Canadian junior ACME Lithium says it is working with Israel’s ASTERRA to evaluate a second target for the application of its satellite-based exploration technology after it was reportedly used to detect high lithium values in Nevada, USA.
Described by ASTERRA (formerly Utilis) co-founder and chief technology officer, Lauren Guy, as the “most significant news since we founded” the company in 2013, ACME said the use of ASTERRA’s synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data analytics, patented algorithms and artificial intelligence at its Fish Lake Valley property had helped it reveal “double the likely locations of lithium above 100 parts per million [compared with] traditional methods of geochemistry exploration”.
The pilot project produced “the highest surface lithium values to date with up to 1325 ppm lithium” in a program designed to speed and lower the cost of early lithium target detection.
“This collaboration and initial case study with technology leader ASTERRA confirms historical and new lithium occurrences on the property and that certain areas are enriched in lithium,” said ACME CEO Steve Hanson.
“We are excited to move forward with ongoing work at multiple projects.”
ASTERRA has used polarimetric SAR (PolSAR) data commercially to detect underground water system leaks and claims to have saved more than 276,000 million gallons of potable water in over 60 countries since 2017.
Geophysicist Guy originally developed the company’s core technology to aid the search for underground water on Mars.
“In the last 18 months, a lean and mean team in the innovation office led by myself and orchestrated by Jasmin Inbar, Yuval Lorig and Inon S created the most fantastic algorithm by ASTERRA to date [to help find] actual lithium deposits deep into the ground from space,” Guy said.
“[Now] we get the first verification of the technology, finding a record high amount of lithium concentration in Nevada.
“The change is here.
“We have many more in the pipeline.”
