CorePlan vs Krux: What's the difference?

Explore powerful features that outperform Krux.

Life Inside the Geological Database

It’s tempting to think, “Hey, we already have a database, why not just put everything in there?”

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But anyone who’s tried to push operational drilling data into their geological database knows it’s rarely that simple.

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Step 1:

Your inbox is overflowing with daily (sometimes hourly) updates from your drilling contractors. Some send meticulously formatted CSVs. Others prefer Excel, complete with macros and pivot tables. A few still cling to paper plods that come via whatsapp or email. And ofcourse there lets not forget those PDF reports, emailed as attachments with unhelpful file names like “Plods client 8-11-2023-080320211512541_1_copy-(1)_xls.pdf.”

Step 2: After some (or extensive) tinkering this data someone gets massaged with python scripts, sql queries and maybe with a bit of power automate here and there. But it’s not perfect so there’s the painstaking column mapping, renaming fields, converting units (feet to metres?), and struggling to reconcile those inconsistent activity definitions across contractors. Is “Rod Handling” the same as “Rod Pulling,” or are they subtly different? Only the driller knows for sure.

Step 3: Acquire/Datashed/Fusion groans but only after hours (sometimes days) of effort when the data is finally loaded. . But your carefully crafted database schema is now burdened with fields and tables that were never designed to handle this type of information. Queries slow to a crawl, performance suffers, and your geologists start muttering about the system being “laggy.” It’s enough to make even the most seasoned DBA question their life choices.

Step 4: While the geological database has some reporting capabilities - it wasn’t built for the kind of real-time operational insights that drilling programs demand. You’re stuck with static, pre-defined reports that don’t answer the questions your exploration manager needs answered right now. Soooo - reporting becomes a custom job andSimple penetration rates are hiding under days worth of data wrangling.

Step 5: Even with your team's hard work, mistakes can happen. Like, was that depth in meters or feet? Or did the driller use the wrong code? These small errors can add up and make your data unreliable, which can affect your resource models.

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A Mismatch of Purpose & Capability

Trying to manage drilling operations within a geological database is what we’ve all been used to. No matter how inconvenient. But there’s a fundamental mismatch of purpose and capability. Why? Lets find out.

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Different Data, Different Demands

Geological data and drilling operational data are inherently different and require unique management approaches. Geological data tends to be static or slow-changing. Drilling operational data, is dynamic and time-sensitive. It’s all about metres drilled, hours worked, consumables used, and the constant flow of information from the rig to the office.

Trying to manage both in the same system is like asking a paramedic to conduct open heart surgery. They're not the right people for the job.

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Structural Incompatibility

Geological databases are built with rigid schemas and relational structures designed to manage complex geological relationships and ensure long-term data integrity. They’re not meant to handle the high volume, rapid updates, and flexibility required for drilling data.

This mismatch leads to those commonly observed problems:

Performance: The constant influx of drilling data can overwhelm your geological database, slowing down queries, increasing server load, and impacting system performance.
Data Model: To fit drilling data into the system, you end up adding more fields and tables to your database schema. This creates a messy and confusing data model, making it harder to maintain and query, and compromises data integrity.
Limited Reporting: Geological databases are typically set up to generate standardised geological reports – drill hole logs, cross-sections, resource estimations. They lack the flexibility and built-in tools needed to create the customizable dashboards, real-time reports, and operational insights that drilling managers and data teams need.

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Managing the Operational & Financial Realities of Drilling

Here’s where the mismatch becomes even more apparent. Drilling programs are complex operational and financial undertakings.

To manage them effectively, you need a system that can:

Handle Complex Contracts: Drilling contracts are rarely simple. They often involve intricate pricing structures, variable meterage rates, minimum drilling rates, slow penetration clauses, and more. Geological databases aren’t equipped to manage these complexities, leading to manual reconciliation efforts, potential billing disputes, and a lack of visibility into true drilling costs.
Track Costs in Real-Time: Drilling is expensive, and every hour a rig sits idle represents lost revenue and potential budget overruns. To manage costs effectively, you need real-time visibility into drilling progress, consumables usage, and rig activity breakdowns. Geological databases typically rely on batch data transfers and manual reporting, making it impossible to track costs proactively or identify potential overruns before they escalate.
Calculate Critical Metrics: Metrics like penetration rate, cost per metre, rig utilisation, and downtime are essential for optimising drilling programs, evaluating contractor performance, and making data-driven decisions. Extracting these metrics from a geological database can be cumbersome, involving custom SQL queries, spreadsheet manipulations, and significant time lags.
Streamline Plod Approvals: Managing plod approvals through a geological database is not possible and relies on manual workflows, email chains, and a lack of real-time visibility into the approval status.

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Beyond these core financial and operational aspects, drilling programs demand capabilities that geological databases are simply not designed to offer:

Scheduling Rigs: Efficient rig scheduling is essential for ensuring rig utilisation, minimising downtime, and staying on track with project timelines. Geological databases don’t offer the specialised tools and logic needed to optimise rig allocation and create dynamic drilling schedules.
Collaborating Effectively: Drilling programs involve multiple stakeholders – geologists, drilling managers, data teams, contractors, and more. To manage a program effectively, you need a centralised platform that enables seamless communication, shared data access, and a unified view of project progress. Geological databases, with their siloed data and rigid access controls, often hinder collaboration and create bottlenecks in information flow. Learn about the collaboration revolution in mining here

In short, while geological databases excel at managing geological information, they’re ill-equipped to handle the complexities of drilling operations. Using them for everything leads to inefficient workflows, delayed insights, inaccurate cost tracking, and a persistent struggle to keep pace with the dynamic nature of drilling programs.

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The Need for a Specialised Solution

Powerful software solutions like Acquire, Datashed, and Micromine, Geobank have source and store relevant data to enable geologists to build complex 3D models, manage vast datasets, and conduct sophisticated analyses. However, when it comes to drilling data – the very information that drives exploration and production decisions – the software landscape tells a different story.

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For decades, drilling data management has been an afterthought. In the absence of purpose-built solutions, companies have been forced to rely on various makeshift approaches, each with significant limitations:

Custom-Built Systems: Internal IT teams spend countless hours (and budget dollars) creating bespoke drilling databases using SQL servers, Access databases, and a tangle of custom scripts. These systems often require ongoing maintenance, lack user-friendly interfaces, and struggle to keep up with the evolving needs of drilling operations.
Force-Fitting into Geological Databases: As we’ve explored, trying to cram operational drilling data into a geological database creates a host of problems – from performance bottlenecks and data integrity issues to reporting limitations and workflow misalignment.
Aging Technology: Some companies have relied on legacy software solutions like which are now end of life which often lack modern features, user-friendly interfaces, and robust integration capabilities. These systems perpetuate manual workflows and data silos. (Good time to reflect on your next step on your electronic plod solution)
Consultancy-Driven Solutions: Reliance on small consultancies offers “drilling data management solutions” that are often just a thin veneer over a SQL database. These solutions might provide a basic interface or some custom reporting capabilities but lack the depth, scalability, and ongoing support of a purpose-built drilling software.

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It's About The Drilling Data Model

A specialised drilling software solution, equipped with its own data model, is designed to handle the specific requirements of drilling operations.

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This is because:

Tailored Data Model for Real-Time Operations

Unlike geological databases, a specialised platform’s data model is built to capture and process real-time drilling data efficiently. This ensures accurate, up-to-the-minute information that is crucial for decision-making.

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Seamless Collaboration and Workflow Integration

Integrated collaboration tools enable seamless communication among geologists, drilling managers, data teams, and contractors. This platform supports workflows that adapt to the fast-paced nature of drilling operations, facilitating smooth and efficient project management.

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Advanced Reporting and Insights

The platform offers customisable dashboards and automated reports, providing real-time insights into drilling progress, costs, rig performance, and more. Proactive alerts help identify potential issues before they escalate, ensuring proactive management.

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Exploring Drilling Software

Several specialised drilling management platforms have emerged to address these needs, each offering unique features and capabilities.

Here are some of the top drilling software solutions available in 2024. You can see the fuller list here of the top 6 drilling software for you to review in 2024.

Krux Analytics: Krux Analytics specialises in data analytics and business intelligence for drilling companies. Their platform helps optimise performance and efficiency through powerful insights and predictive analytics. Key features include real-time data integration from multiple sources, advanced analytics, customisable dashboards, and real-time instrumentation data collection (KruxDAQ) for optimising drilling operations. Learn more about Krux, a leader in drilling analytics based in Canada here.

CorePlan: An integrated drilling management platform for exploration teams and drilling contractors. It offers drill program design, geological data integration, real-time cost tracking, performance analysis, custom reporting, and more. It’s build on a powerful drilling database which with comprehensive workflows to manage the full cycle of a drilling program from planning to completion. Learn more about CorePlan, an integrated drilling management platform for mining, exploration and drilling teams.

Colleagues Matrixx: Provides enterprise-level solutions for mining operations with a robust drilling management module, including fleet and equipment management, maintenance scheduling, safety management, and customisable workflows. Learn more about Colleagues Matrixx, a reputed software development company based in Perth Australia here.

BlackFox: Focuses on operational efficiency and safety management for drilling contractors, streamlining field data capture, incident reporting, compliance, and asset management. Learn more about Blackfox Exploration Here

Important Note: Thoroughly research each software solution and request demos to determine the best fit for your specific needs and operational requirements.

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To explore more and understand drilling software you can read our guide: Understanding Drilling Software:How to Choose the Best System here.

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A Harmonious Data Ecosystem

A specialised platform will not replace your geological database. You need both to create a harmonious partnership between operational and geological data management.

By acting as a filter and a translator, a specialised drilling software solution ensures that only the most relevant, validated, and essential drilling data flows into your geological database. This streamlines integration, prevents data model clutter, and empowers your geologists to focus on their core expertise – interpreting the earth.

The limitations of traditional geological databases for managing drilling operations are becoming increasingly apparent as drilling programs grow in complexity, generate vast amounts of data, and demand real-time insights.

The emergence of specialised drilling software tools signals a significant shift in the mining industry’s technological maturity and mindset.

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Go beyond Geological Databases

Using geological databases is a great starting point, but it’s not enough—and neither are its alternatives. Drilling data is more than simply meters and locations data.

To improve your site operations and ultimately optimise your drilling , you need to connect your operations teams with the information they need to make their decisions - instead of wrangling spreadsheets.

Combine geological database tools with a specialised drilling software like CorePlan to get the complete picture.

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Beyond the Geological Database: The Rise of Specialised Drilling Software

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