Minerals: Core Lithium’s use of space tech to expand its mineral resource

Space technology has a variety of valuable applications in the minerals sector, but is particularly useful for enhancing mineral exploration. Core Lithium’s Finniss Project is adopting these technologies to accelerate its exploration activities and expand its lithium resource.

The Finniss Project is one of the first mines to embrace Fleet Space Technologies’ satellite-based mineral exploration system, ExoSphere. ExoSphere delivers 3D subsurface images much more rapidly than with conventional techniques, and takes days rather than months. The data is collected via Fleet’s seismic node technology – called Geodes – which have been designed specifically for ambient noise tomography (ANT). Geodes are far more sensitive than existing technology, providing important structural information on likely mineralisation at both regional and localised scales quickly, easily, affordably, and with minimal environmental impact.

The tool utilises satellite connectivity to a cloud platform, providing real-time remote access to survey results and processing data into a 3D visual representation. With zero time lost from manually harvesting, transporting, and interpreting data, decisions can be made rapidly, often while field teams are still on site. This allows for survey retargeting towards promising prospects, which reduces the time to achieve accurate value estimations of deposits.1

Core Lithium and Fleet Space Technologies initially partnered on a trial to test Exosphere’s effectiveness at detecting lithium pegmatites at depth (500m+). The trial produced outstanding results, spurring Core Lithium to sign a 12 month agreement with Fleet for delivery of Exosphere in August 2022. It’s Core’s intention to use the technology in untested areas to prioritise targets for drilling and significantly expand its lithium resource.2

Slice of 3D velocity model – from the southern part of Core Lithium’s BP33 tenement – showing pegmatite response, explored during the trial with Fleet Space Technologies.
Slice of 3D velocity model – from the southern part of Core Lithium’s BP33 tenement – showing pegmatite response, explored during the trial with Fleet Space Technologies.
  1. Satellite communications and space exploration | Fleet Space Technologies - Mineral Exploration
  2. ASX: CXO Announcement BP33 drilling delivers outstanding results

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