BHP is utilising artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced computing to speed up the search for new ways to extract copper from ore, as the miner looks to improve recovery rates and help meet future demand for the metal.
Working on a project with Microsoft and Prescience Insilico, BHP screened more than 500,000 molecules that could improve copper leaching, a process used to recover copper from ore.
Using Microsoft’s Discovery platform, the project completed tens of thousands of simulations and quantum chemistry calculations in a fraction of the time traditional research methods would require, narrowing the field to a shortlist of candidates now being tested in Australian labs.
“As copper demand grows and new deposits become harder and more expensive to develop, improving recovery from existing ores is a critical lever to help meet future supply needs,” BHP vice president innovation Jessica Farrell said.
Copper plays a central role in electrification, digital technologies and AI, increasing demand for the metal and placing greater pressure on producers to improve efficiency.
Finding new ways to improve copper recovery has traditionally relied on lab testing and trial-and-error processes. With millions of potential molecules available, testing them one by one can take years, if not decades.
“This partnership has given our technical experts the tools they need to narrow an almost infinite field of possibilities down to a small number of options that could one day be deployed in our global copper operations,” Farrell said.
“Those candidates are being tested against the realities of our orebodies and operating constraints, so we are solving for what can actually work in practice.”
The work could also deliver sustainability benefits, with the project targeting lower toxicity, reduced environmental impacts and lower operating costs alongside improved copper recovery.
“This shows how technology and human expertise can be applied together to solve complex, real-world challenges.”