Total petroleum products production for BHP Billiton's December 2004 quarter was 29.4 million barrels of oil equivalent, 3% lower than the December 2003 quarter.

Oil and condensate production for the December 2004 quarter was 12.2 million barrels, 18% than the 14.9 million barrels produced in the December 2003 quarter.

The drop was due to natural field decline in several Australian fields - including Bass Strait, Laminaria and Griffin - as well as Liverpool Bay (UK) and Typhoon/Boris (USA).

Higher downtime at Bass Strait, Laminaria and Wanaea/Cossack, and the divestment in February 2004 of producing assets in Bolivia also reduced production for the quarter. This was partly offset by new production resulting from the commissioning of an Algerian field, ROD, in October 2004.

BHP is hoping production will be boosted by the five projects commissioned in the last quarter.

These recently commissioned projects include: the ROD integrated development in Algeria (BHPB 36.04%); Mad Dog in US Gulf of Mexico waters (BHPB 23.9%); Greater Angostura in Tinidad and Tobago (BHPB 45%); Minerva in the offshore Otway Basin, Victoria (BHPB 90%); and the Caesar oil and Cleopatra gas pipelines in the Gulf of Mexico, USA, (BHPB 25% and 22% respectively).