Quantum Controls mining platform
ARGOS
A drill rig becomes a subsurface scanner.
ARGOS is a surface-mounted sensing and modelling platform that turns the drillstring into a multi-physics measurement path for the rock mass around and ahead of the bit.
Product definition
ARGOS is a rig-side sensing and modelling platform.
The system converts routine drilling activity into a structured geological data product. It is built around surface deployment, drillstring-coupled acquisition, multi-physics fusion and virtual-twin update.
Product components
Product outputs
Three outputs from one installed platform.
Subsurface model
A continuously updated model of the formation around the hole, built from co-registered measurement channels rather than disconnected survey products.
Drilling intelligence
Bit-formation response, formation transitions, confidence levels and anomaly windows captured on the time axis of the drilling programme.
Virtual-twin data feed
Structured, depth-tagged data that updates the mine model through exploration, development, extraction and processing feedback.
System architecture
A surface system that connects the drillstring to the mine model.
ARGOS comprises a rig-side package, a drillstring-coupled measurement path, a live subsurface model and a data interface for the virtual twin. The public product layer describes the output and deployment model while the protected sensing and inversion core remains controlled.
Data flow
From rig measurement to model update.
Install and baseline
The surface package is installed and referenced to the rig, hole and site measurement geometry.
Acquire during drilling
Measurement channels run during drilling activity and natural pause windows.
Fuse and score
Signals are converted into model updates with confidence and data-lineage records.
Publish to twin
The virtual twin receives depth-tagged updates for geological interpretation and operational planning.
Virtual twin data layer
ARGOS turns drilling into a continuous mine-model update.
ARGOS twin update record
Exploration
Each hole adds a modelled volume around the core, co-registered with assay and geological logging.
Mine development
Underground rigs add higher-resolution slices that sharpen the surface exploration model.
Extraction
Bucket and truck measurements compare predicted grade with measured material movement.
Processing closure
Mill assays anchor the truth set and back-propagate calibration through the twin.
Data governance
Validated product outputs without exposing the protected core.
Delivered data layer
- Hole, depth and timestamp metadata
- Model update intervals
- Multi-attribute voxel outputs
- Confidence and uncertainty values
- Validation links to core, assay and survey truth
Protected internal layer
- Receiver architecture
- Raw signal chain
- Calibration constants
- Joint inversion implementation
- Patent-sensitive physics and system design
Every drill metre becomes live subsurface intelligence.
ARGOS gives drilling teams and resource owners a live model of the ground as work happens, turning routine operations into decision-ready data.