AI pays off for Yamana, Goldspot at El Penon

GoldSpot Discoveries (TSXV: SPOT) issued a statement commending Yamana Gold (TSX: YRI; NYSE: AUY) for using machine learning technology to improve exploration targeting and contribute to meaningful increases in mineral resource inventory at its El Penon gold-silver mine in northern Chile.

In late 2018, Yamana partnered with GoldSpot to complete an exhaustive evaluation of historical mine data compiled on El Penon, including extensive collections of geophysical data, drill information, surface and sub-surface geochemistry and geology.

GoldSpot worked closely with staff at El Penon to create a predictive lithological map to identify new drill targets. The study provided a number of site-specific vein targets on surface and in the sub-surface core mine area that are being prioritized for follow-up sampling and mapping for drill testing in early 2020.

Recently, Yamana reported that El Penon’s mineral reserves both replaced 2019 depletion and further increased such mineral reserves by 15% and 21% for gold and silver, respectively, as a result of positive infill drilling and mine design optimization. Measured and indicated mineral resources increased by 66% while silver increased by 70% compared to the prior year, due to the positive exploration results from numerous secondary vein structures in the east mine.

“The collaborative AI process undertaken with GoldSpot has allowed Yamana’s exploration team to leverage many years of multidisciplinary exploration data and is playing a significant role in the current exploration targeting process at El Penon,” Henry Marsden, senior VP of Exploration at Yamana, said.

— This article first appeared in our sister publication, MINING.com, which is part of the Glacier Resource Innovation Group.