BHP Billiton: sustainable growth, value creation and Future-oriented Development Strategy

BHP Billiton today reported results for fiscal 2021, with the group achieving strong financial results and record dividends for the fiscal year. At the same time, BHP Billiton also announced a series of strategic adjustments to its portfolio and corporate structure, which will aim to enable BHP Billiton to better provide essential resource products for sustainable growth and decarbonization of the world economy. and achieve stronger growth.

Han Murui (Mike Henry), chief executive of BHP Billiton, said: "this fiscal year, the group has had a strong operating performance and excellent financial performance, which continues to bring substantial returns to shareholders. We are actively looking to the future, adjusting BHP's development strategy, and the adjusted portfolio and corporate structure will help us create long-term value. BHP Billiton is committed to providing the world with safe and reliable resources to promote sustainable development in the future. "

BHP Billiton announced today:

Invested in the first phase of the Jansen potash project in Canada, with an investment of US $5.7 billion. The Jansen project, located in one of the best potash basins in the world, is a new high-return business that will open up a new future growth path for BHP.

It plans to sign an agreement with Woodside (Woodside) to merge BHP Billiton's oil and gas business to create an independent energy company that ranks among the top 10 in the world. Shareholders of BHP will own 48 per cent of the new company.

The proposal to unify BHP's corporate structure and use the Australian Stock Exchange as the company's single major listing makes BHP more streamlined and flexible.

BHP Billiton is committed to expanding future-oriented commodity growth opportunities, and to deepen this strategy, the group recently made an offer for Noront Resources of Canada, which has a potentially resource-rich nickel deposit with outstanding geographical advantages. Noront Resources's board of directors has unanimously recommended that shareholders accept BHP's offer.

"BHP's resource products are crucial to global economic growth, improved living standards and the world's energy transformation," Mr Han said. "

"the world needs more copper and nickel to promote the general trend of electrification, renewable energy power and the vigorous development of electric vehicles; world steel production depends on iron ore and high-quality metallurgical coal to ensure the development and construction of infrastructure and decarbonization; sustainable and efficient agricultural production is inseparable from potash fertilizer. "

"We are actively adjusting BHP's development strategy for the future to provide the world with safe and reliable resources and continue to create value for shareholders, employees, business partners, local communities and governments."

Achieve record returns

BHP today announced a record final dividend of $2 a share, with a total shareholder return of more than $15 billion for the year.

Han Murui said: "the good performance of the Group in fiscal year 2021 is due to the hard work and unremitting efforts of all BHP Billiton employees. Thanks to sound operating performance, strict and orderly capital allocation and strong commodity prices, the Group achieved excellent financial results. "

"relying on its excellent performance, the Group has contributed a total of US $40.9 billion in terms of community investment, supplier payments, taxes, royalties and government fees."

Construction of the first phase of Jansen potash project: development of first-class potash resources

BHP's board of directors has approved a $5.7 billion investment in the first phase of the Jansen potash project in Canada. The annual production capacity of the project will reach 4.35 million tons of potash ore, which is expected to be put into production in 2027, with a capacity climbing period of two years.

Mr Han said: "the significance of the Jansen potash project is not only to expand the group's portfolio, but also to open up a new future growth path for BHP. The Jansen project is located in one of the best potash basins in the world and has a good investment attraction in the region. "

As a high-return, scalable resource, the Jansen potash project has an operating life of 100 years or more and will continue to deliver rich returns. Potash will help BHP Billiton further diversify in product categories, geographical distribution, customer expansion and many other aspects, which is an exciting new chapter in the group's history. "

Potash ore is a kind of salt rich in potassium, which is mainly used in the production of chemical fertilizer and is an important nutrient for the growth of crops. With the growth of global population, the world needs to continuously improve the efficiency of agricultural arable land and reduce the environmental footprint, these trends have laid a solid foundation for the demand for potash.

The first phase of the Jansen project has the advantage of low cost, aims to achieve a low carbon footprint and water intensity, and is expected to become the most sustainable potash mining area in the world.

During the peak phase of construction, 3500 jobs will be created in the first phase of the Jansen project, and another 600 jobs will be created when it is put into operation. The project will bring new business opportunities to local and indigenous enterprises. The workforce of the Jansen project will achieve gender balance from the beginning of its creation, with the proportion of indigenous employees reaching 20 per cent. BHP Billiton has signed "opportunity agreements" with six indigenous communities around the mine, creating a precedent in the potash industry with (Opportunity Agreement),.

For more information about the construction of the first phase of the Jansen potash project, please visit www.bhp-china.cn

Oil and gas business merger: to create an independent energy company among the top 10 in the world

BHP Billiton proposes to merge the group's oil and gas assets with Woodside to create an independent global energy company whose portfolio will cover the world's major oil and gas producing regions from the northwest continental shelf to the Gulf of Mexico.

Mr Hamurui said: "the merger of BHP's oil and gas business with Woodside will form an independent energy company in the top 10 in the world, unleashing synergies and creating more value and choices for BHP shareholders. The combined business will be more resilient and will continue to create value in the energy transformation. "

"the group's decisions on oil and gas business and Jansen projects are of great significance. In the future, the proportion of future-oriented commodities in BHP's portfolio will be further increased, more effectively in line with general trends such as population growth, rising living standards, electrification and decarbonization. The merger of the oil and gas business will also free up capital for the group to invest in future commodities, thereby achieving growth in long-term value and shareholder returns. "

Thanks to rich resource reserves, the combined energy company will have significant development opportunities to expand a range of high-return brownfield and greenbelt projects in the world's finest oil and gas fields, including the Group's recent decision to invest more than US $800 million in the development of the Shenzi North project and the ongoing Trion project.

BHP shareholders will own 48 per cent of the combined company, while Woodside shareholders will own 52 per cent.

Subject to regulatory and other relevant approvals, the merger is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2022.

BHP Billiton currently operates in a dual-listed company structure, with two parent companies, BHP Group Limited (BHP Ltd) and BHP Group Plc (BHP Plc), mainly listed in Australia and the UK, respectively.

BHP now plans to adopt a single enterprise architecture, unifying the main listing of BHP Ltd entities on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX). Under a unified corporate structure, BHP Ltd shares will be listed on the Australian, London and Johannesburg stock exchanges and American depositary receipts (ADR) will be issued on the New York Stock Exchange.

Mr Han said: "it is imperative to simplify the enterprise structure of BHP Billiton. A unified enterprise architecture will make BHP more efficient and flexible, giving new impetus to continued performance improvement and growth. "

If the unified enterprise structure is implemented, every share held by eligible BHP Plc shareholders will be exchanged for one BHP Ltd share. The shareholding of BHP Ltd shareholders will not change. BHP's dividend policy and its ability to pay tax-free dividends will not change.

Subject to final approval by the board, BHP shareholders plan to vote on a unified corporate structure at a general meeting to be held in the first half of 2022.