SensOre
Overview
Despite the pandemic, the combined yearly global nonferrous exploration budget increased by 35 percent from US$8.3 billion in 2020 to $11.2 billion in 2021. This increase is not expected to be a one-time matter either. Kevin Murphy, Principal Analyst with the Metals & Mining Research team at S&P Global Market Intelligence, reported that “...we expect the aggregate exploration budget to increase between 5 percent and 15 percent year over year for 2022."
Australia is already a particularly well-invested and well-established region for mining operations, with both promising current and future factors. The country’s 2020 total mineral exploration expenditure was $2.79 billion, with the exploration expenditure accounting for a whopping $1.83 billion and undiscovered mineralization accounted for $956.2 million. Western Australia is particularly impressive, contributing to 62 percent of the country’s total mineral exploration expenditure. Australia is also one of the top five producers of minerals in the world for resources like alumina, lithium, zinc and manganese among others, with significant resources found in Western Australia. Furthermore, the government of Western Australia has an Exploration Incentive Scheme (EIS) which offers co-funding to exploration groups involved in innovative exploration drilling projects. Given that mineral demand is on the rise and expected to continue to increase, there is a present and future for mineral exploration in Western Australia.
Notable companies operating out of Western Australia include BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP, NYSE: BHP) Fortescue Metals Group Limited (ASX: FMG) as well as Rio Tinto’s (LON: RIO) subsidiary Hamersley Holdings Limited.
SensOre (ASX:S3N) is an Australian-based minerals targeting company that is working to meet the need for better mining exploration methods and has the advantage of running its operations out of Western Australia. SensOre aims to combine its proprietary Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) enhanced technology with its significant geoscientific experience and big data to become the top minerals targeting company in the world. CEO Richard Taylor describes this combination as a means of “surgical exploration reducing costs, especially in drilling.”
Today, mining exploration is of critical importance to the establishment of mines and acquisition of minerals for various products. However, exploration is often a costly and time-consuming business that is often highly regulated by the government. The Victoria State Government, located in the Australian capital Melbourne, reported that fewer than 1 percent of all exploration targets even become mines. Even worse, typical mineral exploration only involves 20 percent to 40 percent of the available data and is subject to human biases that could potentially negatively affect outcomes.
SensOre applies AI/ML algorithms to what is known as a Data Cube, which is a constantly updating and verified repository of over 24 billion data points, in order to predict the locations of mineral deposits all while determining the economic viability of deposits and minimizing environmental impact. Furthermore, SensOre uses its technology to explore new targets that share similarities to already established mines. In doing so, SensOre’s Data Cube and Discriminant Predictive Targeting Technology (DPT) was designed to help mineral companies better analyze where and how to explore and thus allows mining exploration to be more timely, cost-effective and reduce land disturbance.
SensOre has already been chosen by mining corporations to aid in mining exploration using its AI and ML based technologies. In September 2020, BHP Group reported that they would be working with SensOre in order to determine drill targets at the Nickel West property in Western Australia.
SensOre’s two primary areas of interest are precious metals and battery metals. For precious metals, the company manages both its own and joint-venture farm-in projects in Western Australia, including projects in Kalgoorlie, Leonora, Meekatharra, and Murchison. Meanwhile, the company’s battery metal projects are located in Madura.
It’s clear the company has the potential to optimize mining exploration in a significant way through its proprietary technology and the Data Cube. This is only further compounded by Australia’s established mining industry and abundance of battery and other precious metals.
Company Highlights
- SensOre is leveraging proprietary technology, big data analytics, and extensive technical expertise to optimize every aspect of mining exploration.
- The company is a mineral targeting company operating out of Western Australia, with a particular emphasis on discovering precious and battery metals.
- The company has a variety of projects primed for exploration and 20 targets being developed, with $4.6M invested in past years between wholly-owned and joint-ventured exploration assets.
- SensOre has developed a suite of advanced technologies that aim to streamline mineral exploration through predictive targeting, organizing geoscience data, and platforms powered by machine learning technology.
- The company’s Data Cube leverages over 24 billion data points across more than 2,400 layers to predict and determine deposit data layer correlations. Meanwhile, its Discriminant Predictive Targeting Technology (DPT) improves the way mining companies integrate, interrogate, and analyze geoscience data, providing them with deep insights into where and how they should explore.
Key Assets
Proprietary Technology Suite
A large portion of SensOre’s success can be attributed to its proprietary suite of mining technologies, which include predictive targeting, big data analytics, and machine learning platforms.
- DPT Technology: The company’s DPT technology uses the Data Cube to make predictions for the location, size, grade, and depth of a potential deposit.
- Discoveries Database: An evolving database that leverages public mineral deposit and occurrence data to improve the prospectivity mapping process and DPT platform.
- Data Cube: This streamlined repository of cleaned and leveled geoscience data uses public and proprietary geochemical, geophysical, and geological data obtained by the company. The Data Cube includes more than 2,500 data layers and 24 billion data points.
- AGLADS®: The Archean Gold Lode Alteration Detection System (AGLADS®) machine learning system identifies alterations in enveloping gold lode systems in the Archean of Western Australia.
- IGROCK: A rock-type classification system capable of identifying igneous rock types using multi-element geochemical assay data.
- iDEPOSIT®: A deposit-type classification system that uses multielement, geological, and mineralogical data derived from varying deposit types.
- iFERTILE®: A geochemistry-based gold fertility prediction system that uses target data contained in a mineralized intersection to predict the amount of gold a potential target may contain.
Balagundi and Central Balagundi
In the region of Kalgoorlie, SensOre is involved in the Balagundi and Central Balagundi farm-in gold projects, which are nearby the 73 Moz KCGM Super Pit and the 7.8 Moz Kanowna Belle Mine, and are operated by Northern Star Resources (ASX: NST).
Project Highlights
- Proposed Exploration Plan: SensOre has proposed an exploration plan consisting of drilling to test the central portion of the target area, with hundreds of meters of testing of the 5km predicted mineral system.
Desdemona North
SensOre is also involved in the Desdemona North project farm-in project, which consists of 5 exploration licenses given to Kin West WA Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of Kin Mining. The Desdemona North project is located in the Leonora Greenstone belt and near St Barbara Leonora Gold Operations, an area known for producing millions of ounces of gold.
Project Highlights
- Past Exploration Results: Previous exploration of Desdemona North revealed significant anomalous gold.
- Deep Diamond Drilling: Deep diamond drilling was conducted in 2021, with proposed next steps of additional drilling based on result interpretation.
Greater Tea Well
SensOre’s Greater Tea Well projects are located in the Meekatharra-Wydgee greenstone belt, approximately 7km away from 6.9 Moz Meekatharra Gold Operations and adjacent to Great Boulder Resources (ASX:GBR) Mulga Bill high grade gold discovery.
Project Highlights
- Drilling Results: SensOre identified anomalous gold geochemistry, with a drilling program initiated in 2021.
- Government Interest: Greater Tea Well was partially funded by a successful EIS application, indicating government interest in the project.
Sandstone Project
Sensore’s Sandstone project is also located in the Meekatharra region. SensOre acquired an interest in the project in 2021 via a farm-in.
Project Highlights
- Initial Findings: The Sandstone project contains two DPT targets and is close to the Greater Tea Well project.
Mt. Magnet
SensOre’s Mt Magnet project is located in the Murchison region of Western Australia, approximately 20 km away from Ramelius Resources Ltd’s 7.8 Moz Mount Magnet Gold Center. It occurs over 2.5 km of gold mineralization.
Project Highlights
- Geochemical Results: The Mt Magnet project is relatively new, with geochemical results indicating elevated levels of gold, bismuth, tellurium, and molybdenum.
- Resource Intercepts: One of the best intercepts revealed 14m@1.55g/t Au at 122m.
Moonera
Moonera is one of SensOre’s two projects occurring in the Madura region of western Australia, at the Nullarbor Plain. Prospect drilling is eligible for EIS funding up to 50 percent of drilling costs, with a cap of $200,000.
Project Highlights
- Initial Findings: SensOre’s DPT system confirmed that previous interpretations of the area predicted a concealed target.
Auralia Nickel-Copper-PGE Project
The Auralia Nickel-Copper-PGE project is the second of SensOre’s two projects in the Madura region of western Australia and is comprised of three exploration licenses granted to its farm-in partner CGM (WA) Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of Chalice Mining Limited (ASX: CHN). “The application of SensOre's technology to nickel, copper and lithium is generating some exciting possibilities'' said CEO Richard Taylor.
Project Highlights
- Joint-Venture: The terms of the joint-venture allows SensOre to earn 70 percent of the project as long as the company spends $3.5 million over four years, with additional stakes beyond.
- Current Focus: SensOre is currently interested in an 80km strike length anomaly, approximately 250-350 m below the ground level.
Management Team
Richard Taylor - Executive Director & CEO
Richard Taylor has held senior executive roles in the resource sector for more than 15 years. Prior to SensOre, Taylor was CEO of ASX-listed Terramin Australia Ltd and held senior roles with Mineral Deposits Limited, PanAust, MMG Ltd and Oxiana Ltd specializing in business development, strategy and governance. He is a qualified lawyer. He holds an MBA from the University of Cambridge and a Master degree in Law from ANU.
Greg Bell - Chief Financial Officer
Greg Bell joined SensOre in 2021 from roles with Taurus in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Chief Financial Officer of Mineral Deposits Limited where he was responsible for all financial aspects of the Company including finance strategy, funding, taxation and financial reporting. Bell has over 20 years of accounting and corporate finance experience. He has a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Melbourne and is a member of the Chartered Accountants of Australia and New Zealand.
Adrian Manger - Non-Executive Director
Adrian Manger is a senior business executive with 30 years’ minerals industry experience, including 20 years in executive roles with BHP. Manger has founded and successfully commercialized private Australian, Chilean and Peruvian mineral exploration companies, including investment financing and joint ventures with majors. He was a founding board member of the Australia Colombia Business Council and is the Chairman of recently Canadian Securities Exchange listed Pampa Metals.
Alfred Eggo - Chief Technology Officer
Alfred Eggo has 40 years of leading roles in technical excellence, including 16 years with Rio Tinto and 24 years as an independent consultant. Eggo’s core skills are in geochemistry and a focus on the application of machine learning to large, multi-disciplinary databases to support mineral exploration. He is responsible for the technical development and deployment of DPT including the data cube build and automation of the platform DPT modules.
Robert Peck AM - Non-Executive Chairman
Robert Peck is a founding Principal of peckvonhartel architects with 50 years’ experience in the architectural, development and infrastructure sectors, and the building industry nationally and in South East Asia. Peck is former President of the Australian Association of Consulting Architects, founding director of Japara Healthcare, former Chair of iVvy and director of the RVF Group.
Significant Manganese and REE Results at Jamieson Tank
Key Highlights
- Assays from drilling of manganese targets at ChemX’s Eyre Peninsula tenements confirm significant manganese potential of the Jamieson Tank project
- Results provide significant step forward in ChemX’s Jamieson Tank High Purity Manganese Sulphate Monohydrate (HPMSM) project
- Assays also reveal elevated levels of Rare Earth Elements (REE). The Company is awaiting further assay results from the maiden 2022 drill program which are expected in coming weeks, subject to laboratory schedules.
- Significant intercepts are presented in following tables A and B
Table A: Significant manganese assay results
Table B: Significant REE assays
ChemX’s Jamieson Tank High Purity Manganese Sulphate Monohydrate (HPMSM) project is proposed to become a vertically integrated project, with manganese ore to be sourced from its 100% owned Jamieson Tank Manganese Project on the Eyre Peninsula, South Australia. ChemX intends to process ore based on a metallurgical testwork program currently being conducted. The first stage of testwork was positive (ASX announcement: 11 May 2022), with the second stage of testwork scheduled to commence in July 2022.
Click here for the full ASX Release
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