The world’s biggest miner, BHP Billiton, on Tuesday reported a $6.4 billion loss — the Anglo-Australian company’s worst ever full-year result — resulting from weak commodity prices, a plunge in the value of its U.S. shale oil assets and a costly dam disaster in Brazil.
BHP said its revenue sank 31 percent in the fiscal year ending June 30, to $30.1 billion. It also took $4.9 billion in write downs of its U.S. oil and gas assets.
BHP chief executive Andrew Mackenzie said the year was a difficult one for his company and the resource industry.
