Well in Trinidad

Broken Hill Proprietary Co Ld
19 June 2000


BHP ANNOUNCES SECOND SUCCESSFUL WELL IN TRINIDAD

The Broken Hill Proprietary Company Limited (BHP) advises that its
wholly-owned subsidiary, BHP Petroleum (Trinidad) Ltd., has made a second
natural gas discovery with its second exploration well in the Block 2(c)
Production Sharing Contract area, offshore Trinidad.

BHP Petroleum is the operator and holds 45per cent working interest in Block
2(c).  Elf Petroleum Trinidad B.V. (30%) and Talisman (Trinidad) Ltd. (25%)
are the other participants.

The Aripo-1 exploration well is located 40 kilometres off Trinidad's east
coast in approximately 30 metres of water.  The well commenced drilling on 4
May 2000 and encountered natural gas in a similar section to that successfully
tested in the first exploration well, Angostura-1.  A cased hole test was
conducted and the well flowed natural gas at a stabilized rate of 21.6 million
standard cubic feet per day on a 44/64th inch choke.  The maximum rate flow
test was 46.3 million standard cubic feet per day on a 80/64th inch choke.   

Forward plans for Block 2(c) will be determined after information obtained
from the well is evaluated, which will include assessing the cumulative impact
of the Aripo-1 discovery with the previously announced (14 May 1999)
Angostura-1 well (30 million standard cubic feet per day on a 56/64 inch
choke).  Angostura-1 is also located in Block 2(c), 4 kilometres to the
southwest of Aripo-1.

BHP will drill another exploration well in adjacent Block 2(ab) which is held
by BHP Petroleum (operator, 50%) and Talisman (Trinidad) Holdings Ltd. (50%). 
Operations will commence later this year.

Blocks 2(c) and 2(ab) were acquired in 1996 and are included in BHP's gas
strategy.  The area is a proven hydrocarbon province and, in addition to a
local gas market based on petrochemical manufacturing, there are established
liquefied natural gas facilities exporting gas to eastern US markets.


Contact:

Melbourne:
MEDIA RELATIONS                   INVESTOR RELATIONS       
Dr Malcolm Garratt                Dr Robert Porter
Group Manager External Affairs    Vice President Investor Relations
Phone:    [phone]          Phone:       [phone]
Mobile:   [phone]          Mobile:      [phone]

Houston:
Kent Grubbs
Vice President Strategic Planning and External Affairs
BHP Petroleum
Phone:  [phone]