BHP: Conducting Ravensthorpe Options Review Until End 2009
June 25 2009 - 8:17PM
Dow Jones News
BHP Billiton Ltd. (BHP) is conducting a review of options for
its mothballed Ravensthorpe nickel mine in Western Australia state
until the end of the year, a company spokesman said Friday.
The Melbourne-based miner is also still looking at the future of
the Yabulu refinery in Queensland state, and the internal review of
the operation is due to conclude at the end of this month.
The Australian Financial Review reported Friday that BHP was
considering a packaged sale of both operations, with Xstrata Plc
(XTA.LN) and Gladstone Pacific Nickel Ltd. (GPN.LN) showing
interest.
BHP last year decided to close to Ravensthorpe only months after
commissioning the US$2.1 billion project.
It also made modifications to Yabulu to take on ore feed from
Ravensthorpe, including significantly larger processing
capacity.
The spokesman declined to comment on BHP's specific plans for
both operations.
"We're conducting an options review for Ravensthorpe that will
conclude at the end of 2009. We're looking at all options," he
said.
-By Elisabeth Behrmann, Dow Jones Newswires;
61-2-8272-4689 elisabeth.behrmann@dowjones.com