Botswana Diamonds, a London-based and Botswana Stock Exchange-listed diamond company has commenced a technique which uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to explore diamonds in Botswana. The technique is said to be more quicker and efficient compared to human geologists on the same task.
The database in which the company will deploy the AI comprises 380GB of data and 260,000 files and is the second largest in Botswana.
The database is made up of 95,000 sq km of data, 375,000 km airborne geophysical data, 606 ground geophysical surveys, 228,000 soil sample results, and 32,000 drill hole logs. The company will utilise Planetary AI Ltd Xplore mineral prospecting technology which was developed in collaboration with International Geoscience Services Limited.
Xplore is a system that uses a unique combination of semantic technology with machine learning. Semantic technology is a branch of artificial intelligence focused on understanding and representing the meaning of data, information, and knowledge in a machine-readable format. It enables computers to comprehend, interpret, and reason with data like human understanding, enhancing the effectiveness of information retrieval, integration, and analysis. This allows computers to “understand” the meaning and context of geological data in much the same way a geologist would, to identify zones of prospective mineralisation based on specific mineral deposit models.
“Our mineral database in Botswana is simply vast. Too big for timely analysis by humans. Think of it, over 375,000 kms of geophysical data, and 32,000 drill holes logs. Massive databases are suited to analysis by computer-based large Data Models and Artificial Intelligence techniques which can analyse substantial amounts of data in a short time," said Botswana Diamonds chairman John Teeling.
"We feed in the data and create the models from our existing knowledge both theoretical and factual. The techniques then produce results. Where it finds inconsistencies or gaps it adapts. It is early stages in both our work and the use of the technique in mineral exploration, but the future potential is huge. An added exciting bonus for BOD and for Botswana is that the technique will analyse a number of different minerals. We have always believed that there are more diamond deposits to be found under the sand. Now there is the possibility of other deposits being identified”.
The system acts like a geologist but can function quicker and more efficiently. Vast datasets are processed though AI that finds logical gaps in the data and learns to correct them. This exercise is expected to yield fresh insights that will offer drillable targets previously unseen.