Australian miner BHP Billiton has announced its production results for the first nine months ended March 31, achieving an iron ore output of 193 million mt from its Western Australian iron ore operations, rising two percent year on year, due to the Jimblebar mining hub operating at full capacity and improved ore handling plant utilization at Newman. In the same period, BHP Billiton’s iron ore sales volume from its Western Australian iron ore operations rose by 1.25 percent to 192.7 million mt.
BHP Billiton has decreased its Western Australian iron ore production forecast for the financial year 2015-16 by four percent from prior guidance to approximately 260 million mt.
In the first nine months ended March 31, BHP Billiton's metallurgical coal production decreased one percent to 31 million mt, compared to the same period of the previous year. The company’s metallurgical coal production guidance for the given financial year remains unchanged at 40 million mt.