Coke output doubles

BHP Billiton plans an aggressive near-doubling of its coking coal production over the next five years to meet the China-inspired surge in demand for carbon steelmaking materials through mine expansions and developments in Queensland, NSW and Indonesia.

The plan follows a reassessment of the world's supply/demand outlook given strong demand from China and emerging steel production in Brazil and India.

BHP Billiton and Japanese partners Mitsubishi and Mitsui are committed to spending a further US$175 million to expand annual capacity interface Queensland to 59 million tones by the second half of 2006. The company is already working to expand the Queensland operations to 57 million tonnes by mid-2005 from 52 million tonnes. The project includes expanding annual capacity at the Hay Point coal shipping terminal to 40 million tonnes.