The company, which began exploring the area in March this year, said that specialists from its joint venture partner Alrosa are reanalyzing 80 tonnes of samples that were sent to South Africa.
He envisions people living in big glass-carbon fiber domes on the surface, with additional areas mined out below the surface by robots for "industrial" uses.
The country's sector, dominated by precious metals and zinc, will be well-positioned for the expected price outperformance of these commodities, shows new report.
He said he had intended to announce his retirement last year but chose to stay on while BHP dealt with the aftermath of the Samarco mine disaster in Brazil.
BHP is not the first major player to flag green shoots in the mining industry. Caterpillar, the world's largest heavy machinery maker, said the same last month.
