Eterion PLC (LSE: ATN), the Africa-focused critical minerals exploration and trading company, is pleased to announce that its artificial intelligence (“Aye“) Collaboration with Lithosquare SAS (“lithosquareE”) has completed its target selection phase in accordance with the initially agreed programme, providing eight priority targets in the Republic of Morocco (“morocco“) and Botswana (“botswana“).
Main characteristics:
· AI collaboration delivers results on schedule, with Lithosquare completing the target selection phase following a comprehensive technical review of Aterian’s portfolio.
· Eight high-priority exploration targets were identified, including three projects in Morocco and five in Botswana.
· Target selection involved AI-driven geological modeling, detailed interpretation of Aterian’s datasets, Moroccan site visits and a global review of analogous mineral systems.
· The review covered Eterion’s extensive African significant minerals portfolio, leveraging large geological datasets to identify the most promising opportunities.
· The next phase of exploration work programs and budgets are now being prepared, providing a clear path to taking these projects forward.
· The long-term joint venture (“JV”) agreement is nearing completion, formalizing the strategic framework for the partnership and reflecting both parties’ commitment to an aggressive exploration timeline.
Charles Bray, Executive Chairman of Aeterion plc, commented:
“The successful completion of the target selection phase with Lithosquare demonstrates the powerful role of artificial intelligence in accelerating mineral exploration. By applying advanced AI-powered geological analysis to our extensive datasets, we are able to rapidly evaluate larger portions of our portfolio and focus our exploration efforts on the most potential opportunities.
The identification of eight high-priority targets in Morocco and Botswana provides Aterian with a clearly defined pipeline of exploration projects with strong geological indicators and attractive analogs to successful mineral systems globally. Importantly, this process enables us to focus capital and technical resources on projects with the greatest potential to deliver maximum value for shareholders.
The collaboration with Lithosquare is already proving to be highly effective in refining our exploration strategy and significantly improving the efficiency with which we can prioritize targets in our African portfolio. As we move into the next phase of work programs and pursue a long-term JV agreement, we believe this partnership positions Aeterion to accelerate exploration progress and unlock considerable potential within our portfolio.
With global demand for critical minerals growing rapidly, the combination of Aterian’s diverse African asset base and advanced exploration technologies provides a strong platform from which to drive new discoveries and long-term value creation.
Aymeric Preveral-Echeverri, CEO of Lithosquare SAS, said:
“We are very proud to be moving forward with Aterian, after selecting and ranking eight targets on schedule – the first proof point of Lithosquare’s accelerative factor. This also speaks to Aterian’s asset: the geological quality was there to be found. Their desire to bring AI-driven exploration into their workflow positions them to make the most of every dollar moving forward. We are now entering the working program phase together, and we are eager to demonstrate that That’s what this approach provides in full.”
strategic importance
The application of AI-powered geological analysis enables Aeterion to rapidly evaluate the large and complex datasets in its portfolio and identify high-quality exploration opportunities more efficiently than traditional methods. The collaboration with LithoSquare aims to enhance exploration targeting, reduce exploration risk and optimize the allocation of exploration capital across the company’s projects.
The review took advantage of the extensive geological datasets across Eterion’s African project portfolio, enabling rapid assessment of multiple exploration opportunities. This work has enabled Aterian to prioritize the most promising opportunities within its portfolio and focus future exploration expenditure on projects with the strongest geological indicators of potential mineralization.
The Company expects to provide further updates as work programs are finalized and the next phase of exploration activities commence.
Collaboration Update
Lithosquare conducted a comprehensive analysis of Eterion’s geological, geochemical and geophysical datasets, applying its AI and machine-learning tools to identify patterns and characteristics associated with potential mineralization systems.
As part of this process, Lithosquare also conducted a site visit to Morocco to review key geological features in the area and validate elements of the company’s dataset. In parallel, the team conducted a comprehensive review of analogous mineral systems globally, identifying geological components and exploration signatures associated with successful deposits of comparable style. This benchmarking process helped determine which of Eterion’s projects demonstrate the most attractive similarities to known mineral systems and therefore offer increased exploration potential.
Following this integrated review, eight projects have been identified as priority exploration targets, including three projects in Morocco and five in Botswana. These projects are considered to have the most favorable combination of geological indicators and structural characteristics when benchmarked against global peers.
Aterion and Lithosquare are now preparing detailed work programs and associated budgets to advance the geological understanding of these projects and further refine exploration targets. The next phase of work is expected to include additional technical analysis and field-based activities to advance the most promising opportunities towards potential drill-ready targets.
In parallel, Aterion and LithoSquare are finalizing a long-term JV agreement, which will establish the strategic framework for the continued development of these priority projects and formalize the partnership between the two organizations. This agreement reflects the commitment of both parties to pursue the most promising targets through drill-ready status.
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This announcement contains information which, before its disclosure, was inside information as determined under Regulation 11 of the Market Abuse (Amendment) (EU Withdrawal) Regulation 2019/310 (as amended).
Connect directly with the Aterian PLC management team by asking questions, watching video summaries and seeing what other shareholders have to say. Please visit our interactive investor center here: https://aterianplc.com/s/fcf8eb
For more information please visit the company’s website: www.aterianplc.com Or contact:
Eterion PLC:
Charles Bray, Executive Chairman – charles.bray@aterianplc.com
Simon Rollason, CEO & Director – simon.rollason@aterianplc.com
Financial Advisors and Joint Brokers:
Albr Capital Limited
David Kaufman/Dan Harris
Phone: +44 (0)207 7469 0930
Joint Brokers:
SP Angel Corporate Finance LLP
Ivan Leggett/Davik Mehta
Phone: +44 20 3470 0470
Financial PR:
Bald Voodoo – ben@baldvoodoo.com
ben kilbe
Phone: +44 (0)7811 209 344
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Notes to editors:
About Eterion PLC
Aeterion PLC is an LSE-listed exploration and development company with a diverse African portfolio of critical metals projects.
Aterion PLC is actively seeking to acquire and develop new critical metals resources to strengthen its existing asset base, as well as support ethical and sustainable supply chains as the world transitions to a sustainable, renewable future. The supply of these metals is vital to the development of the renewable energy, automotive and electronic manufacturing sectors, which are increasingly important in reducing carbon emissions and meeting global climate ambitions.
Aterian has a portfolio of several copper-silver (+gold) and base-metal projects in Morocco. Eterion holds a 90% stake in Atlantis Metals, a private Botswana-registered company that holds eleven mineral prospecting licenses for copper-silver in the world-famous Kalahari Copperbelt and three licenses for lithium and salt brine exploration in the Makgadikgadi Pans area. The company also holds an exploration license in southern Rwanda, where it is evaluating tantalum and niobium opportunities in addition to exploring pegmatite-hosted lithium.
The Company’s strategy is to seek new exploration and production opportunities across the African continent and to develop new sources of significant mineral assets for exploration, development and trading.
About Lithosquare
Lithosquare SAS is a Paris-based mineral exploration technology company that combines geological expertise with advanced artificial intelligence and data science tools to accelerate the discovery of significant mineral deposits. The company is developing a proprietary AI platform that analyzes geological, geophysical and publicly available data to identify and prioritize promising exploration targets with the goal of reducing cost, time and uncertainty compared to traditional exploration.
