BHP Billiton has announced a 5 percent drop in its production levels to 3.05 million carats at the end of its fiscal year that closed on June 30, 2010, which it attributes to lower average grade. The company owns 80 percent in the Ekati mine in Canada. Its share of production at the mine contributed 740,000 carats in the fourth quarter of the fiscal, slipping 18 percent y-o-y. %% Within the year, a higher proportion of ore was sourced from the Fox pit at Ekati following completion of mining of higher grade Panda underground. The company is presenting a cautious outlook towards short term projections for the global economy.