BHP Eyes Zambia Copper Exploration

Global miner BHP is keen to pursue large-scale Copper exploration in Zambia, highlighting growing international interest in the central African nation's mineral wealth. Zambia, Africa's second-largest Copper producer, is seeking to more than triple output by 2031 and is stepping up efforts to attract investment into its largely underexplored deposits. BHP's re-engagement with the region, after largely staying out of Africa since spinning off South32 in 2015, is driven by surging demand for Copper. Campbell McCuaig, BHP's head of global generative exploration, noted that BHP is deploying advanced geological methods and large-scale data analysis to detect deeply buried Copper deposits. Zambia's efforts to expand access to geoscience data, including government-backed airborne surveys and the digitization of geological records, are welcomed by BHP as they help attract international investment. This strategic move by BHP comes at a time when Copper is increasingly viewed as a cornerstone of the global energy transition.