Xcalibur Smart Mapping will carry out a large-scale airborne geophysical survey for Uzbekistan’s Geological Exploration JSC. The work will cover the Central Kyzylkum, an area of about 80,000 square kilometers, roughly a fifth of the country’s territory. The start is planned for December 2026 under the National Airborne Geophysics Program.
The project is conceived as the first step toward covering the entire country with modern high-resolution data. Besides the measurements themselves, it includes remote sensing, artificial intelligence analysis, and knowledge transfer to local specialists.
The survey will use several methods: magnetometry, radiometry, gravimetry, and electromagnetic surveys. Some of the technologies, including helicopter and fixed-wing electromagnetic surveying and airborne gravimetry, will be applied in a Central Asian regional program for the first time. The company currently has eight aircraft deployed in the DR Congo, and at peak activity that number could reach twelve.
Data processing and interpretation will be carried out on the XENAI platform, which uses artificial intelligence tools. Regional prospectivity models will be built from the new data, also a first for Central Asia. The work will involve Xcalibur’s Central Asian team, which will combine knowledge of the region with international experience.
Xcalibur head Andres Blanco noted that the point of “Earth intelligence” is turning knowledge of the planet into better decisions. According to him, the project will help Uzbekistan convert its mineral potential into well-founded opportunities for exploration and investment. Equally important is the transfer of skills to local teams, so that the data remains useful for a long time.
Shamsiddin Pakhritdinovich Alimov, chairman of the board on the Uzbek side, stressed that accelerating the assessment and development of mineral resource potential to international standards is one of the ministry’s priorities. He called cooperation with Xcalibur an important step toward applying advanced technologies and more confident exploration planning.
For Uzbekistan, this is a chance to obtain a modern geological foundation and attract investors; for the region, a first application of advanced airborne geophysical methods on such a scale. How successful the project proves will be shown not only by data quality but also by how quickly local specialists can put it to use.
Source: Xcalibur Smart Mapping
Image: Xcalibur Smart Mapping
