BHP Group Limited — Major Shareholding Notification 2015

Mar 15, 2015

Issued by: BHP Billiton Plc Date: 16 March 2015 To: London Stock Exchange Australian Securities Exchange cc: JSE Limited New York Stock Exchange For Release: Immediately Contact: Elizabeth Hobley +44 (0) 20 7802 4054

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BHP Billiton Plc – Notification of Major Interest in Shares

The following notification was received on 13 March 2015 by BHP Billiton Plc from Aberdeen Asset Managers Limited relating to major interests in shares of BHP Billiton Plc.

BHP Billiton Limited ABN 49 004 028 077 BHP Billiton Plc Registration number 3196209 Registered in Australia Registered in England and Wales Registered Office: 171 Collins Street Registered Office: Neathouse Place Melbourne Victoria 3000 Australia London SW1V 1LH United Kingdom Tel +61 1300 55 4757 Fax +61 3 9609 3015 Tel +44 20 7802 4000 Fax +44 20 7802 4111

The BHP Billiton Group is headquartered in Australia

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TR-1: NOTIFICATION OF MAJOR INTEREST IN SHARES[i]

1. Identity of the issuer or the underlying issuer of existing shares to which voting rights are BHP Billiton PLC attached:[ ii]

2 Reason for the notification (please tick the appropriate box or boxes):

An acquisition or disposal of voting rights

An acquisition or disposal of qualifying financial instruments which may result in the acquisition of shares already issued to which voting rights are attached An acquisition or disposal of instruments with similar economic effect to qualifying financial instruments

An event changing the breakdown of voting rights

This is a clarification of the number of voting right shares held by the Aberdeen Asset Management PLC Group, in its capacity as discretionary asset manager. Previous notifications have been submitted on an all share capital basis (inclusive of shares held Other (please without voting powers being delegated to Aberdeen Asset X specify): Management PLC Group). This notification does not reflect any changes in shareholdings, and is purely a clarification exercise to confirm the voting rights held. Any such future notifications, as may be required, will be made on a voting rights basis only

Aberdeen Asset Managers Limited (and/or acting for 3. Full name of person(s) subject to the its affiliates) as discretionary investment manager on notification obligation:[ iii] behalf of multiple managed portfolios 4. Full name of shareholder(s) (if different from 3.):[iv] 5. Date of the transaction and date on which the threshold is crossed or reached:[v] 6. Date on which issuer notified: 13 March 2015 7. Threshold(s) that is/are crossed or 5% reached:[vi, vii]

8. Notified details:	8. Notified details:	8. Notified details:
A: Voting rights
	attached to shares viii, ix
Class/type ofsharesif possible usingthe ISIN CODE	Situation previousto the triggering**transaction **		Resulting situation after the triggering transaction
	Numberof	Numberof	Numberof shares	Number of votingrights	% of votingrightsx

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	Shares	VotingRights	Direct	Dire**ct **xi	Indirectxii	Direct	Indirect
GB0000566504	137,073,736.00	112,709,911.00	137,073,736.00		112,709,911.00		5.34%
GB0000566504	19,987,825.00	15,261,250.00	19,987,825.00		15,261,250.00		0.72%

B: Qualifying Financial Instruments

Resulting situation after the triggering transaction

Type of financial	Expiration	Exercise/	Number of voting	% of voting
instrument	datexiii	Conversion	rights that may be	rights
		Periodxiv	acquired if the
			instrument is
			**exercised/ converted. **

C: Financial Instruments with similar economic effect to Qualifying Financial Instruments[xv, xvi]

Resulting situation after the triggering transaction

Type of financial	Exercise	Expiratio	Exercise/	Number of voting	% of voting rights	% of voting rights
instrument	price	n datexvii	Conversio	rights instrument	xix, xx
			n period	refers to
			xviii
					Nominal	Delta

Total (A+B+C)
Number of voting rights	Percentage of voting rights
127,971,161.00	6.06 %

9. Chain of controlled undertakings through which the voting rights and/or the financial instruments are effectively held, if applicable:[xxi]

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Proxy Voting:	Proxy Voting:	Proxy Voting:
10. Name of the proxy holder:
11. Number of voting rights proxy holder will ceaseto hold:
12. Date on which proxy holder will cease to holdvoting rights:
13. Additional information:
14. Contact name:	David Greig
15. Contact telephone number:	01224 404294

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