BHP Iron Ore Production Rises to Record, Beating Estimates

BHP Billiton Ltd., the world’s largest mining company, said second-quarter iron ore production rose a better-than-estimated 22 percent to a record, driven by mine, rail and port expansions in Western Australia.

Output from the company’s biggest earning unit was 41.1 million metric tons in the three months ended Dec. 31, compared with 33.7 million tons a year earlier, Melbourne-based BHP said today in a statement. That compares with RBC Capital Market’s forecast for 35.7 million tons and UBS AG’s 38.9 million tons.