At Explica, our goal isn't just to run a competition — it's to give the industry real insight into what good mine planning looks like globally. Most plans are built around a single number, the P50. But a plan that only works on paper isn't a plan, it's a guess with good production values.
We're opening a mine planning challenge on our simulation platform, Oxygen. Entrants get a fully synthetic training site and build the schedule that maximises tonnes moved while lifting the probability of actually achieving that plan — not just the headline P50, but the whole spread around it.
Awarded for the best combination of tonnes moved and probability of achieving plan. Contest Rules To Follow.
The Details
- Dates
- October 1 - October 31, 2026
- Who's eligible
- Anyone with an interest in mine planning
- How to enter
- Register / Login above
This is a chance to see what a probability-aware plan actually looks like next to the one sitting in your Gantt chart, test your thinking against a community of peers doing the same — and contribute to a shared, public benchmark of what good mine planning looks like. Explica will be sharing insights from the entries as they come in, so the value extends well beyond the winning plan.
- The Mine Planning Challenge puts every competitor in control of the same seven-day plan for Vulcan Cress, a fictitious large-scale iron ore mine. Working entirely within Oxygen, you’ll use its AI agent and simulation capability to analyse the plan, make mine-planning decisions and improve the outcome. But this isn’t simply a race for maximum tonnes—the winning plan must deliver strong production while managing risk and volatility. You’ll also have a limited number of AI tokens, so a big part of the challenge will be deciding what to investigate and asking the right questions. Same mine, same equipment, same constraints—the difference will be the quality of your decisions.
Closing the gap between the plan and the probability of hitting it is the real contest, not just chasing tonnes.
FAQ
How long will I have to complete the Challenge?
You'll have four weeks from the time the Challenge opens to work on your entry and submit your final plan.
How much of my time will it take?
We're deliberately limiting the number of tokens available to each participant. That means there is a practical limit to how much time you can spend interrogating and modifying the plan. Our estimate is a maximum of around three hours in total.
Do I have to do it all in one sitting?
No. You can log in multiple times during the four-week Challenge period, continue where you left off, and submit when you're ready.
Will everyone know how I performed?
Only if you want them to. You'll create your own display name, so you're welcome to compete anonymously.