Stanmore Resources wasn't always a coal mining giant. Just a few years ago, they were a small exploration company, diligently searching for the next big find. But then came a series of strategic acquisitions—first Isaac Plains in 2016, then the landmark deal with BHP Mitsui Coal in 2022—that catapulted them into the big leagues.

"We were completely blown away with the analytics part of CorePlan and the ease of use of the software."

Michael Cavanagh, Exploration Consultant

Suddenly, they were a major player in the Australian metallurgical coal scene, with mines like South Walker Creek and Poitrel churning out the vital ingredient for steel production.

This rapid ascent, however, brought a new set of challenges. As Stanmore's operations expanded, so did the complexity of their exploration drilling data. Maintaining consistent and accurate reporting became crucial. The exploration team, tasked with identifying and evaluating new coal reserves to support this growth, found themselves grappling with outdated data management practices.

Their reliance on paper plods, spreadsheets, and manual data entry was hindering efficiency and potentially impacting decision-making. Something had to change.

Recognising the need for a more robust and scalable solution, Stanmore sought a way to streamline its exploration drilling data management processes. The goal was to improve data accuracy, enhance reporting capabilities, and ultimately empower better decision-making in the face of rapid growth.

The Need for Data-Driven Decisions

The team needed precise, real-time drilling production data to track performance across their diverse exploration portfolio and maintain operational agility. Identifying areas for improvement and making quick, informed decisions were essential for maintaining efficiency and production. 

However, the complexity of managing this drilling production data at this scale posed significant challenges. The reliance on spreadsheets and manual data entry had created inefficiencies, data errors, and reporting inconsistencies, making it increasingly difficult to ensure reliable and timely insights.  

Drowning in Data: The Need for a New Approach

Stanmore's rapid expansion to six drilling rigs across multiple contractors revealed a critical data management flaw: inconsistent coding practices. With over 130 different codes for activities like rig moves and standby time, data analysis and performance comparisons were a nightmare. 

For example, one contractor might use "Standby Principal" for all client-related downtime, while another had separate codes for "Standby Blast," and "Standby Water.” This inconsistency complicated data analysis and made it difficult to compare performance across projects accurately.

Compounding the issue were inconsistent reporting practices. Reports came in various formats from different contractors, which hindered Stanmore’s ability to consolidate data into a cohesive overview. Manual data entry, involving the transfer of information from PDFs to spreadsheets, further exacerbated these problems. The process was slow, labour-intensive, and prone to errors, which undermined the accuracy and reliability of the reports.

"We were drowning in spreadsheets," recalls Mike Cavanagh, Exploration Consultant at Stanmore Resources. "Tracking rig utilisation and performance was a constant struggle. We spent an entire day each week just on manual data entry, and the risk of errors was always there."

The need for timely insights was another critical challenge. The time-consuming nature of manual data handling meant Mike and his team couldn’t devote sufficient resources to analysing the data and extracting valuable insights. This delay often hindered their ability to make quick, informed decisions and adjust operations as needed, impacting everything from cost tracking to resource allocation.nformed decisions and adjust operations as needed, impacting everything from cost tracking to resource allocation.

CorePlan: A Single Source of Truth

Stanmore turned to CorePlan, a comprehensive drilling operations management platform, to tackle these challenges. CorePlan offered a centralised solution with automated data entry and real-time insights.

"CorePlan is our source of truth," Mike states. "Now, everything's live—if something's off, we know about it right away."

Eliminating Manual Data Entry, Unlocking Efficiency

Before CorePlan, Stanmore’s geologists manually transcribed data from paper drilling dockets (plods) into spreadsheets, a time-consuming and error-prone process. "It was a mission to get everything into the spreadsheet," Mike recalls. With CorePlan, plods are uploaded directly to the platform, and data is automatically extracted and organised.

"It was a mission to get everything into the spreadsheet," Mike recalls. With CorePlan, plods are uploaded directly to the platform, and data is automatically extracted and organised.

"The difference is night and day," says Mike. "We've eliminated that day of data entry and now focus on analysing that data to optimise our operations." This shift has freed up valuable time for Stanmore’s team to concentrate on higher-value tasks.

"We now spend less time on admin and more on analysing the data that matters.

Michael Cavanagh, Exploration Consultant

Speaking the Same Language, Improving Collaboration

With multiple drilling contractors using their own set of activity codes, reconciling different terminology and ensuring consistency across projects was a headache. To resolve this, the team standardised the codes, reducing them to a core set of 35. This standardisation created a common language for measuring productivity across all contractors, enabling accurate comparisons and informed decision-making.

"Now, everyone's using the same language, making everything much easier," says Mike.

Unlocking Real-Time Visibility, Driving Proactive Decisions

Previously, Stanmore relied on a cumbersome system of spreadsheets and reports, often receiving data days late. This delay hindered proactive decision-making, potentially leading to costly overruns.

"Before, we were always catching up," says Mike. "With CorePlan's live dashboards, we now have real-time visibility into KPIs like rig availability and utilisation."

From a Full Day to Two Minutes: Streamlining Invoice Reconciliation

Invoice reconciliation was a major pain point, often consuming a whole day due to manual comparisons of invoices and plods. This process was prone to errors and discrepancies, creating extra work for the team. CorePlan has streamlined this process dramatically. By automatically tracking and reconciling drilling data with invoices, CorePlan has minimised errors and disputes. "What used to take an entire day now takes just two minutes," says Mike.

Plans for a Tech-Driven Future

Stanmore Resource’s journey with CorePlan is far from over. They plan to integrate the geophysics and earthworks modules to gain greater oversight and control over these aspects of their operations. Mike also envisions using CorePlan as a planning tool, incorporating budgeting functionality and project scheduling to enhance operational efficiency.

"We've got big plans for the future, and CorePlan is helping us get there," says Mike. "We're always finding new ways to improve our operations. The more we dig in, the more value we uncover."