BHP Group Limited — Major Shareholding Notification 2008

Sep 9, 2008

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Issued by: BHP Billiton Plc To: Company Announcements Office cc: New York Stock Exchange The London Stock Exchange Swiss Stock Exchange JSE Limited Company Announcements Office Deutsche Bank The Australian Stock Exchange UBS Zurich Date: 9 September 2008 For Release: Immediately Contact: Ines Watson + 44 (0)20 7802 4176

Notification of Major Interests in Shares

The following notification was received on 9 September 2008 by BHP Billiton Plc from Lehman Brothers International (Europe) 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: 180 Lonsdale Street Melbourne Victoria 3000 Registered Office: Neathouse Place, London SW1V 1BH United Kingdom Telephone +61 1300 55 4757 Facsimile +61 3 9609 3015 Telephone +44 20 7802 4000 Facsimile +44 20 7802 4111

The BHP Billiton Group is headquartered in Australia

TR-1: NOTIFICATION OF MAJOR INTERESTS IN SHARES

1. Identity of the issuer or the underlying issuer BHP Billiton Plc of existing shares to which voting rights are attached: 2. Reason for the notification (please tick the appropriate box or boxes) An acquisition or disposal of voting rights

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----- Start of picture text ----- An acquisition or disposal of financial instruments which may result in theacquisition of shares already issued to which voting rights are attachedAn event changing the breakdown of voting rightsOther (please specify):3. Full name of person(s) subject to the Lehman Brothers Internationalnotification obligation: (Europe)4. Full name of shareholder(s) (if different from 3.): N/A5. Date of the transaction (and date on which the 08/09/08threshold is crossed or reached if different):6. Date on which issuer notified: 09/09/087. Threshold(s) that is/are crossed or reached: 3%8. Notified details: N/A----- End of picture text -----

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----- Start of picture text ----- A: Voting rights attached to sharesClass/type of Situation previous to the Resulting situation after the triggering transactionshares Triggering transaction if possible using Number of Number of Number Number of voting % of votingthe ISIN CODE Shares Voting of rights rightsRights sharesDirect Direct Indirect Direct IndirectGB0000566504 127,634,299 127,634,299 Below 3% Below 3% N/A Below N/A3%----- End of picture text -----

B: Financial Instruments	B: Financial Instruments	B: Financial Instruments	B: Financial Instruments
Resulting situation	after the triggering transaction
Type of financial	Expiration		Exercise/ Conversion	Number of voting	% of voting
instrument	date		Period/ Date	rights that may be	rights
				acquired if the
				instrument is
				exercised/ converted.
N/A

Total (A+B)
Number of voting rights	% of voting rights
Below 3%	Below 3%

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

N/A

Proxy Voting:

	N/A
10. Name of the proxy holder:
	N/A
11. Number of voting rights proxy holder will
cease to hold:
	N/A
12. Date on which proxy holder will cease to hold
voting rights:
	N/A
13. Additional information:
14. Contact name:	Olanike Bola-Lateef
15. Contact telephone number:	+44 (0)20 7102 8709