BHP has announced the selection of six companies for the second cohort of the BHP Xplor accelerator program. Chosen from over 500 applicants, these companies will join an initiative aimed at enhancing early-stage mineral exploration, crucial for supporting the energy transition.
The BHP Xplor program is dedicated to aiding these early-stage companies in discovering vital resources. Each participating company will receive a grant of up to US$500,000, along with access to a network of both internal and external industry experts. This support is structured to accelerate the growth of these companies and expand their exploration concepts. The program is focused on fostering development across technical, business, and operational aspects.
Goals and Collaborative Work
Over a six-month period, these companies will work in collaboration with BHP Xplor to fast-track the development of their geological concepts. The aim is to position these projects for commercialization or partnership, pushing beyond traditional limits in the field of exploration.
Selected Companies for the 2024 Cohort
- Longreach Mineral: This private company is bringing an innovative approach by integrating petroleum industry insights with seismic geophysics and AI tools for identifying tier 1 deposits crucial to the energy transition.
- East Star Resources: Based in the United Kingdom and listed on the London Stock Exchange, this company focuses on exploring copper and other metals in Kazakhstan.
- Pallas Resources: A private explorer targeting large-scale systems of copper, gold, nickel sulphide, and lithium in Kazakhstan.
- Hamelin Gold: Listed on the Australia Securities Exchange, this company is conducting a modern exploration program at the West Tanami Gold Project in Western Australia, known for its potential in gold and nickel-copper-PGE intrusions.
- Cobre: An ASX-listed company specializing in copper and base metals exploration in Botswana.
- Equivest Minerals: A private firm employing a technology platform combining machine learning and statistical insights to identify major metal deposits in key regions.
