BHP teams up with South Africa’s CGS to upgrade geoscience data

BHP Group, the world’s largest mining company, has entered a strategic partnership with South Africa’s Council for Geoscience (CGS) to modernize the country’s geoscientific data and accelerate mineral exploration using advanced digital tools.

The collaboration, formalized through a memorandum of understanding, creates a framework for joint research, data sharing, and exploration initiatives aimed at unlocking the value of decades of underutilized geological information. 

At its core, the agreement focuses on digitizing legacy datasets and applying artificial intelligence to reassess historical mineral prospects that predate modern exploration technology.

Unlocking value from legacy geological data

The partnership reflects a broader industry shift toward data-driven mining as demand rises for critical minerals essential to the global energy transition, including copper and nickel. 

By democratizing access to high-quality geoscience data, the initiative is expected to lower exploration risk, improve discovery rates, and attract new investment into South Africa’s mining sector.

BHP said the collaboration prioritizes capability building and digital infrastructure rather than immediate funding commitments. However, the company confirmed there is potential for financial support as the partnership evolves.

“The focus is on working closely with CGS geoscientists to support data digitization and make geological information more accessible to explorers across South Africa,” said BHP Group Exploration Officer Tom O’Connor.

Linked to BHP’s global Xplor incubator

The agreement aligns with BHP’s Xplor incubator program, launched in 2023 to fast-track early-stage exploration companies focused on future-facing minerals. 

Selected participants receive up to $500,000 in equity-free funding, technical mentorship, and access to BHP’s global exploration network over a six- to nine-month period.

While operational roles under the MoU are still being defined, both parties see the partnership as the foundation of a broader exploration ecosystem that combines public and private data to generate actionable insights.

Open data, broader industry impact

A key outcome of the collaboration will be the integration of mining and mineral datasets into the Open Subsurface Data Universe, expanding a platform traditionally dominated by oil and gas data. 

Once digitized, CGS plans to make the information publicly available, supporting researchers, junior miners, and industry stakeholders.

CGS CEO Mosa Mabuza said the agreement leverages the council’s extensive geological archives and BHP’s generative exploration expertise to identify new mineral opportunities locally and globally.

“With advanced computing, legacy data represents one of the largest untapped sources of value in mineral discovery,” O’Connor added. “South Africa’s rich mining history positions it uniquely for technology-enabled exploration.”

Strategic bet on sustainable resource development

BHP operates across more than 90 locations worldwide, supplying iron ore, copper, metallurgical coal, and expanding into potash to support sustainable agriculture. 

CGS, Australian multinational mining company, operating under South Africa’s Department of Mineral Resources and Energy, provides independent geoscientific research critical to responsible resource development, making the partnership a strategic lever for long-term economic growth and sustainable mining.