BHP Billiton
| BHP Billiton | |
|---|---|
| Missing image Bhp_billiton_2003.jpg image: Bhp billiton 2003.jpg | |
| Type | Public Stock Symbol: BHP, Stock exchange(s): ASX, NYSE, LSE |
| Founded | 2001 |
| Location | Melbourne, Australia (headquarters), and London, England |
| Key people | Charles (Chip) Goodyear (CEO) |
| Industry | Mining |
| Products | iron, diamonds, coal, petroleum, bauxite, copper, nickel, uranium |
| Revenue | Missing image Green_up.png image:green up.png $22.887 billion USD (2004) |
| Website | www.bhpbilliton.com |
BHP Billiton is the world's largest mining company. It was formed through the 2001 merger of the Broken Hill Proprietary Company (BHP), an Australian company, and Billiton, a British/Dutch company with extensive operations in South Africa. It is now a dual-listed company. The Australian BHP Limited and the British BHP Billiton Plc are separate listed companies and have separate shareholder bodies, but they operate as one business with identical boards of directors and a single management structure. The Australian company owns around 60% of the operating business and the main headquarters is in Melbourne. There is a secondary headquarters in London.
The company operates a wide variety of mining and processing operations, including iron, diamonds, coal, petroleum, bauxite amongst other metals and mined products, with a total workforce of 38,000 people.
In March 2005 BHP Billiton announced a US$7.3 billion agreed bid for another mining company WMC Resources, owners of the Olympic Dam uranium mine in South Australia, along with nickel, mineral sands and fertiliser mines in other places. The takeover achieved 90% acceptance on 17 June 2005, and the company will now proceed to compulsory acquisition of the outstanding shares.
Mines
See also
BHP Billiton is one of a dominant trio of integrated global mining companies. The other two are: