Vancouver-based Earth ‘x-ray’ company Ideon Technologies and Glencore Canada Corp. will implement the use of cosmic-ray muon tomography for mineral exploration in the Matagami mining camp in the province of Québec.
Matagami Mine, Québec. Image Credit: Daniel Cliche
This will be one of the first deployments in the world of Ideon’s newly miniaturized borehole muon detectors. These HQ-gauge, low-power, low-maintenance muon detectors are suitable for operation in extreme environmental conditions, such as those experienced in the Nord-du-Québec region.
Ideon is a world pioneer in cosmic-ray muon tomography, using energy from supernova explosions in space to provide x-ray-like imaging beneath the Earth’s surface. The Ideon Discovery Platform™ integrates proprietary detectors, inversion technologies, and software algorithms to produce 3D density maps of features up to 1 km underground. It provides the ability to accurately locate subsurface anomalies and reduces the need for expensive drilling activity while lowering environmental impact and increasing exploration certainty in the subsurface. Importantly, it can do so without interference from conductive overburden, which is common in the Abitibi Greenstone Belt.
“We are eager to see the results of this new technology and evaluate how it can improve our performance in defining new base metals mineralization and how it can support our efforts toward our zero-carbon emission in our exploration activities,” said Normand Dupras, Head of Global Zinc Exploration at Glencore.
In addition to gathering new subsurface intelligence using muon tomography, Ideon will provide joint inversions with other existing data sets to validate survey results and understand how these capabilities can enable more effective exploration strategies.
“The market is demanding more sustainable, cost-effective ways to access these critical resources – and industry leaders are responding,” said Gary Agnew, CEO at Ideon Technologies. “We realize that cosmic-ray muon tomography can sound far-fetched to seasoned geologists and geophysicists accustomed to other exploration techniques. For a major mining company to be amongst the first on board with us speaks volumes about the attractiveness of such breakthrough technology to unlock value. We’re excited to demonstrate what we can do together.”
Ideon is currently implementing an early access program for borehole muon tomography.