Investing in Copper South Australia, answering the big questions from shareholders, and celebrating generations of employee stories

In this edition, we explore the strategic investments driving copper growth in South Australia, feature CEO and CFO responses to shareholder questions, and showcase the people building what’s next for BHP.

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Investing over A$840 million in Copper South Australia

BHP is investing over A$840 million in a series of growth-enabling projects at Olympic Dam, to strengthen the foundations of underground mining productivity and continue building its world-class copper province in the far north of South Australia.

Our latest investment is driving several key upgrades across the mine including construction of a new underground access tunnel, expansion of our ore pass capacity, and an extension of the electric rail network to streamline ore handling and reduce haulage distances. Additionally, a new oxygen plant is being installed to boost smelter performance and support increased copper processing.

“BHP is the largest producer of copper in the world, and we expect to grow our copper base from 1.7 million tonnes to around 2.5 million tonnes per annum. Achieving that scale requires significant copper growth, and we are fortunate to have a world-class copper province right here in South Australia to do just that.” - Edgar Basto, Chief Operating Officer

The world needs more copper, with global demand projected to grow 70% by 2050 driven by population growth, rising living standards, and the energy transition. This presents a generational opportunity for South Australia, which is home to two thirds of Australia’s copper resources – some of the finest copper resources in the world.

BHP holds the world’s largest copper resources with Escondida and Copper South Australia. In FY25, BHP produced more than two million tonnes of copper for the first time.

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Hear CEO and CFO tackle the big questions on shareholders’ minds 

Project progress at Jansen. The market outlook for uranium and steelmaking coal. The pace of decarbonisation. Reviving productivity in Australia.

These were some of the many topics that shareholders put to CEO Mike Henry and CFO Vandita Pant in our Financial Year 2025 Shareholder Q&A. 

Asked how BHP was pursuing innovation in the short and long term, CEO Mike Henry said: 

“We have a dedicated team that looks at some of the future innovations and is working with the operating businesses on technological innovation, including new approaches to leaching and so on. In addition to that, we're very focused on how we're able to deploy AI across the whole of BHP and that starts right at the very front end and how do we go about finding more resources through better application of artificial intelligence. We also use AI in supply chain management and in some of our maritime and marketing activities, so this really is end-to-end for the company. Between those innovations – how we extract more units from the ore, how we find more deposits, and how we run the business better – there is still a lot of value to be unlocked.”

Watch the full Q&A session for more. 

Celebrating 140 years: Generations of employees share what BHP means to them

From one generation to the next! We're celebrating the voices, pride, and legacy of our people. Their stories, passion, and advocacy are the heartbeat of our business, and we’re excited to share what this milestone means to them.

The quality of our resources, our choice of commodities, and the strength of our balance sheet offer resilience and reliability in an uncertain world. 

But it’s the character of our people that will continue to make all the difference.  

"For me, these 140 years of BHP means creating opportunities, leaving a mark, and building a legacy for my daughter and future generations." María José Tello, Specialist Training, Chile.

Building what's next is what BHP does best.

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