On October 21, Australian mining giant BHP Billiton announced its production report for the third quarter of 2009. In the quarter in question, BHP Billiton's iron ore output totaled 30.11 million metric tons, increasing by 11 percent over the previous quarter, and up one percent compared to Q3 2008. The company stated that the Q3 figure represents the highest quarterly iron ore output level it has ever achieved.
Meanwhile, in the third quarter of this year, the company's metallurgical coal prodcution, which includes coking coal output and some thermal coal production, totaled 9.4 million metric tons, decreasing by one percent compared to the second quarter, but up two percent year on year. BHP's nickel output amounted to 35,000 metric tons, down 13 percent over Q2, and increasing by 100 percent year on year.