BHP

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A global mining and metals company focused on iron ore, copper, metallurgical coal and other natural resources.

Last updated October 7, 2026

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First read: Nov 4, 2026
Latest read: Nov 4, 2026

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Overview

BHP is an Australian multinational mining and metals company headquartered in Melbourne. Its modern identity developed from the Broken Hill Proprietary Company, established in 1885 after the discovery of the exceptionally rich silver, lead and zinc deposits at Broken Hill in New South Wales. The company initially built its business around mining and mineral processing, but over time expanded into steelmaking, petroleum, coal, copper, uranium, nickel, potash, diamonds and natural gas. The name BHP is commonly associated with the phrase “the Big Australian,” reflecting the company’s long history and scale within Australian industry. The other major strand of BHP’s history is Billiton, a Dutch mining enterprise founded in 1860. Billiton began with mineral rights and tin-related activities in the East Indies and later developed bauxite, aluminium and other mining interests. After a series of ownership and corporate changes, Billiton became a major international resources group. In June 2001, the Australian BHP and Anglo-Dutch Billiton combined to create BHP Billiton through a dual-listed company structure. The arrangement preserved separate legal entities in Australia and the United Kingdom while operating under common management and a unified brand. During the 2000s, BHP Billiton pursued large-scale growth and diversification. It acquired WMC Resources in 2005, adding the Olympic Dam copper, uranium and gold operation and other Australian assets. It also sought to expand through major international transactions, including unsuccessful bids for Rio Tinto and PotashCorp. The company bought Chesapeake Energy’s Fayetteville shale assets and Petrohawk Energy in 2011, greatly increasing its exposure to United States shale gas. These moves were later followed by a more disciplined approach to capital allocation as commodity prices weakened and large projects became more difficult to justify. BHP’s portfolio was reshaped substantially after the global financial crisis and during the subsequent commodity-cycle downturn. It closed or sold selected nickel and petroleum assets, delayed the planned expansion of Olympic Dam, and separated a group of aluminium, coal, manganese, nickel and silver operations into South32 in 2015. The demerger left BHP with a more concentrated portfolio, especially in iron ore, copper, coal and petroleum. In 2018, the former BHP Billiton legal entities were renamed BHP Group Limited and BHP Group plc, while the public-facing brand was shortened to BHP. In January 2022, the group ended its London Stock Exchange listing and became solely listed in Australia. BHP’s principal activities include extracting, processing and marketing iron ore, copper and metallurgical coal, with additional interests historically or currently connected to energy and other minerals. Its major assets have included the Escondida copper mine in Chile, in which BHP holds a majority interest, and extensive iron ore operations in Western Australia. The company sells commodities to industrial customers and participates in global supply chains for steelmaking, electrical infrastructure, construction, energy systems and manufacturing. The company has also faced significant operational, environmental, labour and regulatory controversies. Its Ok Tedi copper operation in Papua New Guinea was associated with severe environmental degradation and litigation by indigenous communities. A 2015 United States Securities and Exchange Commission settlement concerned BHP’s hospitality program for government and state-owned-enterprise officials during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Labour disputes have periodically affected production, including a major strike at Escondida in Chile in 2017. BHP therefore combines the scale and market reach of a global mining major with the social, environmental and commodity-price risks inherent in extractive industries.

History

BHP’s origins lie in the Broken Hill mining district of western New South Wales. Charles Rasp identified and pegged a mineral claim in 1883, and the Broken Hill Proprietary Company was incorporated in August 1885 to develop the deposit. The mine produced silver, lead and zinc and gave the company its original name. BHP gradually built expertise in mineral treatment and processing, then moved beyond Broken Hill as ore characteristics and industrial opportunities changed. In 1915, BHP entered steelmaking, establishing operations centred on Newcastle in New South Wales. The move was encouraged by the availability of iron ore in South Australia and advances in mineral-processing techniques that improved the recovery of valuable metals from sulphide ores. The Newcastle steelworks became an important part of Australian heavy industry, although the company later separated or closed much of its steel business. The long-products operation was spun off as OneSteel in 2000, while the flat-steel business became BHP Steel and subsequently BlueScope. BHP also entered petroleum exploration in the 1950s. Discoveries in Bass Strait during the 1960s made oil and natural gas an important diversification from mining. The company expanded overseas into copper, diamonds, coal, uranium and other commodities. Its international mining portfolio included the Ok Tedi copper operation in Papua New Guinea, where environmental damage led to litigation and sustained criticism, as well as the Escondida copper mine in Chile, which became one of the world’s largest copper-producing operations. BHP also entered Canada’s Ekati diamond mine before selling its interest in 2013. Billiton supplied the second foundation of the modern group. Founded in the Netherlands in 1860, it began with tin and lead-related activities and later developed bauxite mining and aluminium interests in Indonesia and Suriname. Shell acquired Billiton in 1970, and its mining division later passed through Gencor before Billiton returned as an independent public company. Billiton plc joined the FTSE 100 Index in 1997. Its merger with BHP in 2001 created BHP Billiton, a large dual-listed international resources company. The combined group expanded during the commodity boom. It acquired WMC Resources in 2005, bringing Olympic Dam and other mineral assets into the portfolio. In 2007 and 2008 it pursued Rio Tinto in an attempted all-share transaction, but withdrew the bid in November 2008 as the financial crisis and falling commodity prices changed the risk assessment. BHP subsequently closed or reduced several operations, including Ravensthorpe nickel, and sold the mine in 2009. It also pursued potash through the acquisition of Athabasca Potash and made an unsuccessful 2010 bid for PotashCorp, which was opposed and ultimately rejected by the Canadian government. In 2011, BHP expanded its United States petroleum position by buying Chesapeake Energy’s Fayetteville shale assets and acquiring Petrohawk Energy. The group later adopted a more selective investment strategy. It deferred the major Olympic Dam expansion in 2012, sold the Yeelirrie uranium project, and announced in 2014 that a selection of non-core assets would form a new company. That company, South32, was demerged in 2015. The same period brought regulatory scrutiny over BHP’s Olympic Games hospitality program, ending in a US securities settlement. The group continued to simplify its structure and portfolio. BHP Billiton Limited and BHP Billiton plc were renamed BHP Group Limited and BHP Group plc in 2018, while the brand became BHP. In 2022, the group relinquished its London listing and became solely listed in Australia. Its contemporary business is centred on large-scale iron ore, copper and metallurgical coal operations, with the company presenting copper and other commodities connected to electrification and the energy transition as important areas of long-term strategic interest.

2022
Sole Australian listing
[1]BHPen.wikipedia.org
BHP ended its London Stock Exchange listing and became solely listed on the Australian Securities Exchange.
2018
Legal entities renamed BHP Group
[1]BHPen.wikipedia.org
BHP Billiton Limited and BHP Billiton plc adopted the names BHP Group Limited and BHP Group plc.
2015
South32 demerged
[1]BHPen.wikipedia.org
A group of aluminium, coal, manganese, nickel and silver assets was separated into South32.
2011
Petrohawk acquired
[1]BHPen.wikipedia.org
BHP Billiton acquired Petrohawk Energy, expanding its US shale-gas portfolio.
2005
WMC Resources acquired
[1]BHPen.wikipedia.org
The acquisition added Olympic Dam and other Australian copper, uranium, nickel and fertiliser interests.
2001
BHP Billiton formed
[1]BHPen.wikipedia.org
BHP and Billiton combined through a dual-listed company structure.
2000
Long-products steel business separated
[1]BHPen.wikipedia.org
BHP’s long-products steel operations were spun off as OneSteel.
1960
Bass Strait petroleum development
[1]BHPen.wikipedia.org
Oil and natural gas discoveries in Bass Strait strengthened BHP’s petroleum business and broadened its resource base.
1915
Entry into steelmaking
[1]BHPen.wikipedia.org
BHP began steel manufacturing, with major operations based at Newcastle in New South Wales.
1885
Broken Hill Proprietary Company incorporated
[1]BHPen.wikipedia.org
The Broken Hill Proprietary Company was established to develop the silver, lead and zinc deposit at Broken Hill.
1883
Broken Hill claim identified
[1]BHPen.wikipedia.org
Charles Rasp pegged a mineral claim at Broken Hill, establishing the geological and commercial basis for the company that followed.

Products and positioning

A large, diversified but increasingly focused mining major supplying essential commodities for steelmaking, electrification, infrastructure and industrial production.

Bulk commodities
Iron ore
Iron ore is one of BHP’s central businesses, principally produced through large-scale operations in Western Australia. The material is mined, processed and sold as a feedstock for steelmaking. BHP’s iron ore position is built around integrated mines, processing facilities, rail systems and port infrastructure, allowing it to supply international steel producers.
Base metals
Copper
Copper is a core BHP commodity and is produced principally through major operations including Escondida in Chile and Olympic Dam in South Australia. Copper serves electrical, construction, industrial and transportation markets. BHP has increasingly positioned the metal as strategically important because of its role in electrification and energy infrastructure.
Bulk commodities
Metallurgical coal
BHP has historically operated metallurgical coal mines in Queensland and other coal-producing regions. Metallurgical coal is used in blast-furnace steelmaking, distinguishing it from thermal coal used primarily for power generation. Coal has been a significant part of BHP’s portfolio, although the company has pursued portfolio simplification and asset divestments over time.
Energy commodities
Petroleum and natural gas
BHP developed petroleum through Australian exploration, including Bass Strait, and later expanded into US shale gas and Gulf of Mexico projects. The business has included oil, natural gas and related production assets. Petroleum became less central as BHP refocused on a smaller set of mining commodities and pursued changes to its hydrocarbons portfolio.
Minerals
Uranium and gold
Uranium and gold have been produced or recovered as part of BHP’s broader mineral portfolio, particularly through Olympic Dam, which contains copper, uranium, gold and silver. BHP has also evaluated and sold selected uranium interests as it concentrated its portfolio around larger strategic commodities.

Controversies

2022
Chile fines Escondida mine over water-extraction damage
Chile's environmental regulator fined Escondida mine $8.2 million for damage caused by water extraction in the Salar de Atacama. The regulator said the mine's owner caused irreparable environmental damage; BHP denied violating its environmental permit and said it was evaluating further action.
Source
2022
BHP Iron Ore fined after workplace safety incident
BHP Iron Ore Pty Ltd was fined $125,000 after a contractor was seriously injured in a 2017 workplace incident. The company pleaded guilty to causing serious harm to an employee and failing to provide a workplace free of hazards.
Source
2015
Olympic Games hospitality program enforcement action
The US Securities and Exchange Commission alleged that BHP Billiton failed to maintain adequate controls over a hospitality program that invited government and state-owned-enterprise officials to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. BHP agreed to pay a US$25 million penalty without admitting or denying the SEC’s findings.
Source
1990
Ok Tedi environmental controversy
BHP’s involvement in the Ok Tedi copper mine in Papua New Guinea became associated with extensive environmental degradation and legal action brought by indigenous communities. The episode became a major example of the environmental and social risks connected with large-scale mining.
Source

2015
Demerger of South32M&A
Background
BHP Billiton reviewed its portfolio and identified aluminium, coal, manganese, nickel and silver operations as businesses better managed in a separate company.
Action taken
The selected assets were separated into South32, which became an independently listed mining company.
Aftermath
BHP emerged with a more focused portfolio centred on its larger-scale iron ore, copper, coal and petroleum interests.
Source
2012
Defer major growth projectsStrategy
Background
Rising capital requirements and changing commodity conditions made several large expansion projects less attractive, including the planned Olympic Dam expansion.
Action taken
BHP delayed the Olympic Dam expansion, slowed selected iron ore and potash growth options, and froze approval of major new expansion projects.
Aftermath
The decision signalled a shift from aggressive expansion toward capital discipline and portfolio selectivity.
Source
2010
Withdraw PotashCorp bidM&A
Background
BHP sought to diversify into potash and made a large cash offer for PotashCorp, but the proposal faced opposition from the Saskatchewan government and the Canadian federal government.
Action taken
BHP withdrew its offer in November 2010 after the Canadian government moved toward rejecting the transaction.
Aftermath
The failed transaction demonstrated the political and regulatory limits on cross-border acquisitions of strategically important resource companies.
Source
2008
Withdraw Rio Tinto takeover bidM&A
Background
BHP had proposed acquiring Rio Tinto in an all-share transaction, but the global financial crisis and declining commodity-market conditions increased the perceived risks of the deal.
Action taken
BHP withdrew the proposal in November 2008.
Aftermath
The withdrawal avoided combining two major mining groups during a period of severe financial-market uncertainty and marked a retreat from the transaction-led expansion strategy.
Source

Recent events

Unconfirmed
Reported2026.10.20
BHP reports lower copper production[6]必和必拓报告铜产量下降perthnow.com.au
BHP reported copper production of 400,000 tonnes in the three months to September, 19 per cent less than the previous quarter.
2022.03.10
Reported2022.03.10
Chile fines Escondida mine over water-extraction damage[4]Chile fines Escondida mine over water-extraction damagemining.com
Chile's environmental regulator fined Escondida mine $8.2 million for damage caused by water extraction in the Salar de Atacama. The regulator said the mine's owner caused irreparable environmental damage; BHP denied violating its environmental permit and said it was evaluating further action.
2022.02.15
Reported2022.02.15
BHP reports record half-year earnings[7]BHP公布创纪录的半年度业绩themalaysianinsight.com
BHP released record half-year earnings, reporting profits up 77% and a record interim dividend of US$1.50 per share.
2022.02.07
Reported2022.02.07
BHP unveils LNG-powered bulk carrier[8]BHP推出液化天然气动力散货船deccanherald.com
BHP unveiled the LNG-fuelled bulk carrier Mt. Tourmaline in Singapore. The vessel is one of five vessels BHP will take delivery of in 2022 as part of efforts to curb supply-chain emissions; BHP said the LNG vessels would lower emissions by about 30 per cent per journey.
Unconfirmed
BHP Iron Ore fined after workplace safety incident[5]BHP Iron Ore fined after workplace safety incidentmiragenews.com
BHP Iron Ore Pty Ltd was fined $125,000 after a contractor was seriously injured in a 2017 workplace incident. The company pleaded guilty to causing serious harm to an employee and failing to provide a workplace free of hazards.
2021.12.15
Reported2021.12.15
Energy Vault and BHP announce collaboration on energy storage[9]Energy Vault与BHP宣布开展储能合作finanznachrichten.de
Energy Vault and BHP announced a joint collaboration to explore deploying Energy Vault's energy storage solutions in BHP operations and other potential applications. The parties signed an MOU to study the technology's application and assess potential supply-chain, manufacturing, maintenance, and monitoring collaboration.
Unconfirmed
BHP Nickel West opens nickel sulphate plant[10]BHP Nickel West镍硫酸盐工厂开业miragenews.com
BHP Nickel West opened a nickel sulphate plant at its Kwinana nickel refinery, described as the first such plant in Australia.
2021.06.28
Reported2021.07.01
Glencore announces acquisition of Anglo American and BHP stakes in Cerrejón[11]Glencore宣布收购Anglo American和BHP持有的Cerrejón股份iol.co.za
Glencore announced it would pay $588 million for Anglo American's and BHP's stakes in the Cerrejón coal mine in Colombia.
2021.05.25
AVEVA strengthens strategic partnership with BHP[12]AVEVA 加强与 BHP 的战略合作scoop.co.nz
AVEVA announced that it had strengthened its strategic partnership with BHP to deliver increased productivity across multiple assets. Under the arrangement, AVEVA’s Flex Subscription program will provide BHP flexibility in purchasing, designing and using industrial software.
2021.05.18
Reported2021.05.20
BHP reports first production from South Flank[13]必和必拓宣布南坡项目首次产出mining.com
BHP reported that South Flank, its iron ore project in Western Australia, delivered its first production on Tuesday.
Weekdays and relative dates follow the original report; their exact calendar dates have not been verified.

Sources23 sources

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