Fleet Space satellite mineral surveying goes to Chile

Satellite technology company Fleet Space Technologies today announced plans to deploy its end-to-end mineral exploration solution, ExoSphere, to enhance Gold Fields Ltd’ exploration and development of their Salares Norte gold-silver project in Northern Chile.

ExoSphere will be used to generate 3D subsurface imaging of the Brecha Principal and Agua Amarga resource areas and surrounds aiming to generate insights and understandings about the mineral system and its structural setting.

Additionally, the survey will be used to generate new exploration targets in the near field of the BP-AA system.

Co-Founder & CEO of Fleet Space Technologies Flavia Tata Nardini said: “Fleet Space and Gold Fields share a vision of applying the powerful capabilities enabled by advanced satellite connectivity, 3D multiphysics, and AI to unify the end-to-end exploration journey and deliver more sustainable outcomes at scale on the path to discovery.”

Home to the Brecha Principal deposit and Agua Amarga resource, Salares Norte is located in the Andes Mountains between 3,900–4,700 meters above sea level in the Atacama region of Northern Chile.

Due to the remote location, challenging terrain and harsh seasonal conditions, Gold Fields has had to develop innovative strategies and engage new technologies to enhance their exploration activities.

Gold Fields was an early adopter of Fleet Space’s Exosphere at its St. Ives operation in Australia.

Based on these results and the near-zero surface impact of Fleet Space’s smart seismic sensors (called Geodes, pictured), the application of ExoSphere at Salares Norte was a logical step to provide low-impact, rapid 3D subsurface imaging.

The architecture underlying ExoSphere integrates the latest advances in satellite connectivity, 3D multiphysics, smart seismic sensors (called Geodes, pictured) and AI into a single end-to-end solution.

Fleet Space’s satellite network in low Earth orbit, edge computing, and rapid data processing enable ExoSphere to deliver real-time 3D mapping of mineral systems and AI-powered targeting recommendations.

Tata Nardini said: “In the field of mineral exploration, ExoSphere’s real-time 3D subsurface imaging has been used to conduct the world’s largest real-time ANT survey in Australia’s Macquarie Arc and now the world’s highest real-time ANT survey on Chile’s Maricunga Belt.”

Picture: Fleet Space Technologies