The Elements of Innovation Discovered
The Elements of Innovation Discovered
Metal Tech News - May 22, 2024
Sampling of rocks at Sheep Creek returned high-grade rare earths and gallium, as well as niobium, scandium, several other minerals critical to the United States.
US Critical Minerals Chief Geologist Peter Mejstrick measures the dip of a carbonatite vein enriched with high-grade rare earths, gallium, and other critical minerals in a historical underground adit at Sheep Creek.
Looking to quickly and efficiently expand upon the remarkably high-grade rare earths and gallium identified at Sheep Creek, US Critical Materials Corp. has forged a strategic alliance with VerAI Discoveries Inc. to leverage the power of artificial intelligence to explore its promising critical minerals project in southwestern Montana.
Early staged exploration carried out by US Critical Minerals over the past two years has shown that rocks on the Sheep Creek property are enriched with very high grades of rare earths and gallium.
Recent analysis by Idaho National Laboratoryconfirmed that samples collected from the project contain as much as 17.8% rare earths and 350 parts per million gallium.
Now, US Critical Minerals is looking to enter the next phase of exploration at Sheep Creek – delineating high-grade deposits of these minerals critical to electric vehicles, wind turbines, 5G communication technologies, smartphones, satellite systems, solar energy, and next-generation defense systems.
The company believes the AI-powered discovery technology offered by VerAI will help to more accurately define where to explore for these critical minerals, which would accelerate and minimize the impacts of defining deposits.
"Our focus on environmentally responsible exploration is greatly enhanced by the utilization of advanced artificial intelligence technology by more precisely focusing on potential target areas and thereby minimizing surface disturbance," said US Critical Materials President Jim Hedrick.
US Critical Minerals Chief Geologist Peter Mejstrick measures the dip of a carbonatite vein enriched with high-grade rare earths, gallium, and other critical minerals in a historical underground adit at Sheep Creek.
From the mapping and sampling of rocks on the surface, to geophysical surveys that image the subsurface, and the assays and geological information collected from drilling, mineral exploration involves the collection and interpretation of large datasets. This makes the discovery and delineation of mineral deposits a perfect fit for AI and machine learning.
VerAI says its AI-powered exploration tech is significantly faster and more accurate than human-centric techniques when it comes to identifying mineral targets hidden below Earth's surface.
"There are no longer 'easy' discoveries when it comes to mining, as the vast majority of remaining ore deposits are concealed under vast covered terrain," VerAI Discoveries CEO Yair Frastai said last year. "Our AI-driven approach, which leverages machine learning searching capabilities in magnetic, gravimetric, electromagnetic, and seismic data, means we can see what humans cannot, thus enabling our partners to discover at a much higher rate of success, create significant value in a much shorter period of time and bring vital materials into the market."
VerAI's cutting-edge technology will serve as a cornerstone for US Critical Materials' next stage of mineral exploration at Sheep Creek.
"We are pleased to utilize VerAI's next generation AI technology and unique capabilities to enhance the geophysical and other data in our exploration program going forward," said Hedrick.
Considering that the U.S. relies on imports for 95% of its rare earths and 100% of its gallium, and China dominates the global supply of both, US Critical Materials and VerAI believe that outlining deposits of these critical tech minerals at Sheep Creek is vital to America's economy and security.
"At Sheep Creek, we have the opportunity and potential to make an important impact on the supply of critical minerals discovered in the United States," said Frastai. "This strategy uses VerAI's AI-driven exploration technology to generate and prioritize drill targets in this covered terrain to not only reduce the environmental impact of exploration but also greatly improve the chances of finding a significant deposit."
With more than 16 years of covering mining, Shane is renowned for his insights and and in-depth analysis of mining, mineral exploration and technology metals.
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