BHP Billiton says chairman, CEO hold productive talks with Trump

SYDNEY (Reuters) - BHP Billiton (BHP.AX)(BLT.L), the world's biggest miner, said its chairman and chief executive held positive talks with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday, 10 days ahead of him taking office.

"BHP Billiton Chairman Jac Nasser and Chief Executive Andrew Mackenzie had a productive meeting with President-Elect Trump and Vice President-Elect Pence today in New York City," the company said in an emailed statement.

"They discussed a wide range of subject areas, including the global resources sector, and BHP Billiton's investment in the U.S.," BHP said.

BHP's U.S. investments include billions of dollars in onshore shale oil and gas production and deepwater oil stakes in the Gulf of Mexico, as well as an undeveloped copper project in Arizona that it co-owns with Rio Tinto (RIO.AX)(RIO.L).

Trump has promised to initiate big infrastructure renewal programs in the United States that would draw heavily on industrial raw materials, such as those supplied by BHP.

(Reporting by James Regan and Sonali Paul; Editing by Richard Pullin)