(Adds details on costs, mine operations, elaborates on reason)...

(Adds details on costs, mine operations, elaborates on reason)

Feb 16 (Reuters) - Australia's Newcrest Mining Ltd (NCM) on Thursday beat analyst expectations as the addition of Canadian Brucejack operations and higher sales volume for gold and copper at its key Cadia mine helped limit losses in the first half.

The miner declared a special dividend of 20 cents per share, after Lundin Gold repaid a credit facility.

The country's largest listed gold miner's first-half profit beat analysts' expectations, though it was marginally lower than the profit reported last year as increased activities drove up costs and lower realized gold and copper prices brought home lesser profits.

Newcrest said its underlying profit was $293 million for the half-year ended December 31, compared with $298 million a year earlier, but beat estimates of $184 million, according to Refinitiv.

The miner received $1,696 for every ounce of gold sold in the six months ended December 31, compared with $1,733 per ounce logged last year.

Newcrest also rebuffed a $16.9 billion bid from U.S.-based Newmont Corp NEM.N but said it would open its books for the world's largest gold miner.

The company also declared an interim dividend of 15 cents per share, compared with last year's 7.5 cents.