Heap leaching is considered to be a low cost method to extract metals from the underground ore.
If the pilot tests are successful, the company plans to employ the technology and expand the underground mine to ramp up output at Olympic Dam project.
BHP Billiton CEO Andrew Mackenzie said: "Based on know-how transferred from our copper assets in Chile, we will first increase the amount of ore hoisted and focus more on high-grade areas of the orebody.
"This will lift the productivity of the existing infrastructure and take it to its nameplate capacity."
In 2012, BHP scrapped plans for a $20bn expansion at Olympic Dam amid fears of falling commodity prices and slump in demand in China.
Mackenzie added: "South Australia is very important to BHP Billiton. It is home to Olympic Dam, one of the world’s great ore bodies. Olympic Dam has one of the largest deposits of copper, uranium and gold and holds significant potential."
