SA's Orion Minerals selected for BHP's mining incubator program

Orion Minerals, the JSE listed copper and zinc exploration and development company operating in the Northern Cape, has become one of 10 early-stage companies from other countries to join the 2026 BHP Xplor program, the first incubator of its kind in the mining industry.

The cohort was selected based on the strength of their ideas, technical capability, and potential to contribute to the long-term supply of future-facing commodities. Each company receives an equity-free grant of $500 000, along with structured learning, mentoring, and access to BHP specialists across exploration, technology, and commercial functions.

Since launching in 2023, BHP Xplor has supported 21 companies across three cohorts, building a global network of explorers and innovators focused on early-stage discovery.

BHP Group Exploration officer Tim O'Connor said in an interview with BR, that the success of the program so far could be indicated by the fact that BHP had established some kind of partnership with about 40% of previous cohort participants, after their participation in the program.

For BHP, such partnering could potentially speed up exploration, cohort members brought valuable expertise about their projects, and other knowledge such as about the communities in which they operate, which could benefit a scaled-up project over the longer term, said O'Connor.

Through Xplor, Orion plans to acquire modern data analytics and mineral systems to identify new discovery opportunities beyond known deposits. Orion's flagship Prieska Copper Zinc Mine and the New Okiep Mining Company "Flat Mines Project" are not participants in the Program, as these projects are further advanced, with development plans in place.

Orion MD and CEO Tony Lennox said in a statement: "This is a significant milestone for Orion and a strong endorsement of the potential of our Northern Cape exploration portfolio. Being selected for the 2026 BHP Xplor Program provides access to technical expertise, experienced mentors and industry perspectives that will help us strengthen our geological understanding and progress our current program of work."

O'Connor said the 2026 cohort, for the first time, brought together junior exploration companies, geoscience organisations, and technology teams that collectively span the discovery system.

"As exploration moves into more remote and geologically complex environments, this intersection of expertise is opening up new possibilities for how mineral systems are understood, tested, and advanced at the earliest stages," said O'Connor.

"Exploration is evolving quickly. 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," he said.

The cohort comprises FrontierX, a uranium exploration company in Canada, Litchfield Minerals, an Australian exploration company advancing copper, zinc, lead, silver and gold opportunities, Otrera Resources, focused on sediment-hosted copper systems, PT GeoFix Indonesia, a geoscience consultancy, Utah Geological Survey, the State of Utah's primary geoscience organisation and, RadiXplore, a company using artificial intelligence to analyse historical exploration records alongside modern geological and corporate data.

Other applicants are Mineural, a Canadian company using artificial intelligence, VectOres Science, which is developing non-invasive hydrogeochemical and isotopic tools to support mineral exploration, and Discovery Genomics, a Vancouver-based technology company developing DNA sequencing as a new tool for mineral exploration.

"Orion demonstrated a clear and well-supported geological concept, with potential in a future-facing commodity. Their technical approach, combined with the capability of their team and their commitment to disciplined testing, make them a strong addition to this year's cohort," said O'Connor.

"The exploration companies joining this year's cohort presented concepts supported by well-considered technical thinking and strong fundamentals. Orion showed a clear commitment to progressing their projects responsibly and systematically," said BHP Explor head Marley Palin.

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