Côte d'Ivoire state miner SODEMI adopts geophysical software to accelerate mineral exploration Sponsored

The Société d'état pour le Développement Minier de la Côte d'Ivoire (SODEMI), the state-owned mining corporation of Côte d'Ivoire established in 1962, has integrated Seequent's Oasis montaj and VOXI software platforms into its geophysical exploration operations. The adoption of these tools has reduced data analysis time by 70%, an improvement described by SODEMI's Head of Geophysics, Moise Kouadio, as equivalent to approximately five weeks of work.

SODEMI is currently active across eight exploration permits covering a range of commodities, including gold, nickel-cobalt, phosphate, lithium-tin, coltan, molybdenum, diamonds, and ornamental stones. Specific locations under active exploration include Eboinda/Adiaké in the south for phosphate, Sakassou in central Côte d'Ivoire for coltan, Séguéla and Tortiya in the north for diamonds, and Kaniasso in the north for nickel-cobalt. The state corporation also holds shares in the Lauzoua manganese production mine, located in the Guitry department in the southwest of the country and owned by the Compagnie Miniere du Littoral.

The geological context in which SODEMI operates presents considerable technical difficulty. Much of Côte d'Ivoire comprises Precambrian rocks up to several billion years old, forming part of the West African Craton. Valuable mineral deposits within these formations were introduced near the surface through superheated fluids migrating along deep cracks and faults. Tropical weathering exposes some of these reserves but simultaneously produces thick layers of soil and regolith that conceal ore bodies beneath the surface, making geophysical surveys essential for locating them.

SODEMI's geophysical unit operates both on its own exploration permits and as a consultant for private clients. According to Kouadio, the decision to adopt Seequent's platforms was driven by their reputation in the mining and geophysical industry for data processing, analysis, and modelling, as well as their compatibility with SODEMI's existing systems. A typical project workflow begins with planning the survey grid in Oasis montaj, followed by field data acquisition, database creation, and subsequent analysis, processing, and interpretation. VOXI is then used to carry out inversions for three-dimensional views and modelling.

At the Lauzoua manganese mine specifically, the software enabled daily processing, analysis, and interpretation of geophysical data. Kouadio noted that VOXI helped clarify the geometry of anomalies interpreted at the surface, including their depth, width, and dip. The optimisation of drilling targets through this approach has also reduced both the environmental impact and the financial resources required for drilling work, with more precise targeting allowing budgets to be reallocated to other investments. Kouadio stated that discoveries continue to emerge at the Lauzoua site as a result of this work.

Early challenges associated with software adoption, including staff training and data integration, were addressed through technical support and customized training programmes provided by Seequent. However, Kouadio identified a number of persistent external challenges facing SODEMI and the broader local mining sector. These include growing competition from well-funded international companies, difficulties in forming partnerships with other organizations, and limited access to specialized training and geophysics expertise, all of which can hinder the full adoption of advanced technologies.

Kouadio also cited Côte d'Ivoire's geological diversity as a factor that complicates the analysis and interpretation of geophysical data. He described Seequent's tools as essential for any geophysical exploration project in such a geologically complex environment.