Andrei Bagrianski President and Founder EXPERT GEOPHYSICS LIMITED
Can you provide an update on Expert Geophysics' developments in 2023?
A highlight was the commercial launch of TargetEM. This system seamlessly integrates time domain EM data with AFMAG and VLF data. This makes TargetEM the sole hybrid system capable of producing AFMAG and VLF data alongside time domain EM data, significantly expanding our capabilities to cater to our clients' diverse needs.
Another noteworthy development involves our ongoing efforts to create a drone version of the MobileMT system. We successfully executed the inaugural flight of the prototype version last year and are currently focused on refining the commercial version. This drone platform will revolutionize airborne surveys, by offering the lowest frequency among existing airborne systems, making it the deepest penetrating EM airborne system globally. Is this emphasis on increased depth a central theme?
The pursuit of increased depth of investigation remains a central focus for Expert Geophysics, aligning with broader industry trends. Recognizing that numerous near-surface deposits have already been discovered, there is a growing demand for exploring deeper levels, particularly in regions with high conductivity. What impact will moving your systems from traditional platforms to drones have on your clients?
The transition from traditional helicopter platforms to drones aims to provide better data quality at depth rather than merely reducing costs. Drones afford us the ability to operate at slower speeds, mitigating motion noise that could compromise data quality. This enhances the overall quality of the data collected, particularly in terms of depth of investigation. Importantly, the cost-effectiveness of drone-based surveys is a consequential advantage. Have you observed any recent trends in demand for your services?
While the beginning of 2023 was slow, we experienced an increase in projects later on. The Athabasca Basin emerged as a particularly active area for us, driven by the surging prices of uranium. The overall sentiment suggests an industry-wide recovery.
Doug Engdahl President and CEO AXIOM EXPLORATION GROUP
Could you please introduce Axiom Exploration Group?
Axiom Exploration Group (Axiom) was founded in 2011 and initially focused on geology for the oil and gas industry. When I became CEO in 2018, the company shifted its direction – I would now describe Axiom as a technology company focused on the resource sector. Axiom is employee-owned and headquartered in Saskatoon, with smaller offices across Canada and operations globally. Axiom has grown to over 100 employees: geologists, geophysicists, and environmental and technology specialists. Axiom has expanded its presence to countries like the USA, South Africa, and India. Today, we have five primary business units: an Exploration division focused on hard rock exploration, a Geophysics and Remote Sensing division, an Energy Services division focused on future energy sources, an Environmental and Engineering division, and an Applied Analytics (AI, ML, R&D) division. How does Axiom help juniors tackle staffing issues?
In the past few years, the markets were seeing record numbers of new junior mining listings; we noticed there needed to be more qualified management and technical staff. For example, many juniors need to be larger to warrant a full-time VP of Exploration, but still need an expert to guide their exploration programs. That's why Axiom created a management agreement program whereby some of our experts, like professional geoscientists, can be partially or fully seconded to junior companies. This concept was desperately needed in the mining industry and many juniors have widely embraced it.
Being a consultancy involved in the operations, development, and management of multiple companies comes with many professional and ethical boundaries that must be considered around disclosure and data security, for example. What are Axiom’s priorities going into 2024?
We intend to remain at the forefront of technology, providing solutions for exploration projects to de-risk them. We will continue prioritizing R&D, focusing on satellite technologies, hyper-spectral analysis, and machine learning. We work with governments, communities, and across industries to provide a successful, comprehensive, and sustainable approach to solutions. Finally, we will continue forecasting commodities and global needs, expand our partnerships globally, and invest in our people.