BHP names ten-company cohort for largest Xplor intake

BHP, the Australian mining and metals group, has selected ten early-stage companies for the 2026 BHP Xplor programme, marking the initiative’s largest cohort since its launch.

The selected group includes junior explorers, geoscience organisations and technology developers from across five continents, reflecting what BHP described as a shift in how early-stage mineral discovery is being approached.

“Exploration is evolving quickly,” said Tim O’Connor, BHP Group Exploration Officer. “New tools, better data, and different ways of working are changing how early-stage ideas are tested and refined. This cohort reflects that shift, bringing together explorers and technology developers who are approaching discovery in thoughtful and practical ways.”

The successful applicants are FrontierX (Canada), Litchfield Minerals (Australia), Orion Minerals (South Africa), Otrera Resources (South America), PT GeoFix (Indonesia), the Utah Geological Survey (United States), RadiXplore (Australia), Mineural (Canada), VectOres Science (United States) and Discovery Genomics (Canada).

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Participants will test early geological concepts, trial modern geophysical and data analytics tools, and explore new approaches such as non-invasive hydrogeochemical sampling, isotopic methods, DNA sequencing and artificial intelligence applications in copper exploration.

The 2026 intake marks the fourth year of operation for Xplor, which was established by BHP to support early-stage ideas and foster innovation in mineral discovery.

The Recap

• BHP selected ten companies for the 2026 Xplor cohort.
• Cohort combines explorers, geoscience bodies and technology teams.
• Intake marks the program's fourth year of operation.