Botswana is Africa's top diamond producer, a title it owes to mines operated by De Beers and Lucara. One of the firms active in the country is betting on innovative methods for exploration.
Botswana Diamonds, a British firm, will apply AI to its extensive database in Botswana. The firm announced the move on April 9, stating that it will facilitate diamond deposit exploration.
@BotswanaDiamond
— Botswana Diamonds plc ??? (@BotswanaDiamond) April 9, 2024
announces that it is going to be applying #ArtificialInteligence
to its extensive #botswana database. #Diamonds #exploration https://t.co/2XLat3Ddqh
Botswana Diamonds possesses an immense database of 380 gigabytes, comprising approximately 375,000 kilometers of airborne geophysical data and 228,000 soil sample results. The company will subject this database to Xplore, a prospecting technology developed by Planetary AI in partnership with International Geoscience Services.
Xplore is a system that combines various machine learning methods, enabling computers to understand, interpret, and reason with data like humans. However, free of the same limitations as humans, Xplore can identify potentially diamond-rich mineralization zones or other minerals, ahead of drilling.
“Our mineral database in Botswana is simply vast. Too big for timely analysis by humans. (..)Massive databases are suited to analysis by computer-based large Data Models and Artificial Intelligence techniques which can analyze substantial amounts of data in a short time,” said John Teeling, Chairman of Botswana Diamonds.
Botswana Diamonds is not the first company to introduce artificial intelligence into mining exploration in Africa. For several months, the American startup KoBold Metals has been using AI to search for copper in Zambia. Beyond exploration, AI will increasingly play a significant role in the mining industry in the long term, bringing productivity and efficiency gains in mining operations and mineral processing.
In addition to Botswana, where it holds several exploration licenses in the Kalahari region, Botswana Diamonds is active in two other Southern African countries, Zimbabwe and South Africa. If successful in Botswana, the company may consider using AI in these two countries as well.
Emiliano Tossou
Enko Capital acquires Servair’s fast-food unit in Côte d’Ivoire, including the Burger King franchi...
Mediterrania Capital bought Australian Amcor's Moroccan packaging unit Enko Capital took ov...
Central bank to release $1 billion in cash to curb black market demand Move aims to ease inf...
From eastern Chad, where measles and meningitis are spreading through overcrowded refugee camps, to ...
As the Japanese automaker faces global headwinds, it is doubling down on its operations in Egypt, ai...
Nigerian billionaire adds $5.78 billion to his fortune in under four months Gains driven by strong stock performance of BUA Cement and BUA...
Malawi's listed government bonds will pay about $346 million in annual coupons, The situation is exposing how a domestic debt market built...
Countries sign MoUs covering defense, health, aviation, and digital systems Agreements include cooperation on digital identity and public...
Central bank introduces BurundiPay for real-time, 24/7 transactions Platform connects banks, microfinance institutions, and mobile...
The history of Kerma stretches back several millennia. Located in what is now northern Sudan, the site was inhabited as early as prehistoric times....
CANAL+'s film arm backs a ZAR 300-million feature rooted in South Africa's anti-apartheid music movement. Production kicks off June 29 in Cape Town,...