How to Make a Drill Results Map
To make a drill results map, import your drill collar CSV, map the latitude/longitude (or easting/northing) columns, assign the Drillholes role, add callout labels showing hole ID and best intercept, add the property boundary, then export as a Landscape 16:9 PNG or a news-release figure PDF.
What data you need
A drill results map is built from a collar table plus your headline intercepts. Gather:
- A drill collar CSV (one row per hole) with hole ID and coordinates
- Your best intercept per key hole (width × grade) for the labels
- A property/claims boundary file for context (GeoJSON, Shapefile, or KML)
- Your company logo and the program/map date
Required and recommended CSV columns
At minimum you need a hole ID and a coordinate pair. Everything else is preserved as feature properties you can show in callouts.
| Column | Required? | Example | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hole ID | Required | DDH-24-012 | Used as the callout title |
| Latitude / Northing | Required | 50.12345 | Decimal degrees or UTM northing |
| Longitude / Easting | Required | -122.54321 | Decimal degrees or UTM easting |
| Total depth (m) | Recommended | 248.5 | Context in callouts/tables |
| Best intercept | Recommended | 15.2m @ 4.8 g/t Au | The headline label |
| Azimuth / Dip | Optional | 135 / -50 | If you note hole orientation |
Step 1: Import the drill collar CSV
Click the import button in the Layers section and select your collar CSV. The Column Mapper opens automatically — assign latitude and longitude. Columns named Lat, Long, Latitude, Longitude, Easting, or Northing are detected for you. Every other column (hole ID, depth, grade) is preserved and accessible when you click a hole.
Common coordinate issues (and fixes)
Most drill maps that come out wrong are a coordinate problem, not a styling problem.
- Lat/long swapped: if holes land in the wrong hemisphere, you've mapped longitude to latitude — re-map the columns
- UTM vs decimal degrees: easting/northing in the hundreds of thousands won't plot — convert to decimal degrees (WGS84) first, then import
- Sign dropped: western/southern coordinates must be negative (e.g. -122.5, not 122.5)
- Datum mismatch: NAD83 vs WGS84 is usually sub-metre, but a wrong datum or zone can shift holes by hundreds of metres — verify against a known landmark
Step 2: Assign the Drillholes role
Expand the layer card and select 'Drillholes' from the Role dropdown for standard dark circle markers. A marker size of 12–16 px reads well at most scales.
Step 3: Add hole-ID and intercept callouts
Click a hole to open the inline feature editor. Enter the hole ID as the title and the best intercept as the subtext — for example '15.2m @ 4.8 g/t Au' — then Add / Update Callout. For your top results, switch the callout type to 'Badge Label' and put the grade in the badge chip so the standout holes pop. Use the Priority field to keep labels from colliding on dense programs.
Step 4: Add the property boundary
Import your claims boundary as a second layer and assign the Claims role. This gives the drill pattern the property context investors and analysts expect to see.
Step 5: Frame and export for a news release
Activate Landscape 16:9 — the standard for news-release figures — and frame so all holes and key callouts fit. The Investor — Navy & White theme with a Light or Satellite basemap is the convention. Export PNG at 2× for email and web, or the News Release Figure PDF (6" × 4.5") for print-ready delivery.
Example: a 12-hole discovery program
You've finished a 12-hole program with three standout intercepts. Import the collar CSV, map the coordinates, assign Drillholes, badge-label the three best holes with their grades, add plain callouts on the rest, drop in the claims boundary and your logo, switch to Satellite to show the ridge the holes follow, and export Landscape 16:9. That figure is ready to attach to the news release and reuse in the deck.
About the data and what to disclose
Cannot: validate assays, QA/QC, or that an intercept is true width. The map reflects the data you import — make sure your disclosure follows your QP's guidance and applicable securities rules.
Related guides
See the news-release figure workflow, the broad mining claims map guide, how to import CSV data, and how to export a print-ready PDF.