So what if you could just X-ray the ground instead?
That’s basically what Vancouver’s Ideon Technologies does, and some of the world’s biggest mining companies are using the technology as a way to take some of the guesswork out of exploration, including Teck Resources (TSX:TECK.B), BHP (NYSE:BHP) and Vale S.A. (BVMF:VALE3), a Brazilian multi-national mining company.
Ideon’s technology detects subatomic particles – muons – that bombard the earth from space. This provides a way of reading what’s underground – a kind of geological X-ray that can paint 3D geological maps for mining and exploration companies.
It can’t tell what types of minerals are underground, but it can describe ore densities. This can take a lot of guesswork out of the exploratory drilling that is needed for mining companies to get an idea of where ore bodies might be and in what concentration. The technology works best with base metals,…
