With the volatility of today's commodity market it is becoming ever more apparent that companies are in need of low cost alternatives to expensive drilling programs to achieve a higher resolution of geological understanding during exploration and production. The optical televiewer (OTV) is a downhole tool that can be used to achieve this goal by collecting high-quality oriented images of a drill hole; including features such as geological structures, contacts, veining and alteration at a fraction of the drilling cost. This imagery can then be used in conjunction with other tools (such as acoustic televiewers) to complete geological and geotechnical interpretations with increased consistency when compared with standard logging techniques. The application of this tool reduces the reliance on high-cost diamond core drilling, which is typically used to gain geological confidence and assist resource estimation. Presentation and processing of the imagery is performed using software packages such as WellCAD; improving the consistency of geological interpretation and removing any potential bias amongst multiple personnel when compared with more traditional field logging methodologies. In conclusion, the collection and interpretation of OTV imagery provides an alternative to more expensive exploration by delivering increased geological confidence and data that can be used in multiple digital mediums, including fully oriented 3D representations of drill holes and any encapsulated geology.CITATION:Oliver, L and Elphick, M, 2016. The application of optical televiewers to attain cost-effective geological confidence, in Proceedings Seventh International Conference and Exhibition on Mass Mining (MassMin 2016), p 891 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).