BHP Chief Executive Officer, Brandon Craig:
 
“The deaths of two colleagues at Escondida and Peak Downs are a profound loss. Our thoughts remain with their families and friends. No loss of life is acceptable. Investigations are underway and we will keep strengthening the controls that keep people safe in our pursuit of being a fatality free business.
 
Copper production was lower in the first quarter, reflecting planned grade declines and scheduled maintenance, alongside temporary disruptions from severe weather in Chile, stops for safety and the conveyor failure at Carrapateena. Our bulk commodities delivered a strong start to FY27 through a maintenance-intensive quarter. WAIO set records at both the mine and port, while BMA and NSW Energy Coal both delivered higher production than the same period last year. Stronger commodity prices provided a tailwind for earnings, particularly in copper where prices were around 50 per cent higher than a year ago.
 
We are building the next phase of growth in copper and potash. We continued to strengthen one of the world's largest copper portfolios, from funding the Escondida New Concentrator in Chile to growing our resource base and long-term production potential at Copper South Australia, while also expanding our copper growth pipeline across the Americas. Jansen is rapidly taking shape, with Stage 1 now 87 per cent complete and on track for first production in mid-2027, adding a new and important commodity to our portfolio.
 
Global markets remain volatile, with geopolitical tensions, trade uncertainty and elevated energy and freight costs continuing to create headwinds across the industry. At the same time, demand for commodities remains resilient, supported by continued industrialisation and urbanisation in China and India, alongside unprecedented investment in data centres and enabling infrastructure globally, which is reinforcing the long-term outlook for copper. That demand plays to the strength of our portfolio, which touches almost every part of how the world builds, powers and feeds itself."