Amid growing global demand for critical metals that underpin the energy transition, Canadian company Foran Mining has adopted advanced technological tools to enhance the efficiency of its exploration program at McIlvenna Bay, one of the most advanced copper, zinc, and precious metals projects under development in North America.
During the winter of 2025, the company completed over 30 000 m of drilling in a campaign notable for both its scale and logistical complexity, with simultaneous operations in high-potential areas such as the Tesla and Bridge zones. Facing the need to make geological decisions faster – and based on higher-precision data – Foran integrated, for the first time, the on-site geochemical scanning tool Scan by Veracio (formerly known as TruScan™).
The objective was clear: to reduce the lag between drilling and geochemical analysis, a step that traditionally relies on sending samples to external laboratories and can take several weeks. In accelerated exploration contexts, such as Foran’s operations in Saskatchewan, this delay can affect drillhole planning and the quality of geological modelling.
According to Johan Krebs, Foran’s Principal Orebody Knowledge Geologist at McIlvenna Bay, the tool has increased efficiencies during drill programmes: “Truscan data allows us to make informed decisions on drilling, targeting and sampling and provides a good guide for what results can reasonably be expected from the laboratory once the laboratory data becomes available. The availability of this data in almost real time aids significantly in speeding up the reporting and decision-making process leading to overall reduction of project costs if correctly applied. Another significant advantage to TruScan data is the continuous coverage when compared to traditional “spot sampling” geochemistry”, he explained.
Tangible impacts
With the incorporation of this technology, the technical team was able to determine in the field whether a drill hole should be extended or closed, optimise sample selection for laboratory analysis, and detect mineralised intervals not easily visible to the naked eye. This was achieved without increasing the geological team’s size, yet it had a significant impact on work quality and overall campaign efficiency.
One of the most notable achievements was the identification of a 52.6-m intersection with an average grade of 2.54% copper equivalent in the Tesla Zone, including sections reaching 4.65%. This represents the highest grade-thickness recorded to date in the project, and its analysis was possible even before full geological logging, thanks to data obtained via Scan by Veracio.
From the technology provider’s perspective, Veracio highlighted the collaboration as a concrete example of applied innovation. “Working with Foran Mining has directly validated the impact of Scan by Veracio. Delivering reliable geochemical data in real time has enabled faster critical decisions, maximising the value of every metre drilled”, they stated.
Thus, the McIlvenna Bay experience points to a broader shift in mining exploration approaches in remote jurisdictions. As pressure increases to develop strategic projects with greater efficiency and lower uncertainty, the availability of immediate on-site data is emerging as a key tool not only for operational optimisation but also for mitigating early-stage development risks.