By: Esmarie Swanepoel
18th July 2012
PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Global miner BHP Billiton has reported its twelfth consecutive yearly iron-ore production record for the financial year ended June, as well as yearly production records over 10 of its operations worldwide.
The word’s biggest diversified mining group increased its iron-ore production by 19% year-on-year to 159.4-million tons in the full year, while fourth-quarter production jumped 15% to 40.89-million tons on the previous corresponding period.
Western Australian iron-ore shipments rose to a record yearly rate of 179-million tons during the June quarter. The division’s production in the 2013 financial year was expected to increase by a further 5%.
Total petroleum production for the full year was also up by 40% to more than 222-million barrels of oil equivalent, while quarter-on-quarter production increased by 30%, to 56-million barrels of oil equivalent.
BHP said on Wednesday that natural gas accounted for the largest portion of this production increase, following strong performance from the Angostura project, in Trinidad and Tobago, and the successful integration of the Onshore US business.
Crude oil, condensate and natural gas liquids production was 7% lower, year-on-year, reflecting the downtime at the company’s nonoperated facilities in the Gulf of Mexico and natural field decline, particularly at the Pyrenees operation, in Australia.
The Mad Dog project was also off line for the full financial year, while the Atlantis operation, also in the US, was shut in for an extended period of scheduled maintenance during the June quarter.
Meanwhile, during the 12 months under review, metallurgical coal production increased by 2%, to 33.2-million tons, despite numerous operating challenges.
BHP noted that record yearly production was achieved at the Illawarra coal operations following the successful commissioning of the West Cliff preparation plant upgrade project. A longwall move at the Appin mine was expected to have a minor impact on production in the September quarter.
At the Queensland coal operations, production remained constrained during the three months to June, largely as a result of industrial action. BHP said the production disruption had led to significant margin compression at the coal business.
During the period, the miner also announced the indefinite closure of the Norwich Park mine, following a review of the mine’s profitability.
Energy coal volumes during the full year were also higher than all comparable periods, with yearly and quarterly production records achieved at two of BHP’s export-orientated operations, Cerrejon coal, in Colombia, and New South Wales, in Australia.
The RX1 project, at the New South Wales energy coal operations, also delivered its first production during the June quarter, significantly ahead of schedule.
Meanwhile, copper production for the full year declined by 4%, to just over one-million tons, however, quarterly production increased by 15% to 312 500 t, compared with the previous corresponding quarter.
BHP said that the Escondida operation, in Chile, delivered a 22% increase in production as mining activities increased towards higher grade ore, consistent with the mine plan. This performance was also supported by quarterly and yearly material mined, mill throughput and copper production records at the Antamina mine, in Peru, following the successful commissioning of the expansion project.
The Escondida project is forecasted to increase its output by some 20% in 2013, with the successful completion of the Escondida ore access and Laguna Seca debottlenecking projects facilitating a rise in production to over 1.3-million tons in the 2015 financial year.
Zinc production for the full year was down 26% to 112.2-million tons as mining at Antamina progressed through a copper-rich zone, while lead and silver production was in line with the prior period.
BHP also reported record yearly production at its Alumar alumina refinery, in Brazil, which contributed to a 4% increase in the total alumina production during the 2012 financial year, which reached just over four-million tons.
Aluminium production for the full year was lower than all comparable periods, reaching only 1.1-million tons, as potline capacity at the Hillside operation, in South Africa, remained curtailed following a major unplanned outage in the March quarter.
Operations were expected to progressively return to full technical capacity during the 2013 financial year.
Edited by: Mariaan Webb
18th July 2012
PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Global miner BHP Billiton has reported its twelfth consecutive yearly iron-ore production record for the financial year ended June, as well as yearly production records over 10 of its operations worldwide.
The word’s biggest diversified mining group increased its iron-ore production by 19% year-on-year to 159.4-million tons in the full year, while fourth-quarter production jumped 15% to 40.89-million tons on the previous corresponding period.
Western Australian iron-ore shipments rose to a record yearly rate of 179-million tons during the June quarter. The division’s production in the 2013 financial year was expected to increase by a further 5%.
Total petroleum production for the full year was also up by 40% to more than 222-million barrels of oil equivalent, while quarter-on-quarter production increased by 30%, to 56-million barrels of oil equivalent.
BHP said on Wednesday that natural gas accounted for the largest portion of this production increase, following strong performance from the Angostura project, in Trinidad and Tobago, and the successful integration of the Onshore US business.
Crude oil, condensate and natural gas liquids production was 7% lower, year-on-year, reflecting the downtime at the company’s nonoperated facilities in the Gulf of Mexico and natural field decline, particularly at the Pyrenees operation, in Australia.
The Mad Dog project was also off line for the full financial year, while the Atlantis operation, also in the US, was shut in for an extended period of scheduled maintenance during the June quarter.
Meanwhile, during the 12 months under review, metallurgical coal production increased by 2%, to 33.2-million tons, despite numerous operating challenges.
BHP noted that record yearly production was achieved at the Illawarra coal operations following the successful commissioning of the West Cliff preparation plant upgrade project. A longwall move at the Appin mine was expected to have a minor impact on production in the September quarter.
At the Queensland coal operations, production remained constrained during the three months to June, largely as a result of industrial action. BHP said the production disruption had led to significant margin compression at the coal business.
During the period, the miner also announced the indefinite closure of the Norwich Park mine, following a review of the mine’s profitability.
Energy coal volumes during the full year were also higher than all comparable periods, with yearly and quarterly production records achieved at two of BHP’s export-orientated operations, Cerrejon coal, in Colombia, and New South Wales, in Australia.
The RX1 project, at the New South Wales energy coal operations, also delivered its first production during the June quarter, significantly ahead of schedule.
Meanwhile, copper production for the full year declined by 4%, to just over one-million tons, however, quarterly production increased by 15% to 312 500 t, compared with the previous corresponding quarter.
BHP said that the Escondida operation, in Chile, delivered a 22% increase in production as mining activities increased towards higher grade ore, consistent with the mine plan. This performance was also supported by quarterly and yearly material mined, mill throughput and copper production records at the Antamina mine, in Peru, following the successful commissioning of the expansion project.
The Escondida project is forecasted to increase its output by some 20% in 2013, with the successful completion of the Escondida ore access and Laguna Seca debottlenecking projects facilitating a rise in production to over 1.3-million tons in the 2015 financial year.
Zinc production for the full year was down 26% to 112.2-million tons as mining at Antamina progressed through a copper-rich zone, while lead and silver production was in line with the prior period.
BHP also reported record yearly production at its Alumar alumina refinery, in Brazil, which contributed to a 4% increase in the total alumina production during the 2012 financial year, which reached just over four-million tons.
Aluminium production for the full year was lower than all comparable periods, reaching only 1.1-million tons, as potline capacity at the Hillside operation, in South Africa, remained curtailed following a major unplanned outage in the March quarter.
Operations were expected to progressively return to full technical capacity during the 2013 financial year.
Edited by: Mariaan Webb
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