BHP produced 66.5 million tonnes of iron ore in July–September 2026, up 4% from a year earlier, according to GMK Center, citing the Australian miner’s quarterly report. Output in the opening quarter of the 2026/2027 financial year was nevertheless 2% below the preceding quarter. The company retained its full-year production forecast of 260–272 million tonnes.
The miner attributed the annual increase to efficient operations across its mines, rail network and ports, despite planned maintenance during the quarter. Chief executive Brandon Craig described a strong start to the financial year for BHP’s bulk commodities businesses against a backdrop of extensive maintenance. Its Western Australia Iron Ore operations, known as WAIO, achieved records for the July–September period at both the mines and port, GMK Center reported.
BHP’s attributable share of WAIO production reached 64.3 million tonnes, a 4% year-on-year increase. Alongside its quarterly operations, the company is undertaking a major refurbishment of wagon unloader No. 4 at Port Hedland. The work was approximately 40% complete and remained on schedule to finish during the first half of the 2026/2027 financial year, according to the report.
The company is also continuing investment projects intended to lift WAIO’s annual production above 305 million tonnes by the end of the 2027/2028 financial year. That target is stated on a 100% ownership basis, rather than as BHP’s attributable share, distinguishing it from the quarterly WAIO figure.
At Brazilian producer Samarco, BHP’s share of iron ore output totalled approximately 2.2 million tonnes. This represented growth of 4% year on year and 10% compared with the previous quarter, which the company attributed to strong processing plant productivity. The latest quarterly results follow record BHP iron ore production of 264.7 million tonnes in the financial year ended 30 June 2026, an increase of 1% from the previous year.