Shell and IBM have recently launched Oren, a global B2B Digital mining services marketplace platform, co-developed by the companies aimed at helping mining companies find solutions related to safety, sustainability, mine planning and operational efficiency. By hosting new technology and digital solutions in one place, Oren aims to accelerate the digitisation of the mining industry, speed up the transformation of mining workflows and build in more operational resiliency in a rapidly changing world.
As current world events disrupt regular business operations, mining companies are looking to become more agile and resilient by embedding more automated mine solutions such as self-driving haul trucks and remote operations centres in their operations. To do this, mining operations need to quickly become more digital and intelligent at every step, both within the mines and throughout the wider value chains.
The Oren marketplace platform allows solution developers – both established enterprise companies as well as start-ups – to get their market innovations to mining clients quickly.
Mining companies may not always have the time and budgets to invest in developing their own new tools to meet these challenges. They are looking to deploy ready-made, proven solutions to improve operations by aggregating data from different sources to create a single view of their operations in order to abstract insights and really drive action and make more informed, data driven decisions.
Oren also aims to enable mining operations to develop a roadmap designed to deliver the interconnected mine of the future by creating connected solutions that integrate and leverage data, artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, automation and analytics. This can give miners not only access to digital mining services but also bring solutions and services that can enable miners to imagine and build up intelligent workflows that integrate all services across the mining ecosystem.
The Oren team will bring expert support to mining companies to help build their specific digital journey roadmap while the B2B marketplace provides solutions to get things done, including:
Tailored search
This allows users to identify the most appropriate solutions by customising their search parameters in relation to their responsibilities, the business challenge they are tackling or the nature of the technical solution they are seeking.
Access to field-proven mining solutions
This includes:
- MachineMax, a cloud-based digital service for off-highway vehicles and industrials fleet optimisation.
- Shell Remote Sense, a smart lubricant condition monitoring service delivering insights for industrial companies to optimise equipment health, lower maintenance costs and increase operational efficiency.
- IBM’s Maintenance, Repair and Operations Inventory Optimisation Services which helps manage spare parts inventory optimally for both critical and non-critical spares.
Dedicated environmental management and compliance software
The software can provide detailed analysis and reporting on pollutant inventories, greenhouse gas emission, energy consumption, environmental impact assessment, mine rehabilitation and mine life cycle assessment. It is anticipated that one third of the solutions available on the marketplace will be related to sustainability with solutions on Oren from both large enterprise and start-ups such as Hydrox Holdings, which developed a technology to unlock inexpensive hydrogen production as a renewable energy source.
