High-resolution, muon-powered imaging now underway at one of world’s largest undeveloped primary zinc districts.
Vancouver, CANADA (November 18, 2024) – Canadian subsurface intelligence leader Ideon Technologies introduces its supernova-powered solution for exploration, confirming successful deployment of a muon tomography imaging program at Fireweed Metals’ MacMillan Pass (Macpass) project in Yukon Territory, Canada. The REVEAL™ for Exploration solution allows mining companies to precisely target and delineate subsurface features, at depth, on remote greenfield sites like Macpass or in the complex operational environment of active brownfield mine sites. It delivers a high-volume, high-resolution, high-velocity Earth model that can improve the accuracy of density mapping and drill targeting, expedite geological modelling, and directly inform mine planning – maximizing the potential for discovery and cost-effective recovery of metals.
The Ideon REVEAL™ for Exploration solution is being applied at Macpass at depths of 400-600 m to map density at metre-scale resolution over a volume of 1 billion m3 during the winter season. The goal is to identify and map new targets for drill-testing during Fireweed’s summer 2025 exploration campaign. This is the world’s first borehole muon tomography system deployment north of 60° latitude.
The Macpass project hosts several large zinc-lead-silver deposits within the 940 km2 property and is now recognized as one of the world’s largest undeveloped primary zinc districts. “We are committed to leading the way in the application of innovative technology to accelerate our work in Canada’s North,” says Jack Milton, VP Geology at Fireweed Metals (Lundin Group). “Collaborating with Ideon, we can identify high-priority drill targets without extensive exploratory drilling, improving the cost-efficiency of drilling out deposits in our short seasons on-site, and maximizing our chances of exploration success. The system is imaging passively over the winter and will directly inform where we begin our work next summer. Not only does this approach help us reduce surface disturbance and overall exploration footprint, but we also see the potential to discover new zones that may have escaped detection using more traditional exploration methods.”
Ideon harnesses the energy from supernova explosions in space to image deep beneath the Earth’s surface. Using sub-atomic particles called muons, Ideon creates high-resolution 3D density models that help geologists identify, map, and characterize mineral deposits and other geological anomalies.
The Ideon REVEAL™ for Exploration solution consists of an advanced suite of proprietary data-generation hardware, software, AI-powered services, and multi-physics fusion algorithms that unlock the exponential power of integrated spatial data. “We will be leveraging this powerful combination to extract maximum value from multiple data sets,” adds Milton. “Ideon will be integrating a site-wide gravity survey in a multi-physics program, helping us develop a multi-faceted subsurface density model that can be used as an exploration tool that is far greater than the sum of its parts.”
“Ideon reduces geological uncertainty, giving companies like Fireweed Metals the confidence to move forward earlier, faster, and with less risk,” says Ideon CEO & Co-Founder Gary Agnew. “In subsurface environments where the scale, grade, and location of mineralization are generally uncertain, we can accelerate traditional exploration workflows to understand deposits quicker, more efficiently, and with greater confidence. Our solution can reduce the time to fully explore an area by 50% and reduce drilling activity by up to 90% to confidently map and delineate mineralization.”
The Ideon REVEAL™ Platform – now available for Exploration, Geotech, Resources, and Caving – is a subsurface intelligence solution that comprises proprietary hardware (that delivers a new-to-the-world data source) ruggedized for the most remote exploration sites and demanding of noisy in-mine environments, software, integrated imaging systems, and advanced data analysis and interpretation. Ideon also offers patented multi-sensor fusion capabilities that enable seamless data collection and integration from our proprietary sensors and third-party data. Ideon’s AI-powered workflow transforms the geological model into a high-resolution dynamic Earth model to inform ongoing operations.
www.ideon.ai/reveal
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About Fireweed Metals (www.fireweedmetals.com)
A Lundin Group Company, Fireweed Metals Corp. is an exploration company focused on unlocking value in a new critical metals district located in Northern Canada. Fireweed is 100% owner of the Macpass District, a large and highly prospective 977 km2 land package. The Macpass District includes the Macpass zinc-lead-silver project and the Mactung tungsten project. A Lundin Group company, Fireweed is strongly positioned to create meaningful value. Fireweed trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the trading symbol “FWZ”, on the OTCQX Best Market under the symbol “FWEDF”, and on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the trading symbol “M0G”.
About Ideon Technologies (www.ideon.ai)
Ideon Technologies uses the energy from supernova explosions to image deep beneath the Earth’s surface. A spin-off from TRIUMF (Canada’s particle physics lab), Ideon is a world pioneer in cosmic-ray muon tomography. By transforming muon data into reliable 3D density maps, Ideon helps geologists identify, map, characterize, and monitor geological features with confidence. This reduces risk and cost of traditional methods, while saving time, optimizing return, and minimizing environmental impact across the mining value chain. In turn, this is helping accelerate the world’s transition to low-impact mining and transform how companies find the critical minerals required to power the global shift to clean energy – improving peoples’ lives and enhancing economic prosperity.
Media Contact: Ideon Technologies: Kim Lawrence | Email: [email protected] |Cell: +1 403 708 5350