It was recently reported that the mining company BHP has gained around $1 billion in value from its major data automation initiative.

Indeed, the data automation project was set out in early 2021  and is currently being delivered through five digital centers focusing on advanced analytics, machine learning, and operational decision automation. The program is said to be a billion-dollar victory for the company.

With the initiative, the company has applied machine learning to re-assess 100 years of legacy exploration data and assemble a substantial training dataset. This then allows BHP to locate new exploration targets with better accuracy.

By doing so, the company found out that stated technology was a key lever to improve safety, grow production, and ease costs. BHP is also investing in emerging technologies to have a more competitive edge and drive sustainable growth across its operations, resource base, and value chain.

Hence, BHP has reported a profit from operations of US$14.8 billion and an attributable profit of US$9.4 billion so far.