Action by Greenpeace campaigners has halted coal loading at Hay Point port in northeast Queensland, BHP Billiton Ltd. (BHP) said Thursday.

On Wednesday morning, Greenpeace protesters illegally entered the Hay Point Coal Terminal, BHP said.

"We ceased coal loading operations yesterday (Wednesday) morning to ensure the safety of the protesters and our employees," a spokeswoman told Dow Jones Newswires. "All of our employees are still on site."

"We're still working with police and relevant authorities and we'll resume operations as soon as it's safe to do so.".

Any material impact, will be reported in BHP Billiton's next production report, she said.

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