UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
|
BHP BILLITON LIMITED (ABN 49 004 028 077) (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA (Jurisdiction of incorporation or organisation)
180 LONSDALE STREET, MELBOURNE, VICTORIA 3000 AUSTRALIA (Address of principal executive offices) |
BHP BILLITON PLC (REG. NO. 3196209) (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
ENGLAND AND WALES (Jurisdiction of incorporation or organisation)
NEATHOUSE PLACE, VICTORIA, LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM (Address of principal executive offices) |
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24 July 2007
Number 24/07
BHP BILLITON QUARTERLY REPORT ON
EXPLORATION AND DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES
QUARTER ENDED 30 JUNE 2007
This report covers the company's exploration and development activities for the quarter ended 30 June 2007. 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.
DEVELOPMENT
|
PROJECT AND OWNERSHIP |
SHARE OF APPROVED CAPEX US$M |
INITIAL PRODUCTION TARGET DATE |
PRODUCTION CAPACITY (100%) |
QUARTERLY PROGRESS |
|
Petroleum Projects |
||||
|
Genghis Khan |
365 |
2H CY07 |
55,000 barrels of oil per day |
On budget. Drilling of first well continued during the quarter. |
|
Atlantis South (US) Oil/Gas |
1,500 |
2H CY07 |
200,000 barrels of oil and 180 million cubic feet of gas per day |
Cost remains under review. Seven development wells are now complete and drilling has commenced on the eighth well. The Balder installation vessel completed 3 flow lines. Commissioning of the production facilities continued. |
|
Neptune (US) Oil/Gas |
300 |
End CY07 |
50,000 barrels of oil and 50 million cubic feet gas per day |
On schedule however drilling and construction costs continue to be under review. The hull and topsides were successfully installed, and flowlines and export lines connected. Four of seven wells have been drilled with one completed. |
|
Stybarrow Oil/Gas |
380 |
Q1 CY08 |
80,000 barrels of oil per day |
On schedule. Capital costs increased to $380 million following completion of the review. Three of five producing wells and three of four injector wells have been drilled and completed. Mechanical completion and commissioning of the FPSO topsides and installation of subsea equipment continued during the quarter. |
|
North West Shelf Angel (Australia) Oil/Gas |
200 |
End CY08 |
800 million cubic feet gas per day |
On schedule and budget. Topsides and jacket fabrication progressing. Last of 3 wells completed. |
|
North West Shelf Train 5 LNG |
300 |
Late CY08 |
LNG processing capacity of 4.2 million tpa |
On schedule and revised budget as advised by the Operator. All 17 module shipments have been received. Onsite construction and hookup progressing. |
|
Shenzi (US) Oil/Gas |
1,940 |
Mid CY09 |
100,000 barrels of oil and 50 million cubic feet gas per day |
On schedule and budget. Hull and topsides fabrication continues. Drilled second of six development wells to total depth during the quarter. |
|
Minerals Projects |
||||
|
Alumar - Refinery Expansion (Brazil) 36% Alumina |
725 |
Q2 CY09 |
2 million tpa |
On revised schedule and budget. Detailed engineering is nearing completion, with procurement and construction progressing. |
|
Koala Underground (Canada) Diamonds |
200 |
End CY07 |
3,300 tonnes per day ore processed |
On schedule and budget. During the quarter, underground tunnelling completed for critical access. Procurement is almost complete and engineering is complete with the exception of construction support. |
|
Ravensthorpe (Australia) Nickel |
2,200 |
Q1 CY08 |
Up to 50,000 tpa contained nickel in concentrate |
On revised schedule and budget. Construction is nearing completion. Pre-commissioning is more than 40% complete and wet commissioning is under way in the front end of the process plant. Process commissioning is in progress throughout the utilities areas. |
|
Yabulu (Australia) Nickel |
556 |
Q1 CY08 |
45,000 tpa nickel |
On revised schedule and budget. The Yabulu Expansion is mechanically complete and commissioning will start ahead of delivery of feed from Ravensthorpe . |
|
Iron Ore (Western Australia) Iron Ore |
1,300 |
Q4 CY07 |
20 million tpa |
On schedule and budget. Engineering and procurement activities are essentially complete, with construction activities now 65% complete. Initial commissioning activities have started. |
|
Iron Ore (Western Australia) Iron Ore |
1,850 |
1H CY10 |
26 million tpa |
|
|
Samarco Third Pellet Plant (Brazil) Iron Ore |
590 |
1H CY08 |
7.6 million tpa |
On schedule and budget. Total project progress 75% complete. |
MINERALS EXPLORATION
BHP Billiton continued to pursue global exploration opportunities for key commodities of interest utilising both in-house capabilities and the Junior Alliance Programme.
Grassroots exploration continued on diamond targets in Angola, Canada and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), on copper targets in Australia, Chile, Mongolia, the DRC and Zambia; and on nickel targets in Australia, Russia and Africa. Exploration for iron ore, coal, potash and bauxite was undertaken in a number of regions including Australia, Brazil, Canada and West Africa.
PETROLEUM EXPLORATION
Exploration and appraisal wells drilled during the quarter or in the process of drilling as at 30 June 2007.
|
WELL |
LOCATION |
BHP BILLITON EQUITY |
STATUS |
|
Shenzi-6 - |
Gulf of Mexico |
44% BHP Billiton and operator |
Hydrocarbons encountered. |
|
Puma-3 |
Gulf of Mexico |
29.805% BHP Billiton (BP operator) |
Hydrocarbons encountered. Temporarily plugged and abandoned. |
|
Calliance-2 |
Browse Basin |
20% BHP Billiton (Woodside operator) |
Hydrocarbons encountered. Additional appraisal required. Plugged and abandoned. |
|
Crosby West -1 |
Exmouth sub-basin |
71.43% BHP Billiton and operator |
Dry hole. Plugged and abandoned. |
|
Snarf -1 |
Browse Basin |
20% BHP Billiton |
Drilling suspended. Waiting on rig to continue drilling. |
|
Helvellyn -1 |
Exmouth sub-basin |
39.99% BHP Billiton and operator |
Hydrocarbons encountered. |
|
Torosa-4 |
Browse Basin |
8.33% BHP Billiton, |
Drilling ahead. |
Petroleum exploration expenditure for the twelve months ended 30 June 2007 was US$477 million. The amount expensed was US$334 million which includes US$82 million of exploration expenditure capitalised in prior years.
Further information on BHP Billiton can be found on our
Internet site: www.bhpbilliton.com
|
Australia Samantha Evans, Media Relations Tel: +61 3 9609 2898 Mobile: +61 400 693 915 email: Samantha.Evans@bhpbilliton.com Jane Belcher, Investor Relations |
United Kingdom Mark Lidiard, Investor & Media Relations Tel: +44 20 7802 4156 Mobile: +44 7769 934 942 email: Mark.Lidiard@bhpbilliton.com Illtud Harri, Media Relations |
|
United States Tracey Whitehead, Investor Relations Tel: US +1 713 599 6100 or UK +44 20 7802 4031 Mobile: +44 7917 648 093 email: Tracey.Whitehead@bhpbilliton.com |
South Africa Alison Gilbert, Investor Relations Tel SA: +27 11 376 2121 or UK: +44 20 7802 4183 Mobile: +44 7769 936 227 email: Alison.Gilbert@bhpbilliton.com |
| BHP Billiton Limited ABN
49 004 028 077 Registered in Australia Registered Office: Level 27, 180 Lonsdale Street Melbourne Victoria 3000 Telephone +61 1300 554 757 Facsimile +61 3 9609 3015 |
BHP Billiton Plc
Registration number 3196209 Registered in England and Wales Registered Office: Neathouse Place London SW1V 1BH United Kingdom Telephone +44 20 7802 4000 Facsimile +44 20 7802 4111 |
The BHP Billiton Group is headquartered in Australia
| Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized. |
| BHP Billiton Limited and BHP Billiton Plc | ||
| Date: 24 July 2007 | By: |
Jane McAloon |
| Name: | Jane McAloon | |
| Title: | Group Company Secretary |