Initial Results

By late 2024, the AI programme had achieved its first groundbreaking results. In December 2024, BMIN announced that seven significant kimberlite anomalies had been identified across Botswana, none of which had been reported previously. These anomalies, essentially prospective kimberlite pipes or cluster targets, were generated by AI analysing approximately 400,000 km of airborne data plus extensive ground data, pinpointing subtle signatures indicative of kimberlites beneath Kalahari sand cover. Simultaneously, the AI analysis revealed multiple polymetallic targets in areas where BMIN did not yet hold licences, sparking immediate interest in expanding the Company’s mineral portfolio. In fact, ongoing AI work broadened to focus on four main deposit types (11 subtypes), including gold, copper, silver, nickel, zinc, and PGMs. The key takeaway was clear: Botswana’s prospectivity is not limited to diamonds, and BMIN’s data trove, once properly mined by AI, could unlock entirely new exploration frontiers for the company.

Figure 2: Geological and mineral map of Botswana (Chetterjee, 2024)

The AI methodology proved highly effective at integrating various exploration clues. For diamonds, for instance, the models examined indicator mineral data (such as garnets, spinels, ilmenites, etc.), geophysical anomalies, structural controls, and satellite imagery collectively to identify areas with the “fingerprint” of a kimberlite pipe. For polymetallic deposits, the system assessed known mineral deposits, favourable host rock formations, geochemical anomalies, and multispectral satellite alteration signatures to delineate high-potential zones. These results were not merely theoretical: the company quickly acted on the AI findings through prospecting licence applications and on-the-ground verification plans, as detailed in the following sections.

The Company’s adoption of AI has thus moved from concept to practice, making it one of the first in Botswana to implement such advanced data-driven exploration across the country.

In summary, the AI-driven exploration strategy has become a vital part of BMIN’s operations during the review period. It directly led to the discovery of new diamond targets, diversification into critical minerals, and a strategic shift in the Company’s exploration approach.