|
BIL
BIBLT
BIL - BHP Billiton exploration and development report for the quarter ended 31
March 20
BHP Billiton Plc
Share code: BIL
ISIN: GB0000566504
News Release
21 April 2010
12/10
BHP BILLITON EXPLORATION AND DEVELOPMENT report for the QUARTER ENDED 31 MARCH
2010
This report covers the Group`s exploration and development activities for the
quarter ended 31 March 2010. Unless otherwise stated, BHP Billiton`s interest in
the projects referred to in this report is 100 per cent and references to
project schedules are based on calendar years. This report, together with the
Production Report, represents the Interim Management Statement for the purposes
of the UK Listing Authority`s Disclosure and Transparency Rules. There have been
no significant changes to the financial position of the Group in the quarter
ended 31 March 2010.
Development
During the March 2010 quarter the Pyrenees project (oil and gas), offshore
Western Australia, achieved first production on schedule and within budget. This
project will not be reported in future Exploration and Development Reports.
Project And Share Initial Production Quarterly
Ownership Of Production Capacity (100%) Progress
Approved Target Date
Capex
US$M
Petroleum
Projects
Pyrenees 1,200 H1 CY10 96,000 barrels of First production
(Australia) oil and 60 million announced, on
71.43% cubic feet gas per schedule. See News
Oil/Gas day Release dated 1 March
2010.
Angostura Gas 180 H1 CY11 280 million cubic On schedule and
Phase II feet gas per day budget. Installation
(Trinidad and campaign has
Tobago) commenced. Topsides
45% fabrication
Gas continues. The
overall project is
50% complete.
Bass Strait 500 CY11 10,000 bpd Schedule and budget
Kipper condensate and under review
(Australia) processing following advice from
32.5% - 50% capacity of 80 operator. West Tuna
Gas/Gas Liquids million cubic feet platform retrofit
gas per day work continuing. The
overall project is
33% complete.
Bass Strait 625 CY11 11,000 bpd Schedule and budget
Turrum condensate and under review
(Australia) processing following advice from
50% capacity of 200 operator. Platform
Gas/Gas Liquids million cubic feet fabrication
gas per day continues. The
overall project is
29% complete.
North West 245 CY11 Replacement vessel On schedule and
Shelf CWLH Life with capacity of budget. Floating
Extension 60,000 bpd oil Production Storage
(Australia) and Offtake (FPSO)
16.67% conversion continues.
Oil The overall project
is 76% complete.
North West 850 CY12 2,500 million On schedule and
Shelf North cubic feet gas per budget. Jacket
Rankin B Gas day fabrication
Compression continuing ahead of
(Australia) schedule. The overall
16.67% project is 46%
LNG complete.
Minerals
Projects
Worsley 1,900 H1 CY11 1.1 million tpa of On schedule and
Efficiency & additional alumina budget. Engineering
Growth is essentially
(Australia) complete.
86% Construction is 19%
Alumina complete. The overall
project is 38%
complete.
Antamina 435 Q4 CY11 Increases ore On schedule and
Expansion processing budget. Engineering
(Peru) capacity to is 58% complete.
33.75% 130,000 tpd Construction
Copper commenced during the
quarter. The overall
project is 11%
complete.
Iron Ore 4,800 H2 CY11 50 million tpa On schedule and
(Western additional iron budget. Engineering
Australia) ore system is 93% complete.
RGP5 capacity Construction is now
85% 41% complete. The
Iron Ore overall project is
46% complete.
Douglas- 975 Mid CY10 10 million tpa On schedule and
Middelburg export thermal budget. The overall
Optimisation coal and 8.5 project is 96%
(South Africa) million tpa complete.
100% domestic thermal
Energy Coal coal (sustains
current output)
Newcastle Third 390 Mid CY10 30 million tpa On schedule and
Port Project export coal budget. First vessel
(Australia) loading facility successfully loaded
35.5% in March 2010. The
Energy Coal overall project is
97% complete.
MAC20 Project 260 H1 CY11 Increases saleable On schedule and
(Australia) thermal coal budget. Engineering
100% production by is 90% complete.
Energy Coal approximately 3.5 Construction is 50%
million tpa complete. The overall
project is 65%
complete.
Minerals Exploration
Grassroots exploration continued on copper targets in Chile and Zambia; nickel
targets in Australia; manganese targets in Gabon; and diamond targets in Canada.
Exploration for iron ore, coal, bauxite and manganese was undertaken in a number
of regions including Australia, South America, Russia and West Africa.
During the quarter, the announced acquisitions of United Minerals Corporation NL
and Athabasca Potash Inc. were completed. In addition, BHP Billiton entered into
binding agreements with a subsidiary of PT Adaro Energy TBK (Adaro) to create a
new joint venture for the Indonesian Coal Project (ICP). Subject to approvals,
Adaro will acquire a 25 per cent interest in the ICP joint venture.
For the nine months ended ended 31 March 2010, BHP Billiton spent US$346 million
on minerals exploration, of which US$315 million was expensed.
Additional Information
Following requests for information from the U.S Securities and Exchange
Commission as a part of an informal investigation relating primarily to certain
terminated exploration projects, the Company has disclosed to relevant
authorities evidence that it has uncovered regarding possible violations of
applicable anti-corruption laws involving interactions with government
officials. The Company is conducting an internal investigation, which is
continuing, and is cooperating with the relevant authorities. It is not possible
at this time to predict the scope or duration of the investigation or its likely
outcome.
Petroleum Exploration
Exploration and appraisal wells drilled during the quarter or in the process of
drilling as at 31 March 2010.
Well Location BHP Billiton Equity Status
Double Green Canyon Gulf of 70% BHP Billiton Drilling ahead
Mountain-1 Mexico (operator)
GC 555
Firefox-1 Green Canyon Gulf of 50% BHP Billiton Drilling ahead
Mexico (operator)
GC 817
Bel Air-1 Liverpool Bay 46.1% BHP Billiton Drilling ahead
110/13b (operator)
Cerah-1 Sabah 60% BHP Billiton Plugged &
Block N (operator) abandoned
Dry hole
SE Remora-1 Gippsland Basin 50% BHP Billiton Plugged &
Australia (Exxon operator) abandoned
VIC/RL4 Hydrocarbons
encountered
Knotty Head-2 Green Canyon Gulf of 25% BHP Billiton(Nexen Suspended
Mexico GC 512 operator) Hydrocarbons
encountered
Deep Blue-1 Green Canyon Gulf of 31.875% BHP Billiton Drilling ahead
Mexico (Noble operator)
GC 723
Wolverine-1 Laurentian Basin 45% BHP Billiton Drilling ahead
Canada (CoP operator)
E.L. 1087R
Banduria-1 Sandakan Basin 25% BHP Billiton Plugged &
Philippines (Exxon operator) abandoned
SC-56 Dry hole
Petroleum exploration expenditure for the nine months ended 31 March 2010 was
US$587 million, of which US$206 million was expensed.
****
Further information on BHP Billiton can be found on our website:
www.bhpbilliton.com
Australia
Amanda Buckley, Media Relations
Tel: +61 3 9609 2209 Mobile: +61 419 801 349
email: Amanda.Buckley@bhpbilliton.com
Fiona Martin, Media Relations
Tel: +61 3 9609 2211 Mobile: +61 427 777 908
email: Fiona.Martin@bhpbilliton.com
Leng Lau, Investor Relations
Tel: +61 3 9609 4202 Mobile: +61 403 533 706
email: Leng.Y.Lau@bhpbilliton.com
United Kingdom & South Africa
Andre Liebenberg, Investor Relations
Tel: +44 20 7802 4131 Mobile: +44 7920 236 974
email: Andre.Liebenberg@bhpbilliton.com
Illtud Harri, Media Relations
Tel: +44 20 7802 4195 Mobile: +44 7920 237 246
email: Illtud.Harri@bhpbilliton.com
Americas
Scott Espenshade, Investor Relations
Tel: +1 713 599 6431 Mobile: +1 713 208 8565
email: Scott.Espenshade@bhpbilliton.com
Ruban Yogarajah, Media Relations
Tel: US +1 713 966 2907 or UK +44 20 7802 4033
Mobile: UK +44 7827 082 022
email: Ruban.Yogarajah@bhpbilliton.com
BHP Billiton Limited ABN 49 004 028 077
Registered in Australia
Registered Office: 180 Lonsdale Street
Melbourne Victoria 3000 Australia
Tel +61 1300 55 4757 Fax +61 3 9609 3015
BHP Billiton Plc Registration number 3196209
Registered in England and Wales
Registered Office: Neathouse Place
London SW1V 1BH United Kingdom
Tel +44 20 7802 4000 Fax +44 20 7802 4111
A member of the BHP Billiton group which is headquartered in Australia
Date: 21/04/2010 07:06:02 Produced by the JSE SENS Department.
The SENS service is an information dissemination service administered by the
JSE Limited (`JSE`). The JSE does not, whether expressly, tacitly or
implicitly, represent, warrant or in any way guarantee the truth, accuracy or
completeness of the information published on SENS. The JSE, their officers,
employees and agents accept no liability for (or in respect of) any direct,
indirect, incidental or consequential loss or damage of any kind or nature,
howsoever arising, from the use of SENS or the use of, or reliance on,
information disseminated through SENS.
| Profile Group (Pty) Ltd. has taken care in preparing all information on this website, but does not accept any liability for errors or out-of-date information. | |||||||||||||
| Other Profile Group sites: FundsData Online (unit trust data) | Profile Group corporate site | |||||||||||||
| [ Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | PAIA manual | FAQs/Help | Site Map | © Copyright Reserved 2026 ] | |||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
