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25 OCTOBER 2001
BHP Billiton, together with the other participants in the North West Shelf
Venture, today signed Sales and Purchase Agreements with Tokyo Gas Co. Ltd
and Toho Gas Co. Ltd of Japan for the purchase and supply of liquefied
natural gas (LNG) from the North West Shelf (NWS) in Western Australia.
The agreements were signed by the six NWS LNG Sellers and cover the supply
of 1.37 million tonnes of LNG per annum (mtpa) for a long-term period
starting in 2004.
Tokyo Gas and Toho Gas are existing long-term customers of NWS LNG and last
year signed Letters of Intent for the supply of 1 mtpa of LNG. The companies
have subsequently notified the Sellers of their requirements for a further
0.37 mtpa of LNG.
This is the first in a series of Sales and Purchase Agreements to be signed
for supply of LNG from the North West Shelf Venture's LNG expansion project.
The project includes a fourth LNG processing train, which is currently under
construction at the Venture's gas processing facilities on the Burrup
Peninsula, Western Australia. First LNG from the fourth train is scheduled
for mid-2004.
The agreements with Tokyo Gas and Toho Gas follows recent agreements with
other Japanese customers, these being:
- a Letter of Intent with Osaka Gas on 16 January 2001 for the supply of 1
mtpa of LNG, starting 2004;
- a Letter of Intent with Tohoku Electric Co. Ltd. on 5 February 2001 for
0.4 mtpa of LNG, starting 2005;
- a Letter of Intent with Kyushu Electric Power Co. Inc. on 28 March 2001
for the supply of 0.5 million mtpa of LNG, starting April 2006;
- a Key Terms Agreement with Shell Gas and Power on 15 May for the supply of
up to 3.7 million tonnes of LNG over five years; and
- a Key Terms Agreement with Chubu Electric Power Company Inc. of Japan on 3
August 2001 for 0.6 mtpa of LNG, starting 2009.
In April this year BHP Billiton announced approval for a fourth train
expansion of the liquefied natural gas facilities at the North West Shelf
Project on the Burrup Peninsula in Western Australia.
BHP Billiton's equity in the North West Shelf Project is 16.67 per cent. The
other participants are Woodside Energy Ltd (operator - 16.67 per cent); BP
Developments Australia Pty Ltd (16.67 per cent); Chevron Australia Pty Ltd
(16.67 per cent); Japan Australia LNG (MIMI) Pty Ltd (16.67 per cent); and
Shell Development (Australia) Proprietary Limited (16.67 per cent).
* * * *
Further news and information can be found on our Internet site:
www.bhpbilliton.com
Australia United Kingdom
Dr. Robert Porter, Investor Marc Gonsalves, Investor
Relations Relations & Communications
Tel: + 61 3 9609 3540 Tel: +44 20 7747 3956
Mobile: +61 419 587 456 Mobile: +44 7768 264 950
email: email:
Robert.Porter@bhpbilliton.com Marc.Gonsalves@bhpbilliton.com
Mandy Frostick, Media Ariane Gentil, Manager
Relations Communications
Tel: +61 3 9609 4157 Tel: +44 20 7747 3977
Mobile: +61 419 546 245 Mobile: + 44 7881 518 715
email: email:
Mandy.J.Frostick@bhpbilliton. Ariane.Gentil@bhpbilliton.com
com
South Africa United States
Michael Campbell, Investor & Francis McAllister, Investor
Media Relations Relations
Tel: +27 11 376 3360 Tel: +1 713 961 8625
Mobile: +27 82 458 2587 Mobile: +1 713 480 3699
email: email:
Michael.J.Campbell@bhpbillito Francis.R.McAllister@bhpbillit
n.com on.com
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