Holding(s) in Company

BHP Billiton Limited
12 February 2004

     BHP Billiton Limited is issuing this announcement to fulfil disclosure
  obligations arising from its secondary listing on the London Stock Exchange.

    The text of this release is identical to that issued by BHP Billiton Plc
                                    earlier.



Issued by: BHP Billiton Plc

To:                                                   cc: New York Stock Exchange
London Stock Exchange                                 Swiss Stock Exchange
Old Broad Street                                      NZX
London EC2N 1HP                                       Johannesburg Stock Exchange
United Kingdom                                        Euronext
Company Announcements Office                          Deutsche Bank

The Australian Stock Exchange
4th Floor, 20 Bridge Street
Sydney NSW 2000
Australia

Date:                               12 February 2004
For Release:                        Immediately
Contact:                            Ines Watson [phone]

                   Notification of Major Interests in Shares

The following notification was received yesterday by BHP Billiton Plc in a
communication from Old Mutual plc dated 11 February 2004 relating to major
interests in shares of BHP Billiton Plc as at 6 February 2004:

'Please find notification pursuant to section 198 of the Companies Act 1985,
that as at 6th February 2004, Old Mutual Plc and its direct and indirect
subsidiaries had a material interest in 197,616,150 ordinary shares of BHP
Billiton Plc, representing 8.01% of the issued share capital. The shares are
registered as per the attached schedule.'

Registered holdings of BHP Billiton Plc share capital by Old Mutual Companies at
6 February 2004

Total Shares    Number of     Company                           Registered Holder                     % of
issued          Shares                                                                                issued
                                                                                                      shares
2,468,147,002   103,654,830   Old Mutual Asset Managers (South  Old Mutual Life Assurance Company       4.20%
                              Africa) (Pty) Ltd                 (South Africa) Ltd
                  1,134,769   Stanlib Asset Management Ltd (not Old Mutual Life Assurance Company       0.05%
                              an Old Mutual Company)            (South Africa) Ltd
                    534,713   Prudential Portfolio Managers SA  Old Mutual Life Assurance Company       0.02%
                              (Pty) Ltd (not an Old Mutual      (South Africa) Ltd
                              Company
                    220,270   PeregrineQuant (Pty) Ltd (Not an  Old Mutual Life Assurance Company       0.01%
                              Old Mutual Company)               (South Africa) Ltd
                    265,325   Coronation Fund Managers Ltd (Not Old Mutual Life Assurance Company       0.01%
                              an Old Mutual Company)            (South Africa) Ltd
                  3,380,528   Old Mutual Asset Managers (South  Old Mutual Unit Trusts (SA) Limited     0.14%
                              Africa) (Pty) Ltd
                 47,438,404   Old Mutual Asset Managers (South  Old Mutual Asset Managers (South        1.92%
                              Africa) (Pty) Ltd                 Africa) (Pty) Ltd (Managed Fund
                                                                Client Assets)
                    206,309   Old Mutual Asset Managers (South  Omnibon No 13 (Pty) Limited             0.01%
                              Africa) (Pty) Ltd
                  1,953,383   Old Mutual Asset Managers         Old Mutual Life Assurance Company       0.08%
                              (Namibia) (Pty) Ltd               (Namibia) Ltd
                    232,849   Old Mutual Asset Managers         Old Mutual Holdings (Namibia) (Pty)     0.01%
                              (Namibia) (Pty) Ltd               Ltd
                    992,581   Old Mutual Asset Managers         Old Mutual Asset Managers (Namibia)     0.04%
                              (Namibia) (Pty) Ltd               (Pty) Ltd (Managed Fund Client
                                                                Assets)
                     45,728   Old Mutual Asset Managers (South  Old Mutual Unit Trusts (Namibia)        0.00%
                              Africa) (Pty) Ltd                 Limited
                  4,679,874   Old Mutual Asset Managers         Old Mutual Global Asset Fund            0.19%
                              (Bermuda) Ltd
                 12,280,448   Old Mutual Asset Managers         Old Mutual South Africa Equity Trust    0.50%
                              (Bermuda) Ltd                     Limited
                  1,139,599   Old Mutual Asset Managers         Old Mutual South African Trust Plc      0.05%
                              (Bermuda) Ltd
                     53,835   Quantitive Asset Management       ABSA Nominees                           0.00%
                  3,235,985   Quantitive Asset Management       Nedbank Nominees Ltd                    0.13%
                  2,907,495   Quantitive Asset Management       Standard Bank Nominees Ltd              0.12%
                      7,407   Syfrets Securities                Syfrets Securities Nominees (Pty)       0.00%
                                                                Ltd
                     79,300   Franklin Templeton/NIB            Nedcor Bank Nominees Ltd                0.00%
                              Investments
                          0   Old Mutual                        Nedcor Bank Nominees                    0.00%
                  2,408,372   BOE Private Clients               Standard Bank Nominees                  0.10%
                     30,684   BOE Private Clients               Registered Own Name                     0.00%
                  1,345,035   BOE Private Clients (NTRAC)       Nedcor Bank Nominees                    0.05%
                    134,582   BOE Fiduciary                     Nedcor Bank Nominees                    0.01%
                  1,936,848   Mutual & Federal Limited          Mutual & Federal Limited                0.08%
                  5,185,603   Quaystone Ltd                     Standard Bank Nominees (Transvaal)      0.21%
                                                                (Pty) Limited
                  1,626,652   Quaystone Ltd                     Nedcor Bank Nominees Ltd                0.07%
                    504,742   Quaystone Ltd                     ABSA                                    0.02%

                197,616,150                                                                             8.01%

BHP Billiton Limited ABN 49 004 028 077                BHP Billiton Plc Registration number 3196209
Registered in Australia                                Registered in England and Wales
Registered Office: Level 27, 180 Lonsdale Street       Registered Office: Neathouse Place London SW1V 1BH
Melbourne Victoria 3000                                United Kingdom
Telephone [phone] Facsimile [phone]   Telephone [phone] Facsimile [phone]

           The BHP Billiton Group is headquartered in Australia

                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange