BHP Group Limited

What does BHP own?
BHP owns and operates iron ore mines in Western Australia (WAIO), copper mines in Chile (Escondida, Pampa Norte) and South Australia (Olympic Dam, Prominent Hill, Carrapateena), steelmaking coal mines in Queensland (BMA), and an energy coal mine in New South Wales (NSWEC). The company also holds a 50% interest in the Vicuna copper-gold joint venture in Argentina and is developing the Jansen potash project in Canada. BHP exited petroleum in 2022 through a merger with Woodside Energy.

Is BHP publicly traded?
Yes. BHP Group Limited is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange under the ticker BHP. The company was previously dual-listed on the ASX and London Stock Exchange but unified into a single Australian entity in 2022. BHP is one of the largest companies on the ASX by market capitalization and is a constituent of the S&P/ASX 50 Index.

Who founded BHP?
BHP was founded on 13 August 1885 as the Broken Hill Proprietary Company Limited. The company was formed by the Syndicate of Seven, led by Charles Rasp, a boundary rider who pegged the original mining claim at Broken Hill in 1883. Other members of the syndicate were George McCulloch, David James, James Poole, Philip Charley, George Lind, and George Urquhart.

Where is BHP headquartered?
BHP is headquartered in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The company has major operational hubs in Perth (Western Australia), Brisbane (Queensland), and Santiago (Chile). BHP's corporate office in Melbourne has been its headquarters since the company was floated on the Melbourne Stock Exchange in 1885.

How many brands does BHP own?
BHP operates under a single corporate brand. The company does not maintain a portfolio of consumer-facing brands. Its commercial operations are organised by commodity: iron ore, copper, steelmaking coal, and energy coal. BHP sells to industrial customers, steel mills, and smelters rather than to end consumers.

Who owns BHP?
BHP is owned by its shareholders. The company has no controlling shareholder or parent company. Major institutional investors include BlackRock, Vanguard, and State Street, each holding typical large-cap index positions. Australian superannuation funds are also significant holders. Ownership is widely distributed among institutional and retail investors globally.

What is BHP's revenue?
BHP reported revenue of US$51.3 billion for FY2025 (year ended 30 June 2025), down 8% from US$55.7 billion in FY2024. Underlying attributable profit was US$10.2 billion. Full FY2026 financial results are scheduled for release on 18 August 2026. In FY2026, BHP produced approximately 2 million tonnes of copper and record iron ore output of approximately 265 million tonnes.

Has BHP made major acquisitions recently?
In 2024, BHP invested US$2.1 billion to acquire a 50% interest in the Vicuna joint venture in Argentina, which includes the Josemaria and Filo del Sol copper-gold deposits. In 2024, BHP attempted to acquire Anglo American for approximately US$49 billion but withdrew after Anglo rejected the offer. In April 2026, BHP completed the divestment of its Carajas copper operation in Brazil.

BHP was incorporated on 13 August 1885 as the Broken Hill Proprietary Company Limited, floated on the Melbourne Stock Exchange to mine silver, lead, and zinc at Broken Hill in western New South Wales. The discovery that led to the company's formation was made in September 1883 by Charles Rasp, a boundary rider at the Mount Gipps sheep station. Rasp, believing the unusual rock formation at Broken Hill contained tin, pegged a 40-acre mining claim with contractors David James and James Poole. Station manager George McCulloch convinced Rasp to take on additional partners, forming the Syndicate of Seven: Rasp, McCulloch, James, Poole, Philip Charley, George Lind, and George Urquhart. In January 1885, Charley discovered the first substantial silver deposit. The company was floated seven months later with capital of 16,000 shares at £20 each.

Broken Hill became the largest single source of silver, lead, and zinc in the world. BHP began smelting operations at Port Pirie, South Australia, in 1890 and acquired iron mining leases at Iron Knob, South Australia, in 1899. The high-quality iron ore at Iron Knob led BHP into steelmaking. The company built a major steelworks at Newcastle, New South Wales, which opened on 2 June 1915. By 1939, the Newcastle steelworks was the largest integrated steelworks in the British Empire.

BHP expanded into petroleum in the 1960s, discovering Bass Strait oil and gas fields off the coast of Victoria in 1967. The company diversified further through the late 20th century, operating businesses in steel, shipbuilding, and industrial minerals.

In 2001, BHP Limited merged with the Anglo-Dutch mining company Billiton Plc to form BHP Billiton, creating the largest mining company in the world. The merger combined BHP's iron ore, coal, and petroleum assets with Billiton's aluminium, manganese, and nickel operations. The dual-listed structure had headquarters in Melbourne and London.

In 2015, BHP spun off its non-core assets, including aluminium, manganese, coal, and silver operations, into a new company called South32. The demerger simplified BHP's portfolio to focus on iron ore, copper, coal, and petroleum.

In 2018, BHP divested its onshore US shale oil and gas assets to BP for US$10.5 billion, exiting the shale business. In 2022, BHP merged its petroleum business with Woodside Energy Group, effectively exiting oil and gas production. The same year, BHP unified its dual-listed corporate structure into a single Australian entity, BHP Group Limited, ending the London listing.

BHP made a major copper acquisition in 2024, investing US$2.1 billion to acquire a 50% interest in the Vicuna joint venture, which includes the Josemaria and Filo del Sol copper-gold deposits in Argentina. Filo del Sol is one of the largest copper deposit discoveries in the last 30 years. In June 2026, the Vicuna project received approval under Argentina's Incentive Regime for Large Investments (RIGI), ensuring fiscal stability for 40 years. Vicuna is on track for a Stage 1 final investment decision in calendar year 2026.

In April 2026, BHP completed the divestment of its Carajas copper operation in Brazil. The company also submitted an Environmental Impact Assessment for a potential restart of the Cerro Colorado operations in Chile and is planning to potentially double copper production at its Copper South Australia asset.

BHP attempted to acquire Anglo American in 2024 for approximately US$49 billion, primarily to gain access to Anglo's copper assets in Chile and Peru. Anglo American rejected the offer and BHP withdrew in May 2024.

BHP publishes an annual sustainability report and has committed to reducing operational greenhouse gas emissions (Scope 1 and 2) by 30% from FY2020 levels by FY2030. The company has set a long-term goal of net-zero Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2050. These targets are aligned with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).

BHP's Scope 3 emissions, primarily from customer use of sold coal and iron ore, are significantly larger than operational emissions. The company has not set a net-zero target for Scope 3 but invests in steelmaking decarbonisation research and nature-based solutions.

In FY2025, BHP's total economic contribution was US$46.8 billion, including payments to governments of US$10.4 billion in taxes and royalties. The company is one of the largest corporate taxpayers in Australia and Chile.

BHP is a member of the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) and adheres to its mining principles. The company has committed to no-go zones for mining in World Heritage Sites and has implemented biodiversity offset programs at major operations.

The company has faced criticism from environmental groups over its continued mining of thermal coal and the environmental impact of large-scale mining on water resources and local communities, particularly in Chile's Atacama Desert region where copper mining is water-intensive.

BHP is consistently included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) for the metals and mining sector. The company has been included in the DJSI Australia and DJSI Asia Pacific indices.

BHP is a constituent of the S&P/ASX 50 Index and is one of the largest companies on the Australian Securities Exchange by market capitalization. The company is also included in the MSCI World Index.

The company has received recognition from the Australian Financial Review's BOSS Magazine for corporate governance practices. BHP's safety performance has been recognised by the International Council on Mining and Metals for its fatality prevention programs.

BHP has been recognised by CDP (formerly Carbon Disclosure Project) for climate change disclosure, maintaining A or A- scores in recent years.

Samarco dam disaster (2015). On 5 November 2015, the Fundao tailings dam at the Samarco iron ore joint venture (BHP 50%, Vale 50%) in Minas Gerais, Brazil, collapsed, releasing approximately 50 million tonnes of mining waste. The disaster killed 19 people, devastated the Doce River basin, and displaced hundreds of families. BHP and Vale established the Renova Foundation to compensate affected communities. As of 2026, BHP and Vale reached a settlement agreement with Brazilian authorities valued at approximately 170 billion reais (approximately US$31.5 billion) to be paid over 20 years. Samarco resumed limited operations in 2020 after receiving regulatory approval.

Ok Tedi environmental damage (Papua New Guinea). BHP operated the Ok Tedi copper and gold mine in Papua New Guinea from the 1980s until 2002. The mine discharged approximately 80,000 tonnes of tailings per day into the Ok Tedi and Fly River systems, causing severe environmental damage. BHP exited the mine in 2002, transferring its stake to the PNG Sustainable Development Program. The environmental impact continues to be cited in assessments of mining industry practices.

Anglo American takeover attempt (2024). BHP's unsolicited approach to acquire Anglo American in 2024 for approximately US$49 billion drew scrutiny from antitrust regulators in South Africa and Chile, given the combined entity's concentration of copper and iron ore assets. Anglo American rejected the offer and BHP withdrew. No regulatory action was taken.

Coal and climate pressure. BHP faces ongoing pressure from institutional investors and climate advocacy groups regarding its continued mining of thermal coal (NSWEC) and steelmaking coal (BMA). Shareholder resolutions at annual general meetings have called for accelerated coal divestment and stronger Scope 3 emissions targets. BHP has resisted these resolutions, arguing that steelmaking coal remains necessary for global steel production during the energy transition.

Water usage in Chile. BHP's copper operations in Chile's Atacama Desert, particularly Escondida, have faced scrutiny over water consumption in one of the world's driest regions. BHP has invested in desalination plants to reduce reliance on groundwater, including a US$3.4 billion desalination plant at Escondida commissioned in 2024.