Our understanding of mineral resources relies on three basic steps: data capture data interpretation model construction. Until recently, all three of these steps required significant time and manual effort to produce a single resource model for mine planning, typically taking more than a year to progress from drilling to the final block model._x000D_
Over the past several years, BHP Billiton has been developing innovative workflows in rapid resource modelling projects to significantly reduce these time constraints and make the process more productive by replacing manual activities with automated ones._x000D_
Rapid resource modelling is the process of combining recently developed off-the-shelf technology with internal technology developments to fundamentally change the way we collect, interpret, model and evaluate geoscience data._x000D_
Initiatives include automated systems and standardised workflows to make it safer, faster and cheaper to continuously update multidiscipline resource models._x000D_
Specifically, rapid resource modelling workflows combine: real-time analysis of drill holes and drill samples with downhole tools and hyperspectral scanning systems automated interpretation of drill hole intervals based on pattern-recognition algorithms continuous modelling workflows using implicit modelling software. This paper outlines technology developments and workflows that provide a more thorough understanding of mineral resources to support faster and more informed strategic, planning and production decisions.CITATION:Hodkiewicz, P F, 2014. Rapid resource modelling - a vision for faster and better mining decisions, in Proceedings Ninth International Mining Geology Conference 2014 , pp 183-188 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).