Development of MINFILE
INTRODUCTION
HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT
OF MINFILE
2.1 Manual System - 1967
2.2 MINDEP - 1973
2.3 MINFILE - 1976
2.4 MINFILE Redesign - 1984
2.5 MINFILE/vax - 1987
2.6 MINFILE/pc - 1989
2.7
MINFILE/pc (Y2K) - 1999
2.8 MINFILE/www and MINFILE/pc (version 5.0) - 2005
THE MINFILE
DATABASE
3.1 Framework and Status
3.2 Coding Procedure
THE MINFILE/pc
SYSTEM
4.1 System Overview
4.2 System Requirements and Components
THE SEARCH
AND REPORT SYSTEMS
5.1 General Overview and Features
5.2 The Search System
5.3 The Report System
5.4 Utilities
THE DATA
ENTRY AND TRANSFER SYSTEMS
6.1 General Overview and Features
6.2 Compare Routine
HELP SYSTEM
AND DOCUMENTATION
7.1 Proximity-Scan and Friendly Finder
7.2 UTM - Long./Lat. Conversion
7.3 Documentation
MINFILE
PRODUCTS AND OUTPUTS
8.1 MINFILE/pc
8.2 MINFILE Data and Maps
8.3 Commodity Open Files
8.4 MINFILE Distribution and Client Sales
8.5 Order
Information
USES OF
MINFILE
9.1 System Users
9.2 Some Search Examples
9.3 A MINFILE Geological Workstation
9.4 Data Management
MINFILE TEAM AND
MARKETING
10.1 MINFILE Staff
10.2 Partners in Enterprise Agreement
2005 MINFILE SYSTEM RE-WRITE
11.1 MINFILE/www and Off-line MINFILE/pc
FUTURE
PLANS
12.1 MINFILE System Plan
SUMMARY
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
NUMBER OF OCCURRENCES OVER
TIME
INTRODUCTION
The Historical, Present, and Future Development of the MINFILE
system.
MINFILE, as a computerized mineral inventory
system, represents a readily accessible information base for
describing the nature and distribution of over 12,000 metallic,
industrial mineral and coal occurrences within specific geological
settings of British Columbia.
The MINFILE project, which supported the, now obsolete, MINFILE/vax and DOS-based MINFILE/pc systems and newer
MINFILE/www system, is dedicated to ensuring that
information in the database is up-to-date, accurate, complete, and
easily accessed. As MINFILE is distributed to industry,
government, and university clients, the system has proven to be
robust, functional, user-friendly, flexible, and well documented.
These goals required continued investigation and application of new
technology towards the MINFILE/www and MINFILE/pc
systems (November, 2005) we have today.
As of November, 2005, MINFILE releases totalled 12215 occurrences which represents 96 per cent of the total
database. Of this, 92 per cent or 98 of the 105 map areas have been
formally released. Professional geologists constantly maintain and expand
on the information. Newly compiled information is released periodically by NTS mapsheet and the data for the entire province is released
monthly on the web at
http://www.em.gov.bc.ca/mining/GeolSurv/MINFILE/Updates/updates.htm
HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF MINFILE
The database is over 30 years old and has evolved from a simple
card-based file to a powerful mainframe or microcomputer-based
Geoscience Information System. In 2005 it was rewritten for the Internet.
2.1 Manual System - 1967
In 1967, the Geological Survey Branch began a
manual mineral inventory card file consisting of one card per occurrence.
It included identification, location, historical, geological, and
reference information. Another card file system consisted
of the industry-supported MacDonald File. The card file
systems were difficult to use and maintain, and lacked geological
information, so plans were made to redesign and computerize the
information.
2.2 MINDEP - 1973
MINDEP was a research project initiated by the
Department of Geological Sciences at the University of British Columbia,
partially funded by a grant from the Ministry of Energy Mines and
Petroleum Resources. The objective was to develop a computerized
mineral deposit data file and to design methods for data retrieval and
manipulation. Information on the two card files, mentioned above,
was incorporated into MINDEP. The data resided on Honeywell
mainframe computers.
2.3 MINFILE - 1976
In 1976, MINDEP was transferred from the University of British
Columbia to the computer facilities of the B.C. Systems Corporation
(BCSC). Renamed MINFILE, the system was maintained by the
Resource Data and Analysis Section of the B.C. Geological Survey
Branch.
In 1981, BCSC changed operating systems from a Honeywell 6066
computer to an IBM 3081 mainframe computer and the programs were
rewritten from COBOL to PL1. With this conversion, problems
were encountered with the file structure and the storage and
retrieval of information. Inquiry into the system consisted of
a limited combination of searches, which included one of deposit
type, mineral code or commodity combined with one of map sheet ID,
NTS map, or mining division. Queries were by batch mode
and
were very expensive.
2.4 MINFILE Redesign - 1984
The Geological Survey Branch initiated a redesign of MINFILE in 1984
to adequately update the file and to establish a better inquiry base
for mineral inventory data. The system redesign centered
around a table-driven relational database schema with third and
fourth generation computer languages for the VAX minicomputer
environment. The addition of extensive new fields included
more mineralogical and geological data, with multiple fields.
Comment fields were expanded, which provided the ability to input an
unlimited amount of textual information. The main objectives
were as follows:
- update the existing information
-
expand the geological content
-
eliminate system conversion problems
-
develop an interactive and user-friendly system
-
improved search capabilities on more fields
-
control excessive computer costs
-
increase system usage
-
download data to micro-computers
-
provide graphic output links
-
provide a lead into 'Expert' systems.
With the help of funding by the Canada/British Columbia Mineral
Development Agreement, several contract geologists were hired to research
and code for the redesigned database.
2.5 MINFILE/vax - 1987-1990
MINFILE/vax was a relational database, originally programmed for a
VAX 11/730 mini-computer. The MINFILE/vax system consisted of
an ULTRA INTERACTIVE DATA BASE SYSTEM, ULTRA Logical User Views and
programs. One of ULTRA's strengths is prototyping, which aided
in the development of MINFILE.
The database design used an 'entity-relationship' model comprised of
tables of codes (entities), with interrelated tables of deposit
data, containing common MINFILE numbers.
The ULTRA database, the foundation in which the MINFILE data resided,
was a directory driven database management system (DBMS) and was
designed for VAX computers using the VMS operating system. The
user interacted with the database either by input screens or through
the Logical User Views (LUVs). The LUVs act as software
interfaces between the physical data set and either third or fourth
generation programming languages, which are written in COBOL,
FORTRAN, SPECTRA, or MANTIS. SPECTRA is a fourth generation
language that is used to query sets of data and extract information
for output.
SPECTRA was used to conduct ad hoc enquiries and preprogrammed
searches on the database. SPECTRA, although ideal for custom
queries, because it navigates easily on the database, was costly on
the system and not accessible to all users.
From there, MINFILE/vax operated on a DEC-VAX 8850 mainframe
computer, using the VMS operating system. ULTRA was renamed
SUPRA in February, 1990.
2.6 MINFILE/pc - 1987-1990
MINFILE/pc, Version 1.0 was released in November
1987. It was developed initially to overcome searching costs on the
VAX system and make the database accessible to more users. This
menu-driven program was designed to search 20 prime aspects of the
database. The search program was useful as a starting point to
gather information on mineral occurrences in B.C., thus forming a basis
for further investigation.
MINFILE/pc, Version 2.0, released in March 1989,
saw the addition of a reports module. Reports resulting from a
MINFILE/pc search included standard data format (SDF) files, tabular
reports, capsule geology and bibliography reports and a master report.
A graphics program known as MINGRAPH PC was
developed by ESL. This program used the SDF file from MINFILE
to generate mineral occurrence maps. MINGRAPH PC was also
used to plot mineral inventory maps at a 1:250 000 scale, with 1:50
000 scale inserts when required. They were plotted on a
topographic and geological base, with geological legends and sorted
tabular reports.
MINFILE/pc, Version 2.13, released in September
1989, provided the following upgrades: a production report, a
parceling utility, a faster commodity search, and other enhancements to
Version 2.0.
A beta version of MINFILE/pc, Version 3.00,
completed in April 1990, integrated a Data Entry and Transfer system into
the previous version of MINFILE/pc. It allows users to enter and/or
alter mineral occurrence data and transfer, compare and update the changes
to another PC using floppy diskettes.
MINFILE/pc, Version 4.0 included a complimentary end-user license from Proximity Technology Inc.
This version of MINFILE/pc contained a new module (MINFILE/dg), which was
created for the Ministry's
Regional Geologists to track exploration and development activity in B.C.
Projects were directly
linked to associated MINFILE occurrences. Note that this exploration data
was not distributed. However, the system could have been used by
clients to enter and track their own data.
With the release of MINFILE 4.0, users experienced various memory
errors. Some of these were due to running out of base RAM memory
and problems with extended/expanded memory.
MINFILE/pc
uses FoxPro as the database management system and R&R as the
report writing software. FoxPro tends to allocate all of extended
memory or DOS memory, leaving none for the DOS-Extended R&R.
Changes
to the next release of MINFILE attempted to optimize memory
usage. However, problems still occurred on some user's computers.
Three new comma delimited extract files (MINERAL.MBC, RESERVE.MBC and
PRODUCT.MBC) were created from MINFILE/pc 4.0c. The extracts were based on the entire MINFILE database or on search criteria. These
files were useful for importing into GIS software and obtaining a
summary of MINFILE data.
2.7 MINFILE/pc -
(Y2K Edition) - 1999
MINFILE/pc, Version 4.5 (Y2K Edition) - new program features include:
location data in either NAD 27 or TRIM/NAD 83 datums; files and
printouts display either datum; ability to enter deposit
descriptions for any location in the world; user-defined region
codes, descriptions and comments; ability to batch assign a region
to MINFILE occurrences or Exploration Projects; ability to change
editors and devices; user defined longitude/latitude coordinate
areas; ability to archive project data; ability to export the
Exploration Project data; addition of a batch delete function; new
searches; and code table lookups for all searches. Documentation has
been updated and is downloadable from
http://www.em.gov.bc.ca/mining/GeolSurv/MINFILE/manuals/user/usertoc.htm
If data and MINFILE/pc Version
4.0a, or an earlier version of 4.5a, existed on your hard
drive, then MINFILE/pc Version 4.5 would install automatically over
the old version and convert the data.
As of November, 2004, MINFILE releases totalled 12182 occurrences which represents 95 per cent of the total
database. Of this, 92 per cent or 98 of the 105 map areas have been
formally released. Professional geologists constantly maintain and expand
on the information. Newly compiled information is released periodically by NTS mapsheet and the data for the entire province is released
periodically on CD-Rom and monthly on the web at
http://www.em.gov.bc.ca/mining/GeolSurv/MINFILE/Updates/updates.htm
2.8 MINFILE/www and MINFILE/pc - 2005
The MINFILE/www On-line Coding Card and Searches for the Web and a new version of MINFILE/pc (version 5.0) were released in November 2005.
This rewrite was designed to safeguard the well-designed MINFILE database and to replace
the outdated DOS-based MINFILE/pc system to meet the needs of a diverse client group, including energy and mineral
explorationists, land planners, environmental consultants, native groups, university students and the public. It
is delivered primarily through the Internet with views of the data for off-line (MINFILE/pc) and GIS use.
The MINFILE/www application provides for two levels of searches, data capture,
reports, data transfer, maintenance and links through mineral occurrence plots on MapPlace.
The new off-line MINFILE/pc application includes two levels of searches, reports, data transfer and help screens.
The new system was designed to:
- address redundancies;
- automatically populate fields based on geospatial location;
- incorporate new fields: electoral riding, forest district and 1:20K maps;
- increase accuracy with location certainty - now within 100 metres;
- enhance searches, including string searches on capsule geology, bibliography and comment fields;
- provide reports in PDF or MS Word format;
- enhance GIS downloads;
- provide a stand-alone, off-line system of the complete database for clients to use off-line or in the field;
- provide for a life expectancy of at least 10 years.
THE MINFILE DATABASE
3.1 Framework and Status
The content of MINFILE emphasizes information
useful in exploration applications, reflecting the mandate of the B.C.
Ministry of Energy & Mines, to stimulate mineral exploration and mine
development in the province. The MINFILE database contains current
and historical geological information on metallic, industrial mineral, and
coal occurrences. Each occurrence contains data
describing mineral deposits in terms of location, tectonic belt,
commodity, mineralogy, host rock name and age, deposit type, lithology,
production, and reserves. Geological descriptions are available in
text form and bibliographies lead the user to more information. The
data are organized with a related set of codes, using a
relational database management system and application development
software, and operate within a micro-computer environment.
Collectively, this information forms an excellent
geoscience database to provide for private
sector exploration and development of the Province's mineral resources and
for resource management decisions by government.
Since 1984 the information in the database has
undergone extensive changes. The data has been upgraded and updated
by experienced geologists to insure that the information available is up
to date, factual, concise and of high quality.
As of June, 1990,
MINFILE had 4950 occurrences released in this format which represented 48%
of the provincial total. As
of April 1995, 85 per cent of the total database had been updated
and entered into the computer. Of
this, 80 per cent or 89 of the
105 map areas were released to the public. MINFILE
data were distributed on 1.44-megabyte, 3.5-inch diskettes, hard
copy printouts, and plotted on geological and topographic base maps.
The entire provincial MINFILE database was available on 15 disks ($75.00/set
or $7.50/diskette). The 92 Mineral Inventory/MINFILE maps were
available on microfiche for $10.00 per set.
This microfiche set was updated May 1994. Paper maps are $5.00 each;
printouts range from $5.00 to $50.00 per NTS area.
As of January, 2002, MINFILE had 12098 occurrences
released in this format which represented 95 per cent of the total
database. Of this, 92 per cent or 98 of the 105 map areas had been
formally released. Professional geologists constantly maintain and expand
on the information. Newly compiled information is released periodically by NTS mapsheet and the data for the entire province is released
periodically on CD-Rom and monthly on the web at
http://www.em.gov.bc.ca/mining/GeolSurv/MINFILE/Updates/updates.htm.
As of November, 2004, MINFILE releases totalled 12182 occurrences which represents 95 per cent of the total
database. Of this, 92 per cent or 98 of the 105 map areas have been
formally released. Professional geologists constantly maintain and expand
on the information. Newly compiled information is released periodically by NTS mapsheet and the data for the entire province is released
periodically on CD-Rom and monthly on the web at
http://www.em.gov.bc.ca/mining/GeolSurv/MINFILE/Updates/updates.htm
Up until 2004, MINFILE reports and data were
distributed on CD-ROM ($25.00)
and downloadable free from the Web. The 92
Mineral Inventory/MINFILE maps, with occurrences plotted on
geological and topographic bases, are available on paper ($5.00
each), on the MINFILE
CD or download
from the Web, and on microfiche ($10.00 per set); the microfiche
set was last updated January 1997.
With the 2005 re-write of MINFILE/pc and the new MINFILE/www system, the data was
moved to an SQL Server database. Users can view the data via a real-time live connection.
Today, MINFILE reports and data are available on the
web or from: Crown
Publications Inc., 521 Fort Street, Victoria, BC, Canada V8W 1E7;
Phone: (250) 386-4636; Fax: (250) 386-0221; WWW: http://www.crownpub.bc.ca.
3.2 Coding Procedure
A MINFILE occurrence is defined as in-situ bedrock
or placer mineralization, either on surface, in drill holes, or in
underground workings. It does not include float, geochemical or
geophysical anomalies. Coding of information for the MINFILE
database is generally carried out within a 1:250,000 National Topographic
System (NTS) area. The steps involved include assembling
locational and general NTS
mapsheet information, obtaining information on existing mineral
occurrences from previous coding, and communicating with field and expert
geologists.
Deposit information is compiled and entered into
appropriate data fields. Descriptions of the occurrences are written
and coded by Ministry geologists using standard codes listed in the
MINFILE Coding Manual. Historic information cited includes Ministry
reports, published articles and industry assessment report data
(ARIS).
Comprehensive geological descriptions and bibliographies are provided for
each deposit. Production, reserves and best assay data are also
compiled.
Several fields in the MINFILE database are ranked.
These include commodity, mineralogy and lithology fields. The status
or stage of development of the occurrence is recorded as showing,
prospect, developed prospect, producer or past producer. Commodities
are ranked in decreasing order of importance, based on perceived economic
significance and quantity of significant minerals. Ranking is
sometimes biased, commodity listings for a deposit tend to use such
conventions as gold-silver and lead-zinc rather than silver-gold and/or
zinc-lead regardless of the relative abundance or value of the metals.
Such paired commodities may be better dealt with by combining them in a
search. Commodities recorded in the database may be present in any
amount and do not have to be economically recoverable. Significant
minerals are ranked according to their relative abundance or importance.
The lithology(ies) that hosts the mineralization is listed first followed
by associated and/or related lithologies.
The variety of
deposit models and classifications
presents difficulties in attempting to describe deposit types.
Deposit types are handled by ranking four entries in the following two
fields: deposit character, which is derived from field observations;
and deposit classification, which is an interpretation of the genesis of
an occurrence.
An appreciation of the way MINFILE data are
recorded permits the user to judge and draw conclusions on the
significance of the occurrence.
THE MINFILE/pc SYSTEM (Version 4.5a)
Today's MINFILE/pc and MINFILE/www SYSTEMS
4.1 System Overview
MINFILE/pc Version 5 is a user-friendly,
MS Access application,
downloadable for local PC use. MINFILE/pc has an interface similar
to MINFILE/www, which is an
Internet-based system consisting of basic and advanced searches, on-screen
occurrence summary data and other reports and downloads. MINFILE/pc provides
a portable extract of the MINFILE database along with search forms and
printable reports.
MINFILE/www is a menu-driven program,
operating in the SQL Server 2000 platform. Users
can view the data with a real-time live connection.
In addition to the searching capability of MINFILE/www,
the program reports on the search results which link to individual MINFILE
Record Summaries, Production, Inventory and MINFILE Detailed reports in PDF or MS Word format. MINFILE information can be
plotted on the MapPlace by clicking on the latitude/longitude link or by using
other computer aided mapping systems and/or integrated with
conventional geographic information systems.
Editing and updating new mineral
occurrences is possible with via the Internet with a BCeID (https://www.bceid.ca/)
for companies registered in British Columbia or a MyID for individuals. The revised information may be
easily transferred to
other computers. Please contact
MINFILE Project Staff to be set
up with this utility.
4.2 System Requirements and Components
The new MINFILE/www was developed with Microsoft .NET and SQL Server, in
accordance with Ministry standards. The application is multi-tiered, separating data, business logic and user
interface. The user interface and business logic components were developed using ASP.NET. Crystal Report Writer is used to generate the reports.
The new off-line version of MINFILE/pc is downloadable in .rar format and consists of MS Access tables and a help file.
MINFILE/pc is a menu-driven search and reporting program which is downloadable (in .rar format) from our website. The program requires
hard-disk drive with sufficient space to accommodate the distributed data files
and its subsequent configuration (approximately 150 Mb). The following table shows the
recommended configurations to run MINFILE/pc.
System Requirements:
Both new systems come with help describing how to use the programs.
THE SEARCH AND REPORT SYSTEMS
5.1 General Overview and Features
The new MINFILE has the ability to interrogate the
provincial mineral database and break it down into a variety of manageable
subsets. Searches are conducted by inputting parameters into the
simple, user-friendly screen menus. Information files are then
created which can be saved for future reference and to produce mineral
occurrence distribution plots or generate reports on the search results.
Imagine the variety of queries possible from
thousands of mineral occurrences. For example, search on occurrences
representative of Kuroko-style stratiform, volcanogenic, massive sulphide
deposits; or, find occurrences similar to a deposit described as an
epithermal deposit, containing quartz, dolomite and pyrite as alteration
minerals within tuff, limestone and breccia of Permian age; or, prepare a
file to plot gold occurrences on geological or geochemical maps; or
finally, extract production and reserve data for all major deposits.
5.2 The Search System
The new MINFILE programs have 2 search screens
each - basic and advanced.
The basic searches are the most common searches. The advanced searches enable the user to search on
almost all of the fields in the database. On the
advanced screens, search parameters are entered into the program using Boolean
algebra (AND, OR, NOT) expressions.
5.3 The Report System
Reports resulting from the new MINFILE/www or MINFILE/pc
systems are identical. They both offer the same reports in a PDF or MS Word format. A
MINFILE Summary Report provides a summary of the information on an
occurrence, the MINFILE Detailed report displays the complete data, the
production report displays production by year and a production summary, and the inventory report displays
inventory by year.
These reports are generated using Crystal Reports and can be printed
to the screen or printer.
THE CODING CARD AND TRANSFER SYSTEMS
6.1 General Overview and Features
The purpose of the MINFILE/www Coding Card is
to allow users to enter or alter mineral occurrence data into the MINFILE
database over the Internet.
The major functions of the system include
Selecting a Deposit, Selecting a Screen, Revising an occurrence or creating a new one, Obtaining
Help, and Printing Reports.
The primary users of MINFILE/www Coding Card will be research geologists
and employees of the BC Geological
Survey, who update the MINFILE database. An off-line system (MINFILE/pc)
may also
be downloaded for geologists working in the field and clients in the
mining industry for their own use.
HELP SYSTEM AND DOCUMENTATION
7.1 UTM - Long./Lat. Conversion
Although location information in MINFILE is in both Universal
Transverse Mercator (UTM) coordinates and Longitude/Latitude, the
user needs only to enter one or the other. A program converts
one to the other.
7.2 Documentation
Supporting documents for MINFILE/pc include: a
Coding
Manual,
which details the characteristics, editing factors, and
limitations of each data field; a
User Manual describes the search
and report systems of MINFILE/pc, Version 4.5 and provides
detailed information on the procedures involved in the data entry
process on the MINFILE/www Coding Card utility.
MINFILE PRODUCTS AND OUTPUTS
8.1 MINFILE/pc
The MINFILE/pc Search and Report program,
Version 5.0 is available free of charge from our website:
http://www.em.gov.bc.ca/mining/Geolsurv/Minfile/minfpc.htm
8.2 MINFILE Data and Maps
Up to version 4.5a, the MINFILE data was sold on a
commercial basis in hard copy as maps and printouts and in computer
format as floppy diskettes or CD-Rom. It is now strictly available on
the web.
MINFILE maps
(last updated January 1997) show the
location of known mineral occurrences on a physiographic,
topographic and geological base map. The number labels refer
to the MINFILE number within a 1:100,000 or 1:250,000 scale National
Topographic System (NTS) map. The symbols class the occurrence
according to showing, prospect, developed prospect, producer or past
producer. A legend shows MINFILE number, occurrence name and
mineral commodities. Indices are provided which sort the
occurrences by primary commodity, primary name and NTS area.
8.3 Commodity Open Files
Various commodity studies, including silica, magnesite, magnetite, talc,
chromite, nickel, platinum and barite have
been released as Open Files.
8.4 MINFILE Distribution and Client Sales
Over 1400 copies of MINFILE/pc have been
distributed to clients within Canada and other countries.
Along with sales and distribution of MINFILE products, the MINFILE
team has responded directly to many client inquiries via the
telephone, email, etc.
8.5 Order Information
Requests for MINFILE information, MINFILE Coding
Manual, and MINFILE/pc system disks are available
through our website below or from:
MINFILE
BC Geological Survey
Ministry of Energy and Mines
P.O. Box 9333 STN PROV GOV'T
VICTORIA BC CANADA V8W 9N3
Office location: 5th Floor, 1810 Blanshard Street
Contacts:
USES OF MINFILE
The power of MINFILE lies in the flexibility of
its relational structure and the simplicity of the user-interface of the
MINFILE/pc program. The scope for manipulating the database to
develop new perspectives on the distribution of mineral occurrences is
limited only by the imagination of the user. The strength of the
MINFILE system is its ability to efficiently search, sort, and manipulate
data on thousands of mineral occurrences. MINFILE/pc results may
range from mineral occurrence listings from simple searches to complete
reports from complex searches which identify similar environments to a
major new mineral discovery.
9.1 System Users
The program is widely used as an inexpensive
research tool by industry, academic researchers and government.
MINFILE has its greatest application in area selection for exploration or
research projects. This selection process results from careful
analysis of the geology, metallogeny and distribution of mineral
occurrences within a broad region. From this analysis patterns will
emerge showing the association of mineral occurrences with specific
geological settings. Mineral occurrence distribution and variable
plots lead to further research to help select prospective areas for
mineral potential. A variety of multivariate statistical procedures
may be used to define high priority exploration targets.
MINFILE is routinely used to research land-use
issues and identify potential conflict between the mineral and other
resource values. Before alienating areas from development, areas
must be first assessed for their mineral resource potential.
Legislators and policy advisors also require basic resource information
for the development of rational and far-sighted policies.
MINFILE is a compilation of historical and current
exploration data, and thus is sometimes limited by incomplete, inaccurate
or ambiguous reporting. An appreciation of the way MINFILE data is
recorded permits the user to draw meaningful conclusions regarding the
significance of the occurrence and the data. Users of the MINFILE
system should understand how the data is collected and stored before
attempting to "navigate" and query the database.
MINFILE does not attempt to assign definitive
deposit types to all occurrences. For example, if interested in
alkaline porphyry gold deposits, the user should search on modifiers of
the model. In this case, search parameters could include copper,
gold, diorite, syenite, monzonite, and possibly age parameters. Such
an approach would bring the user closer to expected results and leave less
chance of missing occurrences close to the desired model description.
9.2 Some Search Examples
The following are examples of queries that can be
efficiently handled by MINFILE/pc:
1. List mineral occurrences representative
of Kuroko-style stratiform, volcanogenic, massive sulphide deposits.
2. Provide a file for plotting all mineral
occurrences in the Intermontane belt that contain both copper and gold,
but no molybdenum, lead and zinc.
3. Find similar occurrences to an epithermal
deposit, containing quartz, dolomite and pyrite as alteration minerals
within tuff, limestone and breccia of Permian age.
4. Extract production and reserve data for
gold skarns within different geological terranes.
5. Produce a complete report on all copper
deposits with reserves over 100,000 tonnes with a grade over 0.5 per cent.
MINFILE TEAM AND MARKETING
10.1 MINFILE Staff
The MINFILE team consists of a Senior Geologist who leads the
project and reports to the Manager
of Resource
Information; a Database Administrator who maintains and enhances the MINFILE
system; and one
MINFILE
Geologist who updates and maintains the MINFILE
database and provides client support. Additional staff join
the team as the budget allows.
10.2 Partners in Enterprise Agreement
Up to version 4.5a, MINFILE/pc achieved a significant degree of success. This
success is largely credited to the Ministry of Energy, Mines and
Petroleum Resource's BC Geological Survey and SHL Systemhouse
Inc. From 1986
through to 1990, Systemhouse and the BC Geological Survey worked closely together, drawing upon each other's expertise
within the disciplines of computer science and geology,
respectively. Having become quite expert within the taxonomy
of Geoscience Information Management, the two organizations entered into an official business relationship. A Partners in
Enterprise agreement was made between the Province of British Columbia and SHL Systemhouse Inc.
which allowed Systemhouse to market and enhance the
MINFILE Mineral Inventory System for sale worldwide for use by other
geological surveys. The Yukon Government
incorporated the MINFILE solution for their mineral database needs
through this agreement.
2005 MINFILE SYSTEM RE-WRITE
11.1 MINFILE/www and MINFILE/pc
The MINFILE/www and a new version of MINFILE/pc
were released in November 2005.
After many years, technological advances in hardware and software applications provided
the functional and economic rationale for moving
MINFILE to an Internet-based Windows environment. The rewrite was designed to safeguard the well-designed MINFILE database
and to replace
the outdated DOS-based MINFILE/pc (version 4.5a) system to meet the needs of a diverse client group, including energy and mineral explorationists, land planners, environmental consultants, native groups, university students and the public. It
is delivered primarily through the Internet with views of the data for off-line (MINFILE/pc) and GIS use.
The MINFILE/www application provides for two levels of searches, data capture,
reports, data transfer, maintenance and links through mineral occurrence plots on MapPlace.
The new off-line MINFILE/pc application includes two levels of searches, reports, data transfer and help screens.
The new system was designed to:
- address redundancies;
- automatically populate fields based on geospatial location;
- incorporate new fields: electoral riding, forest district and 1:20K maps;
- increase accuracy with new location certainty - within 100 metres;
- enhance searches, including string searches now available on capsule geology,
bibliography and comment fields;
- provide reports in either PDF or MS Word format;
- enhance GIS downloads;
- provide a stand-alone, off-line system of the complete database for clients to use in the
field;
- provide for a life expectancy of at least 10 years.
FUTURE PLANS
12.1 MINFILE System Plan
Phase II of the MINFILE System Rewrite will be considering such optional features as audit trails for
data revisions, links to photo and video galleries, automatic population of elevation information, saved searches,
additional data extracts, linkages to other databases, etc.
The remaining coding and editing of
MINFILE data is ongoing.
SUMMARY
Increased mineral exploration in B.C. has added to
mineral occurrence and geological information which must be compiled and
coded into the MINFILE structure. Updating of computer hardware and
software for the MINFILE system must keep pace with changing technology.
MINFILE will ultimately be used as an underlying database for Geographical
Information Systems and Expert System technology. These changes and
enhancements will necessitate continued support of MINFILE to provide a
useful database to the mining community.
Over the years, MINFILE has been continually refined to take
advantage of technological advances to become a comprehensive and
user-friendly system. The power and strength of the MINFILE system
is its flexibility and ability to efficiently search, sort, and manipulate
geological data from thousands of mineral occurrences.
A
rewrite has been conducted to safeguard the well-designed MINFILE database and
replace the outdated DOS-based MINFILE/pc system.
The
new MINFILE database system will follow a strict process for capturing
data and editing data to protect the integrity and security of the
MINFILE database. The new data and/or edits will be captured on-line via
the Internet using the MINFILE Coding
Card. All submissions will be reviewed by qualified MINFILE
geologists/coders for completeness,
accuracy, etc. Once approved by the geologist, they will be submitted
electronically to the corporate database where an administrator will
assign a new MINFILE number or update an existing number. This data will
then be posted instantaneously to the web for searching, reporting and
extraction of data by clients, government and staff.
Readily accessible geological information provides
a framework for resource management decision making. It also
provides a major stimulus to mineral exploration, leading to the discovery
of new ore bodies.