BHP restarting Australia's Yandi iron ore mine

SYDNEY (Reuters) - BHP Billiton Ltd (BHP.AX) (BLT.L) was gradually restarting its giant Yandi iron ore mine in Australia on Wednesday, a day after operations were halted following the death of a worker at the site, the company said.

The mine yielded about 40 million tonnes of ore last year, or 13 percent of Australia's exportable ore, making it one of the largest of its kind in the Pilbara iron belt of west Australia. There was only minimal impact on operations at the mine, given the short duration of the shut down, a company spokeswoman said.

Mining was brought to a halt early on Tuesday while police investigated the death of a 29-year-old employee working at the mine. The investigation is ongoing.

The traded market for iron ore is sensitive to any disruptions to supply amid a global shortage brought on by growing orders from Asian steel makers.

Competition for ore has enabled BHP and other Australian miners to raise contract prices by as much as 86 percent this year.

BHP holds an 85 percent interest in the Yandi mine. Japan's Mitsui Iron Ore Corp holds 7 percent and another Japanese entity, Itochu Minerals and Energy of Australia (8001.T), has 8 percent. (Reporting by James Regan)