Lightning Minerals Ltd (ASX:L1M, FRA:YZ1) has entered a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with AI exploration technology group Eigenform NextMaps to evaluate advanced data analytics and digital exploration workflows across its Australian project portfolio.
The collaboration is designed to improve geological interpretation, exploration planning, drill target generation and capital allocation as Lightning advances its April 2026 Strategic Reset and works toward a maiden Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) at the flagship Mt Turner Gold Project in northern Queensland.
Under the MoU, Lightning and Eigenform NextMaps will assess how artificial intelligence and advanced geological analytics can be applied to improve exploration outcomes across the company’s Australian assets.
The initial rollout will focus on selected Western Australian gold projects before expanding to Lightning’s broader portfolio, including Mt Turner and the Warby Tungsten Project in North Queensland.
The work will cover the digitisation and integration of historical geological datasets, AI-assisted geological interpretation, mineral prospectivity modelling, exploration target generation and ranking, drill planning optimisation, and integration of geological, geophysical and geochemical datasets.
“Enhancing” geological expertise
Lightning managing director Troy Brice said the agreement showed the company was executing on its strategy to build a more focused exploration business and be disciplined in how it invests capital.
“Exploration success is increasingly determined not only by the quality of the ground you hold, but by how effectively you can interrogate geological data, prioritise opportunities and deploy exploration capital,” Brice said.
“Importantly, this collaboration is not about replacing geological expertise - it is about enhancing it. By combining advanced AI-assisted geological analytics with Lightning's experienced exploration team, we believe we can make better-informed decisions, reduce exploration uncertainty and accelerate the pathway toward defining a maiden Mineral Resource at Mt Turner and Tungsten definition at the Warby Project.”
Eigenform NextMaps co-founder Owen Hackenburg said the collaboration would demonstrate how AI-assisted geological workflows could unlock additional value from historical datasets, improve exploration planning and accelerate the pathway to new discoveries.
Mt Turner remains flagship focus
Lightning’s exploration strategy is centred on advancing Mt Turner toward a maiden MRE through systematic exploration and stronger geological interpretation.
The company believes AI-assisted workflows could help reduce exploration search space, improve geological confidence, accelerate target generation, optimise drilling priorities, improve exploration capital allocation and shorten decision cycles.
The staged deployment also aligns with Lightning’s recent portfolio reset, which has included establishing Mt Turner as the flagship asset, completing a June capital raising, progressing the divestment of non-core Canadian lithium assets and accelerating exploration across Mt Turner and its Western Australian gold portfolio.
Next steps
Lightning expects to update the market on the start of technical evaluation work across selected Western Australian projects, completion of initial AI-assisted geological assessments, prioritised targets generated through the collaboration and the application of the technology to Mt Turner and Warby.
The MoU is non-binding, except for customary provisions covering confidentiality, intellectual property and administrative matters. Any future commercial arrangements will be negotiated separately.