In an effort to enhance copper recovery at the Escondida mine in Chile, the largest copper mine globally, BHP has joined forces with Microsoft. This collaboration involves leveraging machine learning and artificial intelligence technologies.
BHP recognizes the necessity of doubling global copper production within the next 30 years to keep up with the advancements in decarbonization technologies like electric vehicles, offshore wind, and solar farms.
Discovering and constructing new mines is a challenging and expensive task that can take more than ten years. Consequently, mining companies are turning to next-generation technologies to maximize the extraction of valuable metals from existing mines and processes.
"In our view, the mining industry's next major breakthrough will stem from the advanced utilization of digital technologies," stated Laura Tyler, Chief Technical Officer of BHP.
BHP highlighted that by utilizing real-time data from ore processing plants, combined with AI-driven recommendations from Microsoft's Azure platform, operators will gain the capability to fine-tune variables impacting ore processing and grade recovery.
As the largest mining company worldwide, BHP holds the majority ownership of Escondida and operates the mine in partnership with Rio Tinto and Japan's JECO Corp.
During the previous fiscal year concluding in June, Escondida achieved a copper production exceeding 1 million tonnes.
