Key Takeaways
- Core scanning captures mineralogy and alteration information invisible to the naked eye. It is one of the most mature AI-adjacent technologies in exploration geology.
- Leading systems: Corescan HCI-3, CSIRO/Epiroc HyLogger 4 and Minalyze MCore.
- HyLogger 4 is the world’s first continuous visible-to-thermal-infrared core scanner (0.4–15 microns). Its mid-infrared range picks up minerals invisible to earlier generations.
- This is a “Yes”: it is deployed at national core libraries (Australia) and commercial operations, not experimental.
TL;DR
Core scanning with AI means running every tray of drill core through an automated scanner, then letting spectral matching and trained models turn the data into a continuous mineralogy log. You get alteration maps along the whole hole instead of a few point samples. That log then feeds your geological and geometallurgical models directly.
What Is Core Scanning?
Core scanning is the automated, non-destructive measurement of drill core as it passes under a set of sensors. A tray goes onto a conveyor or table, and the scanner records images and measurements along its full length. Depending on the system, sensors include hyperspectral cameras, high-resolution core photography, 3D laser or LiDAR profiling and XRF.
It solves a problem that spot sampling cannot. Alteration mineralogy often varies continuously along a drill hole. Traditional methods, such as petrography or a handheld spectrometer, only sample a handful of locations. As a result, they can miss the pattern entirely. A core scanner instead captures continuous data along the whole hole.
How Do I Automate Core Scanning With AI?
The workflow has three stages: choose a scanner, convert spectra into minerals, then connect the log to your model.
Choosing a core scanning system
HyLogger 4, developed by CSIRO and now distributed through Epiroc, spans visible through thermal infrared (380–15,500 nm). That range identifies mineral groups, such as certain silicates, that VNIR-SWIR-only systems cannot see. It also captures imagery at up to 25-micron resolution.
Corescan’s HCI-3 combines VNIR-SWIR hyperspectral imaging with core photography and 3D laser profiling in one scan. It collects roughly 800,000 spectral samples per metre. Minalyze MCore pairs hyperspectral and XRF scanning with LiDAR-based 3D modelling of the core tray. Its vendor reports cutting core evaluation time from weeks to minutes.
Turning core scanning data into mineralogy
Next, software matches each spectrum against reference mineral libraries. Trained classification models then turn millions of spectra into mineral abundances and alteration intensity. The choice between a point spectrometer and an imaging scanner matters here, and our post on hyperspectral scanning compares the two. For elemental data rather than minerals, XRF-equipped scanners add a chemical log on the same depth scale.
Feeding the log into your model
Finally, the mineralogy log feeds your geological model as a proxy layer. Geologists often correlate it against assays to build alteration or clay-content models. Those later support alteration proxy modelling and geometallurgy.
Where Core Scanning Fits in the Core Shed
This is mature technology. HyLogger systems are deployed at national core libraries across Australia, including a 2025 installation at Londonderry Core Library, NSW. Governments invest in them because continuous, non-destructive characterization adds value to every hole in the archive.
However, core scanning does not replace the geologist or the lab. Scanners measure the core surface, so fresh, clean and dry core gives the best results. Assays remain the reference for grade. Therefore, most sites use scans to guide logging and sample selection, then calibrate the scan-derived proxies against lab data.
FAQs
What does core scanning measure?
It depends on the sensors fitted. Most systems capture high-resolution photos and hyperspectral reflectance, and some add XRF chemistry and 3D surface profiles. Together these give mineralogy, texture and chemistry along the full core length.
How fast is core scanning compared with manual logging?
A scanner processes trays continuously, so a full hole can be scanned far faster than a geologist can log it in detail. Minalyze reports cutting core evaluation time from weeks to minutes. Interpretation and validation still take additional time.
Is core scanning the same as hyperspectral scanning?
Not exactly. Hyperspectral imaging is one sensor inside many core scanning systems. A core scanner can also include photography, laser profiling and XRF, all captured in the same pass.
Where does AI come into core scanning?
AI converts raw spectra and images into mineral maps, alteration logs and structural features. It also links the scan data to assays and metallurgical tests. The scanner itself is the sensor; the models create the geological value.
Try It With Geocluster
Interpreting a hyperspectral mineralogy log against known alteration signatures for a given deposit type is a research task. It benefits from pulling in deposit-model literature quickly. Geocluster is built for exactly that kind of synthesis. Read how the Geocluster Research Harness works to learn more.