By Rhiannon Hoyle

BHP Group Ltd., the world's largest miner by market value, reported a $223 million hit from the Covid-19 pandemic in its first fiscal half, lower than the year-earlier period, and said it is considering whether to make booster shots of a vaccine a requirement for entry to its sites.

The $223 million pre-tax hit for the six months through December was below the $405 million impact BHP reported for the same period a year earlier, it said. The company Tuesday reported a more than doubling in first half net profit, to $9.44 billion.

BHP said the sum includes a dent from lower volumes at its operated assets of $69 million, down from $138 million a year earlier, and direct costs of $154 million, down from $267 million. Direct costs included the impact of social-distancing measures, such as additional charter flights, and temporary relocation costs due to border restrictions.

In Western Australia state, where BHP runs one of the world's largest iron-ore export operations, a public health order requires the majority of resources industry workers to have a booster dose of a Covid-19 vaccine within a month of becoming eligible, the miner said. "BHP is actively considering whether to make boosters a requirement for entry to BHP workplaces in other locations," it said.


Write to Rhiannon Hoyle at rhiannon.hoyle@wsj.com


(END) Dow Jones Newswires

02-14-22 1852ET