Industries

A Monitoring, Measurement, and Verification (MMV) plan is an essential part of any Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) project to ensure the safe, effective, and transparent management of carbon dioxide (CO₂) storage. MMV plans are essential for tracking the injected CO₂ to confirm that it remains securely contained within the intended geological formations, thereby mitigating risks of leakage and ensuring environmental safety. These plans also provide data to verify the amount of CO₂ stored, which is critical for regulatory compliance, earning carbon credits, and maintaining public trust in the project's integrity. MMV also supports early detection of potential issues, enabling timely interventions to prevent environmental or operational failures. By ensuring accurate accountability and fostering confidence among stakeholders, MMV plans are fundamental to the success and scalability of CCUS initiatives as part of global climate mitigation strategies. 

The requirements may be more complex that subsurface monitoring of conventional oil and gas assets as the monitoring system will need to be effective through the injection period and may still be required for closure monitoring. This may require the system to stay operational, data retained, and be maintained for in excess of 20 years.    

Advanced electrical and fiber optic monitoring systems offer transformative potential in the mining industry, providing high-resolution, real-time data for improved safety, efficiency, and sustainability. Its applications span across various aspects of mining operations: 

Structural Health Monitoring:

Sensors can be embedded in conveyors, mine shafts, tunnels, and support structures to detect fires, stress, strain, or deformation. This enables early identification of potential failures, improving worker safety and reducing the risk of catastrophic events.

Process Monitoring:

Electrical and fiber optic sensors can be used to optimise operations throughout mineral processing, from grinding, crushing, cycloning, floatation, drying and smelting.

Ground Movement and Stability:

Distributed strain sensing along fiber optics can monitor ground movement and subsidence in open-pit and underground mines. This data helps predict collapses and guides decisions on reinforcement or evacuation.

Seismic Monitoring:

Fiber optic cables act as distributed acoustic sensors (DAS), detecting vibrations and seismic activity. This capability allows real-time monitoring of blasting impacts, rock bursts, and other dynamic events, enhancing operational control.

Temperature and Environmental Monitoring:

Fiber optics can track temperature changes within mines, pipelines, or ore storage areas, ensuring that processes like ventilation and cooling systems operate effectively. Temperature data also aids in fire detection and management in confined spaces.

Tailings Dam Surveillance:

Tailings dams can be monitored for signs of seepage, pressure changes, or structural integrity issues, reducing the likelihood of dam failures and environmental disasters.

Pipeline Monitoring:

Used in slurry pipelines and transport systems, fiber optics detect leaks, blockages, or pressure anomalies. This helps ensure efficient transport of extracted materials and minimizes environmental impact. Fiber optics can also be used to detect third party interference along the pipeline route, to prevent theft, or prevent accidental damage during group work close to the pipeline. 

Equipment Health Monitoring:

Integrating sensors into heavy machinery allows real-time monitoring of vibrations, temperature, and wear, enabling predictive maintenance and minimizing downtime.

Automation and Smart Mining:

Without data machine learning and advanced automation techniques are not possible. Distributed sensing is especially powerful as the high spatial and temporal density of measurements provides unprecedented resolution for detection and inference.

Resource Exploration:

Enhanced geophysical surveys are possible using detailed seismic data, improving resource mapping and characterization of ore bodies.

Environmental Compliance:

Monitoring groundwater levels and chemical seepage around mining sites with distributed sensing ensures compliance with environmental regulations and minimizes ecological impact.