BRIEF-BHP Billiton says HY profit attributable to members of group up 82.9 pct to $8.11 bln

Feb 18 (Reuters) - BHP Billiton Ltd BHP.AX :

* Results for the half year ended 31 December 2013 BHP.AX

* Says interim dividend US 59 cents per share

* HY profit attributable to members of Bhp Billiton Group up 82.9 percent to $8.11 billion

* HY revenue $33.95 billion , up 5.9 percent

* "Total petroleum production guidance for the 2014 financial year remains unchanged at approximately 250 million barrels of oil equivalent"

* "Policy direction from the recent third plenum in China has been received positively, with a notable emphasis on the market�s role in allocating

capital"

* Says anticipated 75 per cent increase in onshore US liquids production for FY 2014

* "Growth in the United States outperformed market expectations during the period"

* Says total iron ore production guidance for the 2014 financial year remains unchanged at 192 million tonnes

* "Chinese steel production growth rates are expected to decelerate to levels considerably below gdp growth in the short term"

* Total copper production guidance for the 2014 financial year remains unchanged at 1.7 million tonnes

* "The global economy is expected to strengthen over the balance of the 2014 financial year, providing continued support for commodities demand, albeit at

more moderate rates of growth"

* Copper production in the second half is expected to be weighted towards the June 2014 quarter

* Escondida remains on track to produce approximately 1.1 million tonnes copper in the 2014 financial year

* Planned maintenance is expected to impact the olympic dam smelter in the second half of the 2014 financial year

* Retained total metallurgical coal production guidance of 41 million tonnes for the 2014 financial year

* Energy coal production guidance for the 2014 financial year remains unchanged at 73 million tonnes

* Source text for Eikon News Search ID:nASX9YvTpw

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