THE’exploration mining is undergoing a profound transformation, driven by the adoption of new technologies which aim to reduce the duration hey costs of geognostic investigations, while increasing the effectiveness in identifying mineralizations underground. In the 2025an innovative approach that involves the use of systems measurement geophysicists And satellite – integrated and processed throughintelligence artificial – developed by the Canadian company Fleet Space Technologies, was used for the identification of potential lithium deposits underground in Quebec, Canada, as well as to guide the activities of drillingminimizing costs and operational risks. Three wells, drilled during the year, intercepted numerous intervals mineralized with a relatively high content of lithium oxidebetween 1% and 2%, confirming the effectiveness of the approach adopted.
The James Bay lithium deposit in Quebec
The discovery occurred as part of the “Cisco Lithium Project”, a district-scale exploration project initiated in the region of Eeyou Istchee James Bayin Quebec, under the guidance of the Canadian company Q2 Metals Corp. The deposit extends over an area of approximately 410km2 and includes between 215 and 329 million tons of rock mineralizedwith an average content of oxide Of lithium between 1 and 1.38%: this translates into a total lithium oxide content estimated between 2.1 and 4.5 million tonnes. Lithium is extracted from pegmatite-containing igneous rocks spodumene – a mineral silicate of lithium and aluminium – located at depths generally less than 500 metres. The project is considered one of the most important in the field of lithium extraction from crystalline rocks, to the point of being considered a future central node of the lithium production chain in North America.
The results of the drilling
The three new wells drilled in 2025, and designated CS25-036, CS25-038, and CS25-039, have penetrated significant mineralized levels. According to the press release issued by Q2 Metals Corp., the CS25-038 drill would have intercepted well seventeen intervals mineralizedincluding the widest with a thickness of approx 66.5 meters and a lithium oxide content of 1.55%. The CS25-039 well would have crossed twelve intervals distinct minerals, while the CS25-036 well would have instead crossed nine intervals mineralized, including the largest with a thickness of 272.5 meters and a lithium oxide content of 1.61%.
How ExoSphere works: satellites and sensors to study the subsurface
For the identification of mineralizationsThe positioning of surface wells and their trajectory underground, multi-geophysical and satellite imaging technology was adopted ExoSpheredeveloped by Fleet Space Technologies. In fact, the company has a small constellation of satellites in low Earth orbit that receive and process data from sensors fixed in the ground in the study area. These sensors measure different property geophysics underground and communicate directly with satellites, transmitting information in data packets. In particular, ExoSphere technology includes sensors forAmbient Noise Tomography (ambient noise tomography), which monitor and map the seismic noise natural and I continuesystems Natural Source-Field Induced Polarizationwhich detect the response of the subsurface to the propagation of electric fields naturalas well as measuring instruments magnetotelluric and gravimetric. The use of satellite systems for data collection and processing makes it possible to significantly reduce theenvironmental impact associated with traditional geognostic investigations and, at the same time, to carry out measurements in areas otherwise difficult to access with conventional investigation techniques.
From raw data to 3D model: the role of artificial intelligence
The results of the geophysical surveys, together with data from other measurements – including seismic reflection surveys, existing drillings, geological mapping and historical data – are then “fed” to a intelligence system artificialwhich learns from this information and integrates it in order to obtain a unique 3D geological and structural model of the subsoil. The template will contain detailed information on the typology, i.e. the lithologyand the distribution of rocks, as well as probabilistic estimates on the presence of specific mineralizations, thus allowing us to outline the most promising areas for drilling and the ideal trajectory of the wells. Overall, this technology allows you to optimize the phases of exploration and drilling, reducing uncertainties, errors, times and costs. The benefits of the approach are evident from its application in the Cisco Lithium Project.
