When an Australian government body identifies a technology developed and tested in a “rival” country as a “game changer”, then you instantly sit up and take notice. That was the case recently when Australia’s department of industry, Science Energy Resources, highlighted Ideon Technologies’ Muon Tomography Solution in its latest quarterly report on Australia’s resources and energy sector.
In its section on uranium, the Australian government report noted that the energy metals’ global production “may be facilitated in the long-term by a recent technological breakthrough”. The report highlighted that the McClean Lake deposit in Saskatchewan, Canada, recently became the first to be scanned by the newly developed cosmic-ray muon detector.
“The device – developed by Ideon Technologies – has been developed to study boreholes, and its successful use on the McClean uranium deposit potentially opens opportunities across many more forms of mineral exploration. The technology produces imaging like x-rays and can detect mineral deposits up to one km beneath the earth’s surface,” the report stated.
Canadian Earth X-Ray start-up Ideon Technologies and leading international uranium producer Orano Group of France, successfully deployed the world’s first cosmic-ray muon detector. The research and development project, which received advisory services and funding Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Programme (NRC IRAP), ran for several months, recently wrapping up at McClean Lake, an Orano site in northern Saskatchewan.
Ideon’s muon tomography provides x-ray-like imaging up to one km beneath the earth’s surface. The platform integrates proprietary muon detectors, imaging systems, inversion technologies, and artificial intelligence to produce high-resolution 3D density maps of underground targets. By detecting subsurface muons and transforming the data into reliable geophysical surveys and 3D density maps, Ideon helps geologists identify new mineral and metal deposits with precision and confidence.
The company says miners drill less and discover more with Ideon – reducing cost and risk, saving time, and minimizing environmental impact. Muon tomography also has applications across other industry sectors, including critical infrastructure, oil and gas, and national security.
Orano’s imaging target is a high-grade, compact uranium deposit located at 300m depth. Multiple borehole muon detectors were deployed down a single drill hole in a connected sequence, delivering progressive imaging results throughout the survey.
Orano and Ideon have been collaborating since 2016, when Ideon deployed its first-generation, large-format detectors at the McArthur River mine in Saskatchewan, successfully imaging a high- grade uranium deposit under 600m of sandstone. Canada’s Athabasca Basin hosts the highest-grade uranium deposits yet found. The ore body at the McArthur River mine in Saskatchewan, Canada, is near an unconformity, above the basement rock, but under almost 600m of sandstone. In addition to the depth, other challenges include complex geology and naturally occurring radiation.
Since then, Ideon has completed a 50x miniaturization effort to create the first industry- standard borehole (<10cm diameter), low-power (<10W continuous power consumption), zero- maintenance muon tomography detector suitable for operation in the extreme environmental conditions of mineral exploration sites around the world.
“We’re excited to move forward on this project with Ideon because we expect it to transform the very nature of how we explore,” said Hervé Toubon, research & development and innovation director at Orano Mining.
“Global uranium demand is projected to grow by up to 40% by 2025 and it is virtually impossible for us to detect high-grade deposits at depth using traditional geophysical exploration techniques.
“The subsurface intelligence we gain with muon tomography gives us the ability to accurately locate those anomalies while reducing the need for drilling and lowering our overall environmental impact. That value proposition is hard to beat.”
Ideon is currently implementing an exclusive early access programme for borehole muon tomography. The company says it is the only straight-line subsurface imaging technology available today, delivering the highest available resolution along with precise anomaly location information.
As the world moves towards a low-carbon economy, global demand for critical minerals is increasing
New Canadian backing
Canada’s Digital Technology Supercluster recently announced its support of the Earth X-ray for Low-Impact Mining project, which is being led by Ideon, in partnership with Simon Fraser University (SFU), Dias Geophysical, Microsoft, Fireweed Zinc, and Mitacs.
“As the world moves towards a low-carbon economy, global demand for critical minerals is increasing. Through this innovative project, the Digital Technology Supercluster is supporting the development of a first- its-kind, environmentally responsible mining technology that will position Canada as a world leader in responsible mining,” said François-Philippe Champagne, Canada’s minister of innovation, science, and industry.
Industry partners in the project will apply their deep expertise in exploration, geology, and geophysics to help inform product design and trials, economic value analysis, and commercialization strategy.
BHP (NYSE: BHP), the world’s largest miner and one of the industry’s most innovative producers, has committed to collaborating on the Discovery Platform as it is developed.
“Technology will help us unlock the next generation of resources the world needs to support economic growth and decarbonization,” BHP Chief Technical Officer Laura Tyler, said.
“Through partnerships with technology innovators and others in the resources industry, we can help bring new technologies to market that will improve the precision, depth, and sustainability of exploration in Canada and globally. BHP has a long history and a growing presence in Canada, and we are pleased to join this collaboration to support the nation’s resources sector”.
The Earth X-ray for the Low-Impact Mining project has a total investment of C$13,503,225, with C$7,923,711 invested by industry and C$5,579,514 co-invested through the Supercluster’s Digital Twins programme. Mitacs, a national research organization that operates research and training programmes in industrial and social innovation, is adding C$345,000 in net funding to support a team of post- doctoral researchers at Simon Return to Contents Fraser University.
“The Digital Supercluster is proud to be working with such an amazing group of Canadian companies that are demonstrating a true commitment to environmental sustainability,” said Supercluster CEO, Sue Paish.
“We are happy to provide the digital innovation ecosystem that has brought together Ideon, SFU, Dias Geophysical, Microsoft, Fireweed Zinc, BHP, and Mitacs, making it possible for Canada to advance world-leading research and accelerate transformation of the mining industry.”
Muon tomography uses a passive and free energy source (cosmic rays from space), offers the ability to image in noisy or conductive environments, and captures data continuously – improving imaging results over time.
Ideon Technologies is a spin-off from TRIUMF (Canada’s national particle accelerator laboratory) and a world pioneer in the application of cosmic-ray muon tomography.
