The good luck for BHP is that only about 40 to 45 percent of existing nickel mine supply is suitable for processing into a battery-grade chemical product.
The Bougainville government has imposed an indefinite moratorium on mining at the controversial Panguna site — once the world's biggest open-pit copper mine.
The Egypt-focused gold miner also expects solid growth this year. It’s targeting 580,000 ounces in production, up from an estimate of 550,000-560,000 ounces.