News: BHP Bhp Group Says Qtrly Iron Ore WAIO (100% Basis) Production 66.2 MT

April 21 (Reuters) - BHP Group Ltd (BHP) :

• QTRLY IRON ORE WAIO (100% BASIS) PRODUCTION 66.2 MT VERSUS 66.7 MT REPORTED LAST YEAR
• PRODUCTION GUIDANCE FOR 2023 FINANCIAL YEAR REMAINS UNCHANGED FOR IRON ORE, METALLURGICAL COAL AND ENERGY COAL
• QTRLY NICKEL PRODUCTION 19.6 KT VERSUS 18.7 KT REPORTED LAST YEAR
• FY PRODUCTION GUIDANCE AT ESCONDIDA HAS BEEN LOWERED TO BETWEEN 1,050 AND 1,080 KT
• QTRLY MET COAL PRODUCTION-BMA 6.9 MT VERSUS 7.9 MT REPORTED LAST YEAR
• SEES OVERALL COPPER PRODUCTION FOR YEAR REMAINS ON TRACK
• QTRLY COPPER PRODUCTION 405.9 KT VERSUS 369.7 KT REPORTED LAST YEAR
• QTRLY ENERGY COAL NSWEC PRODUCTION 3.9 MT VERSUS 2.6 MT REPORTED LAST YEAR
• PRODUCTION GUIDANCE FOR THE 2023 FINANCIAL YEAR REMAINS UNCHANGED FOR IRON ORE, METALLURGICAL COAL AND ENERGY COAL.
• AIM TO HAVE UP TO 10 DRILL RIGS ON GROUND AT OAK DAM IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA IN NEXT FEW MONTHS
• HAVE SEEN PROMISING RESULTS FROM A POTENTIAL NEW COPPER PROSPECT IN ARIZONA
• FULL YEAR TOTAL COPPER PRODUCTION GUIDANCE REMAINS UNCHANGED AT BETWEEN 1,635 AND 1,825 KT.
• RECENT ENGAGEMENTS WITH CUSTOMERS IN CHINA AND INDIA HAVE REAFFIRMED OUR POSITIVE OUTLOOK FOR COMMODITY DEMAND
• FULL YEAR NICKEL PRODUCTION HAS BEEN LOWERED TO BETWEEN 75 AND 85 KT
• CHINA ECONOMIC REBOUND & SOLID MOMENTUM IN INDIA'S STEELMAKING GROWTH HELPING TO OFFSET IMPACT OF SLOWING GROWTH IN US, JAPAN AND EUROPE
• FULL YEAR UNIT COST GUIDANCE REMAINS UNCHANGED FROM THE HALF YEAR PERIOD ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022
• PRODUCTION RAMP UP AT SOUTH FLANK REMAINS ON TRACK TO REACH FULL CAPACITY OF 80 MTPA (100% BASIS) BY END OF 2024 FY
• FULL YEAR METALLURGICAL COAL PRODUCTION EXPECTED TO BE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE GUIDANCE RANGE OF BETWEEN 29 AND 32 MT
• THROUGHOUT MARCH 2023 QUARTER CONTINUED TO MAKE PROGRESS TOWARDS DECARBONISATION TARGETS AND GOALS
• FULL YEAR UNIT COST GUIDANCE ESCONDIDA AND WAIO ARE EXPECTED TO BE AT THE TOP OF THEIR RESPECTIVE RANGES
• FOR IRON ORE, FY UNIT COST GUIDANCE AT WAIO OF BETWEEN $18 AND $19 PER TONNE IS EXPECTED TO BE AT THE TOP OF THE RANGE
• ESCONDIDA CONCENTRATOR FEED GRADE IS EXPECTED TO IMPROVE IN THE JUNE 2023 QUARTER, COMPARED TO THE NINE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 2023
• ESCONDIDA COPPER PRODUCTION MEDIUM TERM GUIDANCE OF 1.2 MTPA OF COPPER PRODUCTION ON AVERAGE OVER NEXT FIVE YEARS REMAINS UNCHANGED
• SAMARCO PRODUCTION FOR 2023 FY IS EXPECTED TO BE AT TOP OF GUIDANCE RANGE OF BETWEEN 3 & 4 MT (BHP SHARE)
• PROVISIONS RELATED TO SAMARCO DAM FAILURE & GERMANO DAM DECOMMISSIONING SUBJECT TO ONGOING ASSESSMENT & TOTALLED US$3.3 BILLION AS AT 31 DEC, 2022
• PROVISIONS RELATED TO SAMARCO DAM FAILURE & GERMANO DAM DECOMMISSIONING HAS EXPECTED CASH OUTLAY FOR 2023 CY OF US$1.95 BILLION