Minerals Exploration

We replenish BHP Billiton's resource base and create opportunities for future growth.

  • About Minerals Exploration

     

    Minerals Exploration plays an important role in adding new mineral resources to the BHP Billiton Group and creating opportunities for long-term growth. Our focus is on discovering and acquiring operating interests in mineral deposits with the potential to support large, long-life, low-cost, expandable mining operations, diversified by commodity, geography and market.

    We undertake all Greenfield mineral exploration activities, covering discovery and acquisition of exploration-stage projects.  Greenfield mineral exploration takes place outside the area of influence surrounding an existing BHP Billiton operating asset which leads us to explore some of the most geologically prospective terrains globally across a wide array of countries and operating environments.   Our exploration activities include opportunity identification, application for and acquisition of mineral title, early reconnaissance operations to multi-million-dollar delineation drilling programs.  We manage a global portfolio of high quality exploration projects through the field activities of our regionally located teams.

    All of our exploration activities are supported by functional expertise in safety and risk management, community and environmental management, project management, information management, supply, commercial, legal, finance and human resources.  It is our capability in these areas which allows us to operate safely and effectively in often remote and challenging environments.

    We are proud of our track record, which is one of the best in the industry.  Over recent years we have led or contributed to the discovery or evaluation of many significant mineral deposits across the world.

     

  • Leadership

    Ian Maxwell, President, Minerals Exploration

    Ian is the President of Minerals Exploration, a position he has held since July 2004.  He has worked with Citigroup, Rio Tinto and Anglo American in a number of equities, merger and acquisition, corporate finance and exploration roles in Australia, the United Kingdom and Europe. Ian holds a Masters in Finance from the London Business School and a BSc in Mining and Economic Geology from the Royal School of Mines, University of London.