All relevant boxes should be completed in block
    capital letters.
1 Name of company              2  Name of shareholder having a
.                              .  major interest
  BHP BILLITON PLC
                                  THE CAPITAL GROUP COMPANIES
3 Please state whether         4  Name of the registered holder(s)
. notification indicates that  .  and, if more than one holder, the
  it is in respect of holding     number of shares held by each of
  of the shareholder named in     them
  2 above or in respect of a
  non-beneficial interest or       SEE ATTACHED LIST
  in the case of an individual
  holder if it is a holding of
  that person's spouse or
  children under the age of 18
5 Number of     6  Percentage   7  Number of       8  Percentage of
. shares/amoun  .  of issued    .  shares/amount   .  issued class
  t of stock      class           of stock
  acquired                        disposed
   A NUMBER OF    0.09%
  TRANSACTIONS
  ACCUMULATED
  IN A
  NOTIFIABLE
  EVENT
9 Class of security            10 Date of        11  Date company
.                              .  transaction    .   informed
  ORDINARY US$0.50
                                   1 MARCH 2002      5 MARCH 2002
1 Total holding following this 13 Total percentage holding of
2 notification                 .  issued class following this
.                                 notification
  92,920,638
                                  4.01%
1 Any additional information   1  Name of contact and telephone
4                              5  number for queries
.                              .
                                  INES WATSON 020 7747 3976
1 Name and signature of authorised company official
6 responsible for making this notification
.
  Ines WATSON
Date of notification    5 MARCH 2002
BHP  Billiton Limited ABN 49 004 BHP   Billiton   Plc  Registration
028 077                          number 3196209
Registered in Australia          Registered in England and Wales
Registered  Office:  600  Bourke Registered   Office:  1-3   Strand
Street Melbourne Victoria 3000   London WC2N 5HA United Kingdom
Telephone   +61  3   9609   3333 Telephone   +44   20   7747   3800
Facsimile +61 3 9609 3015        Facsimile +44 20 7747 3900
The BHP Billiton Group is headquartered in Australia