Aterian (LSE:ATN), the AIM-listed critical minerals exploration and development company, has commenced a high-resolution drone magnetic survey over its Botswana copper licences in the Kalahari Copper Belt.
The survey targets the company's two highest-priority licences, PL0199/2025 and PL0157/2024, and forms the first stage of a systematic programme designed to generate drill targets across its Botswana portfolio. The data will feed into an AI-driven targeting platform run by Lithosquare, Aterian's exploration technology partner since earlier this year, which combines the magnetic survey with geological, structural and satellite datasets to rank prospects.
Drone magnetics offer far higher spatial resolution than conventional airborne surveys, allowing subtle structures beneath the region's sand cover to be identified.
"This is exactly the exploration momentum we intended to create: rapidly acquiring high-quality field data, integrating it with Lithosquare's AI-driven targeting platform and advancing the strongest opportunities towards drill-ready status," said Charles Bray, Aterian's executive chairman.
Bray pointed to a similar approach already applied at the Agdz East project in Morocco, where magnetic interpretation identified multiple targets tied to kilometre-scale fault corridors.
Separately, Aterian has completed soil geochemical sampling on licence PL2622/2023, which returned no anomalies significant enough to justify immediate follow-up.
The company has placed further work on that licence on hold, redirecting resources to the two priority licences now under survey.
Further updates are expected as the Botswana survey progresses and its results are interpreted.
News Intelligence what this means for the company
Aterian has begun a drone magnetic survey over its two priority Botswana copper licences, feeding results into an AI-driven targeting platform run by Lithosquare. The move advances the systematic exploration programme the company outlined in July 2026, but is an early-stage data-gathering step; the company has also deprioritised a third licence after soil sampling yielded no significant anomalies, redirecting resources to the surveyed prospects.
The survey represents execution on Aterian's stated 2026 exploration roadmap and demonstrates the Lithosquare partnership moving into field work. However, this is a data-input phase; material value creation depends on the AI platform identifying drill-ready targets and on the company's ability to fund and execute the ~1,200m of planned Botswana scout drilling, both of which remain contingent on JV funding tranches and in-country execution.
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