A BHP train travelling between the Pilbara and Port Hedland.Credit:Erin Jonasson
“Production in the first half was broadly in line with the prior period despite planned maintenance and outages,” BHP chief executive Andrew Mackenzie said.
Delivering an operational review on Tuesday,BHP said production guidance remained unchanged for petroleum,iron ore,metallurgical coal and energy coal,while its copper production guidance increased due to the decision not to offload its Cerro Colorado mine in Chile.
BHP's full-year productivity guidance,however,had been placed under review,the company said,due to the unplanned outages across its operations in Australia and Chile.
“Revised guidance will be provided in the December 2018 half-year financial results,” the company said.
BHP's output of iron ore was down 6 per cent in the three months to December 31.Credit:Tony McDonough
BHP,in November,was forced todeliberately derail a runaway train loaded with iron ore in Western Australia's remote Pilbara region,which severed the crucial rail link between its mines and shipping hub in Port Hedland,and disrupted exports of its most lucrative commodity.
The BHP train,consisting of four locomotives and 268 wagons filled with iron ore,was derailed by BHP’s remote operations centre. It had been travelling from Newman to Port Hedland when the driver disembarked at a siding to inspect an issue with an ore car,before the train started moving by itself.