Big data and artificial intelligence (AI) have provided new methods and opportunities for many applications in geology. Nevertheless, big data and AI-based geoscience applications are still in their infancy, and the methods and objectives are still scattered, lacking a unified theoretical and application framework. 

Machine learning and artificial intelligence are the two fields of computer science dealing with the innovative idea of inducing smartness and intelligence in machines and automating complex tasks and operations through modern learning algorithms. While the rest of the operational fields have diligently developed new technologies, the mining industry has been lacking in applying these innovative methodologies to achieve operation autonomy with intelligence. However, this trend is beginning to change, with a few researchers adopting machine learning and artificial intelligence to improve the existing technologies. In the mining industry, applications of AI have changed the sciences and technologies, as well as the performance of the mining industry, especially in mining and geological engineering. Smart mines were introduced and widely applied worldwide with advanced technologies based on the applications of AI. 

In this context, a mining explorer company, Earth AI, discovered an untapped porphyry molybdenum deposit in New South Wales, Australia, using artificial intelligence.

Mineral mining

Molybdenum is a valuable metal used in various industrial applications. It is used in strengthening steel and manufacturing electrical components. These deposits are often associated with copper. Molybdenum is a rare metal utilized in various electronics for its unique conductivity, softness and strong thermal resistance. The firm aims to discover untapped critical metal deposits in a drastically more cost-effective and time-efficient manner.

According to a report, a certified laboratory confirmed high molybdenum grades in three samples, including 0.3 per cent, 0.26 per cent, and 0.135 per cent. The grades exceed the currently mined grades of 0.16 percent and 0.14 percent found in the world’s leading molybdenum mines, Climax and Henderson. 

Greenfield deposits are deposits that have not been previously developed or mined, hence the term “Greenfield”, which implies a fresh start or a new beginning. 

Demand for metals

The demand for critical metals like lithium, cobalt and copper is skyrocketing as they are essential components of clean energy technologies, enabling the transition to a renewable energy future. Simultaneously, discovery rates for these metals are at their lowest levels and costs at their highest, causing a major supply gap that will continue to widen.

In normal cases, exploration of traditional metals is costly, unreliable and environmentally harmful, with an average success rate of 1 in 200 and a cost of $100 million per discovery. However, Earth AI’s porphyry molybdenum deposit discovery had a one-in-eight success rate and a cost of $2 million, attributed to advanced AI prediction tools that are set to revolutionize the economics of mining for energy transition metals.

According to a statement by Earth AI’s CEO and Founder, Roman Teslyuk, their porphyry molybdenum deposit discovery is a massive deal for the mining industry and the quest for a net-zero economy. This venture showcases a significant stride toward challenging the industry’s traditional norms, and they are unveiling a pathway to mineral discovery that is not only faster and more economical but also exceptionally precise.