Layer | Threshold | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Arsenic Excess | P(X > 45 mg kg⁻¹) > 5% |
ESDAC - Arsenic |
| Copper Excess | > 100 mg kg⁻¹ |
ESDAC - Copper |
| Mercury Excess | > 500 μg kg⁻¹ |
ESDAC - Mercury |
| Zinc Excess | > 100 mg kg⁻¹ |
ESDAC - Zinc |
| Cadmium Excess | > 1 mg kg⁻¹ |
ESDAC - Cadmium |
Ground Motion Layers
Data from EGMS has been integrated into the geospatial dataset for this pilot. The European Ground Motion Service, part of the Copernicus Land Monitoring Service, provides reliable ground motion information based on Sentinel-1 radar data. It detects millimetre-scale displacements and supports surface deformation analysis in mining areas.
Additionally, independent interferometric analyses have been carried out over the Björkdal mine area. Ground deformation layers resulting from these analyses are published as WMS services on the platform, including associated time series plots to support interpretation.
Satellite Products (via Calendar)
On-demand satellite imagery from Sentinel-2 (Level 2A) and Landsat 8 (Collection 2, Tier 1) can be explored using the calendar interface. These layers are generated dynamically and support the monitoring of vegetation, water, mining activity, and soil conditions.
| Product | Group | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Ferric Iron | Mining Index | Present in iron-oxide minerals such as hematite and goethite. These minerals often result from the oxidation of transition metals on the surface of soils and rocks. Detects Fe³⁺ions in general. |
| Ferrous Iron | Mining Index | Commonly found in weathered surfaces and its lattice environment determines its specific spectral behavior. It is associated with ferrous silicates and is an indicator of specific oxidation states in mineralized zones. |
| Ferrous Silicates | Mining Index | This group includes minerals like biotite, chlorite, and amphibole. They are often associated with iron-oxide copper-gold (IOCG) alteration systems. |
| Alteration (Clays, Carbonate, Hydroxyl Minerals, Kaolinite, Epidote, Laterite) | Mining Index | A broad category representing mineral replacement by hydrothermal fluids or intense weathering. It includes: - Clays: Indicators of argillic or phyllic alteration. - Carbonate: Key components of limestones and reservoir rocks. - Hydroxyl Minerals: Secondary minerals containing OH groups, such as micas and clays. - Laterite: Iron and aluminum-rich soil formed by intense chemical weathering in tropical/arid environments. |
| Ferric Oxides | Mining Index | Similar to the Ferric Iron index but more focused on specific oxides with an emphasis on red. |
| Ferrous Oxides | Mining Index | Similar to the ferrous iron index, but with an emphasis on reduced oxides in general. |
| Iron Oxide Index | Mining Index | Includes minerals like hematite, goethite, and jarite. They are products of the oxidation of ferromagnesian minerals or the hydrothermal alteration of sulfides, forming a critical part of "red beds" and weathered surfaces. |
| Gossan | Mining Index | An iron-oxide and hydroxide-rich cap (such as limonite) that forms by the weathering and oxidation of underlying sulfide deposits. Its presence is a key surface indicator for locating volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) deposits. |
| Chlorite | Mining Index | A phyllosilicate typical of low-sulfidation epithermal and propylitic alteration environments. It often replaces original mafic minerals in volcanic rocks. |
| NDVI | Vegetation Index | Normalized Difference Vegetation Index |
| SAVI | Vegetation Index | Soil-Adjusted Vegetation Index |
| NDWI | Water Index | Normalized Difference Water Index |
| MNDWI | Water Index | Modified NDWI for better water detection |
| TI | Water Index | Turbidity Index |