BHP says still hopes to start Neptune field in Q2

PERTH, April 7 (Reuters) - BHP Billiton Ltd (BHP.AX: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz)(BLT.L: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), Australia's largest oil and gas producer, said on Monday that it still hopes to start up the Neptune oil field in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico by the second quarter of 2008.

An unspecified "anomaly" discovered on the hull of the 50,000 barrels per day Neptune oil platform will likely delay the planned end of March start-up of the field, BHP Billiton said on March 24.

Michael Yeager, chief executive of BHP's petroleum unit, also said at an industry conference that BHP sees 10 percent year-on-year growth in oil and gas production volumes in the next four to five years. (Reporting by Fayen Wong)