Robust BHP Billiton looks to remain on track; copper output at Olympic Dam in South Australia up 42 per cent We have lived through a period of historically high terms of trade, with strong mining investment and economic growth, yet we have seen four years of negative cash balances amounting to an accumulated $172 billion in budget deficits. Picture: AP/BHP Billiton Source: AP BHP BILLITON has maintained production guidance for its biggest businesses following a "robust operating performance," which included a 42 per cent jump in copper output in three months at its Olympic Dam operations. The company provided a production update for the nine months to March this year, maintaining its full year guidance for its major businesses. The world's third-largest iron ore producer after Vale and Rio Tinto said its iron ore output was up 6 per cent on year to 40.2 million metric tonnes in the three months through to March. It was continuing to ramp up operations in Western Australia, where it's on track to produce 183 million tonnes of iron ore for the 2013 financial year despite some downtime caused by cyclone activity. At its Olympic Dam operations in South Australia, copper output increased to 47,700 tonnes in the March quarter due to planned maintenance, while uranium concentrate production fell 8 per cent to 933 tonnes over the same period. Gold production rose to 27,531. Overall output of copper was 9 per cent higher on the year at 307,100 tonnes, and the company said its majority owned Escondida mine in Chile was on track to lift output 20 per cent this fiscal year. Production of metallurgical coal used to produce steel rose 22 per cent on the same quarter last year, while energy coal output fell 10 per cent, the company said. Total petroleum production for the quarter fell 2 per cent on a year ago to 55.4 million barrels of oil equivalent - with BHP still sticking to its guidance of about 240 million barrels for the year. The Melbourne-based company also released a development plan. The plan features 19 major projects which it estimates will roll into production before the end of the 2015 fiscal year. It will also spend $US4 billion on drilling and development of its onshore US petroleum assets, mostly shale gas. This was the last quarterly update under chief executive Marius Kloppers, who will be retiring next month after more than five years at the top. Andrew Mackenzie, who has led BHP's nonferrous minerals division, will step into his shoes.