- Operational Technology
- Mining and Mineral Processing
- Glossary
The mining industry has moved a long way from manual, labour-intensive operations. Today, every stage of the mining value chain, from exploration and drilling to mineral processing and logistics, relies on a layer of hardware and software that monitors, controls and optimises physical processes in real time. That layer is operational technology, or OT.
As the boundary between OT and IT continues to erode, understanding what OT actually is – and what it isn’t – has never been more important for mining engineers, plant managers, and operations teams. This article covers the definition, how OT differs from IT, where it’s applied across the mining value chain, and what the emerging challenges of OT security and AI integration mean for your operation.
Operational Technology (OT) - Definition
Operational technology refers to the hardware and software systems used to monitor, control and optimise physical industrial processes. In mining, OT encompasses programmable logic controllers (PLCs), distributed control systems (DCS), SCADA platforms, and advanced process control systems – the technical layer that connects operators to equipment across the mining value chain.
Unlike IT, which manages information flows between people and business systems, OT manages the interaction between people and physical equipment.
What is Operational Technology (OT)?
OT, or Operational Technology, refers to the hardware and software systems used to monitor, control and optimise the operation of industrial equipment and physical processes. Unlike business software, OT operates in real time – making decisions that directly affect physical outcomes, whether that’s maintaining a target grind size in a ball mill, controlling reagent dosing in a flotation circuit, or managing the safe movement of autonomous haulage.
In mining, OT systems include:
- Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) – the workhorses of field-level control
- Distributed Control Systems (DCS) – for complex, process-wide control
- Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems – real-time monitoring and remote control
- Advanced Process Control (APC) platforms – model-based optimisation above basic control
- Historian platforms such as AVEVA PI – high-resolution process data storage and retrieval
- Production management software such as Mipac’s MPA platform – connecting the control layer to operational performance management
It’s worth noting that there is no universal industry consensus on exactly where OT ends and IT begins. Production management software and historian platforms occupy an overlap zone – they share characteristics of both domains, depending on how they are deployed and who manages them.
programmable logic controllers (PLCs), distributed control systems (DCS), and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems.
However, it should be noted that there is currently no industry consensus on what is and is not considered OT versus what is considered IT, nor where there is overlap between the two. For example, it is obvious that all Microsoft products fall into the IT category, but it could be argued that production management software, such as AVEVA PI, RtDUET, MPA and TCard are examples of OT (see diagram below).
OT vs IT in mining: What's the difference?
IT (information technology) and OT serve the same ultimate purpose – creating value for the business – but do so in fundamentally different ways.
IT connects people to information: ERP systems, email, financial reporting, enterprise data platforms. Its primary stakeholders are the business and its commercial relationships.
OT connects people to machines: control rooms, PLCs, SCADA systems, plant floor equipment. Its primary stakeholders are the operators, engineers and technicians who interact directly with physical processes.
| | Information Technology (IT) | Operational Technology (OT) |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Function | Data management and business communication | Monitor and control physical processes |
| Key Stakeholders | Management, finance, corporate | Plant operators, engineers, maintenance teams |
| Typical Systems | ERP, email, CRM, document management | PLC, DCS, SCADA, APC, historian |
| Uptime priority | High, but outages are recoverable | Critical - downtime means lost production |
| Update Cycles | Regular, planned | Infrequent, carefully managed |
| Primary Risks | Data breach, compliance failure | Equipment damage, safety incidents, production loss |
The Convergence Reality
The boundary between IT and OT is no longer a wall – it’s a gradient. As mining operations pursue real-time data access, remote monitoring, and enterprise-wide integration, OT systems that were once physically isolated are now networked to corporate systems and, increasingly, the internet.
This convergence creates significant efficiency opportunities – and significant risks. Managing the OT/IT boundary is one of the defining technology challenges for mining operations in 2025, touching everything from control system architecture to cybersecurity governance.
How OT Is applied across the Mining Value Chain
OT is present at every stage of the mining and mineral processing value chain. Here’s how it is applied across the key operational areas.
Mine planning and exploration
Advanced modelling software and sensor systems allow mining engineers to build digital models, simulate mine conditions, and generate 3D geological representations of the mine site. OT-enabled planning tools identify the most cost-effective and environmentally responsible extraction pathways – minimising costly surprises when the drill hits ground.
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Drilling and blasting
Smart drills, autonomous drill rigs, and precision blasting systems reduce the energy consumed in rock breaking, lowering greenhouse gas emissions and environmental impact. Critically, they also remove personnel from hazardous environments – one of the most significant safety contributions OT makes across the mining value chain.
Material transportation
Autonomous haul trucks and train systems have transformed material movement in large-scale mining operations. Advanced sensor and telemetry systems enable predictive maintenance – extending the lifecycle of high-value assets and reducing unplanned downtime. Human error in high-risk transport scenarios is significantly reduced.
Mineral processing
This is where OT has its most direct and measurable impact on financial performance. The integration of real-time sensors, process control systems, and advanced process control (APC) platforms in mineral processing plants has transformed how metallurgists and process engineers manage ore characteristics and metallurgical response.
Modern OT in mineral processing delivers:
- Higher recovery rates through tighter, more consistent process control
- Reduced variability in grind size, reagent dosing, and pulp density
- Lower consumption of energy, water and hazardous chemicals per tonne of ore processed
- Faster response to feed grade changes and process disturbances
- Improved availability through integration with predictive maintenance systems
For most operations, the mineral processing circuit is where OT investment delivers the fastest and most measurable return.
Logistics and supply chain
Digital supply chain solutions, enabled by OT, provide real-time visibility into the movement of materials and finished products – from pit to port. They improve coordination across operational departments and with external logistics partners, reducing bottlenecks and improving forecast accuracy across the supply chain.
OT Security in Mining: why cybersecurity Is now an OT problem
For most of mining’s history, OT security was a secondary concern. Control systems were physically isolated from corporate networks – the so-called ‘air gap’ – and the threats they faced were primarily physical rather than digital.
That era is over.
As mining operations have pursued OT/IT convergence, remote monitoring, cloud integration, and real-time enterprise data access, that air gap has been effectively closed. Control systems that previously had no external connectivity are now networked – and the attack surface has grown accordingly.
Several high-profile incidents in the resources sector in recent years have demonstrated that OT environments are both actively targeted and genuinely vulnerable. The consequences of a successful attack on mining OT are not limited to data breaches – they can include production stoppages, equipment damage, environmental incidents, and direct safety risks to personnel.
What mining operations need to consider
- Network segmentation: Properly segregating OT networks from IT networks – even in a converged environment – is the foundation of OT security. The Purdue Model and IEC 62443 provide frameworks for how this segmentation should be designed.
- Asset visibility: You cannot protect what you cannot see. Understanding exactly what OT assets are connected, what software versions they are running, and what external access exists is an essential first step.
- Access controls: Remote access to OT systems is now common in modern mining operations. This access must be managed with OT-specific controls and authentication – not adapted from standard IT tools.
- OT-specific standards: The IEC 62443 series is the leading international standard for industrial cybersecurity. Mining operations should understand where their systems sit relative to this framework – particularly as regulatory requirements evolve.
OT security is not an IT problem that happens to involve control systems – it requires specialised expertise, OT-specific tooling, and a clear understanding of how security controls can be applied without disrupting operational continuity.
How AI and Machine Learning are changing OT in mining
The next evolution of OT in mining is already underway. Artificial intelligence and machine learning are being applied at every layer of the OT stack – from edge devices to centralised control platforms – in ways that extend what is possible with process control and operational optimisation.
Advanced Process Control (APC)
Modern APC systems increasingly use model predictive control (MPC) algorithms that adapt in real time to changes in ore characteristics, equipment state, and process conditions. These systems go beyond traditional PID control to optimise across multiple interacting variables simultaneously – maintaining targets like grind size, recovery, and throughput even as feed conditions shift. For most operations, APC is the most practical and highest-return entry point for AI-assisted OT.
Predictive Maintenance
Machine learning models applied to historian and sensor data can identify early failure signatures in rotating equipment – mills, pumps, compressors, and conveyors – before they manifest as failures. This transitions maintenance from reactive to genuinely predictive, with meaningful reductions in unplanned downtime and significant improvements in asset lifecycle management.
Digital Twins
Digital twin models of mineral processing circuits allow operators and engineers to test control strategy changes, evaluate the impact of feed grade variations, and simulate optimisation scenarios – without touching the live plant. AI-assisted digital twins are becoming practical across a wider range of operations as data infrastructure matures.
Autonomous Operations
AI is the enabling layer for autonomous mining equipment – haulage, drilling, and ore sorting. As the autonomy stack matures, the boundary between OT control systems and AI decision-making is becoming increasingly integrated, requiring control engineers and AI specialists to work in closer collaboration than ever before.
The operational and business benefits of OT in mining
Implemented effectively, OT delivers measurable benefits across safety, efficiency, cost, and sustainability.
Safety
Real-time monitoring and automated control reduce human exposure to hazardous conditions. Automated shutdowns and early warning systems enable rapid response before personnel are put at risk.
Efficiency
Automated control systems reduce process variability, maintain equipment closer to its operational constraint, and lower the manual adjustment burden on operators. The cumulative impact on throughput can be significant.
Predictive Maintenance
Sensor-driven condition monitoring allows maintenance teams to act on early warning signals rather than responding to failures. Unplanned downtime – the highest-cost form of production loss – is reduced.
Data-Driven Decisions
OT generates continuous, high-resolution process data. Integrated with analytics platforms, that data becomes the basis for confident operational decisions – from shift-level adjustments to capital planning.
Remote Monitoring
Modern OT enables remote operation and monitoring across distributed or offshore sites. On-site presence requirements are reduced without compromising operational control
Environmental Performance
OT optimises energy consumption, reagent dosing, and water use – reducing environmental footprint and supporting compliance with increasingly stringent regulatory requirements
Cost Reduction
Better efficiency, fewer breakdowns, optimised consumable use, and safer operations combine to deliver measurable reductions in cost per tonne processed.
Assessing where your operation sits on the OT maturity curve?
Mipac has spent 30 years helping mining and mineral processing operations get more from their control systems – from PLC and SCADA integration through to advanced process control and full OT strategy. If you’re navigating a modernisation project, an OT/IT convergence challenge, or looking for quantifiable improvement in your processing circuit, we’re worth talking to.
Or explore our Industrial Automation services →
Frequently Asked Questions
What is operational technology (OT) in mining?
What is the difference between OT and IT in mining?
What are examples of operational technology used in mining?
Why is OT cybersecurity important in mining?
How does OT support operational efficiency in mineral processing?
OT in mining: ready to take the next step?
OT has become the operational backbone of modern mining. As the technology continues to evolve – with AI-assisted control, deeper OT/IT convergence, and increasing cybersecurity demands – the operations that invest in their OT capability will hold a structural advantage over those that don’t.
The question for most operations isn’t whether to invest in OT. It’s where to start, what to prioritise, and how to get measurable, defensible returns from the investment.
Mipac’s engineering team works with mining and mineral processing operations across Australia and globally to design, implement and optimise OT systems. Our capabilities span the full automation and control stack – from field-level PLCs and DCS through to advanced process control and production management software.
Talk to Mipac's engineering team
Whether you’re planning a greenfield control system, modernising aging infrastructure, or looking for quantifiable gains from your existing OT investment – we can help you figure out where to start.
Or explore our Industrial Automation services →
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