BHP is collaborating with Microsoft on copper extraction

The search for new methods to extract copper from ore is a challenge that scientists and metallurgists have been working on for decades. BHP, the world’s largest copper producer, is relying on digitalisation and artificial intelligence to tackle this challenge.

According to its own figures, the mining group BHP has increased its copper production by around 30 per cent since 2021. The reason for this, it says, is that more copper is needed to support the growing population, the energy transition, digitalisation and the AI revolution. A partnership between BHP and Microsoft is now set to accelerate research into advanced copper leaching solutions in order to unlock new potential.
Copper leaching is a complex process, and the search for better methods of extracting copper from ore has so far relied on slow, manual trial-and-error processes, according to BHP. There are millions of possible molecules – both known and as yet undiscovered – that have the potential to improve copper leaching. Testing them all individually in the laboratory would take years, if not decades. In collaboration with Microsoft and Prescience Insilico, BHP is setting out to test whether advanced computing power could accelerate the discovery process without compromising scientific accuracy or operational relevance.

Models are based on real-world conditions

With the help of Microsoft Discovery – a platform designed to accelerate scientific research and development through high-performance computing and specialised AI agents – BHP can accelerate scientific discoveries through computer-aided workflows, whilst targeting precisely those aspects that are most important to BHP’s copper operations worldwide. The models are based on the real-world conditions of the ore at BHP’s copper operations, thereby ensuring that the results are practical, relevant and scalable, as the company emphasises.
“As the first mining partner on Microsoft Discovery, BHP is leading the way in exploring how advanced computing power and scientific capabilities can help tackle complex industry challenges,” says Aseem Datar, Corporate Vice President, Product Innovation at Microsoft Discovery. Working with Microsoft, the BHP team has examined more than half a million molecules that could help extract copper more efficiently. To this end, tens of thousands of quantum chemical calculations and simulations were carried out to narrow the field down to a set of molecules that can be tested by scientists in Australian laboratories.
“As demand for copper rises and the development of new deposits becomes increasingly difficult and expensive, improving the yield from existing ores is a crucial lever for meeting future supply needs,” says Jessica Farrell, Vice President of Innovation at BHP. “This partnership has provided our technical experts with the tools they need to narrow down an almost infinite range of possibilities to a small number of options that could one day be deployed at our copper operations worldwide,” said Farrell.
In addition to speed and efficiency, the project also aims to deliver sustainability benefits, including reduced toxicity and environmental impact, as well as improved yields and lower costs.
Source: BHP