This couldn’t have happened at a better time! Coincidentally, as more mineral exploration projects come on stream across Africa, Spectrem Air is offering fast, precise, and high-impact AEM surveys.
In the mining industry, extracting valuable insights from high-resolution survey data is becoming increasingly sophisticated. Handily, enhanced visualisation tools and expert data interpretation add significant value to the process.
Fixed-wing Airborne Electromagnetic (AEM) Surveys
There are exciting advancements, particularly in airborne geophysics and mineral exploration technology. Fixed-wing Airborne Electromagnetic (AEM) surveys are revolutionising the exploration process by rapidly surveying regional areas early on in a project. This is shortening the exploration cycle and focusing expenditure on the most prospective geological terrains.
Rapid Decision-Making
The data collected from AEM surveys permits rapid decision-making early on in a project. This shortens the exploration cycle and significantly reduces costs. While subsequent electromagnetic surveys — ground, helicopter, or drone — are often carried out for additional detail, primary targets or target areas are in many instances generated at the regional stage.
Spectrem Air at the Forefront
Spectrem Air is at the forefront of AEM technology. The company’s AEM systems are well-suited for exploring and mapping geology under cover, typical of most African environments. The multiple sensor data acquired — including magnetics, radiometric, and gravity data — provide clients with multidimensional coverage.
Spectrem Air’s General Manager, Louis Polome, is elated at seeing AEM systems help meet clients’ project objectives. “Ongoing investment in technology continues to deliver exceptional results. Advanced capabilities enable mapping mineral potential deep below the surface, helping clients sterilise the ground and pinpoint exact areas for exploration mining efforts.”
Africa-Focused
As a South African-based and Africa-focused company, Spectrem Air takes pride in its extensive experience across Africa to provide relevant solutions to clients. It has completed successful projects in southern African countries and across the continent.
Opportunity for Innovation
While content with seeing the benefits of its AEM technology in African mining, Spectrem Air is focusing on the long term. It has been keenly observing developments in green energy.
The demand for critical minerals and metals for the global energy transition is driving the need for more extensive geological mapping and exploration. This will boost interest in effective techniques that help exploration teams meet their goals — and Spectrem Air sees this as an opportunity for innovation and would welcome enquiries for discussion.
R&D Investment in AEM Technologies
Thus, to effectively meet the need for innovative AEM for critical minerals projects, Spectrem Air is heavily investing in ongoing Research and Development (R&D) in AEM technologies. Its core focus is on the following areas:
- Enhanced resolution for exploring deeper areas
Exploring deeper areas under cover with enhanced resolution, focusing on improving system bandwidth, lowering base frequencies, and achieving a better signal-to-noise ratio on both fixed-wing and helicopter-borne AEM systems. - Optimising and automating processing procedures
Optimising and automating processing procedures through better hardware and software improvements to enhance inversion and other interpretation techniques in AEM surveys. Notably, there is significant attention on utilising as much available data as possible, employing joint inversion of different geophysical and geological data sets, and applying Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning techniques. - Better groundwater imaging
Besides probing deeper, there is a growing need to understand and image the near surface better for accurate groundwater location and better management of groundwater, as well as engineering and other environmental applications. - Non-invasive tests
The mining industry is shifting towards greener, less invasive practices. Hence, service providers are increasingly recognising that state-of-the-art AEM technology meets the non-invasive criteria by generating high-resolution mapping and targeting solutions. In this way, they can mitigate the need for invasive tests or drilling in unsuitable areas.
Generally, as the world transitions to a more carbon-lean future, AEM is finding its place more and more in groundwater, natural hydrogen, and safe waste management site exploration, among other applications.
Committed
Looking ahead, Spectrem Air remains committed to investing in cutting-edge technology and equipping its team with the expertise to leverage it, says Polome.
“The goal is to solidify our position as a leader in airborne electromagnetic exploration globally and the partner of choice for companies entering new territories,” he explains, emphasising that the company is proud to bring accuracy, precision, and speed in AEM surveys accross Africa.
