This paper deals with innovative techniques that have enabled personal
computers to be used on the mine site to define, develop and manage an
ore body resource, while being aware of the consequences to the
environment. The same set of personal computer tools that are used for
resource estimation, once the province of expensive workstations, can
also be used by geologists, mining engineers, surveyors and
environmentalists, in managing the whole mining process, including
production, grade control, monthly reconciliation and stockpile
management through to tailings the management, mine rehabilitation and
the due diligence process of mine closure.