Low-cost microcomputers will be widely used in the future to assemble, evaluate, and map the geologic information and engineering data required to explore and develop oil and gas prospects and mining operations.

Because of recent developments in hardware and software design, exploration geologists and mining engineers can now use low-cost stand-alone computer work stations based around a microcomputer interfaced to a digitizer, plotter, and interactive color graphics display, to reduce the time and cost of planning and design work required to prepare project feasibility and design maps and reports.

Stand-alone computer work stations in the $20,000 to $30,000 range are now available. There is, however, a great need for the development of more and better user-oriented, menu-driven, software that will make it possible for geologists, mining engineers, and many others to enter data and interactively manipulate and edit them through interactive computer graphics systems and

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prepare plotted maps at a work station that can easily be fitted into an average size office.

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