Nadine Veillette President ABITIBI GEOPHYSICS
How has business been in the past month for Abitibi Geophysics?
Business has been great. We are witnessing a shift in demand towards critical minerals, prompting us to offer new survey methods like magneto-tele surveys. Additionally, we are developing a new IP system through a grant from the MISA group, focusing on innovation in Québec. Despite challenges in securing finance for junior companies, we are thriving.
Overall, our approach remains commodity agnostic, focusing on providing tailored geophysical solutions to meet diverse client needs across different mineral sectors. Can you give an example of the latest project you worked on in Québec?
We have been heavily involved in a gold exploration project with a major company in Québec, utilizing our OreVision IP system. Our OreVision system, known for its high resolution and depth of investigation, has proven effective in the Québec region for gold deposits. The current production and exploration scene suggests a positive outlook for geophysics and geoscience, especially with increasing demand for critical minerals and infrastructure-related geophysics. Overall, it is an exciting time to be in this segment, with opportunities for growth and innovation. Are you directing more capital investment toward innovation and artificial AI?
Right now, we are working on two big projects, one of which uses AI to help us discriminate between anomalies. Why is Abitibi Geophysics the best partner for mining companies?
Abitibi Geophysics stands out due to our diverse range of methods tailored to specific conditions, ensuring quality data from planning to execution. We are aiming for significant growth, particularly in the international market. We have already established several partnerships abroad and intend to expand further. Additionally, we are looking to develop our capabilities in near-surface geophysics, a sector in high demand for infrastructure projects and mine planning. So, in our next conversation, I hope to see Abitibi Geophysics making strides in both domestic and international markets.
Réjean Girard CEO and General Manager IOS SERVICES GÉOSCIENTIFIQUES
What have been the main developments for IOS Services Géoscientifiques over the past year?
A management buyout. But Québec has a regulation around professional ownership of businesses and our difficulty is that geologists are trained to look at rocks and not financial statements, and we now have to train them how to do business. Can you highlight some projects where IOS is bringing value to clients?
The bulk of our expertise is with mining startups/juniors. We get involved to help them on a successful path, providing quick and efficient start-up. Recently we have also been working with several Australian newcomers. We advise them on the workings, rules, and regulations of the jurisdiction—and the importance of respecting the environment and local communities. What have been some recent interesting innovations in the geoscience space?
Firstly, we continue to rely more on natural intelligence than the artificial kind. Lithium deposits in Québec are all associated with the Greenstone belt, which is a location where we find gold deposits. We did significant surveying in the past where we sampled glacial sediments and counted the gold grains to track where they were coming from and along with the gold grains, we counted columbite-tantalite which is a tantalum oxide that forms uniquely in lithium-bearing pegmatite. How important will Québec be for the supply of critical minerals to the world?
If we want to electrify transportation on a world scale, we will need to quadruple lithium production in the next 15 years. The Canadian and Québec governments went into the critical mineral game full throttle and are significantly supporting the development of a critical mineral and battery value chain in North America.