More on this topic from another news source. This one says they are bringing a 50-people exploration team...

BHP’s chief executive, Mike Henry, has repeatedly said that the company needs more “future-facing” metals, such as copper and nickel.

The company has spent the past four years moving in that direction. Already the world’s second-biggest listed copper miner, BHP has boosted exploration spending to find new copper deposits.

In 2019, the mining giant became the top shareholder in SolGold (LON:SOLG) (TSX:SOLG), which is developing the Cascabel copper-gold project in Ecuador. The asset has the potential to become one of the largest copper-gold deposits ever discovered, with an estimated productive mine-life of 55 years.

In November, BHP announced it was ramping up work at the ongoing $2.5 billion expansion of its Spence copper mine in Chile, with first production expected in the first half of 2021.

Closer to key markets

BHP said that moving the 50-people exploration team to Toronto from Santiago, Chile, will allow the company to be closer to its main markets. It is also expected to open up more opportunities in funding and recruitment.

“To own the best assets in the best commodities, you have to look for them and develop them well ahead of time,” Tyler said. “To do so, we need to imagine what the world could look like in 50 or even 100 years from now.”

BHP’s decision comes as Canadian authorities talk up the country as the new hub for clean-tech metals.

Read more here, 

https://www.mining.com/bhp-moves-exploration-team-to-toronto-to-grow-copper-nickel-pipeline/

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