BHP Billiton has completed its acquisition of HWE Mining Subsidiaries from Leighton Holdings.
This follows the previously announced Heads of Agreement, signed on 9 August 2011.

The acquisition relates to the mining equipment and related assets that service the Area C,
Yandi and Orebody 23/25 operations. These operations collectively account for almost 70 per
cent of Western Australia Iron Ore’s total material movement.

BHP Billiton President Iron Ore, Ian Ashby said: “With the legal and due diligence processes
now complete, our primary focus moves to ensuring the integration of the highly skilled
workforce into the BHP Billiton business in a safe and efficient manner.”

The acquisition is consistent with BHP Billiton’s previously stated intention to move the
Western Australia Iron Ore business from contract mining to owner-operator mining.