Australian miner BHP Billiton has announced its production results for the half year ended December 31, 2015, achieving an iron ore output of 131 million mt from its Western Australian iron ore operations, rising six percent year on year, as the Jimblebar mining hub operated at full capacity following ramp-up in the corresponding period of the previous financial year. BHP Billiton’s sales volumes from its Western Australian iron ore operations in the half year ended December 31 amounted to 130.8 million mt, up 3.7 percent year on year.
According to BHP Billiton, its Western Australian iron ore production forecast for the financial year 2015-16 remains unchanged at 270 million mt.
In the first half of FY 2015-16, BHP's metallurgical coal production decreased by three percent to 21 million mt, compared to the same period of the previous year. Guidance for metallurgical coal output in the 2015-16 financial year remains unchanged at 40 million mt. The company stated that record production at four Queensland Coal mines was partially offset by the convergence incident at the Broadmeadow mine and planned closure of the Crinum mine.