Unearthing a novel approach
- Real-world exploration is going virtual thanks to Gravio, the latest technology from 500-backed quantum sensing company Atomionics. This is seen as a new chapter in energy resources exploration, where efficiency, accuracy, and environmental responsibility are accessible realities.
- Dubbed a ‘virtual drill’, Gravio taps the gravity signatures of different minerals to pinpoint where they lie beneath the earth, which the team says could cut costs and speed up the development of minerals projects, adding that virtual drilling allows the energy industry to avoid unnecessary physical drilling.
- Atomionics has signed contracts with three major mining companies and Co-founder & CEO Sahil Tapiawala shared that the team is rolling out the technology in Australia and the U.S.
- He explained that Gravio’s virtual approach takes on exploration more precisely than typical air-based survey techniques, and processes data in real time using artificial intelligence, speeding up the work of defining ore bodies.
- What’s more, drilling a single hole to search for a mineral can cost from A$10,000 to A$50,000. A lithium miner might need as many as 400 holes to prove up a resource, so building a more accurate virtual picture before drilling can slash costs. Sahil shared that the company aims to cut these “empty” samples by at least half.
- With further development, Gravio can present as a low-cost alternative to traditional methods of exploration.
- “Atomionics’ aim is to create a global map of the earth’s crust to pinpoint and estimate resources that will power humanity over the next 50 years,” Sahil said. “Our vision extends beyond immediate industry impacts; we aim to influence global environmental practices and contribute significantly to the preservation of our planet while meeting the demands of critical industries like energy and electric vehicles.”
- Read the full story on Reuters.
