Mining has been around for thousands of years. From the ancient Egyptians to today’s modern miners, humans have always sought to extract valuable minerals like gold, copper, and iron ore.
But before a single ounce can be mined, you’ve got to find it - and that usually starts with a drill program.
Exploration and mining companies hire drill contractors to run these programs. And every shift, something important happens behind the scenes: a Plod gets filled out.
A short history of mining "Plod" stands for Progressive Log of Drilling . It’s a shift-by-shift record that captures everything happening on the rig: time, activities, people, consumables, and costs.
The term comes from Aussie oil and gas slang, but it’s now used across mining operations worldwide.
Plods started out as handwritten paper logs, and for many sites, that’s still the case, even in 2025. But paper has its pitfalls: messy handwriting, manual data entry, and plenty of room for error.
That’s why many teams are switching to digital Plods. They’re easier to manage, analyse, and store - giving teams a faster, more reliable way to track progress, monitor performance, and make decisions based on real data.
AKA: Plod by any other name Depending on where you are, you might hear Plods called:
Drill Log Daily Drilling Report (DDR) Drilling Time Report Boletín (Spanish) Boletin (Portuguese) Different names, same purpose: to capture and communicate what happened on shift.
What goes into a Plod? A typical Plod includes:
Hours worked Drilling activities Down time (and why it happened) Crew members on shift Consumables used Cost breakdowns Once the shift ends, that data gets transferred into a spreadsheet or a digital platform. From there, it’s used to track rig performance, identify issues, and improve drilling efficiency.
Why paper Plods don’t cut it anymore Sure, paper Plods have nostalgia (and maybe a few memes). But they’re holding operations back.
Here’s why:
Messy handwriting: Makes data hard to read - and harder to digitise.Manual data entry = mistakes: Incorrect time intervals, activity codes, or even the wrong date.Double handling: You fill it out, then someone else has to type it in later.Spreadsheet chaos: Not everyone’s an Excel wizard. Formula errors and version control issues are common.Storage headaches: Scanning, filing, and storing paper adds cost and complexity.All of this slows down analysis and decision-making, leading to project delays and cost blowouts.
Why digital Plods are the future As drilling operations become more complex - and pressure mounts to reduce costs and meet ESG goals - digital Plods are becoming a must-have. Here’s what makes them better:
Hidden Costs vs. Impact on Operations
Feature
What it delivers
Real-time data
Information is captured once and instantly available for analysis.
Cloud access
Everyone gets the same data, anytime, anywhere.
Secure storage
No lost paper. No cyber-risk. Everything’s encrypted and backed up.
Cost savings
Sites with just a few rigs can spend $10k+ a year on paper Plod books.
Environmental impact
Less paper, fewer mistakes, better planning = a smaller footprint.
Integration
Syncs with third-party tools for modelling, forecasting, and reporting.
Scalable
Easy to adapt as your team or operation grows.
Automation
Supports better planning, reduces admin, and improves data accuracy.
The future is digital We’re getting closer to a world where rigs can record their own shift data - no Plods needed. But don’t wait for full automation to start digitising. Going digital today will make your operations faster, smarter, and more resilient for tomorrow.
What is CorePlan? CorePlan is the Integrated Drilling Management Platform (IDMP) built for the mining industry.
We help mining companies and drill contractors run faster, smarter, and more connected drilling operations - without the paper.
With CorePlan, you can:
Create digital Plods Standardise shift data Automate data capture and reporting Track real-time performance Make confident, data-backed decisions Learn more or book a demo at coreplan.io
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