by Savannah Hicks
Global societies need more access to mined resources like metals and critical minerals than ever before. The transition to renewable energy, urbanisation, electrification, and the increased reliance on mined materials by the automotive, aerospace and technology industries, comes at a time when most of the world’s major deposits have already been discovered.
In Saudi Arabia, Ma’aden’s Mansourah-Massarah mine is navigating these challenges by using Hexagon’s innovative digital technologies to build the Middle East’s first digital mine. “The world is dependent on us,” said Bob Wilt, CEO, Ma’aden. “That is where the technology from Hexagon comes in.”
What do we mean by “digital mine”?
Ma’aden’s operations produce up to 300,000 ounces of gold per year, with the full gold production lifecycle including drilling, blasting, collecting, dumping, processing, refining and smelting. Ma’aden has partnered with Hexagon to integrate digital technology throughout the entire lifecycle, meaning that the full gold production process is optimised and enhanced through Hexagon’s solutions.
So, what is the impact? Ma’aden recently stated that Hexagon’s technology has helped them achieve:
- 7% fuel efficiency improvement
- 2% waste dilution improvement
- 1% less ore loss
- 4 to 8% reduction in operating costs
- 12 to 15% reduction in production time
“We’ve got to discover new resources faster, but we’ve got to learn how to process our lower grade ore bodies more effectively and efficiently,” said Wilt. “We’ve got to do it better and at a higher quality.”
By digitalising Mansourah-Massarah’s operations, Ma’aden is setting higher safety standards and gold production speeds that it can replicate at its other mines. This successful partnership has created a blueprint that will ensure new mines are digitally optimised from day one, rewriting the future of the industry for the region.
Throughout 2025 we’ll be blogging about the challenges facing the mining industry. Drawing upon insights from thought leaders in our customer community and from within Hexagon, we’ll share how trusted partnerships and proven technology are addressing those challenges, helping to improve safety and cut costs while balancing the demands of productivity and sustainability.