Botswana Diamonds has announced it will begin using AI software on its Botswana database to increase its efficiency when searching for new diamond deposits and other precious materials.

The company, which holds exploration licences in South Africa and Botswana, expects its first exploration results using the new AI techniques “within the next four to six weeks”.  

The programme is currently evaluating Botswana Diamonds’ database, comprising 375,000km of airborne geophysical data, 606 ground survey results, 228,000 soil-sample results and 32,000 drill hole logs. It is the second-largest diamond exploration database in Botswana.

Botswana Diamonds is using Planetary AI’s Xplore AI programme developed in collaboration with International Geoscience Services.

Botswana Diamonds chairperson John Teeling explained: "Our mineral database in Botswana is simply… too big for timely analysis by humans.  

“Massive databases are suited to analysis by computer-based large data models and AI techniques which can analyse substantial amounts of data in a short time. We feed in the data and create the models from our existing knowledge both theoretical and factual.”

He added that the technique adapts in the event of inconsistencies or gaps.

The programme uses both semantic technology and machine learning. Semantic technology is a branch of AI focused on understanding and representing the meaning of data, information and knowledge in a machine-reliable format.  

The technology enables computers to analyse the data efficiently and enhance the effectiveness of information retrieval and analysis. The programme allows computers to ‘understand’ the meaning and context behind geological data, enabling it to identify zones of potential mineralisation from specific mineral deposit modes.  

“It is early stages in both our work and the use of the technique in mineral exploration, but the future potential is huge,” Teeling commented.