Oct 20 (Reuters) - BHP Group Ltd posted a 7.2% rise in first-quarter iron ore production on Tuesday, underpinned by stable demand from China, the world's top consumer of the steelmaking ingredient.

The world's largest listed miner said it produced 74 million tonnes (Mt) of Western Australia Iron Ore in the three months ended Sept. 30, up from 69 Mt a year earlier and slightly above a UBS estimate of 73.5 Mt. (Reporting by Nikhil Kurian Nainan and Shashwat Awasthi in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel)