Lateritic Ni–Co Prospectivity Modeling in Eastern Australia Using an Enhanced Generative Adversarial Network and Positive-Unlabeled Bagging

Abstract

The surging demand for Ni and Co, driven by the acceleration of clean energy transitions, has sparked interest in the Lachlan Orogen of New South Wales for its potential lateritic Ni–Co resources. Despite recent discoveries, a substantial knowledge gap exists in understanding the full scope of these critical metals in this geological province. This study employed a machine learning-based framework, integrating multidimensional datasets to create prospectivity maps for lateritic Ni–Co deposits within a specific Lachlan Orogen segment. The framework generated a variety of data-driven models incorporating geological (rock units, metamorphic facies), structural, and geophysical (magnetics, gravity, radiometrics, and remote sensing spectroscopy) data layers. These models ranged from comprehensive models that use all available data layers to fine-tuned models restricted to high-ranking features. Additionally, two hybrid (knowledge-data-driven) models distinguished between hypogene and supergene components of the lateritic Ni–Co mineral systems. The study implemented data augmentation methods and tackled imbalances in training samples using the SMOTE–GAN method, addressing common machine learning challenges with sparse training data. The study overcame difficulties in defining negative training samples by translating geological and geophysical data into training proxy layers and employing a positive and unlabeled bagging technique. The prospectivity maps revealed a robust spatial correlation between high probabilities and known mineral occurrences, projecting extensions from these sites and identifying potential greenfield areas for future exploration in the Lachlan Orogen. The high-accuracy models developed in this study utilizing the Random Forest classifier enhanced the understanding of mineralization processes and exploration potential in this promising region.