Mineral exploration gets artificial intelligence boost

China unveiled geological mapping and mineral exploration systems powered by artificial intelligence technologies on Friday, marking a shift from decades of expert-driven fieldwork to more accurate, comprehensive and efficient data — and algorithm-based predictions.

The two systems — AI-GeoMapping and AI-OreSeeking — were released by the China Geological Survey of the Ministry of Natural Resources at the 28th China Mining Conference and Exhibition in Tianjin, as the country pushes to secure critical mineral supplies.

Geological mapping serves as a road map for the subsurface mineral realm, revealing how strata, structures and rocks are distributed. It is the most fundamental prerequisite work for discovering mineralization clues and delineating prospecting target areas, according to Li Fengdan, an official with the China Geological Survey who is responsible for AI-GeoMapping.

Li said that the system addresses long-standing field challenges, such as inaccessible rugged terrain, limited rock exposure under forest, swamp or desert cover, and the complexities of identifying geological units across extensive survey areas.

"It identifies geological features with 90 percent accuracy and lifts data processing efficiency by more than half compared with conventional methods," Li said, noting that the system fuses satellite imagery, airborne geophysical surveys and ground observations through AI.

The system has been tested on nearly 100 regional geological survey sheets at a 1:50,000 scale in places such as Yunnan, Anhui and Qinghai provinces, and has been promoted to countries like Morocco and Laos.

"With multi-language support built in, the system offers a Chinese solution for AI-powered geological surveying that can benefit the global community," Li added.

Where mapping reveals the geological picture, AI-OreSeeking goes further — integrating not just mapped geological data but also geophysical, geochemical and remote sensing datasets to predict where mineral deposits may lie.

Wang Bin, an official with the China Geological Survey who is responsible for the prospecting system, said the system was developed over three years to meet the demand for rapid prediction and evaluation of mineral resources, consolidating what was once a fragmented work-flow spread across various standalone software packages.

Wang said the system can effectively narrow down favorable exploration targets before expensive field verification, reducing the cost of blind field exploration. "It shifts mineral exploration from expert experience-driven to data- and knowledge-driven prediction, opening a new chapter in intelligent mineral exploration," he added.

"The overall efficiency has improved by more than 60 percent, pushing mineral exploration toward being comprehensive, fast and precise," he said, highlighting its particular value for deep mineral exploration.

limenghan@chinadaily.com.cn