Artificial intelligence-powered mining software developed by California-based ExploreTech has now proved its worth in the field for the first time after extensive research, development and testing.
At the Majuba Hill mine site run by Giant Mining Corp (CNSX: BFG) (OTCMKTS: BFGFF) (FRA: YW5) in Nevada, ExploreTech’s geophysical modelling program accurately predicted the depth of copper mineralization underground.
Giant Mining’s last drill hole during this year’s campaign verified the accuracy of the ExploreTech Engine AI targeting systems. These, called Inverter and Driller, determined that the drill rig would intercept copper-bearing chalcopyrite mineralization 650 feet below the surface.
“Copper, exactly where we said it would be,” ExploreTech said in a social media post. “Until today, we haven’t been able to share any real-world drilling results.”
Giant Mining aims to continue using the AI system to enhance its knowledge of the property’s copper footprint and produce a new mineral resource estimate.
“The AI models predicted mineralization starting between 600 and 700 feet, and our team intersected the target zone within just 50 feet of those projections — a remarkable validation of this technology,” said Giant Mining CEO David Greenway.
ExploreTech’s platform was developed at Stanford University where the company’s founders obtained PhD degrees in geophysics and geological sciences.
Source: Giant Mining
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Drilling contractor offers praise
Ben F., Executive Director of the contracting company SCION Drilling, congratulated ExploreTech in a LinkedIn comment and said the development was a major step forward.
“As a drilling contractor, we’ve seen first-hand the inefficiencies that stack up when a hole fails to deliver,” he stated. “This kind of predictive tech means better planning, better budgets, and more successful holes drilled.”
In addition to copper, core samples taken from Majuba Hill have yielded significant quantities of gold and silver. Giant Mining has completed over 10,000 metres of drilling to date.
Eased trade war tensions between China and the United States made Goldman Sachs Group Inc (NYSE: GS) up its copper price estimate by about US$700 per tonne last week. During this quarter and Q3, the major bank thinks it will hover around US$9,240 per tonne.
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