How mining companies stay ahead with better data

During PDAC 2026, Adam Dunstall, Operations Manager – Geoscience, and Elliott Flaig, Operations Manager – Drilling, sat down with host Jerrod Downey for an episode of Mining Now, filmed live from Toronto.

During the conversation, Adam and Elliot explored why many mining companies still struggle to establish a single source of truth for their data, how people, process and technology work together to create clarity and confidence in decision-making, and why trusted data is becoming even more important in the age of AI.

A single source of truth creates clarity and confidence

Early in a project, managing data can seem straightforward: a few spreadsheets, an Access database or paper logs in the field. But as operations grow, so does data complexity. Information becomes harder to find, systems become disconnected and teams can lose confidence in the data they’re working with.

“There really comes to be a critical mass of data that people begin to get lost in,” Adam says. “They need a focal point within the organisation for a single source of truth to go to.”

Adam also shares how needing a single source of truth evolves alongside a mining project, from exploration through to construction. One example is Peak Iron, a South Australian iron ore producer that moved from paper-based processes and spreadsheets to validated field data captured directly in GIM Essentials.

The pair also share a striking example from a Rio Tinto presentation at SME Minexchange 2026 on the data journey at its Bingham Canyon mine, from historical handwritten paper logs and stacks of floppy discs to a centralised model in GIM Suite, Acquire’s enterprise geoscience information management solution.

Elliott highlights how trusted data improves transparency between drillers and mining companies. Acquire’s drilling data management solution, Blackfox provides a single, centralised platform that reduces reconciliation effort, keeps stakeholders aligned and allows teams to focus on delivering project outcomes.

Good data as the foundation for AI

With AI dominating conversation at PDAC, Adam was clear on what successful AI initiatives require. “The success of AI depends on the foundation of quality data,” he says. Structured, validated data enables AI to deliver meaningful insights. Without that foundation, organisations risk generating outputs based on incomplete or unreliable information.

Watch the full discussion

The conversation also explores the Nova Network Partner programme, interoperability and where the industry is headed on data maturity.

Watch the full Mining Now interview with Acquire on YouTube.