Quarterly Exploration Report

Broken Hill Proprietary Co Ld
27 April 2000

                                       
                  THE BROKEN HILL PROPRIETARY COMPANY LIMITED
                QUARTERLY REPORT ON EXPLORATION AND DEVELOPMENT
                                       
                          December 1999 - March 2000
                                       
This report covers exploration and development activities for the four months
ended 31 March 2000.

Unless otherwise stated, BHP's interest in the projects referred to in this
report is 100%.


DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS


The following projects are in various stages of construction and/or
development:


MINERALS

Escondida Phase IV Expansion, Chile (BHP 57.5% interest)

Progress towards completion of the current engineering and procurement phase
for the proposed new 110 000 tonnes per day sulfide concentrator has reached
71%.  The joint venture owners are currently reviewing the final feasibility
study and the project will be presented to the respective boards in the coming
months for approval.

HBI Joint Venture, Iron Ore, Venezuela (BHP 50% interest)

The project is over 90 % complete.  Mechanically, Module 1 is complete and
commissioning is well advanced.  Construction activities for Module 2 are
focused on critical pipe-work installation and circuit testing.  Production of
the first briquettes has been delayed slightly and is now expected in either
May or June 2000.

The construction project's lost time frequency rate stands at 0.9.



San Juan Underground, New Mexico, USA

The San Juan underground project proposes development of an underground
longwall mine to replace the entire 6.3m tons of annual production from the
San Juan and La Plata surface mines through the 20-year life of the coal sales
contract.  During the quarter, rehabilitation of the underground test mine was
completed and necessary underground facilities were re-established to allow
commencement of geotechnical studies.  Surface core drilling and engineering
studies necessary to complete a feasibility study continued.

Peak Downs Mine, Queensland  (BHP 52.1% interest)

The construction of a 110 cubic-metre dragline commenced in June 1998 as part
of a revised Peak Downs expansion project, focussed on improved efficiency and
reduced unit costs.

Construction of the dragline was completed during the quarter and following
commissioning is expected to be fully operational by mid-May 2000.


PETROLEUM

Typhoon, Gulf of Mexico (BHP 50% interest)

In January 2000 the BHP Board sanctioned the development of the Typhoon field,
which is the Company's first deepwater oil and gas development in the Gulf of
Mexico. The field will be developed jointly by Chevron (50%, operator) and BHP
(50%). Total capital expenditure is A$192 million (US$128 million) net to BHP.

Peak production of 40 000 bopd and 60 mmscfd (gross) is expected, with first
production scheduled for third quarter 2001.

The development consists of the subsea completion and tieback of the four
existing appraisal wells and the construction and installation of a local host
facility using an Atlantia SeaStar mini tension leg platform. All major
tenders have been let.

Buffalo, Australia (50% interest, operated)

The Buffalo oil field came into production during the quarter. First oil
commenced on 29 December 1999. This project is now reported in BHP's Quarterly
Production Report.

Keith, North Sea (31.83% interest, operated)

During January approval was received from the UK Department of Trade and
Industry to develop the Keith oil field in North Sea Block 9/8a. BHP Petroleum
holds a 31.83 per cent operated interest in the field. The subsea development
of Keith will involve the re-use of a suspended appraisal well, which will be
tied back seven kilometres to the Bruce Western Area Development. This single
well will access around 15 mmboe of proved and probable reserves (4.8 mmboe
net to BHP). Capital expenditure is estimated at around A$19 million net to
BHP. Drilling activity associated with well re-entry and completion is
scheduled to begin in the third quarter 2000 with first oil targeted for the
end of the year.

EXPLORATION

The Discovery Group of BHP Minerals Development carries out worldwide grass-
roots exploration for all BHP's minerals businesses.  The global exploration
portfolio continues to be evaluated as part of the Company's on-going minerals
strategic review and the recently announced new Minerals organisation.

The Discovery Group is also responsible for exploration and development work
related to existing mines.

MINERALS

Copper Projects

Agua Rica, Argentina (BHP 70% interest)

Activity at the field site was limited to environmental monitoring and
tenement management.
  
Escondida Norte, Chile (BHP 57.5% interest)

Geological and metallurgical studies continued during the quarter.  Attention
focused on mineralogical modelling, trace metal distribution studies, clay
mineral studies and metallurgical ore-type characterisation along with a
detailed structural evaluation of the deposit.  Logging, sampling and assaying
have been completed for all existing drill holes.  Sidewall sampling of the
decline is in progress and additional close-spaced in-fill drilling and
geotechnical drill holes are planned for later in the year.

Results from ongoing bench flotation and bio-leach crib/column tests were as
expected from previous test work.  Bioleach studies are now emphasising lower
grade sulfide mineralisation.  Preparation of the pre-feasibility study update
is continuing.

North American Copper Projects, USA.

There were no significant activities at Florence, San Manuel and Superior and
these projects will no longer be reported.

Tintaya Oxide Project, Peru

Evaluation of the Tintaya Oxide project recommenced during the quarter.
Kvaerner E&C, a division of Kvaerner USA, was awarded the Engineering,
Procurement and Construction Management (EPCM) contract.

The original feasibility study will be updated and engineering, which was 40%
completed when the project was suspended in 1998, will be continued.
Completion of an updated feasibility study is expected by July 2000.

Subject to Board approval, construction of the Oxide Project will take around
12 months. Full production is forecast to be achieved within three months of
commissioning and annual production is expected to peak at 34 000 metric
tonnes of Grade 'A' cathode at a direct cash cost of less than US$0.40 cents
per pound.


Tintaya Antapaccay Project, Peru

A drilling program commenced in January to determine the boundaries of the ore
body and define the resource.  To date a total of 6 700 metres of a 14 000
metre program has been completed.  Total drilling on the project is now 70 000
metres.

Preliminary metallurgical test-work, on ore representing 74 per cent of the
mineable resource, indicates that recoveries for copper will be over 90 per
cent and for gold 80 per cent.  Preliminary engineering is in progress.
Options for a stand-alone concentrator processing between 30 000 to 60 000
tonnes of ore per day are being evaluated.

Coal Projects

Goonyella Mine, Queensland (BHP 52.1% interest)

The exploratory mining of a three-heading adit in the Goonyella Middle Seam
down-dip from the highwall continued.  To the end of March a total of 6 135
metres had been developed.  The project is on budget and on schedule.  During
January the first bulk coal sample was mined, washed at the Riverside Coal
Preparation Plant and the Barney Point Pilot Plant, and tested in the BHP
Research coke ovens with encouraging results.  Additional coal quality and
geotechnical drilling north of the Adit in the Feasibility Study area
continued.  Geotechnical and other engineering feasibility studies for a
longwall mine are ongoing.

Saraji Mine, Queensland (BHP 52.1% interest)

Native Title land access issues were resolved and exploration work continued
to evaluate potential for a longwall mine in the Dysart seam down-dip of the
existing opencuts.  A program consisting of 2-D seismic, coal quality bulk
sampling and geotechnical drilling continued during the period.  Planning of
additional exploration work to identify further resources of similar quality
coal in the Saraji lease has begun.

Illawarra Coal, Dendrobium Project

A variety of options are being examined to secure future supply of high
quality coking coal to Illawarra Coal customers at Port Kembla and Whyalla.
One option is the development of Dendrobium, a new underground mine in the
Illawarra No. 3 seam.  As part of the assessment, exploration and pre-
feasibility studies have been carried out.  This involved an evaluation of
potential mine layout and design and estimation of the capital investment that
may be required.  Further geological work, engineering studies and
environmental work is required before any development will proceed.

Iron Ore Projects

Mining Area C, Iron Ore, Western Australia (BHP 85% interest)

The four-month period required under the Section 29 Notice to grant a mining
lease expired in November 1999 and three groups were registered as Native
Title Claimant Groups.

Negotiations are continuing with the groups and it is anticipated that land
title will be obtained by end calender year 2000.
  
The engineering study into railway route options is complete and a final
decision on the preferred route is anticipated soon.

Other Projects

Ekati Diamonds, Canada (BHP 51% interest)

Bulk sampling of the Wolverine, Zach, and Cougar kimberlite pipes (located
within the core zone claims) and Lynx kimberlite pipe (located in the buffer
zone claims) was completed during the quarter.  All sampling was carried out
with 35 cm diameter reverse circulation drilling.  Three holes in the
Wolverine pipe totalled 628 metres of kimberlite, two holes in the Cougar pipe
totalled 408.5 metres of kimberlite and a single hole in the Zach pipe
totalled 252 metres of drilled kimberlite.  Five holes in the Lynx pipe
totalled 849 metres of kimberlite.  The sample tonnages will be calculated
following verification of dry bulk densities and hole volume calculations.  On-
site processing and analysis of the kimberlite samples is scheduled for summer
2000.

Hope Bay Gold, Northwest Territories, Canada

The sale of the Hope Bay Project to Cambiex was finalised in December 1999 and
there will be no further reports.

West Africa Gold (BHP 40-50% interest)

This project is under the management of Resolute Resources and only
significant results will be reported in future.
  
Chagai Copper, Pakistan (BHP 75% interest)

Nothing significant to report for the quarter.

Gag Island Nickel, Indonesia (BHP 75% interest)

Assessment of the Phase 3 drilling program progressed during the quarter;
final results are awaited.  Environmental and social impact studies are
continuing.

Anketell Copper/Gold Project, Western Australia

Croesus and Gindalbie have signed a sale agreement with Telfer Resources.
Since BHP's interest in the project is terminated there will be no further
reporting.

Exco Alliance, Mt Isa Australia

Exco is conducting a scoping study of the E1 North significant copper
occurrence.

Falcon Airborne Gravity Gradiometer Technology Deployed

BHP's proprietary airborne gravity gradiometer system (called 'Falcon') began
production flying in North America and Australia during the last quarter.
Falcon is the world's first airborne system able to detect subtle density
signatures caused by mineral deposits.


PETROLEUM

Wells drilled during the four months to 31 March, or in the process of
drilling as at 31 March 2000.
   
   
    WELL           LOCATION       BHP EQUITY    STATUS
    Viper-1        Grand Isle     40% Operator  Drilling ahead.
                   Block 106,
                   Gulf of
                   Mexico
    GC-236-2       Green Canyon   50% Operator- Temporarily    
    appraisal      Block 236,     Chevron       abandoned
    well           Gulf of
                   Mexico
    MadDog-2       Green Canyon   11.4%         Temporarily
    appraisal      Block 782,     Operator -    abandoned
    well           Gulf of        BP/Amoco      Tight hole status
                   Mexico                       
    Coniston-1     WA-255-P       50% Operator  Plugged and
                                                abandoned.
                                                
    Scafell-1      WA-155-P(1)    39.999%       Plugged and
                                  Operator      abandoned.
                                                
    Antiope-1      WA-290-P       40% Operator  Plugged and
                                                abandoned. Tight
                                                hole status.
                                                
    Padthaway-1    AC/RL3         50% Operator  Plugged and
                                                abandoned.
                                                
    Fatima-1       Blocks         45% Operator  Plugged and
                   401a/402a,                   abandoned.
                   Algeria
   

EXPENDITURE

Information related to exploration expenditure charged to profit will be
included in the BHP Third Quarter Profit Report, released 4 May 2000.


COMPETENCE AND RESPONSIBILITY


The following statements apply in respect of the information in this report
that relates to any stated Mineral Resources or Ore Reserves.

      -   The information is based on and accurately reflects information
          compiled by the person named under each relevant section of the       
         report.
      
      -   Each named person is either a Corporate Member or Fellow of The
          Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy or the Australian     
         Institute of Geoscientists 
      and 
          is a full-time employee of a member company of the BHP Group;
      
     -    Each named person has sufficient experience which is relevant to the
          style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and   
         to the activity which he or she is undertaking to qualify as a         
        Competent Person as defined in the 1999 Edition of the 'Australasian    
       Code for Reporting of Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves'.  Each         
      named person consents to the inclusion in the report of the matters       
     based on their information in the form and context in which it has         
    been reported.


For information contact:


Media Relations:    Mandy Frostick - Manager Media Relations
                    (BH) (61 3) 9609 4157
                    (AH) (61 3) 9687 6651
                    Mobile [phone]
                    E-mail: [e-mail]

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                    (BH) (61 3) 9609 3540
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                    E-mail: [e-mail]