Fleet Space says its satellite AI expanded Quebec’s Cisco lithium project into a target of 329 million metric tons of ore. That estimate equals a total of 360 million tons and supports a system that can propose drill sites within 48 hours.
Why this Canadian lithium matters
The work was led by Fleet Space Technologies, an Australian exploration company that builds satellite-linked tools for finding minerals.
Its geoscientists use this system to map the subsurface beneath the Cisco property and other early-stage mineral projects worldwide.
At Cisco, the exploration target is about 300 million tons of lithium rock grading one percent lithium oxide.
That potential would place Cisco among the largest hard-rock lithium prospects now being tracked in the James Bay region.
It also shows how digital tools can reshape early exploration long before a formal resource estimate locks in official numbers.
Satellites and sensors see underground
Fleet’s ExoSphere platform links a swarm of small satellites with ground sensors that record vibrations in bedrock and transmit readings directly to orbit.
Those battery-powered devices, called Geodes, sit near the surface and continuously listen for seismic energy from wind, waves, and human activity.
A study shows Geode sensors using ambient seismic noise tomography over direct-to-satellite links to image subsurface structure without explosives.
By combining these measurements with gravity, magnetic, and geological data, ExoSphere produces maps that highlight zones with physical properties that resemble known lithium systems.
Inside the Cisco lithium project
The Cisco lithium project sits in Quebec’s James Bay region, with road access along the Billy Diamond Highway.
Q2 Metals, which holds the project, reports intervals of spodumene – a lithium-aluminum-silicate mineral used in batteries – hosted within thick pegmatite bodies.
Fleet Space said the results of lithium deposits might extend beyond Cisco’s current boundaries, saying the region has “district-scale potential”.
Exploration teams use ExoSphere’s models to aim drilling at priority structures and convert the exploration target into a resource estimate.
James Bay as a lithium corridor
The James Bay region already hosts several hard-rock lithium projects and discoveries clustered along major greenstone belts across northern Quebec.
Industry summaries describe James Bay as a prolific spodumene district with several confirmed deposits and strong existing road and port infrastructure.
These descriptions emphasize Quebec’s hydropower, electricity generated from moving water. This resource lets processing plants run with lower emissions than coal-based grids.
With that infrastructure, Cisco has become a closely watched test of how quickly new Canadian lithium supply can be brought online.
What faster targeting means for batteries
Lithium demand is rising quickly. This is as electric vehicles scale up and utilities add large battery farms to support solar and wind power.
Analysts at the International Energy Agency estimate lithium demand from clean energy technologies could grow sharply by 2030.
Because new mines need nearly a decade from discovery to production, saving a few years in early exploration can matter for tight markets.
Faster decision making at projects like Cisco gives automakers and battery makers confidence when negotiating supply contracts anchored in North American deposits.
Balancing new mines with local impacts
Cisco is within the traditional territory of Eeyou Istchee, where Cree communities have long land-use histories and a stake in mining decisions.
Quebec’s permitting rules require environmental assessments and consultation with Indigenous governments before projects move. This adds time but helps build legitimacy when consultation works.
Because ExoSphere narrows drill targets, companies can disturb less ground by cutting access tracks, pads, and waste piles in sensitive areas.
Lower-impact exploration does not replace conversations about mine design, water use, or reclamation. It does, however, help companies enter talks with better information.
How AI chooses the next drill hole
Once seismic, gravity, magnetic, and geological datasets are uploaded, Fleet’s algorithms search rock properties that match signatures seen at known lithium deposits.
The software then ranks targets, flags structural trends that might host pegmatites, and packages results into maps and cross sections that geologists can interrogate.
From there, teams choose which anomalies to drill, knowing that ExoSphere can update its models within 48 hours as borehole data arrives.
The result is a feedback loop where each drilling round sharpens the subsurface picture and allows later holes to be placed more precisely.
What this could mean for Canada
If Cisco ultimately proves its larger target, the project could anchor a domestic lithium supply chain linking Quebec mines and battery factories.
Hydropower-backed refining and cathode production in Quebec give Canadian lithium a lower carbon footprint than material shipped from fossil fuel grids overseas.
Other mining companies test ambient noise tomography and AI workflows for gold and other metals, hoping data can stretch exploration budgets.
Fleet Space is signing multi-year agreements to expand ExoSphere deployments across several continents as governments and producers seek secure critical mineral supplies.
The limits and questions that remain
Cisco remains an exploration project, and its widely quoted tonnage and grade ranges are conceptual targets rather than formal reserves or defined resources.
Turning those targets into bankable numbers will require step out drilling, tighter grids, and independent verification under Canadian reporting standards.
ExoSphere’s models rely on assumptions about how rocks respond to seismic waves, so they need calibration against core pulled from the ground.
For now, the technology offers a way to tilt discovery odds upward just as society needs new sources of low-carbon battery metals.
Details from a press release by Fleet Space Technologies.
—–
Like what you read? Subscribe to our newsletter for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.
Check us out on EarthSnap, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.
—–