PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Major BHP has selected seven companies to help accelerate global copper and nickel exploration through its Xplor programme.

The seven companies have been selected to receive funding and support under the BHP Xplor accelerator program, which 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.

“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 VP Sonia Scarselli said.

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

BHP chief development officer Johan van Jaarsveld said that through this program, BHP hoped 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 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 include ASX-listed Impact Minerals, ASX-listed Nordic Nickel, ASX-listed Kingrose Mining, privately held Tutume Metals, Aisan Battery Metals, Red Ox Copper, and Bronzite Exploration Corp.

The seven companies hold assets spanning the globe, from Botswana, Canada, Australia, Finland, Norway and the Asia Pacific region.

Nordic Nickel has welcomed the investment, saying it will use the funding for its 2023 drill programme at its Pulju nickel project, in northern Finland.

“We are excited to have been selected to participate in the BHP’s Xplor cohort for 2023. This validates the quality and potential of our flagship Pulju nickel project in northern Finland, where we are targeting the potential for Tier-1 nickel discoveries in an under-explored greenstone belt with proven geological potential for large-scale critical mineral deposits,” said Nordic Nickel MD Todd Ross.

“The non-dilutive funding provided by BHP, together with the ability to access their world-class networks and expertise, will put Nordic Nickel in an exceptional position to unlock the full potential of this asset over the next 12 months and beyond.”