Raptor Grav™ – a next generation airborne gravimeter

The Challenge 

As a result of the long and successful history of mineral exploration and discovery in Western Australia, the State’s endowment of readily identifiable and economically viable mineral deposits is being exploited faster than it is being replenished by new discoveries. 

The challenge is to find significant new resources that would not have been identified by conventional exploration practice, particularly in areas of deep cover. 

Proposed Solution 

Airborne gravimetry can quickly assess subtle variations in the density of rock types across the landscape without access to the ground, but is fundamentally limited by the accuracy of GPS data, which is used to correct data for the movement of the aircraft in which the sensor is hosted. This imposes a spatial resolution to gravimetry measurements on the order of kilometres. 

This project will adapt Australian Doppler Lidar technology being developed for a 2026 lunar landing to establish a new, patented approach to high-resolution airborne gravimetry. This approach has the potential to significantly improve the resolution and quality of airborne gravity data collected from traditional fixed-wing geophysical survey aircraft. 

The small size, weight and power requirements of the technology are also likely to allow the gravimeter to be deployed on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (drones). 

Proposed Benefits to WA 

This project is funded under the MRIWA Mining Technology, Equipment and Services (METS) Innovation Program. It demonstrates industry-led research which aims to develop new products, companies and markets for the Western Australian mining and minerals sector.  

The increased resolution and reduced cost of gravimetry delivered by this project will help target mineral exploration activity across vast areas of WA where potentially mineralised rocks may lie buried beneath cover. This technology is being developed by a world-leading WA company, and the new technology will be tested and deployed commercially in WA.