BHP has announced a strong operational performance for the first quarter of the 2025 financial year (FY2025) with increased copper, iron ore and coal production. The company´s chief executive officer, Mike Henry, said: “BHP had a strong start to the 2025 financial year, with production up across all major commodities for the quarter. Copper production was up 4% due to higher grade and recoveries at Escondida, and WAIO (Western Australia Iron Ore) production was up 3% as we unlocked capacity by completing the debottlenecking work at the port.”

Specifically, total copper production in the quarter increased to 476 thousand metric tonnes. Copper production guidance for FY2025 remains unchanged at between 1,845 and 2,045 thousand metric tonnes. Iron ore production increased 2% to 65 million metric tonnes (Mmt). Production guidance for FY2025 remains unchanged at between 255 and 265.5 Mmt.

BHP is also seeing signs of stabilisation at its steelmaking coal business, BHP Mitsubishi Alliance, the 50:50 joint venture between BHP and Mitsubishi Development. Production increased 20% (excluding 1.8 Mmt from Blackwater and Daunia in Q1 FY24), due to increased stripping enabled by improved truck productivity. Production guidance for FY2025 remains unchanged at between 16.5 and 19 Mmt (33 and 38 Mmt on a 100% basis).

“We added to our copper growth prospects in the quarter, announcing a proposed 50/50 joint venture in Argentina with Lundin Mining to advance what we consider to be one of the most significant global copper discoveries in decades,” Mr Henry said.

“In Canada, our Jansen Stage 1 potash project is 58% complete after a productive summer period with first production scheduled in around two years,” he added.