BHP says it is continuing to evaluate materials handling and fleet replenishment options at its Spence copper mine, in Chile, with one possibility being the use of an in-pit crushing and conveying ore system in tandem with autonomous trucks.

In its 2018 annual report, the company said the timing and sequencing of these options was “pertinent” to reducing health and safety risks and operating costs, with “technology-enabled solutions potentially significantly reducing risks associated with crash, collision and rollover, silica exposure, dust and greenhouse gas emissions”.

Spence is a key part of BHP’s copper portfolio in Chile and is due to produce some 185,000-200,000 t of the red metal in the company’s 2019 financial year to end-June.