Alrosa Deploys Advanced AI System to Accelerate Diamond Exploration  

Alrosa has unveiled a new artificial intelligence (AI) system designed to speed up the search for diamond deposits in difficult geological conditions. 

The latest technology aims to enable more accurate identification of promising areas for exploration while reducing search time, the miner said last week. The company estimates the system could save hundreds of millions of rubles per project. 

Exploration for new diamond deposits has slowed in recent decades as miners discovered most of the largest and accessible kimberlite pipes during the 20th century. Future discoveries are likely to lie deeper underground and in geologically challenging regions, requiring the use of advanced technologies, Alrosa pointed out. 

The new system relies on neural networks trained on more than 50 years of Alrosa’s proprietary geological data. The company digitized its archives and continues to update the model with fresh information from ongoing exploration projects.  

“The geological corps has historically been a driver of the development and use of the latest technologies,” said Alrosa CEO Pavel Marinychev. “Our new system is a Russian development, and we are already testing it.” 

Global diamond reserves are estimated at 1.7 billion to 1.9 billion carats, enough to sustain production for several decades. Russia holds more than half of those reserves, making the implementation of new exploration technologies crucial for long-term market stability. 

Image: Rough diamonds being sorted and weighed. (Alrosa)