Home›Blog›By Region›Drill Results Map — Alberta

Drill Results Map — Alberta

To create a drill results map for Alberta, import your AB claims or data as GeoJSON, assign the appropriate layer role for automatic styling, set the Light or Satellite basemap, and export as PNG or PDF. The entire process takes 15–30 minutes with no GIS experience required.

About Mining in Alberta

Alberta is best known for its oil sands but hosts significant coal, potash, and emerging gold exploration in the Rocky Mountain foothills.

Key minerals: coal, oil sands, potash, salt, silica, gold. Notable deposits: Athabasca Oil Sands, Grande Cache Coal, Kananaskis Gold. Mining districts: Peace River, Foothills, Rocky Mountain.

The Alberta Energy Regulator administers mineral rights in Alberta. Claim data is accessible through Alberta Mineral Rights.

What is a Drill Results Map?

A drill results map plots the collar locations of completed drill holes alongside key assay results — typically highest-grade intercept, hole depth, and azimuth. It is the standard figure included in exploration news releases and is scrutinized by investors and analysts to understand the spatial distribution of mineralization.

How to Create a Drill Results Map for Alberta

  1. Import your drill collar CSV (columns: hole ID, latitude, longitude, depth, assay)
  2. Assign the Drillholes layer role
  3. Import the property claims boundary as GeoJSON
  4. Add callout labels to key holes showing hole ID and best intercept
  5. Use Badge Label type to highlight the highest-grade holes
  6. Configure the title with program name and date
  7. Set the Landscape 16:9 ratio for news release figures
  8. Export as PNG at 2× for email and PDF for the news release attachment

Recommended Settings for Alberta

  • Basemap: Light or Satellite
  • Design theme: Investor — Navy & White
  • Export format: PNG at 2× for investor presentations, PDF (Letter or A4) for NI 43-101 reports
  • Coordinate system: Ensure source data is in WGS84 (EPSG:4326)

Common Use Cases in Alberta

  • Exploration news releases
  • NI 43-101 technical reports
  • Investor day presentations
  • Analyst briefings

Frequently Asked Questions

What file format do I need for Alberta mineral claims data?
Alberta mineral claims boundaries are available from Alberta Mineral Rights and can typically be downloaded as Shapefiles or KML. Convert these to GeoJSON at mapshaper.org before importing into Exploration Maps.
Who regulates mineral claims in Alberta?
Mineral claims in Alberta are regulated by the Alberta Energy Regulator. All tenure and claims data can be queried through Alberta Mineral Rights.
What minerals are typically mapped in Alberta?
Alberta is known for its coal, oil sands, potash, salt deposits. Key producing and exploration-stage properties include Athabasca Oil Sands, Grande Cache Coal, Kananaskis Gold. The main mining districts are Peace River, Foothills, Rocky Mountain.
Can I export a Alberta drill results map for an NI 43-101 report?
Yes. Exploration Maps exports PNG and PDF at 2–3× pixel ratio, suitable for inclusion in NI 43-101 technical reports as required figures. The export includes north arrow, scale bar, legend, and title block — all elements required for NI 43-101 compliance.