Digital-Twin-Based 3D Geological Modeling and Integrated Exploration Data Platforms for Critical Mineral Exploration in ASEAN

The transition toward sustainable and resilient supply chains of critical minerals necessitates exploration workflows that are both data-intensive and methodologically transparent. Southeast Asia, which is located at the junction of three main metallogenetic domains, has huge potential for mineral exploration. However, in many ASEAN Member States, mineral exploration remains constrained by heterogeneous data quality, limited interoperability across survey systems, and insufficient integration of multi-scale observation modalities. To address these challenges, the Coordinating Committee for Geoscience Programmes in East and Southeast Asia (CCOP) and the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM) are jointly implementing the ASEAN-Korea Cooperation Fund project (2024-2026), aiming to advance capacity and infrastructure for technology-enabled, database-driven critical mineral exploration.

This contribution presents an integrated framework that couples field-scale acquisition systems with a data platform and a digital-twin-based 3D modeling exploration technology. The proposed workflow assimilates multi-source exploration datasets, including geological mapping, geochemical mapping, geophysical measurements, especially drone-based magnetic surveys, and in-situ terminals, into a unified digital representation of the subsurface. Within this digital twin paradigm, structural elements, geophysical inversion outputs, and associated attribute metadata are harmonized to support iterative model updating, uncertainty reduction, and reproducible interpretation of mineralization processes.

The platform implementation further emphasizes scalable database architecture, secure transmission and governance mechanisms, and interoperable interfaces to facilitate standardized data exchange and analysis. By extending conventional 2D GIS-based repositories toward a 3D exploration database with visualization and model-based analytics, the framework contributes to improved decision support for critical mineral exploration and underpins more robust mineral distribution databases aligned with principles of transparency and materiality commonly required for public reporting.

The CCOP–KIGAM-ASEAN regional collaboration demonstrates how digital-twin-based 3D modeling and integrated exploration data platforms can enhance analytical rigor, operational efficiency, and regional knowledge infrastructure for potential mineral exploration in ASEAN.

Keywords: Critical minerals; Mineral Exploration; Digital Twin; 3D Geological Modeling; Data Platform; ASEAN