Fleet Space Technologies says initial results from a “real-time” magnetotelluric (MT) survey in South Australia underline the importance of new technology that enables faster data processing and make it a more valuable mineral exploration tool.
The Adelaide-based tech company, which last year raised US$100 million of private funding to speed development and commercialisation of its ExoSphere platform, is working with ASX-listed copper junior Hillgrove Resources at its Kanmantoo mine and project area in SA. Fleet Space says its first MT survey at Kanmantoo generated a resistivity model within days that could enhance Hillgrove’s understanding of sub-surface mineralisation controls.
Fleet Space chief technology and product officer Dr Hemant Chaurasia said the company was enhancing the capabilities of a powerful, deep-imaging geophysics technique.
On its own MT data supported detection of conductive minerals such as sulphides which aided targeting of copper and other commodities. Combined with Fleet Space’s other multi-physics datasets such as seismic and gravity, MT enhanced imaging of mineralogy, particularly alteration.
“Historically, MT’s value has been constrained by slow deployments, complex logistics and delayed results,” Chaurasia said.
“But with ExoSphere MT we’re combining advanced sensors, edge processing, satellite integration and rapid cloud-based data processing to transform MT into a dynamic tool that delivers actionable 3D insights within days to exploration teams in the field.”
ExoSphere MT adds to the ambient noise tomography (ANT), active seismic, and gravity survey components of Fleet Space’s terrestrial exploration platform that also has edge data pre-processing capability and satellite connectivity in its field devices to speed data analysis and 3D model generation.
“The ExoSphere platform enables leading mining companies like Rio Tinto, Barrick, Gold Fields, AngloGold Ashanti and Maaden to acquire, process and integrate high-resolution 3D exploration data into AI-powered insights for their field teams in days,” the company says.
“ExoSphere MT can be deployed in parallel with seismic and gravity surveys, combining measurements to reveal both mineralisation potential and structural context. This complementary approach enables rapid cross-validation, reduces uncertainty and delivers a richer, more complete 3D view of the subsurface.”
Fleet Space says more information on results of the Hillgrove MT survey will follow soon.
