en.Wedoany.com Reported - Australian mining company Lightning Minerals (ASX:L1M) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with exploration technology company Eigenform NextMaps to evaluate AI-assisted exploration planning across its Australian asset portfolio.

According to Lightning, the collaboration supports its strategic shift in April 2026 by assessing technologies aimed at improving exploration planning, drill target positioning, and capital allocation. Initial deployment will begin with gold projects in Western Australia, then expand to the flagship Mt Turner gold project and the broader Australian asset portfolio. The company stated that this partnership aims to support the Mt Turner project toward its first mineral resource estimate through more efficient exploration planning.

Managing Director Troy Brice said that when the company announced its strategic shift in April, it committed to becoming a more focused exploration company while maintaining discipline in capital investment. He noted that exploration success depends not only on the quality of mineral rights held but increasingly on how effectively geological data is interpreted, opportunities are prioritized, and exploration capital is deployed.

Lightning stated that the AI platform developed by Eigenform NextMaps supports geological interpretation, exploration target positioning, and drill planning. Brice said the collaboration is intended to enhance, not replace, geological expertise. By combining advanced AI-assisted geological analysis with the company's experienced exploration team, it helps make more informed decisions, reduce exploration uncertainty, and accelerate the process of defining the first mineral resource at Mt Turner.

Eigenform NextMaps co-founder Owen Hackenburg said the company is pleased to demonstrate how AI-assisted geological workflows can unlock additional value from historical datasets, improve exploration planning, and accelerate the path to discovering new mineral deposits. Areas of collaboration include digitization and integration of historical geological datasets, AI-assisted geological interpretation, mineral potential modeling, exploration target generation and prioritization, drill planning optimization, and integration of geological, geophysical, and geochemical datasets. The Memorandum of Understanding also establishes a framework for both parties to evaluate future commercial opportunities arising from successful technical outcomes, while allowing each party to retain existing intellectual property.

Eigenform NextMaps is an exploration technology company headquartered in Australia and Singapore, specializing in AI and mineral potential modeling.