BHP Billiton announces hydrocarbon discovery with5 Dec 2002
BHP Billiton announces hydrocarbon discovery with Vortex-1 well in deepwater    
Gulf of mexico                                                                  
BHP Billiton Plc                                                                
ISIN:          GB0000566504                                                     
Share code:    BIL                                                              
BHP Billiton today announced that it has made a natural gas discovery at the    
exploratory well on its Vortex prospect in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico.        
Drilling on Vortex-1 began September 9, 2002, in Atwater Valley Block 261 in    
water depths of approximately 8,344 feet using the drillship Deepwater          
Millennium.  In addition to the initial well, a sidetrack was drilled 2,900 feet
west of the #1 well to a total depth of 19,330 feet.  BHP Billiton holds a one- 
third interest and is operator of the Vortex prospect, with partners Kerr-McGee 
Corp. and Ocean Energy, Inc. each also holding a one-third interest.            
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Further information can be found on our Internet site:                          
http://www.bhpbilliton.com                                                      
Australia                              United Kingdom                           
Andrew Nairn, Investor Relations       Mark Lidiard, Investor & Media           
Tel:    +61 3 9609 3952                Relations                                
Mobile: +61 408 313 259                Tel: +44 20 7747 3956                    
email: Andrew.W.Nairn@bhpbilliton.com                                           
                                       email: Mark.Lidiard@bhpbilliton.com      
Tracey Whitehead, Media Relations      South Africa                             
Tel:    +61 3 9609 4202                Michael Campbell, Investor & Media       
Mobile: +61 419 404 978                Relations                                
email:                                 Tel: +27 11 376 3360                     
Tracey.Whitehead@bhpbilliton.com       Mobile: +27 82 458 2587                  
email:                                   
                                       Michael.J.Campbell@bhpbilliton.com       
United States                                                                   
Francis McAllister, Investor                                                    
Relations                                                                       
Tel:    +1 713 961 8625                                                         
Mobile: +1 713 480 3699                                                         
email:                                                                          
Francis.R.McAllister@bhpbilliton.com                                            
Date: 05/12/2002 10:40:00 AM Produced by the JSE SENS Department