Canada has begun digitizing geological drill cores as part of a new national technology initiative designed to make the country’s vast mineral data easier to analyze using artificial intelligence and advanced scanning technologies.

The first core samples for the Canadian Digital Core Library (CDCL) were scanned in Calgary, beginning with material from the Northwest Territories. The initiative is being developed with provinces and territories to create a standardized national digital dataset.

Natural Resources Canada is investing up to C$40 million over two years in the initiative, while the national platform is being developed with support from the Creative Destruction Lab. Ten provinces and territories have signed agreements to advance the project.

The technology will convert physical drill-core information into high-quality digital records that can be accessed by researchers, geoscientists and industry. Officials say the data could help reduce mineral-exploration uncertainty, identify critical-mineral opportunities and support investment.

The project represents a major step toward applying AI, digital geoscience and data analytics to Canada’s natural-resource sector, potentially allowing geological information collected over decades to be analyzed with modern technologies.