Western Areas Limited provided earnings guidance for the financial year 2017. The company reported that nickel production will be towards the top end of previous guidance, and unit cost of production will be at the lower end of guidance. This follows from a strong operational performance in the second half of fiscal 2017, innovation around dilution controls, efficiency improvements and cost reduction activities. For the fiscal 2017, the company expects Mine Production (Nickel in Ore tonnes) in range of 25,000 to 26,000; Nickel Tonnes in Concentrate Production in range of 22,000 to 23,000; and Unit Cash Cost of Production (In Concentrate) in range of AUD 2.35/lb to AUD 2.50/lb.