DJ reported that BHP Billiton Limited will decide by year end whether to sell or return to production its idled Ravensthorpe nickel mine in Western Australia.

Mr Marius Kloppers CEO of BHP Billiton said that "By the end of the year we will decide whether we are going to sell it or restart that asset."

He said that BHP has been conducting a review since mid year of the nickel laterite mine, which cost the company USD 2.1 billion to build but was closed only a few months after commissioning 2008. BHP has written down the value of Ravensthorpe to zero.

(Sourced from Dow Jones)