Harvard university rocks 3592-1678 title: developing downhole mineralogy logging sensors to accelerate critical mineral exploration enabled by AI models and high-throughput core data mineral…

The Department of Energy Advanced Research Projects Agency awarded a $2.523 million cooperative agreement to the President and Fellows of Harvard College on July 16, 2026, under the Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy program (CFDA 81.135) to develop downhole mineralogy logging sensors for accelerated critical mineral exploration.

Harvard will develop novel downhole spectroscopy techniques—including neutron-based elemental capture spectroscopy, nuclear quadrupole resonance, and electron spin resonance—to obtain real-time mineralogy and critical mineral potential of orebodies during drilling and well logging. Current logging sensors, designed for oil and gas applications, characterize porosity and permeability but cannot detect the complex mineralogy required for mining. The project will establish AI-based models through laboratory measurements of ore samples to support sensor development, transforming mineral deposit characterization from the current paradigm to one that delivers mineralogical insights and rapid critical mineral potential evaluation during active exploration.

Performance occurs in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with a period of performance through July 15, 2029. The cooperative agreement structure reflects ARPA-E's approach to funding high-potential, early-stage energy technologies unsuitable for private-sector investment.

Harvard university rocks 3592-1678 title: developing downhole mineralogy logging sensors to accelerate critical mineral exploration enabled by AI models and high-throughput core data mineral distribution and critical mineral potential evaluation are the key for rapid and economical mine development as the orebodies are heterogenous and distributed in complex structures. However, these logging sensors are designed for oil & gas industry to characterize primarily porosity, permeability, and fluid information, and are thus inappropriate for mining as they cannot detect the complex mineralogy of the orebodies and host rocks. In the project downhole spectroscopy techniques, including neutron-based elemental capture spectroscopy, nuclear quadrupole resonance, and electron spin resonance, will be developed to directly obtain the real-time mineralogy and critical mineral potential of orebodies during drilling or well logging. These novel sensors will transform current mine exploration by providing mineralogical insights and real-time evaluation of critical mineral potential through well-logging, thereby accelerating mineral deposit exploration. These sensors will drastically change the current mineral deposit characterization paradigm, thus achieving the objective of the rocks program to develop fundamentally disruptive technologies to transform the ORE deposit characterization process. This project will include laboratory measurements of ORE samples to establish the AI-based models for the downhole sensors.