A new, publicly available database of worldwide mining operations from ICMM is the first step in addressing challenges around sourcing reliable data in the mining industry.

Released in early September, the public Global Mining Dataset compiles the locations of 8,508 operational mine and processing facilities across 47 commodities produced worldwide in an effort to address information gaps in the mining industry by providing quality data that can help inform decision making, including the facility name; primary and secondary commodities; and geographic latitude and longitude.    

Accompanying the dataset is an insights report analyzing 15,188 facilities, not all of which could be released with the public dataset, which excludes 6,680 facilities obtained through proprietary information from S&P Capital IQ Pro.

In addition to public and proprietary data sources, the information in the Global Mining Dataset was gathered with support from professional services company Accenture; data analysis firm Global Energy Monitor and sustainable mining consultant firm Skarn Associates.

“There are so many data gaps, and where there’s no data, people have to form opinions on assumptions or one or two case studies,” said Emma Gagen, director of data and research for ICMM, in an interview with CIM Magazine.

“We see an opportunity to fill the data gap to support better conversations and better policies at the international level for our sector.”

Though the dataset has only been live since Sept. 3, ICMM has seen a deluge of support for the project.

“It’s been like a flood since the launch,” said Gagen, with people reaching out to help improve the data for their country or a specific commodity, collaborate, add visualization tools or water and other environmental layers of geospatial data.

According to Gagen, the response is a clear sign of the need for this kind of resource in the mining industry.

“People are data hungry,” she said. “[They] have been waiting for something like this that was publicly accessible. That’s part of the excitement.”

While other mining databases exist, they may not be as comprehensive or are locked behind a paywall, Gagen explained.

Offering a large, global mining dataset for free is also a way to help the public outside of the industry be informed and interested in the sector, said University of Saskatchewan associate professor Donna Beneteau in an interview with CIM Magazine.

“There are some datasets behind paywalls, that’s not going to help the public get engaged in what we do in mining,” said Beneteau, who launched the Historical Canadian Mines Data Hub and Visualization Centre in collaboration with CIM in 2021.

“We have to find new ways of engaging with those that are unfamiliar with the industry, and anything like this that does that, to me, is brilliant,” added Beneteau. “If we’re not sharing, then the public isn’t learning, and that’s our fault.”

An evolving resource

One of the biggest challenges in compiling a database of this size and scope was the varying levels of transparency, or what Gagen called “regional opacity.” The range of availability across countries and companies spans from abundant and publicly available to “almost nothing.”     

For example, ICMM’s Global Mining Dataset insights report includes a world map visualizing the coverage of mining and metal facilities. In areas where no facilities appear, Gagen sees the potential for information gathering.    

“I don’t for a second think that’s because mining doesn’t occur there. I think it’s because we haven’t yet been able to access the information,” she said. “Maybe it’s not reported by companies or the regulator, and it’s a big opportunity.”

Transparency was a hurdle Beneteau also bumped up against in her experience compiling the database of historical Canadian mines as mining companies can change hands frequently, are often privately owned or may not have a reporting system, she explained.

“The companies have to be the ones leading [data sharing],” said Beneteau.

The second biggest challenge was the consistency of information itself. Sometimes a facility might be listed with different names, latitude or longitude, or primary commodities, creating inconsistencies across the data.

To address this, ICMM decided to include the conflicting information, as well as a confidence level rating in the information.

“We kept all the other information in another column in case we got it wrong,” said Gagen. “But [we wanted to] signal that this is a work in progress and we’d love to improve our confidence in that information.”

Artisanal or small-scale operations were excluded due to missing information, along with exploration, feasibility sites, quarries, historical and legacy sites.

Improving the database is an ongoing process, and ICMM is hoping for other collaborators to help bridge the gaps.     

“The inability to manually check 15,188 facilities one by one, without being on the ground and validating, [is] definitely a limitation of the data,” said Gagen.

“We’ve done as much as we can from a desktop, and now we’re calling for partners to help us improve the confidence in those sites where we have reported low confidence.”

Data driving progress in mining and beyond

Gagen noted that the data gleaned from the Global Mining Dataset offers insights into the industry that may not be surprising, but it also provides clues to where the sector can be improved.

Almost half of the 15,188 facilities in the dataset are located in only three countries: China, Australia and the United States, and roughly 80 per cent produce either coal, gold, copper or iron ore.

However, when looking at India and China’s facilities combined, Asia dominated coal, gold, copper and iron ore production, underlining one of the biggest areas of opportunity to emerge from the data.

“Asia as a cluster just far outweighs any other part of the world in terms of number of facilities,” said Gagen. “If we think about the opportunities there for raising standards across the industry, facility by facility—if we think of the number of communities impacted by facilities—Asia is the biggest opportunity.”

Another way the data can be used is to track supply chains by looking into specific commodities, then at smelting versus refining. 

Public, accessible mining information is crucial to decision making and research, where not everyone employed in the industry necessarily studied mining, Beneteau said.

“How do we even make policies when so much of the world that works for mining isn’t trained in mining?” She added that mining information is also valuable to those outside of the industry.

When the Historical Canadian Mines Data Hub was launched, people from a range of fields outside of mining—from air quality to wildlife and food security—reached out to Beneteau for the information. 

“There’s all this cool research I had no idea that people were talking about that was related to our sites,” she said.

Next steps

One of Gagen’s biggest takeaways from ICMM’s dataset is the potential it holds to help shape the industry going forward.

“Knowing the number of facilities and where they are located in the world isn’t going to solve problems overnight,” she said. “But it’s a starting point from where we hope it inspires people.”     

As part of ICMM’s five-year strategy, this foundational dataset is the first step in demonstrating use-cases for quality data in the industry. Next, ICMM plans to build out environmental, social or governance-related indicators to be used with the data, including protected or water-stressed areas.

“If you overlay those with our list of facilities, you can already start to identify some of the areas of potential conflict or risk or drought stress,” said Gagen.

Over the next several years, ICMM also hopes to include community and economic indicators in the dataset. In the long run, Gagen would love to see the project become an independent agency freely distributing reliable mining information that the public can use to draw insights and conduct analyses.     

“That’s been a huge reason why we’ve chosen to be uber transparent about our data,” she said. “We want it to be accessible, because who’s going to believe data that the industry body puts out about the industry?”