BBL BHP Group Plc

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

Form 6-K

REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER

PURSUANT TO RULE 13a-16 OR 15d-16

UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

July 22, 2015

 

 

 

BHP BILLITON LIMITED (ABN 49 004 028 077)		BHP BILLITON PLC (REG. NO. 3196209)
(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)		(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA		ENGLAND AND WALES
(Jurisdiction of incorporation or organisation)		(Jurisdiction of incorporation or organisation)
171 COLLINS STREET, MELBOURNE, VICTORIA 3000 AUSTRALIA		NEATHOUSE PLACE, VICTORIA, LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
(Address of principal executive offices)		(Address of principal executive offices)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F:    x  Form 20-F     ¨  Form 40-F

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1):  ¨

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7):  ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant by furnishing the information contained in this Form is also thereby furnishing the information to the Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934:    ¨  Yes    x  No

If “Yes” is marked, indicate below the file number assigned to the registrant in connection with Rule 12g3-2(b): n/a

 

 

 

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NEWS RELEASE
Release Time IMMEDIATE
Date 22 July 2015
Number 15/15
bhpbilliton
resourcing the future
BHP BILLITON OPERATIONAL REVIEW
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2015
Group production(1) increased by 9% for the 2015 financial year. Over the past two years, production from our core portfolio grew by 27%.
Petroleum production increased by 4% to a record 256 MMboe, supported by a 67% increase in Onshore US liquids volumes to 56 MMboe.
Copper production(2) was unchanged at 1.7 Mt as strong operating performance at Escondida offset the impact of a mill outage at Olympic Dam.
Western Australia Iron Ore production increased by 13% to a record 254 Mt (100% basis), underpinned by productivity gains across the integrated supply chain.
Metallurgical coal production increased by 13% to a record 43 Mt.
Three major projects achieved first production during the 2015 financial year, including the Escondida Organic Growth Project 1 which was completed in the June 2015 quarter.
The demerger of South32 from BHP Billiton was successfully completed during the June 2015 quarter.
Underlying attributable profit(3) in the June 2015 half year is expected to include additional charges in a range of approximately US$350 million to US$650 million (detail presented on page 2).
BHP Billiton Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Mackenzie, said: “Our businesses performed well over the 2015 financial year. We have improved the performance of our equipment, reduced costs, and increased volumes despite a significant reduction in capital spend. Our simpler portfolio following the demerger of South32 will help us maintain the pace of operational improvement, further supporting cash generation, margins and returns.
“Better productivity will be the sole source of volume growth at Western Australia Iron Ore in the 2016 financial year with production forecast to increase by seven per cent and unit costs are expected to fall to US$16 per tonne(4).
“In Petroleum, through improved recoveries and lower drilling costs, we expect to maintain production in the Black Hawk and Permian in the 2016 financial year despite cutting annual shale investment by over 50 per cent. Although our decision to cut spending in the Onshore US will mean deferring gas volumes in the near term, we expect to realise greater value by developing our acreage later.
“We remain confident that our focus on best-in-class performance together with our unrivalled asset quality, optimal diversification and continued investment in high-return projects, will create long-term value through the cycle and deliver superior returns to our shareholders.”
Information has been presented on a continuing operations basis to exclude the contribution from assets that were demerged with South32, unless otherwise noted. Production and sales volumes from discontinued operations are presented on pages 21 and 22.
BHP Billiton Operational Review for the year ended 30 June 2015
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Operational performance summary
Production for the 2015 financial year and guidance for the 2016 financial year are summarised in the table below.
Production Q4 FY15 FY15 FY15 vs FY14 FY16 guidance FY16e vs FY15
Petroleum (MMboe) 63 256 4% 237 (7%)
Copper (Mt) 0.4 1.7 (1%) 1.5 (12%)
Iron ore (Mt) 60 233 14% 247 6%
Metallurgical coal (Mt) 11 43 13% 40 (6%)
Energy coal (Mt) 11 41 (5%) 40 (2%)
Major development projects
At the end of the 2015 financial year, BHP Billiton had four major projects under development with a combined budget of US$7.0 billion.
During the year three major projects achieved first production, namely: Escondida Oxide Leach Area Project, BMA Hay Point Stage Three Expansion and Escondida Organic Growth Project 1. The Escondida Organic Growth Project 1 was completed on schedule and revised budget during the June 2015 quarter and is now in the commissioning phase. It will not be reported in future Operational Reviews.
Corporate update
BHP Billiton expects Underlying attributable profit in the June 2015 half year to include additional charges in a range of approximately US$350 million to US$650 million as summarised in the table below.
Additional charges to be recognised in the June 2015 half year (US$ million) Underlying EBIT(3) Underlying attributable profit(3)
Impairments: Cerro Colorado, Copper projects, Neptune 300 to 400 200 to 300
Redundancies: predominately in our Copper Business 200 to 300 100 to 200
Rig termination: Onshore US 100 to 200 50 to 150
Total charges 600 to 900 350 to 650
On 15 July 2015, BHP Billiton announced that it expects to recognise an impairment charge of approximately US$2 billion post-tax (or approximately US$2.8 billion pre-tax) against the carrying value of its Onshore US assets. The Hawkville field accounts for the substantial majority of this charge and the remainder relates to the impairment of goodwill associated with the Petrohawk acquisition. This will be reported as an exceptional item in the June 2015 half year.
The demerger of South32 from BHP Billiton was successfully completed during the period and shares in South32 Limited have been distributed to eligible BHP Billiton shareholders. The Group expects to recognise a net loss on demerger of approximately US$2.1 billion post-tax as an exceptional item in the June 2015 half year(5). The amount is net of the fair value uplift as a result of the change in control of the Manganese business, transaction costs and impairments to the assets upon South32 being classified as held for sale.
Exceptional items to be recognised in the June 2015 half year (US$ billion) Attributable profit
Impairment of Onshore US assets ~2.0
Net loss on demerger of South32(5) ~2.1
The above guidance will be updated should material information or events arise as the Group finalises its financial statements.
On 22 April 2015, the Group priced a three tranche Euro denominated bond under its Euro Medium Term Note Programme. The Euro bond issue comprises EUR600 million Floating Rate Notes due 2020 paying interest at 3 month Euribor plus 35 basis points, EUR650 million 0.750% bonds due 2022 and EUR750 million 1.500% bonds due 2030.
BHP Billiton Operational Review for the year ended 30 June 2015
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Marketing update
The average realised prices achieved for our major commodities are summarised in the table below. Iron ore shipments, on average, were linked to the index price for the month of shipment, with price differentials reflecting product quality. The majority of metallurgical coal and energy coal exports were linked to the index price for the month of shipment or sold on the spot market, with price differentials reflecting product quality.
Average realised prices(6) FY14 H1 FY15 H2 FY15 FY15 FY15 vs FY14 H2 FY15 vs H2 FY14 H2 FY15 vs H1 FY15
Oil (crude and condensate) (US$/bbl) 102 85 52 68 (33%) (49%) (39%)
Natural gas (US$/Mscf) 4.35 4.21 3.29 3.77 (13%) (33%) (22%)
US natural gas (US$/Mscf) 4.10 3.89 2.59 3.27 (20%) (46%) (33%)
LNG (US$/Mscf) 14.67 13.76 9.40 11.65 (21%) (36%) (32%)
Copper (US$/lb)(7) 3.22 2.98 2.61 2.78 (14%) (16%) (12%)
Iron ore (US$/wmt, FOB) 103 70 53 61 (41%) (45%) (24%)
Hard coking coal (US$/t) 131 110 99 105 (20%) (18%) (10%)
Weak coking coal (US$/t) 111 92 85 88 (21%) (18%) (8%)
Thermal coal (US$/t)(8) 74 61 56 58 (22%) (21%) (8%)
Nickel metal (US$/t) 15,273 16,905 13,688 15,301 0% (18%) (19%)
At 30 June 2015, the Group had 363 kt of outstanding copper sales that were revalued at a weighted average price of US$2.61 per pound. The final price of these sales will be determined in the 2016 financial year. In addition, 350 kt of copper sales from the 2014 financial year were subject to a finalisation adjustment in 2015. The provisional pricing and finalisation adjustments will decrease earnings before interest and tax by US$382 million in the 2015 financial year (2014 financial year: US$73 million increase).
BHP Billiton Operational Review for the year ended 30 June 2015
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Petroleum and Potash
Production
JUN 2015 YTD JUN 2015 QTR JUN YTD15 vs JUN YTD14 JUN Q15 vs JUN Q14 JUN Q15 vs MAR Q15
Crude oil, condensate and natural gas liquids (MMboe) 124.6 31.2 17% 8% 0%
Natural gas (bcf) 786.6 191.8 (6%) (11%) 6%
Total petroleum products (MMboe) 255.7 63.2 4% (2%) 3%
Total petroleum production – Total petroleum production for the 2015 financial year increased by four per cent to a record 256 MMboe. Petroleum production is forecast to decrease by seven per cent in the 2016 financial year to 237 MMboe.
In Onshore US, further improvements in drilling and completions efficiency will support stable volumes in the liquids-rich Black Hawk and Permian despite the lower level of capital spend in the 2016 financial year. However, we anticipate a 19 per cent decline in the combined production of the predominantly gas-rich Haynesville, Fayetteville and Hawkville fields as we continue to defer development of these assets for longer-term value. Conventional volumes are expected to decrease by approximately four per cent to 125 MMboe as a result of planned maintenance programs and natural field decline.
Crude oil, condensate and natural gas liquids – Crude oil, condensate and natural gas liquids production for the 2015 financial year increased by 17 per cent to 125 MMboe.
Onshore US liquids volumes for the 2015 financial year rose by 67 per cent to 56 MMboe, exceeding guidance. This strong performance was underpinned by a doubling of liquids production from both the Black Hawk and Permian as we continue to realise significant improvements in shale drilling and completions efficiency.
In our Conventional business, strong uptime performance in the Gulf of Mexico was more than offset by the impact of industrial action at Bass Strait, unplanned maintenance at North West Shelf in the June 2015 quarter and natural field decline across the portfolio. As anticipated, Stybarrow reached the end of its field life and ceased production on 30 June 2015.
Natural gas – Natural gas production for the 2015 financial year declined by six per cent to 787 bcf.
Weaker seasonal demand at Bass Strait, along with lower Onshore US gas volumes as a result of the decision to defer development activity for longer-term value, contributed to the reduction.
Projects
Project and ownership Capital expenditure (US$m) Initial production target date Capacity Progress
North West Shelf Greater Western Flank-A (Australia) 16.67% (non-operator) 400 CY16 To maintain LNG plant throughput from the North West Shelf operations. On schedule and budget. The overall project is 92% complete.
Bass Strait Longford Gas Conditioning Plant (Australia) 50% (non-operator) 520 CY16 Designed to process approximately 400 MMcf/d of high-CO2 gas. On schedule and budget. The overall project is 60% complete.
BHP Billiton Operational Review for the year ended 30 June 2015
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Onshore US development activity
Onshore US drilling and development expenditure for the 2015 financial year was US$3.7 billion, of which approximately US$400 million related to a reduction in capital creditors. Our Onshore US operated rig count decreased from 24 to 10 during the 2015 financial year as we moved quickly in response to lower prices and benefited from significant productivity improvements. We expect Onshore US capital expenditure to be US$1.5 billion in the 2016 financial year with completions activity tailored to market conditions.
2015 financial year Liquids focused areas Gas focused areas
(2014 financial year) Eagle Ford Permian Haynesville Fayetteville Total
Capital expenditure(i) US$ billion 2.3(3.1) 0.8(0.5) 0.4(0.4) 0.2(0.2) 3.7(4.2)
Rig allocation At period end 7(17) 3(4) 0(3) 0(0) 10(24)
Net wells drilled and completed(ii) Period total 188(262) 45(43) 25(38) 45(71) 303(414)
Net productive wells(iii) At period end 836(647) 75(57) 395(899) 1,070(1,023) 2,377(2,626)
(i) Includes land acquisition, site preparation, drilling, completions, well site facilities, mid-stream infrastructure and pipelines.
(ii) Can vary significantly between periods based on changes in rig activity and the inventory of wells drilled but not yet completed at period end.
(iii) Change in productive well count includes the reduction associated with the divestments of Pecos unconventional gas assets (Permian) and North Louisiana conventional assets (Haynesville).
Petroleum exploration
Exploration and appraisal wells drilled during the June 2015 quarter are summarised below.
Well Location Target BHP Billiton equity Spud date Water depth Total well depth Status
Shenzi Gulf of Mexico Oil 44% 9 April 2015 1,309 m 8,733 m Plugged and abandoned;
North-2 GC609 (operator) currently side-tracking
Shenzi Gulf of Mexico Oil 44% 14 June 2015 1,309 m(9) 8,238 m Drilling ahead
North-ST1 GC609 (operator)
Petroleum exploration expenditure for the 2015 financial year was US$567 million, of which US$481 million was expensed. Activity for the period was largely focused on the Gulf of Mexico, Western Australia and Trinidad and Tobago.
Potash
Project and ownership Investment (US$m) Scope Progress
Jansen Potash 2,600
Investment to finish the excavation and lining of the production and service shafts, and to continue the installation of essential surface infrastructure and utilities.
The project is 46% complete and within the approved budget. Shaft excavation is steadily progressing following the successful redesign of the temporary liner.
(Canada)
100%
BHP Billiton Operational Review for the year ended 30 June 2015
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Copper
Production
JUN 2015 YTD JUN 2015 QTR JUN YTD15 vs JUN YTD14 JUN Q15 vs JUN Q14 JUN Q15 vs MAR Q15
Copper (kt) 1,708 435 (1%) (7%) (5%)
Lead (t) 2,060 448 38% 13% (9%)
Zinc (t) 66,435 15,857 28% 18% 17%
Silver (troy koz) 9,336 2,484 (3%) 0% 4%
Uranium oxide concentrate (t) 3,144 595 (21%) (43%) (2%)
Copper – Total copper production(2) for the 2015 financial year was unchanged at 1.7 Mt as strong operating performance at Escondida offset the impact of a mill outage at Olympic Dam. Total copper production is forecast to decrease by 12 per cent in the 2016 financial year to 1.5 Mt.
Escondida copper production for the 2015 financial year increased by six per cent to 1.23 Mt as an 11 per cent improvement in truck utilisation and higher grades more than offset the impact of severe wet weather, water restrictions, industrial action and a power outage throughout Northern Chile. Escondida copper production of approximately 940 kt is forecast for the 2016 financial year as increased throughput, enabled by the completion of the Escondida Organic Growth Project 1 and operational improvements, will only partly offset an anticipated 27 per cent decline in grade. In the medium term, completion of the Escondida Water Supply project and the life extension of Los Colorados will enable utilisation of three concentrators to offset grade decline and support a strong recovery in production.
Pampa Norte copper production for the 2015 financial year increased by seven per cent to 250 kt as Spence benefited from higher recoveries. Production is forecast to remain at a similar level for the 2016 financial year.
Olympic Dam copper production for the 2015 financial year decreased by 32 per cent to 125 kt following an electrical failure which caused a mill outage in January 2015. The mill safely resumed operation in June 2015, ahead of schedule, and is expected to be fully ramped up by the end of July 2015 with an associated increase in full year production anticipated.
Antamina copper production for the 2015 financial year decreased by 25 per cent to 108 kt as lower grades more than offset record mill throughput. Higher average copper grades at Antamina are expected to support an increase in copper volumes in the 2016 financial year.
Projects
Project and ownership Capital expenditure (US$m) Initial production target date Capacity Progress
Escondida Organic Growth Project 1 (Chile) 57.5% 4,199 H1 CY15
New concentrator with 152 ktpd capacity.
Mechanical completion achieved in Q2 CY15. Project completed on schedule and in line with revised budget.
Escondida Water Supply (Chile) 57.5% 3,430 CY17
New desalination facility to ensure continued water supply to Escondida.
On schedule and budget. The overall project is 52% complete.
BHP Billiton Operational Review for the year ended 30 June 2015
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Iron Ore
Production
JUN 2015 YTD JUN 2015 QTR JUN YTD15 vs JUN YTD14 JUN Q15 vs JUN Q14 JUN Q15 vs MAR Q15
Iron ore (kt) 232,508 60,086 14% 6% 2%
Iron ore – Total iron ore production for the 2015 financial year increased by 14 per cent to a record 233 Mt, exceeding full-year guidance. Total iron ore production is forecast to increase by six per cent in the 2016 financial year to 247 Mt.
Western Australia Iron Ore (WAIO) production of 254 Mt (100 per cent basis) represents a fifteenth consecutive annual record and was underpinned by continued improvement in the performance of our integrated supply chain and the successful ramp-up of the Jimblebar mining hub. Continued optimisation of the port facilities and an increase in direct to ship ore resulted in record sales volumes of 256 Mt (100 per cent basis).
WAIO production for the 2016 financial year is forecast to increase to approximately 270 Mt (100 per cent basis) as a result of improved processing efficiency at Mining Area C and Newman. Further productivity improvements are expected to contribute to an increase in system capacity to 290 Mtpa over time.
On 21 July 2015, BHP Billiton announced it had approved US$240 million (BHP Billiton share) to purchase additional tugs and construct a new tug harbour at Port Hedland to improve the reliability of the port facilities. Samarco production increased by 33 per cent in the 2015 financial year to 29 Mt (100 per cent basis) as the fourth pellet plant ramped up to full capacity during the March 2015 quarter.
BHP Billiton Operational Review for the year ended 30 June 2015
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Coal
Production
JUN 2015 YTD JUN 2015 QTR JUN YTD15 vs JUN YTD14 JUN Q15 vs JUN Q14 JUN Q15 vs MAR Q15
Metallurgical coal (kt) 42,621 11,393 13% 17% 18%
Energy coal (kt) 41,012 10,604 (5%) 2% 1%
Metallurgical coal – Metallurgical coal production for the 2015 financial year increased by 13 per cent to a record 43 Mt.
Record production and sales volumes at Queensland Coal in the 2015 financial year were supported by the successful ramp-up of the Caval Ridge mine and continued productivity improvements. An increase in equipment and wash-plant utilisation rates underpinned record volumes at six other operations.
Production increased by 18 per cent from the March 2015 quarter which was affected by wet weather and a longwall move at Crinum. At current mining rates, operations at Crinum are expected to cease in the first quarter of the 2016 calendar year as the mine approaches the end of its economic reserve life.
Production is forecast to decrease in the 2016 financial year to 40 Mt as a result of the closure of Crinum. Longwall moves at the Broadmeadow and Crinum mines, and wash-plant shutdowns at Goonyella and Peak Downs mines are scheduled for the September 2015 quarter. Production is expected to commence from the 1 Mtpa Haju mine in Indonesia during the 2016 financial year.
Energy coal – Energy coal production for the 2015 financial year decreased by five per cent to 41 Mt as anticipated. Lower production reflected drought conditions and the need to manage dust emissions at Cerrejón, as well as reduced customer demand for our Navajo Coal product.
On 2 July 2015, BHP Billiton announced that the sale agreement for the San Juan Mine to Westmoreland Coal Company (WCC) had been executed. Subject to regulatory approval, the transaction is expected to be completed at the end of this calendar year with WCC assuming full operation of the mine from 1 January 2016.
Production is forecast to remain broadly unchanged in the 2016 financial year at 40 Mt(10).
BHP Billiton Operational Review for the year ended 30 June 2015
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Other
Production
JUN 2015 YTD JUN 2015 QTR JUN YTD15 vs JUN YTD14 JUN Q15 vs JUN Q14 JUN Q15 vs MAR Q15
Nickel (kt) 89.9 19.3 (9%) (7%) (12%)
Nickel – Nickel West production for the 2015 financial year decreased by nine per cent to 90 kt and reflected the closure of the Perseverance underground mine in November 2013.
Minerals exploration
Minerals exploration expenditure in the 2015 financial year was US$267 million, of which US$199 million was expensed. Greenfield minerals exploration is predominantly focused on advancing copper targets within Chile, Peru and the South-West United States.
Variance analysis relates to the relative performance of BHP Billiton and/or its operations during the 2015 financial year compared with the 2014 financial year, unless otherwise noted. Production volumes, sales volumes and capital and exploration expenditure from subsidiaries are reported on a 100 per cent basis; production and sales volumes from equity accounted investments and other operations are reported on a proportionate consolidation basis.
The following footnotes apply to this Operational Review:
(1) Copper equivalent production based on average realised product prices for the 2013 financial year.
(2) Excludes Pinto Valley which was sold during the 2014 financial year.
(3) Underlying attributable profit and Underlying EBIT are used to reflect the underlying performance of BHP Billiton. Underlying attributable profit is Attributable profit excluding any exceptional items. Underlying EBIT is earnings before net finance costs, taxation and any exceptional items.
(4) Unit cash cost excluding freight and royalties. 2016 financial year guidance is based on an exchange rate of AUD/USD 0.80.
(5) The net loss on demerger will be included as an exceptional item in profit after taxation from discontinued operations in the financial statements.
(6) Based on provisional, unaudited estimates. Prices exclude third party product and internal sales, and represent the weighted average of various sales terms (for example: FOB, CIF and CFR), unless otherwise noted.
(7) Includes third party product.
(8) Export sales only; excludes Cerrejón. Includes thermal coal sales from metallurgical coal mines.
(9) Well depth as at 30 June 2015; drilling still in progress.
(10) Guidance assumes a full year of production from the San Juan mine.
The following abbreviations may have been used throughout this report: barrels (bbl); billion cubic feet (bcf); cost and freight (CFR); cost, insurance and freight (CIF); dry metric tonne unit (dmtu); free on board (FOB); grams per tonne (g/t); kilograms per tonne (kg/t); kilometre (km); metre (m); million barrels of oil equivalent (MMboe); million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d); million tonnes (Mt); million tonnes per annum (Mtpa); ounces (oz); pounds (lb); thousand barrels of oil equivalent (Mboe); thousand ounces (koz); thousand standard cubic feet (Mscf); thousand tonnes (kt); thousand tonnes per annum (ktpa); thousand tonnes per day (ktpd); tonnes (t); and wet metric tonnes (wmt).
BHP Billiton Operational Review for the year ended 30 June 2015
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Further information on BHP Billiton can be found at: www.bhpbilliton.com.
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BHP Billiton Operational Review for the year ended 30 June 2015
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BHP BILLITON PRODUCTION SUMMARY
QUARTER ENDED YEAR TO DATE % CHANGE
JUN 2014 MAR 2015 JUN 2015 JUN 2015 JUN 2014 JUN YTD15 vs JUN YTD14 JUN Q15 vs JUN Q14 JUN Q15 vs MAR Q15
Petroleum
Crude oil, condensate and NGL (Mboe) 28,877 31,298 31,172 124,578 106,147 17% 8% (0%)
Natural gas (bcf) 215.0 181.5 191.8 786.6 839.3 (6%) (11%) 6%
Total petroleum products (MMboe) 64.7 61.5 63.2 255.7 246.0 4% (2%) 3%
Copper
Copper (kt) 470.0 460.0 435.2 1,708.3 1,727.1 (1%) (7%) (5%)
Lead (t) 397 493 448 2,060 1,498 38% 13% (9%)
Zinc (t) 13,450 13,571 15,857 66,435 52,039 28% 18% 17%
Gold (troy oz) 59,705 47,706 34,992 186,289 194,288 (4%) (41%) (27%)
Silver (troy koz) 2,480 2,399 2,484 9,336 9,643 (3%) 0% 4%
Uranium (t) 1,044 607 595 3,144 3,988 (21%) (43%) (2%)
Molybdenum (t) 83 151 206 472 1,201 (61%) 148% 36%
Iron ore
Iron ore (kt) 56,643 58,979 60,086 232,508 203,564 14% 6% 2%
Coal
Metallurgical coal (kt) 9,739 9,659 11,393 42,621 37,565 13% 17% 18%
Energy coal (kt) 10,350 10,474 10,604 41,012 43,108 (5%) 2% 1%
Other
Nickel (kt) 20.7 21.9 19.3 89.9 98.9 (9%) (7%) (12%)
Throughout this report figures in italics indicate that this figure has been adjusted since it was previously reported. Figures have been presented on a continuing operations basis to exclude the contribution from assets that were demerged with South32. Discontinued operations are presented on pages 21 and 22.
BHP Billiton Operational Review for the year ended 30 June 2015
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BHP BILLITON PRODUCTION
QUARTER ENDED YEAR TO DATE
BHP Billiton interest JUN 2014 SEP 2014 DEC 2014 MAR 2015 JUN 2015 JUN 2015 JUN 2014
Petroleum
Petroleum
Crude oil, condensate and NGL (Mboe) (1)
Onshore US 10,540 11,460 12,905 15,848 15,413 55,626 33,348
Coventional 18,337 19,485 18,258 15,450 15,759 68,952 72,799
Total 28,877 30,945 31,163 31,298 31,172 124,578 106,147
Natural gas (bcf)
Onshore US 118.9 113.6 110.3 99.9 96.4 420.2 448.8
Coventional 96.1 105.3 84.1 81.6 95.4 366.4 390.5
Total 215.0 218.9 194.4 181.5 191.8 786.6 839.3
Total petroleum production (MMboe) 64.7 67.4 63.6 61.5 63.2 255.7 246.0
Copper (2)
Copper
Payable metal in concentrate (kt)
Escondida (3) 57.5% 241.0 199.4 208.8 260.9 247.0 916.1 844.7
Antamina 33.8% 26.2 25.7 27.3 26.7 28.0 107.7 143.5
Pinto Valley 100% - - - - - -12.5
Total 267.2 225.1 236.1 287.6 275.0 1,023.8 1,000.7
Cathode (kt)
Escondida (3) 57.5% 81.5 69.3 75.0 77.3 88.8 310.4 308.0
Pampa Norte (4) 100% 66.8 55.8 69.6 66.5 57.7 249.6 233.1
Pinto Valley 100% - - - - - - 0.9
Olympic Dam 100% 54.5 39.2 43.0 28.6 13.7 124.5 184.4
Total 202.8 164.3 187.6 172.4 160.2 684.5 726.4
Total copper 470.0 389.4 423.7 460.0 435.2 1,708.3 1,727.1
Lead
Payable metal in concentrate (t)
Antamina 33.8% 397 633 486 493 448 2,060 1,498
Total 397 633 486 493 448 2,060 1,498
Zinc
Payable metal in concentrate (t)
Antamina 33.8% 13,450 20,736 16,271 13,571 15,857 66,435 52,039
Total 13,450 20,736 16,271 13,571 15,857 66,435 52,039
Gold
Payable metal in concentrate (troy oz)
Escondida (3) 57.5% 20,920 21,980 12,710 21,265 25,554 81,509 72,904
Olympic Dam (refined gold) 100% 38,785 30,364 38,537 26,441 9,438 104,780 121,335
Pinto Valley 100% - - - - - - 49
Total 59,705 52,344 51,247 47,706 34,992 186,289 194,288
Silver
Payable metal in concentrate (troy koz)
Escondida (3) 57.5% 1,320 1,159 958 1,355 1,314 4,786 4,271
Antamina 33.8% 843 954 885 872 1,115 3,826 4,359
Olympic Dam (refined silver) 100% 317 254 243 172 55 724 972
Pinto Valley 100% - - - - - -41
Total 2,480 2,367 2,086 2,399 2,484 9,336 9,643
Uranium
Payable metal in concentrate (t)
Olympic Dam 100% 1,044 866 1,076 607 595 3,144 3,988
Total 1,044 866 1,076 607 595 3,144 3,988
Molybdenum
Payable metal in concentrate (t)
Antamina 33.8% 83 40 75 151 206 472 1,201
Total 83 40 75 151 206 472 1,201
BHP Billiton Operational Review for the year ended 30 June 2015
12

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BHP BILLITON PRODUCTION
QUARTER ENDED YEAR TO DATE
BHP Billiton interest JUN 2014 SEP 2014 DEC 2014 MAR 2015 JUN 2015 JUN 2015 JUN 2014
Iron Ore
Iron Ore
Production (kt) (5)
Newman 85% 16,766 16,707 16,012 14,916 16,062 63,697 56,915
Yarrie 85% - - - - - - 836
Area C Joint Venture 85% 12,481 13,265 11,314 13,201 12,214 49,994 46,960
Yandi Joint Venture 85% 17,615 16,607 17,694 16,798 17,452 68,551 68,518
Jimblebar (6) 85% 3,740 3,971 2,813 4,513 5,462 16,759 8,863
Wheelarra 85% 2,973 3,115 4,755 5,965 5,159 18,994 10,553
Samarco 50% 3,068 3,426 3,764 3,586 3,737 14,513 10,919
Total 56,643 57,091 56,352 58,979 60,086 232,508 203,564
Coal
Metallurgical coal
Production (kt) (7)
BMA 50% 7,596 8,228 9,009 7,602 9,023 33,862 29,256
BHP Billiton Mitsui Coal (8) 80% 2,143 2,204 2,128 2,057 2,370 8,759 8,309
Total 9,739 10,432 11,137 9,659 11,393 42,621 37,565
Energy coal
Production (kt)
USA 100% 2,412 2,690 2,512 2,247 2,574 10,023 10,812
Australia 100% 5,030 4,752 4,608 5,252 5,086 19,698 19,964
Colombia 33.3% 2,908 2,369 3,003 2,975 2,944 11,291 12,332
Total 10,350 9,811 10,123 10,474 10,604 41,012 43,108
Other Nickel
Saleable production (kt)
Nickel West 100% 20.7 25.0 23.7 21.9 19.3 89.9 98.9
Total 20.7 25.0 23.7 21.9 19.3 89.9 98.9
(1) LPG and ethane are reported as natural gas liquids (NGL). Product-specific conversions are made and NGL is reported in barrels of oil equivalent (boe). Total boe conversions are based on 6,000 scf of natural gas equals 1 boe.
(2) Metal production is reported on the basis of payable metal.
(3) Shown on 100% basis. BHP Billiton interest in saleable production is 57.5%.
(4) Includes Cerro Colorado and Spence.
(5) Iron ore production is reported on a wet tonnes basis.
(6) Shown on 100% basis. BHP Billiton interest in saleable production is 85%.
(7) Metallurgical coal production is reported on the basis of saleable product. Production figures include some thermal coal.
(8) Shown on 100% basis. BHP Billiton interest in saleable production is 80%.
BHP Billiton Operational Review for the year ended 30 June 2015
13

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PRODUCTION AND SALES REPORT
QUARTER ENDED YEAR TO DATE
JUN SEP DEC MAR JUN JUN JUN
2014 2014 2014 2015 2015 2015 2014
Petroleum
Crude oil, condensate and NGL (Mboe)
Crude oil and condensate
Bass Strait 2,355 2,818 2,284 1,156 1,707 7,965 8,655
North West Shelf 1,408 1,501 1,395 1,355 1,215 5,466 6,274
Stybarrow 255 225 248 194 93 760 1,202
Pyrenees 2,075 2,109 1,901 1,709 1,435 7,154 7,463
Other Australia (1) 14 17 11 11 13 52 51
Atlantis (2) 4,114 4,175 3,740 3,645 3,110 14,670 14,789
Mad Dog (2) 187 390 877 720 651 2,638 2,119
Shenzi (2) 3,530 3,530 3,502 3,283 3,369 13,684 13,665
Eagle Ford (3) 6,593 7,060 8,098 10,837 9,363 35,358 20,462
Permian (3) 463 601 807 856 1,447 3,711 1,421
Haynesville (3) (4) 13 16 4 - - 20 57
Trinidad/Tobago 248 252 227 196 562 1,237 1,161
Other Americas (2) (5) 371 349 500 348 348 1,545 1,451
UK (6) 27 34 77 64 76 251 728
Algeria 996 1,011 1,050 975 912 3,948 4,363
Pakistan 37 38 33 27 25 123 200
Total 22,686 24,126 24,754 25,376 24,326 98,582 84,061
NGL
Bass Strait 2,026 2,161 1,512 961 1,548 6,182 7,251
North West Shelf 288 293 273 268 198 1,032 1,197
Atlantis (2) 111 248 294 245 209 996 1,002
Mad Dog (2) 39 21 42 37 20 120 137
Shenzi (2) 252 271 260 235 174 940 1,050
Eagle Ford (3) 3,179 3,421 3,638 3,868 4,183 15,110 10,478
Permian (3) 292 362 358 287 420 1,427 928
Haynesville (3) (4) - - - - - - 2
Other Americas (2) (5) - 38 25 14 11 88 23
UK (6) 4 4 7 7 83 101 18
Total 6,191 6,819 6,409 5,922 6,846 25,996 22,086
Total crude oil, condensate and NGL 28,877 30,945 31,163 31,298 31,172 124,578 106,147
Natural gas (bcf)
Bass Strait 30.5 33.3 18.8 18.3 31.9 102.3 108.6
North West Shelf 31.8 36.9 33.4 32.8 29.9 133.0 127.7
Other Australia (1) 13.6 16.4 13.0 14.1 16.0 59.5 51.2
Atlantis (2) 1.9 1.7 2.3 1.7 1.7 7.4 6.8
Mad Dog (2) 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.4 0.4
Shenzi (2) 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.7 0.7 3.0 3.2
Eagle Ford (3) 30.8 28.5 26.3 27.7 26.1 108.6 102.9
Permian (3) 2.5 3.0 2.8 2.1 3.0 10.9 9.0
Haynesville (3) (4) 45.7 45.7 43.6 37.8 35.4 162.5 183.5
Fayetteville (3) 39.9 36.4 37.6 32.3 31.9 138.2 153.4
Trinidad/Tobago 9.1 8.8 7.8 7.2 9.1 32.9 38.0
Other Americas (2) (5) 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.7 1.0
UK (6) 0.8 0.7 1.4 1.1 1.0 4.2 15.9
Pakistan 7.3 6.4 6.3 5.4 4.9 23.0 37.7
Total 215.0 218.9 194.4 181.5 191.8 786.6 839.3
Total petroleum products (MMboe) (7) 64.7 67.4 63.6 61.5 63.2 255.7 246.0
BHP Billiton Operational Review for the year ended 30 June 2015
14

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PRODUCTION AND SALES REPORT
QUARTER ENDED YEAR TO DATE
JUN 2014 SEP 2014 DEC 2014 MAR 2015 JUN 2015 JUN 2015 JUN 2014
Petroleum (continued)
Total petroleum products (MMboe) (7)
Bass Strait 9.5 10.5 6.9 5.2 8.6 31.2 33.9
North West Shelf 7.0 7.9 7.2 7.1 6.4 28.6 28.8
Stybarrow 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.7 1.2
Pyrenees 2.1 2.1 1.9 1.7 1.4 7.1 7.5
Other Australia (1) 2.3 2.8 2.2 2.4 2.7 10.1 8.6
Atlantis (2) 4.5 4.7 4.4 4.2 3.6 16.9 16.8
Mad Dog (2) 0.2 0.4 0.9 0.8 0.7 2.8 2.3
Shenzi (2) 3.9 3.9 3.9 3.6 3.7 15.1 15.3
Eagle Ford (3) 14.9 15.2 16.1 19.3 17.9 68.5 48.1
Permian (3) 1.2 1.5 1.6 1.5 2.4 7.0 3.9
Haynesville (3) (4) 7.6 7.6 7.3 6.3 5.9 27.1 30.6
Fayetteville (3) 6.7 6.1 6.3 5.4 5.3 23.1 25.6
Trinidad/Tobago 1.8 1.7 1.5 1.4 2.1 6.7 7.5
Other Americas (2) (5) 0.4 0.4 0.6 0.4 0.4 1.8 1.6
UK (6) 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.3 0.3 1.1 3.4
Algeria 1.0 1.0 1.1 1.0 0.9 4.0 4.4
Pakistan 1.3 1.1 1.1 0.9 0.8 3.9 6.5
Total 64.9 67.3 63.5 61.7 63.2 255.7 246.0
(1) Other Australia includes Minerva and Macedon.
(2) Gulf of Mexico volumes are net of royalties.
(3) Onshore US volumes are net of mineral holder royalties.
(4) Haynesville includes North Louisiana Conventional. BHP Billiton completed the sale of North Louisiana Conventional on 17 November 2014.
(5) Other Americas includes Neptune, Genesis and Overriding Royalty Interest.
(6) UK includes Bruce/Keith and Liverpool Bay. BHP Billiton completed the sale of its 46.1% operated interest in Liverpool Bay on 31 March 2014.
(7) Total boe conversions are based on 6,000 scf of natural gas equals 1 boe.
BHP Billiton Operational Review for the year ended 30 June 2015
15

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PRODUCTION AND SALES REPORT
QUARTER ENDED YEAR TO DATE
JUN 2014 SEP 2014 DEC 2014 MAR 2015 JUN 2015 JUN 2015 JUN 2014
Copper
Metals production is payable metal unless otherwise stated.
Escondida, Chile (1)
Material mined (kt) 88,745 93,474 103,750 91,139 96,337 384,700 351,562
Sulphide ore milled (kt) 21,438 20,651 18,354 21,382 22,909 83,296 80,349
Average copper grade (%) 1.33% 1.20% 1.45% 1.49% 1.32% 1.36% 1.28%
Production ex mill (kt) 235.6 205.5 215.5 266.3 249.6 936.9 856.1
Production
Payable copper (2) (kt) 241.0 199.4 208.8 260.9 247.0 916.1 844.7
Payable gold concentrate (troy oz) 20,920 21,980 12,710 21,265 25,554 81,509 72,904
Copper cathode (EW) (kt) 81.5 69.3 75.0 77.3 88.8 310.4 308.0
Payable silver concentrate (troy koz) 1,320 1,159 958 1,355 1,314 4,786 4,271
Sales
Payable copper (kt) 239.1 203.3 203.2 269.6 243.0 919.1 832.7
Payable gold concentrate (troy oz) 20,920 21,980 12,710 21,265 25,554 81,509 72,901
Copper cathode (EW) (kt) 83.3 64.1 79.8 64.9 101.4 310.2 309.4
Payable silver concentrate (troy koz) 1,320 1,159 958 1,355 1,314 4,787 4,278
(1) Shown on 100% basis. BHP Billiton interest in saleable production is 57.5%.
(2) June 2014 quarter includes 4.3 kt of copper contained in ore sold to third parties.
Pampa Norte, Chile
Cerro Colorado
Material mined (kt) 17,087 15,517 16,124 15,030 14,211 60,882 66,284
Ore milled (kt) 4,016 4,189 4,446 4,501 4,798 17,934 17,186
Average copper grade (%) 0.76% 0.77% 0.70% 0.68% 0.70% 0.71% 0.76%
Production
Copper cathode (EW) (kt) 21.3 15.7 20.6 21.5 20.4 78.2 80.3
Sales
Copper cathode (EW) (kt) 28.7 20.0 21.0 22.0 20.8 83.8 76.0
Spence
Material mined (kt) 25,962 24,238 23,422 21,429 21,062 90,151 103,241
Ore milled (kt) 3,775 4,409 4,560 3,783 4,082 16,834 18,158
Average copper grade (%) 1.30% 1.33% 1.20% 1.06% 1.24% 1.21% 1.22%
Production
Copper cathode (EW) (kt) 45.5 40.1 49.0 45.0 37.3 171.4 152.8
Sales
Copper cathode (EW) (kt) 49.6 36.9 51.8 45.0 40.6 174.3 151.4
BHP Billiton Operational Review for the year ended 30 June 2015
16

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PRODUCTION AND SALES REPORT
QUARTER ENDED YEAR TO DATE
JUN 2014 SEP 2014 DEC 2014 MAR 2015 JUN 2015 JUN 2015 JUN 2014
Copper (continued)
Metals production is payable metal unless otherwise stated.
Antamina, Peru
Material mined (100%) (kt) 49,797 54,675 43,793 49,787 56,944 205,199 202,934
Sulphide ore milled (100%) (kt) 12,756 12,370 13,594 12,880 14,831 53,675 48,771
Average head grades
- Copper(%) 0.77% 0.81% 0.74% 0.79% 0.74% 0.77% 1.03%
- Zinc(%) 0.58% 0.84% 0.66% 0.69% 0.56% 0.68% 0.60%
Production
Payable copper (kt) 26.2 25.7 27.3 26.7 28.0 107.7 143.5
Payable zinc (t) 13,450 20,736 16,271 13,571 15,857 66,435 52,039
Payable silver (troy koz) 843 954 885 872 1,115 3,826 4,359
Payable lead (t) 397 633 486 493 448 2,060 1,498
Payable molybdenum (t) 83 40 75 151 206 472 1,201
Sales
Payable copper (kt) 26.5 26.3 29.8 26.5 26.3 108.9 142.5
Payable zinc (t) 14,527 12,912 21,459 15,545 13,645 63,561 59,205
Payable silver (troy koz) 893 896 1,026 915 911 3,748 4,673
Payable lead (t) 521 320 711 461 624 2,116 1,591
Payable molybdenum (t) 142 50 90 163 157 460 1,342
Olympic Dam, Australia
Material mined (1) (kt) 2,405 2,692 2,667 2,186 1,773 9,318 10,514
Ore milled (kt) 2,654 2,206 2,776 1,477 1,469 7,928 10,120
Average copper grade (%) 1.91% 1.97% 1.70% 1.88% 1.97% 1.86% 1.88%
Average uranium grade (kg/t) 0.51 0.61 0.52 0.56 0.62 0.57 0.52
Production
Copper cathode (ER) (kt) 51.3 36.9 39.9 26.3 11.9 115.0 173.2
Copper cathode (EW) (kt) 3.2 2.3 3.1 2.3 1.8 9.5 11.2
Uranium oxide concentrate (t) 1,044 866 1,076 607 595 3,144 3,988
Refined gold (troy oz) 38,785 30,364 38,537 26,441 9,438 104,780 121,335
Refined silver (troy koz) 317 254 243 172 55 724 972
Sales
Copper cathode (ER) (kt) 54.2 36.6 39.9 28.0 12.7 117.2 171.8
Copper cathode (EW) (kt) 3.0 2.5 3.1 2.7 1.8 10.1 10.4
Uranium oxide concentrate (t) 1,426 848 1,125 877 921 3,771 4,125
Refined gold (troy oz) 38,500 30,707 34,938 31,938 9,064 106,647 123,530
Refined silver (troy koz) 367 227 238 206 61 732 982

(1)	Material mined refers to run of mine ore mined and hoisted.

BHP Billiton Operational Review for the year ended 30 June 2015
17

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PRODUCTION AND SALES REPORT
QUARTER ENDED YEAR TO DATE
JUN 2014 SEP 2014 DEC 2014 MAR 2015 JUN 2015 JUN 2015 JUN 2014
Iron Ore
(kt)
Iron ore
Pilbara, Australia
Production (1)
Newman 16,766 16,707 16,012 14,916 16,062 63,697 56,915
Yarrie (2) - - - - - - 836
Area C Joint Venture 12,481 13,265 11,314 13,201 12,214 49,994 46,960
Yandi Joint Venture 17,615 16,607 17,694 16,798 17,452 68,551 68,518
Jimblebar (3) 3,740 3,971 2,813 4,513 5,462 16,759 8,863
Wheelarra (4) 2,973 3,115 4,755 5,965 5,159 18,994 10,553
Total 53,575 53,665 52,588 55,393 56,349 217,995 192,645
Total production (100%) 62,369 62,436 61,371 64,372 65,330 253,509 225,077
Sales
Lump 11,572 12,766 12,661 12,617 13,234 51,278 43,090
Fines 40,834 41,633 41,185 42,635 43,430 168,883 147,753
Total 52,406 54,399 53,846 55,252 56,664 220,161 190,843
Total sales (100%) 61,015 63,303 62,848 64,201 65,703 256,055 223,402
(1) Iron ore production and sales are reported on a wet tonnes basis.
(2) Yarrie ceased production on 25 February 2014.
(3) Shown on 100% basis. BHP Billiton interest in saleable production is 85%.
(4) Production from Wheelarra is processed via the Jimblebar processing hub.
Samarco, Brazil
Production (1) 3,068 3,426 3,764 3,586 3,737 14,513 10,919
Sales 3,077 3,303 4,151 2,876 3,627 13,957 10,814
(1) Iron ore production and sales are reported on a wet tonnes basis.
BHP Billiton Operational Review for the year ended 30 June 2015
18

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PRODUCTION AND SALES REPORT
QUARTER ENDED YEAR TO DATE
JUN SEP DEC MAR JUN JUN JUN
2014 2014 2014 2015 2015 2015 2014
Coal
(kt)
Metallurgical coal
Queensland Coal
Production (1)
BMA
Blackwater 1,625 1,777 1,775 1,569 1,873 6,994 6,730
Goonyella 1,553 2,144 2,350 1,951 2,065 8,510 7,330
Peak Downs 1,282 1,144 1,235 1,263 1,469 5,111 4,909
Saraji 1,058 1,022 1,257 1,033 1,194 4,506 4,558
Gregory Joint Venture 997 808 994 607 885 3,294 2,965
Daunia 518 628 617 489 649 2,383 2,201
Caval Ridge 563 705 781 690 888 3,064 563
Total BMA 7,596 8,228 9,009 7,602 9,023 33,862 29,256
BHP Billiton Mitsui Coal (2)
South Walker Creek 1,323 1,391 1,236 1,282 1,384 5,293 5,246
Poitrel 820 813 892 775 986 3,466 3,063
Total BHP Billiton Mitsui Coal 2,143 2,204 2,128 2,057 2,370 8,759 8,309
Total Queensland Coal 9,739 10,432 11,137 9,659 11,393 42,621 37,565
Sales
Coking coal 7,250 7,306 8,379 7,118 7,616 30,419 26,920
Weak coking coal 2,358 2,859 2,670 2,720 2,850 11,099 9,854
Thermal coal 134 43 171 182 375 771 687
Total 9,742 10,208 11,220 10,020 10,841 42,289 37,461
(1) Metallurgical coal production is reported on the basis of saleable product. Production figures include some thermal coal.
(2) Shown on 100% basis. BHP Billiton interest in saleable production is 80%.
Energy coal
New Mexico, USA
Production
Navajo Coal (1) 1,082 1,243 1,064 1,156 1,395 4,858 5,127
San Juan Coal 1,330 1,447 1,448 1,091 1,179 5,165 5,685
Total 2,412 2,690 2,512 2,247 2,574 10,023 10,812
Sales - local utility 2,382 2,723 2,592 2,177 2,539 10,031 10,821
(1) BHP Billiton completed the sale of Navajo Mine on 30 December 2013. As BHP Billiton will retain control of the mine until full consideration is received, production will continue to be reported by the Group.
NSW Energy Coal, Australia
Production 5,030 4,752 4,608 5,252 5,086 19,698 19,964
Sales
Export 4,548 4,787 4,625 4,897 4,550 18,859 17,818
Inland 333 371 228 337 286 1,222 1,381
Total 4,881 5,158 4,853 5,234 4,836 20,081 19,199
Cerrejón, Colombia
Production 2,908 2,369 3,003 2,975 2,944 11,291 12,332
Sales - export 2,858 3,077 2,732 3,005 2,766 11,580 11,727
BHP Billiton Operational Review for the year ended 30 June 2015
19

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PRODUCTION AND SALES REPORT
QUARTER ENDED
YEAR TO DATE
JUN 2014 SEP 2014 DEC 2014 MAR 2015 JUN 2015 JUN 2015 JUN 2014
Other
(kt)
Nickel
Nickel West, Australia
Saleable production
Nickel contained in concentrate 1.6 2.2 1.7 1.9 1.5 7.3 9.9
Nickel contained in finished matte 4.4 9.1 5.5 6.1 3.9 24.6 25.4
Nickel metal 14.7 13.7 16.5 13.9 13.9 58.0 63.6
Nickel production 20.7 25.0 23.7 21.9 19.3 89.9 98.9
Sales
Nickel contained in concentrate 1.6 2.1 1.6 2.0 1.6 7.3 9.4
Nickel contained in finished matte 6.2 6.6 7.4 6.4 4.4 24.8 26.7
Nickel metal 14.4 11.9 17.5 13.5 15.7 58.6 63.6
Nickel sales 22.2 20.6 26.5 21.9 21.7 90.7 99.7
BHP Billiton Operational Review for the year ended 30 June 2015
20

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PRODUCTION AND SALES REPORT
QUARTER ENDED
YEAR TO DATE
JUN 2014 SEP 2014 DEC 2014 MAR 2015 APR 2015 APR 2015 JUN 2014
Discontinued operations
Production shown for the 10 months until 30 April 2015.
Lead, Silver, Zinc
Cannington, Australia
Material mined (kt) 806 823 925 813 276 2,837 3,446
Ore milled (kt) 821 819 850 791 279 2,739 3,202
Average head grades
- Silver (g/t) 286 301 246 247 183 256 296
- Lead (%) 6.9% 7.1% 7.0% 6.3% 5.6% 6.7% 7.1%
- Zinc (%) 3.1% 3.8% 3.2% 3.2% 3.5% 3.4% 3.0%
Production
Payable silver (troy koz) 6,029 6,701 5,534 5,130 1,353 18,718 25,161
Payable lead (t) 45,768 48,941 49,625 40,111 12,920 151,597 186,528
Payable zinc (t) 15,666 19,927 17,039 16,389 6,678 60,033 57,896
Sales
Payable silver (troy koz) 5,641 7,084 5,631 4,972 1,677 19,364 26,160
Payable lead (t) 41,607 51,197 48,482 40,341 13,379 153,399 188,941
Payable zinc (t) 15,708 15,450 18,028 17,057 7,282 57,817 62,255
Metallurgical coal
Illawarra, Australia
Production (1) (kt) 2,147 2,337 2,401 1,799 679 7,216 7,513
Sales
Coking coal (kt) 1,761 1,617 1,830 1,810 551 5,808 5,921
Thermal coal (kt) 486 373 426 272 84 1,155 1,623
Total (kt) 2,247 1,990 2,256 2,082 635 6,963 7,544
(1) Metallurgical coal production is reported on the basis of saleable product. Production figures include some thermal coal.
Energy coal
South Africa (1)
Production (kt) 8,013 8,026 8,499 9,240 2,912 28,677 30,384
Sales
Export (kt) 3,528 3,739 4,174 4,354 1,528 13,795 13,298
Local utility (kt) 4,498 4,367 4,650 4,753 1,410 15,180 16,330
Inland (kt) - 36 84 168 63 351 -
Total (kt) 8,026 8,142 8,908 9,275 3,001 29,326 29,628
(1) Shown on 100% basis. BHP Billiton interest in saleable production was 90% during the period.
Nickel
Cerro Matoso, Colombia
Production (kt) 10.2 10.7 10.5 10.6 1.9 33.7 44.3
Sales (kt) 10.2 10.5 10.1 11.0 2.4 34.0 45.1
BHP Billiton Operational Review for the year ended 30 June 2015
21

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PRODUCTION AND SALES REPORT
QUARTER ENDED
YEAR TO DATE
JUN 2014 SEP 2014 DEC 2014 MAR 2015 APR 2015 APR 2015 JUN 2014
Discontinued operations (continued)
Production shown for the 10 months until 30 April 2015.
Alumina
Saleable production
Worsley, Australia (kt) 1,010 893 1,060 937 291 3,181 3,916
Alumar, Brazil (kt) 315 342 338 311 112 1,103 1,262
Total (kt) 1,325 1,235 1,398 1,248 403 4,284 5,178
Sales
Worsley, Australia (kt) 1,020 875 1,068 866 354 3,163 3,864
Alumar, Brazil (kt) 388 323 371 285 104 1,083 1,248
Total (kt) 1,408 1,198 1,439 1,151 458 4,246 5,112
Aluminium
Production
Hillside, South Africa (kt) 176 180 176 168 57 581 715
Bayside, South Africa (1) (kt) 18 - - - - - 89
Alumar, Brazil (kt) 15 13 13 12 2 40 104
Mozal, Mozambique (kt) 67 68 67 65 22 222 266
Total (kt) 276 261 256 245 81 843 1,174
Sales
Hillside, South Africa (kt) 168 174 178 166 59 577 708
Bayside, South Africa (1) (kt) 24 - - - - - 96
Alumar, Brazil (kt) 17 12 13 13 3 41 104
Mozal, Mozambique (kt) 62 64 73 66 24 227 276
Total (kt) 271 250 264 245 86 845 1,184
(1) Aluminium smelting at Bayside ceased with the closure of the final potline in June 2014.
Manganese ores
Saleable production
South Africa (1) (kt) 936 1,049 1,007 913 169 3,138 3,526
Australia (1) (kt) 1,319 1,210 1,289 1,136 451 4,086 4,776
Total (kt) 2,255 2,259 2,296 2,049 620 7,224 8,302
(kt)
Sales
South Africa (1) (kt) 931 999 983 1,024 281 3,287 3,480
Australia (1) (kt) 1,288 1,224 1,208 1,143 325 3,900 5,063
Total (kt) 2,219 2,223 2,191 2,167 606 7,187 8,543
Manganese alloys
Saleable production
South Africa (1) (2) (kt) 106 112 121 114 32 379 377
Australia (1) (kt) 75 59 80 68 26 233 269
Total (kt) 181 171 201 182 58 611 646
(1) Shown on 100% basis. BHP Billiton interest in saleable production was 60% during the period, except Hotazel Manganese Mines which was 44.4%.
(2) Production includes Medium Carbon Ferro Manganese.
BHP Billiton Operational Review for the year ended 30 June 2015
22

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

 

						BHP Billiton Limited and BHP Billiton Plc
Date: July 22, 2015				By:		/s/ Rachel Agnew
				Name:		Rachel Agnew
				Title:		Company Secretary