BHP Billiton Ltd. (BHP.AU) said Friday it plans to produce the first uranium from its Yeelirrie project in Western Australian in 2014 and has submitted documents for the project with the state and federal governments.

"Current plans project construction commencing in 2011, with initial production from the mine in 2014, subject to government and BHP Billiton board approvals," the miner said in a statement.

BHP has referred its plans for the Yeelirrie project to the Western Australian Environmental Protection Authority and the federal Department of the Environment, and the company said the referral was an important step in the progress of the project and the preparation of an environmental impact statement.

A spokesman for the miner said production from Yeelirrie is expected to be in the order of 5,000 metric tons a year.

The company has recently completed a concept study on the miner and it is now carrying out a pre-feasibility study.

Federal Resources & Energy Minister Martin Ferguson said he believes the mine will proceed subject to appropriate regulatory approvals.

"The demand for uranium is good and it's going to continue to grow" with 64 nuclear plants under construction offshore, he said in an interview on Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio.

Australia is a major global supplier of uranium, accounting for 19% of global yellowcake production from its 36% share of the world's known uranium resources.

Australia exported 10,139 metric tons of uranium oxide valued at A$887 million last fiscal year ended June 30, 2008, according to official data.

-By Ray Brindal, Dow Jones Newswires; 612-6208-0902; ray.brindal@dowjones.com

   (Alex Wilson in Melbourne contributed to this report)