French mining group Eramet has signed a framework agreement with AI mineral exploration company Lithosquare and France’s national geological survey, BRGM, to accelerate the discovery of critical metal deposits using artificial intelligence and combined geological datasets.
Under the partnership, the three organisations will integrate historical and recent geological data with AI-based modelling and field exploration expertise to improve mineral targeting. The initial phase of the collaboration will focus on prospective exploration regions in Africa, with the potential to expand to other continents following the first stage of the programme.
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
The agreement follows an earlier exploration programme between Eramet and Lithosquare, which the companies said demonstrated the effectiveness of combining AI with conventional exploration methods.
Under the framework, Eramet will manage exploration programmes, assess prospective opportunities and develop projects aligned with its growth strategy. BRGM will contribute geological expertise and its repository of geoscientific data, while Lithosquare will provide its proprietary geological AI platform and specialist teams to analyse and model exploration datasets.
Eramet chair and CEO Christel Bories said the partnership combines the “scientific, technological and industrial excellence” of the French mining sector and would help accelerate the discovery of critical metal resources while supporting the company’s contribution to securing mineral supply chains.
BRGM chair and CEO Catherine Lagneau said the collaboration supports the organisation’s work on securing and diversifying supplies of critical minerals for the energy transition. She said BRGM would contribute its geological knowledge, historical datasets and international network through the partnership.
Lithosquare founder and CEO Aymeric Preveral-Etcheverry said combining the company’s geological AI technology with the scientific and operational capabilities of its partners would expand its ability to identify new critical metal deposits globally.
