BHP Billiton, together with the other participants in the North West Shelf (NWS) Venture, today signed a Sales and Purchase Agreement with Methanex Australia Pty Ltd for the supply of gas to a proposed methanol plant on the Burrup Peninsula, Western Australia.

The agreement was signed by the six NWS Venture participants and involves the supply of 200 terajoules of gas a day over a 25-year period from 2005. Under the agreement, there is also a provision for the NWS Venture to supply a further 200 terajoules a day should Methanex proceed with plans to double production.

The proposed Burrup Peninsula plant will be supplied with Australian Feedstock Gas™, from the NWS Venture's existing facilities at Karratha. Australian Feedstock Gas™ is a medium pressure industrial quality natural gas used specifically for projects that require large quantities of gas for downstream processing.

Methanex Australia Pty Ltd is a subsidiary of Methanex Corporation of Canada — which supplies about a quarter of the world's methanol market and more than 30 per cent of the Asia-Pacific market.

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).