Australian space company Fleet Space has used a satellite-enabled exploration platform to uncover a large lithium deposit in Quebec, demonstrating how these space vehicles can be used to expedite and streamline the mineral exploration process. According to Fleet Space, its latest findings indicate that the lithium deposit could be much larger than earlier thought, with the company estimating the prospective resource at 329 million metric tonnes of lithium oxide.
Discovering mineral resources has traditionally been a slow, uncertain, and expensive endeavor that normally takes years or decades before proper commercialization is achieved. Indeed, mineral discovery is largely a hit and miss affair, with only 0.3% of potential deposits becoming commercially viable. Fleet Space is trying to break through this bottleneck by deploying a combination of satellites and AI-powered analysis.
Satellite-powered mineral exploration employs remote sensing technologies like hyperspectral and multispectral imaging to analyze vast areas from space, identifying geological features and mineral signatures that suggest potential deposits. This accelerates early-stage exploration and reduces costs by narrowing down areas for ground-based surveys and allowing for monitoring of infrastructure and environmental conditions throughout a mine's lifecycle. Satellites equipped with multispectral and hyperspectral sensors capture light across various wavelengths.
Australian space company Fleet Space has used a satellite-enabled exploration platform to uncover a large lithium deposit in Quebec, demonstrating how these space vehicles can be used to expedite and streamline the mineral exploration process. According to Fleet Space, its latest findings indicate that the lithium deposit could be much larger than earlier thought, with the company estimating the prospective resource at 329 million metric tonnes of lithium oxide.
Discovering mineral resources has traditionally been a slow, uncertain, and expensive endeavor that normally takes years or decades before proper commercialization is achieved. Indeed, mineral discovery is largely a hit and miss affair, with only 0.3% of potential deposits becoming commercially viable. Fleet Space is trying to break through this bottleneck by deploying a combination of satellites and AI-powered analysis.
Satellite-powered mineral exploration employs remote sensing technologies like hyperspectral and multispectral imaging to analyze vast areas from space, identifying geological features and mineral signatures that suggest potential deposits. This accelerates early-stage exploration and reduces costs by narrowing down areas for ground-based surveys and allowing for monitoring of infrastructure and environmental conditions throughout a mine's lifecycle. Satellites equipped with multispectral and hyperspectral sensors capture light across various wavelengths.
Analyzing these spectral signatures helps identify different rock types and alteration minerals associated with mineral deposits. Hyperspectral imaging, in particular, can detect hundreds of narrow spectral bands, creating detailed maps that can pinpoint specific mineral species, a significant advancement over earlier multispectral sensors. Meanwhile, laser pulses from satellites create precise topographical maps, revealing geological structures that may be hidden beneath vegetation or in other areas difficult to see with traditional photography. Modern analysis integrates satellite data with artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to process large datasets and identify subtle geological patterns that indicate the presence of resources.
Satellites are used in the energy sector for planning, monitoring, and maintaining energy infrastructure through data collection and communication. They enable the assessment of renewable energy potential, such as solar and wind resources, and help monitor the structural integrity and safety of assets like pipelines and power plants. Satellites also provide crucial communication links to remote energy sites and help manage remote operations with real-time data. Oil majors such as Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM), Chevron (NYSE:CVX), Shell (NYSE:SHEL) and BP Plc (NYSE:BP), in collaboration with Oil and Gas Climate Initiative (OGCI), utilize satellite technology for various applications, such as monitoring pipeline integrity, detecting methane leaks, and providing reliable communication for remote operations while oilfield service companies like Baker Hughes (NYSE:BKR), SLB (NYSE:SLB) and Halliburton (NYSE:HAL) integrate satellite data into their platforms.
Last year, scientists unveiled a method to more accurately estimate methane emissions using stationary weather satellites orbiting far above the planet’s surface. Researchers at Harvard University discovered that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) used for weather forecasts can be used to detect large methane emissions of around tens of metric tons an hour or larger. Methane is considered one of the most potent greenhouse gases.
Unlike their faster Low Earth Orbit (LEO) brethren, Geostationary or Geosynchronous Orbit (GEO/GSO) satellites orbit 22,200 miles above the surface of the Earth and maintain a fixed position relative to specific locations on the Earth's surface. Although the GOES system wasn't built to detect methane, its short-wave infrared sensors designed to observe things like snow cover and fire hot spots can also be used to detect methane leaks.
The GOES system has already been tested in a real-life situation: Last year, environmental intelligence firm Kayrros SAS used GOES to quantify that a gas pipeline by the Williams Companies Inc. (NYSE:WMB) spewed about 840 metric tons of methane into the atmosphere after a farmer in Idaho accidentally ruptured it while using an excavator. That’s close to the 50.9 million cubic feet, or 900 metric tons of methane, that the gas operator released as the official figure. Although the leak lasted for little more than an hour, the short-term climate impact of the event is roughly equal to the annual emissions from 17,000 U.S. cars.
Methane typically lasts only about a decade before it’s cycled out--a blip compared to the centuries that a CO2 molecule can last. However, methane is constantly regenerated through multiple sources. Methane is a far more potent greenhouse gas, more than 80x more powerful at warming the earth than CO2 over 20 years and 28x more powerful on a 100-year timescale. Indeed, methane levels have increased sharply over the past four decades, and the gas is now responsible for about one-sixth of the energy imbalance that is causing global warming.
By Alex Kimani for Oilprice.com
