Tag Archives: BHP Xplor

Getech geoscience exploration solutions boost Asian Battery Minerals’ nickel mining hopes in Mongolia

Getech, a locator of subsurface resources, says it has successfully finished an exploration project for Asian Battery Minerals, a participant in the 2023 BHP Xplor accelerator program, targeting potential nickel deposits in Mongolia.

Getech was invited by BHP to the accelerator to offer its geoscience exploration solutions to the program’s cohort. Asian Battery Minerals, targeting nickel in Mongolia, elected to contract with Getech.

Getech employed its pioneering methodologies, such as terrain and structural analysis, gravity and magnetics data analysis, to assist Asian Battery Minerals. The team provided an extensive report analysing the structural and paleotectonic elements in the exploration area of interest.

The project has been deemed successful by Asian Battery Minerals, as the results have the potential to significantly enhance its exploration strategy in Mongolia, Getech says.

Richard Bennett, Executive Chairman of Getech, said: “While we are known to have extensive experience in mineral exploration for sedimentary basin ores, this project focused on ‘hard rock’ exploration. This challenge proved that our mineral systems analysis capabilities and data extend into deeper and older deposits such as magmatic nickel. Leveraging our proprietary data amassed over 30 years and our geological exploration expertise, complemented by AI-driven analytics, we can successfully locate potential new search spaces for a wide range of minerals.”

Gan-Ochir Zunduisuren, Managing Director at Asian Battery Minerals, said: “We are delighted with the results of our partnership with Getech. Their in-depth analysis and innovative approaches have provided us with valuable insights for our nickel exploration in Mongolia.”

The BHP Xplor program is a global accelerator initiative that supports innovative early-stage mineral exploration companies in finding the critical resources necessary for the energy transition. Over a period of six months, the program has aided seven selected companies in de-risking their geologic concepts and becoming investment-ready.

BHP selects seven exploration companies for Xplor accelerator program

BHP Xplor, an accelerator program introduced by BHP in August 2022, has announced its first cohort of seven companies focused on discovering the copper, nickel and other critical minerals needed to support the energy transition.

These seven have been selected out of hundreds of applications received from all around the world, BHP said, adding that they will receive funding and support under the BHP Xplor accelerator program.

This program is designed to help provide participants with the opportunity to accelerate their growth and the potential to establish a long-term partnership with BHP and its global network of partners. The program will offer candidates funding, in-kind services, mentorship and coaching, and opportunities with BHP’s network of suppliers and service providers, according to BHP.

BHP Xplor Vice President, Sonia Scarselli, Vice President, said: “We are amazed by the diversity and quality of the submissions we reviewed and selected. We are confident that the BHP Xplor program will support the seven companies chosen to accelerate their concepts and ideas, to help take it to the next level.”

BHP Xplor will also provide BHP the opportunity to access some of the most exciting exploration prospects globally, including new geographies and geologic concepts beyond what is seen today, helping to drive its pipeline of new opportunities to shape its future asset portfolio, the company said.

BHP Chief Development Officer, Johan van Jaarsveld, said: “Through this program, we hope to create disruptive results in copper and nickel exploration by identifying new concepts, leveraging new data and testing opportunities at a much faster pace than discoveries to date.”

Each company will receive an up to $500,000 cash payment from BHP, together with access to a network of internal and external experts to help guide development across technical, business and operational aspects of the company.

The seven companies selected to join the BHP Xplor accelerator program are:

  • Tutume Metals – a private, junior exploration company with secured ground searching for critical minerals in Botswana;
  • Impact Minerals – a junior explorer listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) with a variety of battery metals projects across Australia;
  • Asian Battery Metals – a junior exploration company focused on finding economic deposits of critical minerals in the Asia Pacific region;
  • Red Ox Copper – a private minerals exploration group in Australia, specialising in generating grassroots, greenfield conceptual plays with potential for Tier 1 ore deposits;
  • Bronzite Exploration Corp – an early-stage exploration for copper in northern Canada, spearheaded by Professor James Mungall, an experienced field and economic geologist at Carleton University, Ottawa;
  • Nordic Nickel – a brand new nickel sulphide explorer, listed on the ASX and focused on two projects in northern Finland, in the Central Lapland Greenstone Belt; and
  • Kingsrose Mining – a junior exploration company listed on the ASX with regional projects in Norway and Finland targeting nickel, copper and platinum group elements.