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BHP robotic arm thermal lancing at Olympic Dam: safety and access insights for engineers

July 3, 2026|

Reviewed by Tom Sullivan

First reported on International Mining – News

30 Second Briefing

BHP has won the Exceptional Innovation in Mining Award at the Global Resources Innovation Expo for deploying what it calls the world’s first robotic arm thermal lancing solution at the Olympic Dam smelter in South Australia. The system automates thermal lancing tasks that were previously done manually in high-heat, confined areas around the smelter and associated equipment. For mining engineers, the key shift is moving personnel away from direct exposure during lancing operations while maintaining access for clearing blockages and maintaining refractory-lined vessels.

Technical Brief

  • Robotic arm system is configured specifically for thermal lancing on smelter and converter vessels at Olympic Dam.
  • Solution is designed to remove personnel from direct line-of-fire during molten matte and slag breakthrough.
  • Remote operation allows lancing from a control room, reducing exposure to radiant heat and fume.
  • Integration with existing smelter access points avoids major modifications to refractory-lined vessels and shell penetrations.
  • Repeatable robotic motion is expected to standardise lance penetration depth and angle, improving vessel integrity control.
  • Automation targets high-risk tasks such as clearing frozen tap-holes and blocked tuyeres on copper smelting equipment.

Our Take

The recent SiTration–BHP Invent trial on South Australian copper waste streams shows BHP is already using the state as a test bed for novel processing technologies, suggesting Olympic Dam is likely to see a broader pipeline of prototype deployments beyond this safety-focused robotic arm.

With BHP’s executive reshuffle ahead of Brandon Craig’s tenure, visible wins like a GRX‑recognised safety product in Australia may help reinforce a narrative that the restructured group will keep funding site‑level innovation even as it revisits large assets such as Cerro Colorado in Chile.

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Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.

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