Australian (ASX) Stock Market Forum

BHP - BHP Group

Market Matters morning report:

BHP Group (BHP) $45.96
The “Big Australian” has surged more than +20% over recent weeks, reclaiming its mantle from CBA as Australia’s largest listed company. We topped up our holding when the stock was trading around $40. Similarly, we may trim back into strength, but we aren’t in a hurry given BHP is set to be a big beneficiary if Chinas massive stimulus efforts underpin a resumption of sustainable growth, particularly in Chinese property markets.
BHP is the lowest-cost iron ore producer in Australia, with unit costs well below $US20/MT, leaving plenty of meat in the sandwich with the bulk commodity above $US100/MT. If buying into dips, we see strong support in the $44 area.
BHP
MM remains long and bullish BHP
China markets are closed for the Golden Week Holiday. The Hong Kong Market opens tomorrow. I’m going to wait and see what happens next week, when China is fully open again. Every Analysis, seems to agree this time China’s stimulus measures are extensive and not like the last efforts other the last year.

I’m thinking $50 will be tested again soon. I heard some called for $60, however I’m not sure I can see this in the short term.

Let’s watch this one and see what happens.
 
Good to see the Jansen Potash project get its share of attention in this excerpt of an emailed article from sharesinvalue.com.au
Otherwise it's about the amenity of BHP as a low production cost inflation hedge.

Held
Holding

bb439b06-ed3b-476b-8b0c-be0adc6af5a2.jpg

The past month has been a rollercoaster. The conflict in the Middle East has escalated further, with Israeli attacks on the terrorist organisation Hezbollah in Lebanon and Iran launching almost 200 missiles at Israel.

There have now been at least two assassination attempts on Donald Trump, and the US election in November promises to be explosive and controversial no matter which way the result falls.

We've also seen a massive accommodative pivot from the central banks in the US and China, which are set to light a fire under global markets.

With all this change, it's important to step back, take a deep breath and reevaluate our opportunities. In tough and turbulent times, you can't go too far wrong if you just stick with high quality businesses. And there are plenty to choose from on the ASX.

We've got one in mind that's poised to capitalise on the current economic environment. It's one of Australia's favourite companies and one of the highest-quality management teams on the ASX.

Before we discuss this iconic Aussie stock, we need to set the scene. We'll discuss the current forces in play and our thesis of why this stock could benefit.

The Inflation Dilemma​


Inflation is a beast of a thing, but it takes time to be fully felt. In recent years we've seen boom in inflation fuelled by supply chain disruptions, rising transportation costs, energy costs and a housing shortage.

Inflation has started to stabilise and we now have to adjust to the new normal of higher priced goods and services.

But that's not all.

Inflation has not been applied equally. The following chart shows the rapid increase in CPI in Australia in orange. As long as the CPI line is above zero, prices are higher than they were a year prior. So, there's a cumulative effect that makes the surge in prices much more dramatic than what is depicted here.
78e5f7de-d03f-4e74-b57d-84e9f83486cf.png
Source: Shares in Value / ABS

The blue line shows wage price inflation. It hasn't kept up with the prices of consumer goods at all. So on average our wages now buy far less stuff than they did in 2020.

Dramatically so.

And that's why the cost of living is going to be a key battleground in the looming 2024 Australian election. A lot of households are noticing a tightening in the their living standards.

This nicely shows how abrupt changes like we've seen can dislodge the healthy balances that we're used to. There is now a lot of pressure for wages to shuffle themselves northwards to catch up with the price of goods.

Here's the thing, though. When that happens, it will cause a fresh surge in inflation, as goods and services need to be increased in price to account for rising costs.

This is what makes inflation such a tough beast to tame when it gets out of control.

But there are even more reasons coming for consumer prices to increase.

Interest Rate cuts will spur further spending​


That's interest rate cuts.

We've already seen them hit the USA and China, where interest rates have been cut by 50 basis points. These two countries alone account for about 44% of global GDP. So, when they both kick into rate cutting mode in a big way at the same time you can be sure the markets will feel it.

Australia could see a cut as early as December, and it's fully priced into the bond markets by February 2025. Additionally, the expected magnitude of the cutting cycle has increased dramatically in recent months.

Interest rates are expected to fall more than 100 basis points in the next twelve months, which will spur further spending.

The impact of inflation being still strong, upward pressure on wages and massive stimulus kicking off from the two biggest economies in the world could lead to much bigger CPI numbers to come in the next few years.

The Commodity Play​


Commodities, in general, tend to respond well to inflation pressures. That's because they typically work on a cost plus nominal margin pricing equilibrium. If prices go way above the cost to mine something, then every dog and his human goes looking for that precious resource, finds a few deposits and then brings them to commercialisation.

Supply increases and prices subsequently fall.

Once prices fall below cost, the most expensive operations begin to close, one at a time. Supply decreases, and prices increase. This happens around an equilibrium price, which is the price at which supply would theoretically stay stable.

Of course, it never quite reaches that magic equilibrium in practice.

This price plus nominal margin pricing mechanism in commodities makes them the perfect hedge for inflation over the medium to long term.

While gold is the obvious choice, many other commodities work as well.

There's a major blue chip stock hiding in plain sight on the ASX right now that looks to be perfectly positioned to take advantage of the coming price escalations if they play out the way we envisage they might.

It's a household name, and you may well have it in your portfolio. We are talking about the biggest company on the ASX right now, BHP (ASX: BHP).

There are many reasons to like BHP. It's a high quality business with great leadership. You could say they are experts and acquiring and optimising the lowest cost of production assets that are most exposed to growth demand applications, while simultaneously getting great value for divestments of non-core assets.

BHP is a big company with a lot of moving parts. But we are going to focus in on four commodities in particular for this article and how they could influence the next 1-2 years of BHP's financial results and how the stock performs.

Iron​


Iron is currently the most important commodity in the portfolio. It keeps the lights on.

In FY24, BHP produced 259.7 Mt of iron ore. World-class unit cash costs of US18.19/t are expected to fall further to US$17.50/t over the medium term.

Studies are underway to increase production to 330 Mt as well. So there's potential for both margin and volume increases. On the pricing front we've seen a spike up recently following China's stimulus for the housing market.

If this price turnaround can get some legs and continue further north it could mean a massive boost to the bottom line over the next few years. Of course that's heavily dependant on the China construction story turning around as well.

But this early move is very positive and should be watched closely.
c8b59acd-5fd6-41cf-ba01-6f6d51521b61.png

Source: TradingView

Copper​


FY24 production of copper was 1,865.2 kt. The company owns a stake in the biggest copper mine in the world – Escondida. Various initiatives are underway to increase production and efficiency at the Chilean copper operations.

A strategy is in place to double the copper production from South Australian copper operations to 650 ktpa. This comes on the back of BHP increasing copper production by 292 ktpa between FY22 and FY24.

Current copper mineral resources stand at 44 Bt at 0.59% copper. Given our own bullish outlook on copper this is great reason in itself to be getting into BHP.

After copper's big pullback from the highs of May, we've seen another run-up in the last few weeks, driven by the stimulus measures out of China and the US.

With copper becoming harder to find, grades decreasing and the massive growth implied in the electrification story, copper exposure is a must for the next decade. What better than owning a piece of the worlds biggest copper mine?
f16bf99c-5d24-4182-ba30-02125ab9a511.png
Source: TradingView

Nickel​


Didn't BHP shut down it's Nickel operations? You are right reader, they sure did. So there can't be a positive here can there?
e90ad3d4-b5ff-4f0a-a46c-e7126493fff3.jpg

Source: TradingView

Well, the good news is that the price of Nickel has caught a bid, you guessed it, since the US and China decided to cut rates. It's too early to pop the champagne, but it's a good sign, and has certainly caught out attention. BHP has resolved to review it's Nickel assets in 2027, so we don't expect them to flip the switch on restarting production anytime soon.

However, this could be a nice bonus in a few years time if it gets switched back on again. Of course we'll need to see robust Nickel prices become the new norm before then. Recently the price has been capped by cheaper production out of Indonesia.

Potash​


BHP has a mammoth Potash project in the works called Jansen. Stage 1 is running ahead of schedule and is over 50% complete.

BHP always tries to own the lowest cost and highest quality assets in growth commodities. That's how the company manages to continue making money when it's competitors are forced out during tough times.

Well, the Jansen Potash project is no exception. It requires around 60% less equipment than its competitors. That's a big deal, given the high capex and maintenance costs of mining operations. As a result, Jansen is expected to sit at the low end of the potash cost curve.

One of the best hedges against inflation is food, and one of the most universal ingredients to food is fertiliser. That's where potash comes in. While there are some other uses, it's primarily used to supply potassium as a nutrition source to crops.

Potash prices rocketed in 2022 due to disruptions from covid and the war in Ukraine. While prices have since discovered gravity and are now back to more reasonable prices, it highlights how critical potash is to the global food industry.

Jansen promises to give BHP one of the best assets in the industry and exposure to the critical food supply chain.

Final Thoughts​


BHP is a high quality operation that deserves a look even at the worst of times. Right now we are seeing some positive signs re-emerge for this mammoth enterprise. Commodity prices have already started to turn, and strong inflation drivers for the foreseeable future could underpin great revenue growth for years to come.

Commodities are always the plaything of central banks and inflation, and this time is certainly not looking any different. So we like a basic and dependable commodity play as part of a balanced portfolio to ride out this current macro economic and political hurricane we're currently in.

While the share price has recovered somewhat in recent weeks, BHP (ASX: BHP) is far from fully priced. The consensus FY25 forward PE of 12.8X is an attractive proposition for such a solid performer. The trailing 12-month dividend yield of 4.95% also becomes more attractive as interest rates fall.

If you're worried about the prospect of lingering inflation and the flow on effects, check out BHP as a potential medium term play.
8891c7e3-6e68-4e30-837d-0f0e9b7792a5.png
 
Good to see the Jansen Potash project get its share of attention in this excerpt of an emailed article from sharesinvalue.com.au
Otherwise it's about the amenity of BHP as a low production cost inflation hedge.

Held
Holding



The past month has been a rollercoaster. The conflict in the Middle East has escalated further, with Israeli attacks on the terrorist organisation Hezbollah in Lebanon and Iran launching almost 200 missiles at Israel.

There have now been at least two assassination attempts on Donald Trump, and the US election in November promises to be explosive and controversial no matter which way the result falls.

We've also seen a massive accommodative pivot from the central banks in the US and China, which are set to light a fire under global markets.

With all this change, it's important to step back, take a deep breath and reevaluate our opportunities. In tough and turbulent times, you can't go too far wrong if you just stick with high quality businesses. And there are plenty to choose from on the ASX.

We've got one in mind that's poised to capitalise on the current economic environment. It's one of Australia's favourite companies and one of the highest-quality management teams on the ASX.

Before we discuss this iconic Aussie stock, we need to set the scene. We'll discuss the current forces in play and our thesis of why this stock could benefit.

The Inflation Dilemma​



Inflation is a beast of a thing, but it takes time to be fully felt. In recent years we've seen boom in inflation fuelled by supply chain disruptions, rising transportation costs, energy costs and a housing shortage.

Inflation has started to stabilise and we now have to adjust to the new normal of higher priced goods and services.

But that's not all.

Inflation has not been applied equally. The following chart shows the rapid increase in CPI in Australia in orange. As long as the CPI line is above zero, prices are higher than they were a year prior. So, there's a cumulative effect that makes the surge in prices much more dramatic than what is depicted here.​
Source: Shares in Value / ABS

The blue line shows wage price inflation. It hasn't kept up with the prices of consumer goods at all. So on average our wages now buy far less stuff than they did in 2020.

Dramatically so.

And that's why the cost of living is going to be a key battleground in the looming 2024 Australian election. A lot of households are noticing a tightening in the their living standards.

This nicely shows how abrupt changes like we've seen can dislodge the healthy balances that we're used to. There is now a lot of pressure for wages to shuffle themselves northwards to catch up with the price of goods.

Here's the thing, though. When that happens, it will cause a fresh surge in inflation, as goods and services need to be increased in price to account for rising costs.

This is what makes inflation such a tough beast to tame when it gets out of control.

But there are even more reasons coming for consumer prices to increase.

Interest Rate cuts will spur further spending​



That's interest rate cuts.

We've already seen them hit the USA and China, where interest rates have been cut by 50 basis points. These two countries alone account for about 44% of global GDP. So, when they both kick into rate cutting mode in a big way at the same time you can be sure the markets will feel it.

Australia could see a cut as early as December, and it's fully priced into the bond markets by February 2025. Additionally, the expected magnitude of the cutting cycle has increased dramatically in recent months.

Interest rates are expected to fall more than 100 basis points in the next twelve months, which will spur further spending.

The impact of inflation being still strong, upward pressure on wages and massive stimulus kicking off from the two biggest economies in the world could lead to much bigger CPI numbers to come in the next few years.

The Commodity Play​



Commodities, in general, tend to respond well to inflation pressures. That's because they typically work on a cost plus nominal margin pricing equilibrium. If prices go way above the cost to mine something, then every dog and his human goes looking for that precious resource, finds a few deposits and then brings them to commercialisation.

Supply increases and prices subsequently fall.

Once prices fall below cost, the most expensive operations begin to close, one at a time. Supply decreases, and prices increase. This happens around an equilibrium price, which is the price at which supply would theoretically stay stable.

Of course, it never quite reaches that magic equilibrium in practice.

This price plus nominal margin pricing mechanism in commodities makes them the perfect hedge for inflation over the medium to long term.

While gold is the obvious choice, many other commodities work as well.

There's a major blue chip stock hiding in plain sight on the ASX right now that looks to be perfectly positioned to take advantage of the coming price escalations if they play out the way we envisage they might.

It's a household name, and you may well have it in your portfolio. We are talking about the biggest company on the ASX right now, BHP (ASX: BHP).

There are many reasons to like BHP. It's a high quality business with great leadership. You could say they are experts and acquiring and optimising the lowest cost of production assets that are most exposed to growth demand applications, while simultaneously getting great value for divestments of non-core assets.

BHP is a big company with a lot of moving parts. But we are going to focus in on four commodities in particular for this article and how they could influence the next 1-2 years of BHP's financial results and how the stock performs.

Iron​



Iron is currently the most important commodity in the portfolio. It keeps the lights on.

In FY24, BHP produced 259.7 Mt of iron ore. World-class unit cash costs of US18.19/t are expected to fall further to US$17.50/t over the medium term.

Studies are underway to increase production to 330 Mt as well. So there's potential for both margin and volume increases. On the pricing front we've seen a spike up recently following China's stimulus for the housing market.

If this price turnaround can get some legs and continue further north it could mean a massive boost to the bottom line over the next few years. Of course that's heavily dependant on the China construction story turning around as well.

But this early move is very positive and should be watched closely.​

Source: TradingView

Copper​



FY24 production of copper was 1,865.2 kt. The company owns a stake in the biggest copper mine in the world – Escondida. Various initiatives are underway to increase production and efficiency at the Chilean copper operations.

A strategy is in place to double the copper production from South Australian copper operations to 650 ktpa. This comes on the back of BHP increasing copper production by 292 ktpa between FY22 and FY24.

Current copper mineral resources stand at 44 Bt at 0.59% copper. Given our own bullish outlook on copper this is great reason in itself to be getting into BHP.

After copper's big pullback from the highs of May, we've seen another run-up in the last few weeks, driven by the stimulus measures out of China and the US.

With copper becoming harder to find, grades decreasing and the massive growth implied in the electrification story, copper exposure is a must for the next decade. What better than owning a piece of the worlds biggest copper mine?​
Source: TradingView

Nickel​



Didn't BHP shut down it's Nickel operations? You are right reader, they sure did. So there can't be a positive here can there?​

Source: TradingView

Well, the good news is that the price of Nickel has caught a bid, you guessed it, since the US and China decided to cut rates. It's too early to pop the champagne, but it's a good sign, and has certainly caught out attention. BHP has resolved to review it's Nickel assets in 2027, so we don't expect them to flip the switch on restarting production anytime soon.

However, this could be a nice bonus in a few years time if it gets switched back on again. Of course we'll need to see robust Nickel prices become the new norm before then. Recently the price has been capped by cheaper production out of Indonesia.

Potash​



BHP has a mammoth Potash project in the works called Jansen. Stage 1 is running ahead of schedule and is over 50% complete.

BHP always tries to own the lowest cost and highest quality assets in growth commodities. That's how the company manages to continue making money when it's competitors are forced out during tough times.

Well, the Jansen Potash project is no exception. It requires around 60% less equipment than its competitors. That's a big deal, given the high capex and maintenance costs of mining operations. As a result, Jansen is expected to sit at the low end of the potash cost curve.

One of the best hedges against inflation is food, and one of the most universal ingredients to food is fertiliser. That's where potash comes in. While there are some other uses, it's primarily used to supply potassium as a nutrition source to crops.

Potash prices rocketed in 2022 due to disruptions from covid and the war in Ukraine. While prices have since discovered gravity and are now back to more reasonable prices, it highlights how critical potash is to the global food industry.

Jansen promises to give BHP one of the best assets in the industry and exposure to the critical food supply chain.

Final Thoughts​



BHP is a high quality operation that deserves a look even at the worst of times. Right now we are seeing some positive signs re-emerge for this mammoth enterprise. Commodity prices have already started to turn, and strong inflation drivers for the foreseeable future could underpin great revenue growth for years to come.

Commodities are always the plaything of central banks and inflation, and this time is certainly not looking any different. So we like a basic and dependable commodity play as part of a balanced portfolio to ride out this current macro economic and political hurricane we're currently in.

While the share price has recovered somewhat in recent weeks, BHP (ASX: BHP) is far from fully priced. The consensus FY25 forward PE of 12.8X is an attractive proposition for such a solid performer. The trailing 12-month dividend yield of 4.95% also becomes more attractive as interest rates fall.

If you're worried about the prospect of lingering inflation and the flow on effects, check out BHP as a potential medium term play.​

 
Hi finicky,

Thank you for posting this report as there is plenty of good information here.

However you seem to have more experience in the mining industry than me, so can you answer a question for me?



For BHP’s Financial performance FY24, which was an excellent result, the impact of the Samarco dam failure and was a major factor in reducing the FY24 profit considerably from underlying attributable profit, continuing operations of US$13,660bn to attributable profit of US$7.9 bn.

Are the Samarco dam failure costs now covered and we can treat as a one of item? If so, we could expect a much higher profit in FY25 from this cost removal alone? (These figures are taken from BHP FY24 results released)
 
Are the Samarco dam failure costs now covered and we can treat as a one of item?
probably not

( i would LOVE to say yes , but the cynic in me suspects another class-action by another group desiring a payout and a bunch of willing lawyers chasing a slice of the pie )

my guess is BHP has put aside a generous estimate wrapped up in a parcel of HOPE .
 
@ajw01

I don't have anything useful to add to divs' comments.
I have bumbled along with my BHP holding under the assumption that the worst of the Samarco liability is accounted for, but as divs implies, BHP remains a fat target for litigation lawyers. On the other hand I don't imagine that the Brazilan government wants to chase away an investor with the heft of BHP. Who knows, I'm not a trader of BHP. I don't have any special understanding of mining operations btw, I just buy shares. I won't be buying more of BHP for some time, if ever.

Held
Holding
 
i have a fair size holding ( for me ) of BHP it is currently No. 5 holding , but i am tilting towards @qldfrog lack of enthusiasm for them

sure they are a HUGE company with massive resources , but they seem to be slow and cumbersome and have large grandiose plans and an obsession to buy 'world class resources ' no matter what wisdom advises ( they have off-loaded the QLD coal , the entire petroleum arm , the North American shale assets

one might wonder if their eyes are too big for their belly

there is every chance of a major economic downturn , given all the divested assets how much is BHP really worth , considering you could have bought them for under $15 ( as i did ) in the wake of the dam failures ... even in August this year i added some extra @ sub $39

somewhere way under $40 before i add more ( in the next 5 years .. if i add at all )

just like WDS they have to start kicking big goals ( or drop to compelling value )
 
From Market Matters morning report which includes a lot of discussion of Lithium stocks:

We don’t see this acquisition (Rio and Arcadium Lithium) as a compelling reason to reconsider RIO for diversified resources exposure. We still prefer and own BHP Group (BHP) and South32 (S32).
  • We prefer BHP’s goal to expand its Copper presence over RIO’s foray into lithium. However, it’s proving harder after its recent failed bid for Anglo American (AAL LN) – a bid over 5x larger than RIO’s purchase of LTM.
BHP
MM prefers BHP over RIO
BHP-RIO.png
CHART​
ico-05.png
BHP Group (BHP) v RIO Tinto (RIO)
LAST UPDATED 10/10/2024​

BHP Held
 
From Market Matters morning report which includes a lot of discussion of Lithium stocks:

We don’t see this acquisition (Rio and Arcadium Lithium) as a compelling reason to reconsider RIO for diversified resources exposure. We still prefer and own BHP Group (BHP) and South32 (S32).
  • We prefer BHP’s goal to expand its Copper presence over RIO’s foray into lithium. However, it’s proving harder after its recent failed bid for Anglo American (AAL LN) – a bid over 5x larger than RIO’s purchase of LTM.
BHP
MM prefers BHP over RIO
CHART​
View attachment 185673
BHP Group (BHP) v RIO Tinto (RIO)
LAST UPDATED 10/10/2024​

BHP Held
about the only reason to prefer RIO over BHP is IF you think Glencore will make another attempt to acquire RIO ( and that would work out for YOU )

i hold S32 ( 'free-carried ' ) and BHP
 
about the only reason to prefer RIO over BHP is IF you think Glencore will make another attempt to acquire RIO ( and that would work out for YOU )

i hold S32 ( 'free-carried ' ) and BHP
Or because you know how BHP management work, learnt from past and can not comprehend how any executive board at RIO could be worse than BHP?
But hey, i could be wrong.
At least rio dors not wait for lithium to be at a premium to buy in...
I own Rio, not BHP
 
Or because you know how BHP management work, learnt from past and can not comprehend how any executive board at RIO could be worse than BHP?
But hey, i could be wrong.
At least rio dors not wait for lithium to be at a premium to buy in...
I own Rio, not BHP
well Buffet did say buy a business so strong even an idiot could run it ..... ( i don't know if that wisdom applies to a sequence of idiots , though )

by the way i am not convinced lithium is 'the wonder commodity of the century , even though i have exposure via WES , MIN ( 'free-carried ' ) and IGO
 
well Buffet did say buy a business so strong even an idiot could run it ..... ( i don't know if that wisdom applies to a sequence of idiots , though )

by the way i am not convinced lithium is 'the wonder commodity of the century , even though i have exposure via WES , MIN ( 'free-carried ' ) and IGO
Twitter China Announcement on Saturday

 

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but then given China's growth over the last 15 years China had to slow down or it would completely dominate manufacturing at the same time as the economy in the West is stalling/contracting

Why would they want to slow down when they have us by the balls 😧 their end game is to dominate, to be as economically strong as the US was at it’s peak.
 
Why would they want to slow down when they have us by the balls 😧 their end game is to dominate, to be as economically strong as the US was at it’s peak.
too fast , for too long has it's consequences , for example in a world of shrinking populations you run out of new customers ( and the old ones die out as well )

and also you will hit a wall of peak efficiency as your logistics and infrastructure can't handle the flow

having the world in vice grip is fine providing they willingly pay , hostile customers are a pain in the neck

hopefully China is smart enough to become the world business hub , but not try to be the world's policeman

but time will tell , meanwhile i am trying for good exposure in India and Indonesia that seems to be better mid-term growth
 
too fast , for too long has it's consequences , for example in a world of shrinking populations you run out of new customers ( and the old ones die out as well )

and also you will hit a wall of peak efficiency as your logistics and infrastructure can't handle the flow

having the world in vice grip is fine providing they willingly pay , hostile customers are a pain in the neck

hopefully China is smart enough to become the world business hub , but not try to be the world's policeman

but time will tell , meanwhile i am trying for good exposure in India and Indonesia that seems to be better mid-term growth
The global population isn’t shrinking though, it’s still growing, and you have over half the worlds population that isn’t even closer to a high standard of living yet, there is still lots of growth to be had.

But even a population that shrinks slowly still will have a large amount of consumption and household formation.
 
not at the ( relative ) sweat-shop rates some big companies are paying

yeah the $$$ number looks great until you see the living costs , but that is nothing new it has been like that for decades

i remember one lot of migrants were sleeping 4 in the garage and goodness knows how many inside the actual townhouse , but they selected a gated community so welfare ( and whoever else ) couldn't suddenly raid the place

amused the heck out of my ex-housemate who thought 4 in a three bedroom house was cramped
 
The Financial Times reported on its website that CEO Mike Henry met with South African government officials last week, sparking speculation of a fresh bid for Anglo American.

production numbers out this morning. ...down 2 per cent in NY
 
The Olympic Dam copper mine is out of action for a week after electricity transmission towers transporting power to northern South Australia were damaged by wild storms.

The mine, about 560 kilometres north of Adelaide, has temporarily halted its operations, and its surface infrastructure was switched to “care and maintenance” mode, running off backup generators.

Tom Koutsantonis, South Australian energy minister, told reporters on Friday: “Olympic Dam will cease mining operations for five to seven days … It was a dramatic night.”

BHP said it was working with electricity transmission infrastructure group ElectraNet to determine the extent of the damage and the timeline for fixing it.
 
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