LNG Sales with Osaka Gas

BHP Billiton Limited
12 March 2002

     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.



12 March 2002

Ref No: 15/02



       BHP BILLITON SIGNS LNG SALES AND PURCHASE AGREEMENT WITH OSAKA GAS

BHP Billiton today announced it had signed a Sales and Purchase Agreement with
Osaka Gas Company Ltd of Japan for the purchase and supply of liquefied natural
gas (LNG) from the North West Shelf (NWS) in Western Australia.

The agreement was signed by the six NWS LNG Sellers and covers the supply of one
million tonnes of LNG per annum (mtpa) for a period of 30 years starting in
2004.

Osaka Gas is an existing long-term customer of NWS LNG and is based in the
Kansai region of Western Japan.

The agreement with Osaka Gas follows the Letter of Intent (LOI) signed in
January 2001, and is the second in a series of Sales and Purchase Agreements to
be signed for supply of LNG from the North West Shelf Venture's LNG expansion
project.

The project includes a fourth LNG processing train at the Venture's gas
processing facilities on the Burrup Peninsula, Western Australia, and a second
trunkline from the North Rankin platform to shore. First LNG from the fourth
train is scheduled for mid-2004.

The agreement with Osaka Gas is the latest in several recent agreements with
other Japanese customers:

  • A Letter of Intent with Tohoku Electric Co. Ltd. on 5 February 2001 for
    0.4 mtpa of LNG, starting 2005;
  • A Letter of Intent with Kyushu Electric Power Co. Inc. on 28 March 2001
    for the supply of 0.5 million mtpa of LNG, starting April 2006;
  • A Key Terms Agreement with Shell Gas and Power on 15 May 2001 for the
    supply of up to 3.7 million tonnes of LNG over five years;
  • A Key Terms Agreement with Chubu Electric Power Company Inc. of Japan on 3
    August 2001 for 0.6 mtpa of LNG, starting 2009; and
  • A Sales and Purchase Agreement with Tokyo Gas Co. Ltd and Toho Gas Co. Ltd
    of Japan on 25 October 2001 for the purchase and supply of 1.37 mtpa of LNG
    starting in 2004.

Last year BHP Billiton announced approval for a fourth train expansion of the
LNG facilities at the North West Shelf Project on the Burrup Peninsula in
Western Australia.

BHP Billiton's equity in the North West Shelf Project is 16.67 per cent. The
other participants are Woodside Energy Ltd (operator - 16.67 per cent); BP
Developments Australia Pty Ltd (16.67 per cent); Chevron Australia Pty Ltd
(16.67 per cent); Japan Australia LNG (MIMI) Pty Ltd (16.67 per cent); and Shell
Development (Australia) Proprietary Limited (16.67 per cent).

                                      ****

Further information can be found on our Internet site: 
http://www.bhpbilliton.com






Australia

Dr Robert Porter, Investor Relations                      United Kingdom/South Africa

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United States

Francis McAllister, Investor Relations

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