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Sale of Richards Bay Minerals for US$1.91 Billion
BHP Billiton
NEWS RELEASE
Release Time IMMEDIATE
Date 7 September 2012
Number 22/12
SALE OF RICHARDS BAY MINERALS FOR US$1.91 BILLION
BHP Billiton has completed the sale of its 37 per cent non-operated interest in Richards Bay
Minerals (RBM) to Rio Tinto.
As part of the restructuring of RBM in 2009, BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto concluded an option
agreement that made provision for BHP Billiton to sell its interest in RBM to Rio Tinto
pursuant to an agreed valuation process. BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto announced on 1
February 2012 that this option had been exercised and that completion of the transaction
was conditional upon the fulfilment of customary regulatory approvals, all of which have now
been met.
Pursuant to the prescribed valuation process, BHP Billiton has sold its entire interest in RBM
for US$1.91 billion before adjustments. The divestment reflects the company’s commitment
to a simpler, more scalable upstream portfolio.
RBM is a South African mineral sands mining and smelting operation and the leading
producer of chloride titanium dioxide feedstock. Prior to completion of the sale, BHP Billiton
held a 37 per cent equity stake in RBM with equity partners Rio Tinto (37 per cent), Black
Economic Empowerment (BEE) parties (24 per cent) and employees (2 per cent). Rio Tinto
manages the operation and is responsible for the marketing of RBM’s products.
Further information on BHP Billiton can be found at: www.bhpbilliton.com.
Sponsor: Absa Capital (the investment banking division of Absa Bank Limited, affiliated with
Barclays).
Media Relations Investor Relations
Australia Australia
Antonios Papaspiropoulos James Agar
Tel: +61 3 9609 3830 Mobile: +61 477 325 803 Tel: +61 3 9609 2222 Mobile: +61 467 807 064
email: Antonios.Papaspiropoulos@bhpbilliton.com email: James.Agar@bhpbilliton.com
Fiona Hadley Andrew Gunn
Tel: +61 3 9609 2211 Mobile: +61 427 777 908 Tel: +61 3 9609 3575 Mobile: +61 439 558 454
email: Fiona.Hadley@bhpbilliton.com email: Andrew.Gunn@bhpbilliton.com
United Kingdom United Kingdom and South Africa
Ruban Yogarajah Tara Dines
Tel: +44 20 7802 4033 Mobile: +44 7827 082 022 Tel : +44 20 7802 7113 Mobile : +44 7825 342 232
email: Ruban.Yogarajah@bhpbilliton.com Email : Tara.Dines@bhpbilliton.com
Deirdra McCracken Americas
Tel: +44 20 7802 7462 Mobile: +44 7827 253 764
Email: Deirdra.S.McCracken@bhpbilliton.com Brendan Harris
Tel: +44 20 7802 4131 Mobile: +44 7990 527 726
Americas email: Brendan.Harris@bhpbilliton.com
Jaryl Strong Matt Chism
Tel: +1 713 499 5548 Mobile: +1 281 222 6627 Tel: +1 71 359 96158 Mobile: +1 281 782 2238
email: Jaryl.Strong@bhpbilliton.com email: Matt.E.Chism@bhpbilliton.com
BHP Billiton Limited ABN 49 004 028 077 BHP Billiton Plc Registration number 3196209
Registered in Australia Registered in England and Wales
Registered Office: 180 Lonsdale Street Registered Office: Neathouse Place
Melbourne Victoria 3000 Australia London SW1V 1BH United Kingdom
Tel +61 1300 55 4757 Fax +61 3 9609 3015 Tel +44 20 7802 4000 Fax +44 20 7802 4111
Members of the BHP Billiton Group which is headquartered in Australia
Date: 07/09/2012 05:15:00 Produced by the JSE SENS Department. The SENS service is an information dissemination service administered by the JSE Limited ('JSE').
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