Kloppers Says Australian Gas Shortage Won't Affect BHP Earns

June 11 (Bloomberg) -- BHP Billiton Ltd., the world's largest mining company, said the shortage of natural gas supply in Western Australia caused by an explosion at a plant won't affect earnings. "I see no appreciable impact," Marius Kloppers, chief executive officer of the Melbourne-based company, said today in an interview on Sky Business Chanel. The shortage had affected production at BHP's operations in Western Australia, including the Worsley alumina refinery, he said. "We view the gas situation in WA with some concern," Kloppers said. `There's no doubt there's been an impact," on output, he said. About a quarter of the company's profits are generated in Western Australia and most assets in the state use gas, he said. Source: Bloomberg