About Us
BHP Billiton is the world's largest diversified resources company, with a portfolio of high-quality, long-life assets and a significant pipeline of growth projects. We have around 36 000 employees working in more than 100 operations and offices in 25 countries (see BHP Billiton Locations Map PDF 159 KB).
BHP Billiton was created in 2001 through the Dual Listed Companies (DLC) merger of BHP Limited (now BHP Billiton Limited) and Billiton Plc (now BHP Billiton Plc). Headquartered in Melbourne, the Group has primary listings on the Australian and London stock exchanges.
We have adopted a business model based on customer-oriented groupings called Customer Sector Groups (CSGs). This structure reflects our focus on the needs of our customers. In March 2004, we announced that we had modified our organisational structure to streamline reporting and maximise the operational effectiveness of the Company. As a result, the existing CSGs were brought together under three broadly related business areas of Non-Ferrous Materials, Carbon Steel Materials and Energy.
Each of the CSGs is a substantial business in its own right, and several are leaders in their respective fields. They have autonomy to optimise their businesses, with clear accountabilities.
The CSGs are:
- Aluminium (mining of bauxite, refining to alumina and smelting to produce aluminium)
- Base Metals (mining of copper, lead, zinc, gold, silver and uranium, processing of copper and uranium oxide)
- Carbon Steel Materials (mining and processing of iron ore, mining of metallurgical coal and mining and smelting of manganese)
- Diamonds and Specialty Products (mining and processing of diamonds and titanium minerals, exploration and technology, production of high-analysis fertiliser)
- Energy Coal (mining of thermal coal)
- Petroleum (onshore and offshore processing of oil, gas, liquefied natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas)
- Stainless Steel Materials (mining and processing of nickel, cobalt and chrome).
The CSGs are supported by marketing 'hubs' located in The Hague and Singapore.
Annual attributable volumes of production for some of our most significant commodities have been in the order of:
- 1.3 million tonnes of aluminium and 4.1 million tonnes of alumina
- 1.0 million tonnes of copper
- 96.7 million tonnes of iron ore
- 37.3 million tonnes of metallurgical coal
- 87.4 million tonnes of thermal coal
- 3.6 million carats of diamonds
- 50.8 million barrels of crude oil and condensate
- 345.7 billion cubic feet of natural gas
- 0.1 million tonnes of nickel.
Our key markets downstream are refiners and processors of raw materials, for example, steelworks, smelters, petroleum refiners, thermal power stations and diamond cutters. For a summary of the various uses for our products, refer to Our Resources at Work (PDF 50 Kb).
During the year, we acquired WMC Resources Ltd (WMC) and sold our Samancor Chrome business (South Africa). The hot briquetted iron facilities at the Boodarie Iron plant in Port Hedland (Australia) was also placed under care and maintenance.
BHP Billiton has an annual turnover of US$31.8 billion, attributable profit (excluding exceptional items) of approximately US$6.5 billion and net operating assets of US$29.6 billion (at 30 June 2005).
Our shareholder base is widely diversified, with approximately 58 per cent of shares held in Australia and Asia, 30 per cent in the UK and Europe, and 12 per cent in Africa.
The Company aims to be diversified in terms of our markets and countries of operation, and this enhances the stability of our cash flows and capacity to invest and grow throughout the business and commodity price cycles. This stability also enables us to take a longer-term approach to all aspects of our business, including financial, social and environmental perspectives, improving our ability to deliver value for all our key stakeholders.
