Startup Fleet Space announced yesterday that it has used its satellite-powered AI system to extend the reach of an already massive lithium deposit in Quebec.
Finding a mineral resource is not easy. Only about three out of 1,000 potential deposits end up becoming commercially viable, and it can take years to prove it by drilling cores. Fleet Space says its approach can help target drilling operations, reducing decision time from weeks to days.
The startup currently has a small constellation of satellites in orbit that use a range of sensors, including electromagnetic and gravitational, to map the subsurface. Fleet Space then transmits this data to its software platform, which can provide a new location for drilling in as little as 48 hours.
The Cisco project currently estimates that it could produce up to 329 million tonnes of lithium oxide. Fleet Space said the results from the lithium deposits could extend beyond Cisco’s current borders, saying the region has “district-scale potential.”
