BHP Billiton Ltd. (BHP.AU) Wednesday posted higher third quarter iron ore and oil production but coal, copper, aluminum and nickel output were lower on year.

SINGAPORE (Dow Jones)–South Korea’s state procurement agency has issued tenders for 6,000 metric tons of aluminum ingot and 6,000 tons of copper cathode, a senior official at the agency said Wednesday.

SINGAPORE (Dow Jones)–South Korea’s state procurement agency has bought 6,000 metric tons of non-Western aluminum ingot at a premium of $67 a ton over the London Metal Exchange spot contract, a senior official at the agency said Wednesday.

MELBOURNE (Dow Jones)–Zinifex Ltd. (ZFX.AU) Wednesday posted an increase in third quarter zinc production but a drop in lead output due to lower grades and the impact of cyclones.

CANBERRA (Dow Jones)–Australia’s Perilya Ltd. (PEM.AU) Wednesday announced an increase in zinc and lead production during the first quarter at its Broken Hill project.

SANTIAGO (Dow Jones)–The seven-day shutdown at Corporacion Nacional del Cobre de Chile’s Salvador division, as a result of a contract workers’ strike, is damaging the underground mine at the division, the miner, known as Codelco, said Tuesday.

SANTIAGO (Dow Jones)–Three divisions at Corporacion Nacional del Cobre de Chile, or Codelco, remained closed Tuesday on a now seven-day old contract workers strike, the miner’s chief executive said.

LIMA, Peru — High metals prices likely boosted first-quarter earnings for some of Peru’s main base-metal-mining companies. But others probably didn’t make out so well, as foreign-exchange rates and one company’s decision to pay off its fixed-price gold commitments worked against them.

LONDON (Dow Jones)–Several positive factors indicate an upbeat outlook for aluminum price developments in U.S. dollars through 2008, but there are uncertainties linked to the potential global impact of the weakening U.S. economy, Norway’s Norsk Hydro ASA (NHY.OS) said Tuesday.

Zambia’s state power utility, Zambia Electricity Supply Corp., or Zesco, has restored power supply to the country’s copper mines in Copper Belt and Northwestern provinces following the completion of the two-day emergency repairs on the Kafue Gorge power station, Zesco said Tuesday.

SHANGHAI (Dow Jones)–China’s refined copper imports in March fell 38% on year to 126,421 metric tons, the General Administration of Customs said Tuesday.

LONDON (Dow Jones)–Disruptions in the production of primary aluminum will remove around 600,000 metric tons of supplies from the market in 2008, Norway’s Norsk Hydro ASA (NHY.OS) said Tuesday.

LONDON (Dow Jones)–China’s apparent consumption of primary aluminum is forecast to increase by 22% in 2008, although this is down from an annual growth rate of 38% in 2007, Norsk Hydro ASA (NHY.OS) said Tuesday.

Hong Kong (Dow Jones)–Aluminum Corp. of China Ltd. (ACH), the world’s second-largest alumina producer by output after Alcoa Inc., said Tuesday its first-quarter net profit was CNY1.17 billion under Chinese accounting standards.

A strike against Chilean miner Codelco, coupled with ongoing strength in crude oil but weakness in the U.S. dollar enabled copper futures to close sharply higher Tuesday.