Holding in Company

Mercury World Mining Trust PLC
18 August 2000


1   Name of company:
Mercury World Mining Trust plc

2   Name of shareholder having a major interest:
Mercury Asset Management Ltd and other companies in the Merrill Lynch group,
including Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.

3   Please state whether notification indicates that it is in respect of
holding of the shareholder named in 2 above or in respect of a non-beneficial
interest or in the case of an individual holder if it is a holding of that
person's spouse or children under the age of 18:

Non-beneficial

4   Name of registered holder(s) and, if more than one holder, the number of
shares held by each of them:

Nutraco Nominees Limited (Designated and Undesignated)      15,004,947
Nortrust Nominees Limited                                    5,188,000
Others                                                       1,292,000
                                                            ----------
Total                                                       21,484,947  

5   Number of shares/amount of stock acquired:
3,101,149

6   Percentage of issued class:
1.7%

7   Number of shares/amount of stock disposed:
n/a

8   Percentage of issued class:
n/a

9   Class of security:
Ordinary 5p each 

10  Date of transaction:
11th August 2000

11  Date company informed:
17th August 2000 after 5.30 p.m.

12  Total holding following this notification:
21,484,947

13  Total percentage holding of issued class following this notification:
11.79%

14  Contact name for queries:
Miss A J Marsh

15 Contact telephone number:
020 7743 5430

16  Name of company official responsible for making notification:
Miss A J Marsh
for Mercury Asset Management Group Services Ltd
Secretary

17  Date of notification:
18th August 2000