Purchase of Own Securities

Merrill Lynch World Mining Tst PLC
20 February 2001

                            PURCHASE OF OWN SHARES

1) Date of the purchase:

19 February 2001

2) Number of Ordinary Shares purchased:

100,000

3) Highest and lowest price paid per share (excluding expenses):

98.5p

4) The issued share capital of the Company following this buy-back will be:

Ordinary shares - 168,900,000

5) Name of contact for queries:

Miss D A Fish

020 7743 5153

6) Name of authorised Company official responsible for this notification:

Miss D A Fish

for Merrill Lynch Investment Managers Group Services Limited

Secretary

7) Date of notification:

19 February 2001