Mount Arthur in the red as BHP announces oil and gas spin-off with Woodside Petroleum

The results posted just before 5pm yesterday to coincide with a morning announcement in London were dominated by the Big Australian's divestment of its oil and gas assets into a new stand-alone company with Woodside Petroleum.

BHP said the new company would emerge from an all-stock transaction with BHP shareholders holding 52 per cent and Woodside 48 per cent of the new company valued at $41 billion.

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The merger has been mooted for months, with BHP under pressure from climate-concerned activist investors to get out of fossil fuels.

All up, BHP made an after-tax profit of $US11.3 billion on revenues of $US60.8 billion, and paid a record dividend of $US2.00 a share.

Its dual-listed stock rose by 6.5 per cent in London soon after the news.

Its underlying profit was $US17.1 billion, once exceptional losses of $US5.8 billion - including a $US1.7 billion impairment on Mount Arthur - were stripped out.

Iron ore contributed almost half of the company's earnings, and it made a profit from operations of $US25.9 billion, up by 80 per cent on 2020.

Underlying earnings before income tax depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) were $US37.4 billion, on what it described as a record profit margin of 64 per cent.

"Exceptional losses" in accounting terms refer to an unusual event that not expected to recur and an "impairment charge" is a writedown in its book value.

BHP said the $US1.7 billion impairment charge against NSW Energy Coal - which includes BHP's 28 per cent stake in Newcastle's NCIG coal loader - reflected a range of factors including "the status of the divestment [sale] process".

Elsewhere, it described the impairment as a $US1 billion writedown of the mine's plant, property and equipment and a $US32 million writedown of goodwill.

BHP said thermal coal prices had recovered from their "COVID-induced lows", driven by increased demand and constrained supply - including the storm-damaged loss of one of NCIG's two shiploaders, from November until recently.

"China's policy in respect of energy coal imports remains a key medium-term uncertainty," BHP said.

Despite rising coal prices, NSW Energy Coal reported an underlying loss before income tax of $US231 million on revenues of $US927 million.

Queensland coking coal reported a corresponding loss of $US142 million on revenues of $4.3 billion.

BHP says its figures used a 75 cent exchange rate.

"BHP is in a strong position to manage its future in a time of rapid change," company chair Ken MacKenzie said about the overall situation.

Chief executive Mike Henry says he is banking on nickel and copper as commodities "leveraged to the mega-trends of electrification and decarbonisation".

Prompting miners to get digging now, copper and nickel along with lithium are needed for the battery electric vehicles that are expected to be the main form of road transport by 2050 in China, the US and Europe.

The mega-deal with Woodside is expected to create one of the world's Top 10 stand alone energy companies as measured by production.

"The combined company will have a high margin oil portfolio, long-life LNG assets, and the financial resilience to help supply the energy needed for global growth and development over the energy transition," BHP said.

Backed by both boards, the merger is expected to be completed by June 2022.

The new $40 billion entity will be led by ex-Exxon-Mobil executive Meg O'Neill, appointed as Woodside chief executive on Tuesday effective immediately.

The company's assets stretch from Australia to the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean.

The deal is expected to help get Woodside's controversial Scarborough gas field project over the line in the Carnarvon basin off Western Australia.

A final investment decision on that project remains on track for mid-December 2021, and it will also need regulatory approval.

Environmental groups say the Scarborough project will be among the most damaging fossil fuel projects in the Southern Hemisphere, releasing 1.6 billion tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere over its life.

Woodside said the combined energy business will focus on a "high return and carbon-resilient portfolio" of gas and new energy technologies to contribute to the energy transition and Paris climate goals.

"It will build on Woodside's existing targets to reduce net emissions by 15 per cent and 30 per cent by 2025 and 2030 respectively, on the pathway to its ambition of net zero by 2050," the company said.

Dumping its dual listing in the United Kingdom, BHP says it will restructure around the Australian parent company next year after hiving off the fossil fuel assets.

Woodside will remain listed on the ASX and additional exchanges are being considered.

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