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Chile, the world’s main copper producing country, said Monday output is likely to reach a record high this year as BHP Billiton (ASX, NYSE:BHP) ramps up supply and state-owned Codelco starts a new mine in the Atacama Desert. Based on the report published by the Chilean Copper Commission (Cochilco), the South American nation expects to generate 5.59 million tons of red metal this year, up 3% from 2012 levels. The country also forecasts world copper supply exceeding demand by 56,000 tons this year and 68,000 tons in 2014. BHP is increasing production at its Escondida mine, in Chile’s arid north, over 20%, while State’s owned Codelco is aiming to lift output to 1.7 million tons with activity starting at its Ministro Hales mine, reports Diario Financiero (in Spanish).

BHP Billiton reported an increase in copper production in the December 2013 quarter, even as it emphasised continued focus on financial discipline.

BHP Billiton, the Anglo-Australian mining group, yesterday reported better-than-expected half-year results but flagged concerns about its growth prospects as governments around the world looked to unwind stimulus measures.Marius Kloppers , chief executive, said many economies, notably the US, were still dependant on government stimulus.He said such measures had helped drive recovery but had not addressed structural issues such as weak labour markets and excess production capacity in developed economies."A further variable will be the impact of any measures to control loan growth in China ," he said.He added that in the short term Beijing was focused on containment of asset inflation."We remain cautious about the speed and strength of the global economic recovery across the developed world."But longer term prospects were "robust" on the back of growth in China and India, Mr Kloppers said.

Mackenzie told reporters in Beijing on Thursday he expects rising Chinese demand for materials with more consumer uses, such as copper, while greater food consumption could lead to more demand for the soil nutrient potash.

Watch the extended interview with outgoing BHP Billiton chief Marius Kloppers and incoming boss Andrew Mackenzie.

Rio's comments matched rival BHP Billiton , which earlier this month turned slightly more bearish on commodities demand, warning that some buyers were facing tighter access to credit.

Chile, the world’s main copper producer, sees its output exceeding the 6 million tonnes-mark for the first time this year thanks mainly to privately held mines, the National Mining Association, Sonami, said Wednesday.

The copper market is likely to return to a deficit “in the medium term” as economies recover across the world, BHP Billiton has said.

BHP CEO Andrew Mackenzie suggests that some of the mining boom's best days are ahead despite changes in China's consumption of Australia's resources

Resolution Copper Co., a US-based company owned by giants Rio Tinto (ASX, LON: RIO) and BHP (ASX: BHP), is fine tuning details to submit a plan to the federal government this week, which will detail how it would run what it could be North America's largest copper mine.

BHP Billiton advises that the Group’s global head office will be relocated to 171 Collins Street, Melbourne with effect from 16 September 2013.

The mining and extractives industry is a key contributor to the UK economy and the size of the sector in relation to the London stock market should not be a cause for concern, Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton have said.

Antamina, a leading copper-zinc mine in Peru, said on Wednesday its copper output would rise by up to 40 percent after a $1.2 billion expansion is concluded.

Reuters reported that Chile's Escondida output fell just over 12% in 2009 to 1.103 million tonnes from 1.255 million tonnes in 2008. Escondida, majority owned by global diversified miner BHP Billiton said in a statement that it produced 775,731 tonnes of copper in concentrates and 327,245 tonnes of copper cathodes in 2009.

BHP Billiton today announced it has approved its share of the capital expenditure required to expand mining and processing capacity at the Antamina copper and zinc mine in northern Peru.Antamina is a joint venture between BHP Billiton (33.75%), Xstrata (33.75%), Teck Resources (22.5%) and Mitsubishi Corporation (10%). All four partners have approved their respective shares of the project's US$1,288 million capital budget (BHP Billiton share US$434.7 million).

SANTIAGO -(Dow Jones)- Chilean state copper mining giant Corporacion Nacional del Cobre and global diversified miner BHP Billiton Ltd. (BHP) aim to boost local mining services suppliers so they will eventually export their services and technology worldwide.