BHP Billiton Plc                                                                
Share code: BIL                                                                 
ISIN: GB000056650                                                               
BHP BILLITON TO RESUME MINING AT TINTAYA                                        
BHP Billiton today announced that it will re-start sulphide mining operations at
its Tintaya copper mine in southern Peru during August. This follows the        
approval of a new mine plan and a review of projected copper market conditions. 
Shipments of copper concentrates from Tintaya are expected to recommence in     
early calendar 2004.  Production from Tintaya was originally curtailed in       
January 2002 due to rising global copper inventory levels and a belief that     
reducing production during this period of low demand would enhance the long-term
value of BHP Billiton"s copper business.                                        
Brad Mills, President, BHP Billiton Base Metals said, "The new mine plan at     
Tintaya will reduce operating costs to a level that makes it very competitive in
the global copper industry.  We believe the demand fundamentals of the copper   
market are improving such that metal produced from Tintaya"s concentrate        
production will be needed by the second quarter of next year, when the first    
refined metal becomes available."                                               
Tintaya is capable of producing 90,000 tonnes of copper contained in concentrate
per annum.  It is currently producing 34,000 tonnes of copper cathode per annum 
from its oxide SX-EW operations.                                                
Further information on BHP Billiton can be found on our Internet site:          
http://www.bhpbilliton.com                                                      
Australia                              United Kingdom                           
Andrew Nairn, Investor Relations       Mark Lidiard, Investor & Media Relations 
Tel: +61 3 9609 3952                   Tel: +44 20 7802 4156                    
Mobile: +61 408 313 259                Mobile: +44 7769 934 942                 
email: Andrew.W.Nairn@bhpbilliton.com  email: Mark.Lidiard@bhpbilliton.com      
Tania Price, Media Relations           Ariane Gentil, Media Relations           
Tel: +61 3 9609 3815                   Tel: +44 20 7802 4177                    
Mobile: +61 419 152 780                email: Ariane.Gentil@bhpbilliton.com     
email: Tania.Price@bhpbilliton.com                                              
United States                          South Africa                             
Francis McAllister, Investor           Michael Campbell, Investor & Media       
Relations                              Relations                                
Tel: +1 713 961 8625                   Tel: +27 11 376 3360                     
Mobile: +1 713 480 3699                Mobile: +27 82 458 2587                  
email:                                 email: Michael.J.Campbell@bhpbilliton.com
Francis.R.McAllister@bhpbilliton.com                                            
Date: 12/08/2003 02:12:37 PM Supplied by www.sharenet.co.za                     
Produced by the JSE SENS Department