The GIS Project at Rio Tinto Exploration

July 2013

The vision… Provide Exploration with

comprehensive, coherent data and

enhanced digital tools and systems,

to enable Tier One discoveries and

increase the effectiveness of the

exploration process. Marcelo Braghin RTX Global GIS Manager

Agenda

GIS Project 2

Background

Business Problem and Solution

Benefits of the GIS Project

Selected Solution Components:

• Infrastructure

• Design

• Application

Sample 3D and 2D analysis

Questions

Background: Rio Tinto at a glance

GIS Project 3

– We are a leading global business delivering value at each stage of mineral and metal production

– We employ approximately 71,000 people in more than 40 countries

– We fulfil vital consumer needs and improve living standards

– Our commitment to safety is fundamental to the way we do business

– Sustainable development is at the heart of everything we do

– Underlying earnings in 2012 of US$9.3 billion

RTX approach

Clear strategy

Rigorous global

prioritisation

The right people in right places

A range of tools and innovative techniques

Delivery of Tier 1 discoveries

GIS Project 4

Traditional approaches and exploration innovation

Traditional methods

New technology

GIS Project 5

Where we operate

6

Aluminium Copper Diamonds & Minerals Energy Iron Ore

Greenfield projects

Brownfield projects We currently explore for 7 different commodities over 20 countries

GIS Project

RTX has a 65 year tradition of discovery

Year Project Commodity Country Year Project Commodity Country

1947 Lac Allard Ilmenite Canada 2000 Potasio Rio Colorado Potash Argentina

1952 Weipa Bauxite Australia 2002 Resolution Copper USA

1962 Tom Price Iron Ore Australia 2004 Simandou Iron Ore Guinea

1963 Kirka Borates Turkey 2005 La Granja Copper Peru

1965 Panguna Copper PNG 2005 Caliwingina Iron Ore Australia

1967 Ok Tedi Copper PNG 2008 Sulawesi Nickel Indonesia

1968 Rossing Uranium Namibia 2008 Mutamba Ilmenite Mozambique

1971 Paragominas Bauxite Brazil 2009 Jadar Borates Serbia

1982 Kaltim Prima Coal Indonesia 2011 Amargosa Bauxite Brazil

1983 Lihir Gold PNG 2012 Saskatchewan Potash Canada

1985 QMM Ilmenite Madagascar

1990 Century Zinc Australia

1991 Corumba Iron Ore Brazil

1995 Orissa Iron Ore India

1996 Diavik Diamond Canada

In operation

• 16 of the 25 discoveries were in developing countries with 5 impacted by sovereign risk

• 3 of the 25 came from junior company alliances (Argyle, Lihir, Diavik)

• 7 discoveries were sold in FS or after commencement of production

• Typically > 10 years from discovery to production Divested/suspended

In evaluation

May 2013 GIS Project

65 year track record of discovery success

1947 Canada Lac Allard Ilmenite Kennecott

1953 Canada Elliot Lake Uranium RTZ

1955 Australia Weipa Bauxite Zinc Corporation

1956 South Africa Palabora Copper RTZ

1960 Turkey Kirka Borates US Borax

1962 Australia Tom Price Iron Ore CZP 1968

Namibia Rossing Uranium RTZ

1970 Australia Tarong (QLD) Coal CRAE

1972 Brazil Paragominas Bauxite RTZ

1979 Australia Argyle Diamonds CRAE

1982 Brazil Moro de Ouro Gold RTZ

1983 PNG Lihir Gold Kennecott

1986 Australia Kintyre Uranium CRAE

1996 Canada Diavik Diamonds KEX

1999 Zimbabwe Murowa Diamonds RTX

2002 USA Resolution Copper RTX

2004 Guinea Simandou Iron Ore RTX

2008 India Bunder Diamonds RTX

2008 Indonesia Sulawesi Nickel RTX

2008 Mozambique Mutamba Ilmenite RTX

2011 Brazil Amargosa Bauxite RTX

1960 USA Sierrita Copper Kennecott

1955 Australia Mary Kathleen Uranium RTMA

1964 PNG Panguna Copper CRAE

1968 PNG OK Tedi Copper Kennecott

1972 South Africa Richards Bay Ilmenite RTZ

1977 Indonesia Kelian Gold CRAE

1984 Indonesia Kaltim Prima Coal CRAE

1990 Australia Century Lead-zinc CRAE

1996 Spain Las Cruces Copper RTX

2000 Argentina PRC Potash RTX

2009 Serbia Jadar Lithium RTX

2005 Australia Caliwingina Iron Ore RTX

2005 Peru La Granja Copper RTX

2007 South Africa Chapudi Coal RTX

1947

1950

1953

1956

1959

1962

1965

1968

1971

1974

1977

1980

1983

1986

1989

1992

1995

1998

2001

2004

2007

2010

2013

1991 Brazil Corumba Iron ore RTZ

1996 Lao PDR Sepon Copper/gold RTX

2012 Canada Saskatchewan Potash RTX

1956 Guinea Sangaredi Bauxite Alcan

1968 Brazil Trombetas Bauxite Alcan

2004 USA Eagle Nickel KEX

GIS Project

Problem definition

• Current GIS approach within Exploration: – Disconnected

infrastructure

– Multiple GIS applications

– Decentralized and unstructured data

• Challenges – Exploration data is a local

rather than corporate asset

– Geo professionals use different GIS applications which can hinder communication

– Data sharing between GIS applications is difficult

GIS Project 9

Solution: Unified GIS platform based on ESRI applications

• ArcGIS desktop / server and mobile

– Modified to include selected plug-ins, tools and extensions

• Unified infrastructure

– Hub and spoke design

• Common business processes

– Workflow based on ESRI Geodatabase

• Common training and support

– Application and process training

• Common central database

– One “source of the truth”

– Supported with spokes to for faster, local access

GIS Project 10

Solution requires change

GIS Project 11

Current Mapinfo or ArcGIS

Identify & download GIS data from local server

Analyze / edit data using local standards

Maintain data on local servers and desktops

Future ArcGIS

Identify & download GIS data from Hub and Spoke

as a cache

Analyze / edit data using global standards

Maintain data using global protocols on central Hub

Benefits of the GIS project

GIS Project 12

• Enable more confident and informed decision-making Improved data quality and consistency

• Ensure that our data is treated as the valuable asset that it is

Improved data management

• Optimise staff time on value adding activities • Minimise ramp up time for staff moving from project

to project Increased consistency

and reduced duplication

• Provide for integration with new, improved applications (3D, mobile apps/field data capture, visualisation and solution discoveries)

Increased opportunities to leverage synergies

• Maximise geoscientists’ time on data analysis • Facilitate data sharing, collaboration, and innovation

Improved data discoverability and

analysis

Infrastructure: Hub and spoke architecture puts data close to the user

GIS Project 13

Global ARCGIS Hub

Regional ArcGIS Spokes

Stand-Alone ArcGIS Spokes

Design: Conceptual architecture for GIS platform

14 GIS Project

SDE Geodatabases

ArcGIS Server

acQuire DBs

Flexi Cadastre

Sharepoint

Metacarta

RTX SQL Databases

ESRI Data Appliance

File Geodatabases

Imagery

External Map services

ArcPAD

SQL Server ETL

ESRI replication

DAP 3D packages

Application: ArcGIS 10.1 desktop

• Benefits of new ArcGIS Package:

– Puts everyone on the same system, facilitating future upgrades

– Gives users enhanced functionality (plug-ins)

– Performance enhancements (Rio Tinto specifics)

– Provide RTX standards (style sheets and templates)

• Components:

– ArcGIS 10.1

– Plugins: • Geosoft plug-in / Target for ArcGIS

• xTools Pro

• Metacarta plug-in

• ET Geowizards

• Customized Geodatabase plug-ins

– ESRI Extensions: • Spatial Analyst

• 3D Analyst

• Geostatistical Analyst

GIS Project 15

ArcGIS 3D Capabilities and Integration ArcScene 10.1

Mag grid: captured from Geosoft DAP

Drilling: ETL from acQuire to SDE Geodatabase

Grade shells: Leapfrog imported as multi patch in a

file Geodatabase GIS Project 16

ArcGIS 3D Capabilities and Integration ArcScene 10.1

LiDAR topo in a file Geodatabase

Drilling: ETL from acQuire to SDE Geodatabase

Grade shells: Leapfrog imported as multi-patch in a

file Geodatabase GIS Project 17

ArcPAD Data is easily brought into the field using a combination of ArcPAD and Trimble Juno

Mag data from geophysical survey • Anomalies identified by geophysicists • Roads for navigation • Claim boundaries • Viewed in ArcPAD and used for Anomaly

checking while in the field

GIS Project 18

Surface Samples ETL from acQuire to SDE Geodatabase

Standard symbology applied Daily updates in a versioned SDE Geodatabase

GIS Project 19

QUESTIONS?

GIS Project 20