The world’s top miner, BHP Billiton, said yesterday it had uncovered evidence of possible corruption linked to mineral exploration projects and has handed the information to US authorities.
The Anglo-Australian giant said it was also conducting an internal probe into the matter, which involves “interaction” with government officials surrounding some projects.
“The company has disclosed to relevant authorities evidence that it has uncovered regarding possible violations of applicable anti-corruption laws involving interactions with government officials,” a statement said.
“Accordingly, the company is cooperating with the relevant authorities including conducting an internal investigation, which is continuing,” it said.
A spokeswoman refused to reveal where the alleged violations took place, but said it was not China, where four Rio Tinto staff were jailed for bribery and commercial espionage last month.
She said the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) had requested information related to “relatively small” exploration contracts which were terminated about a year ago.
“We’re talking about a couple of relatively small minerals exploration projects, the last of which was terminated about a year ago on commercial grounds,” the spokeswoman said.
“Only after that, in August last year, did we get an inquiry from the SEC asking us to do some internal investigations, which we did commence at that point,” she said.
“We have recently uncovered some evidence we have given to the SEC, and we are involved in ongoing internal investigations and cooperating fully with the SEC on this issue,” she said.
BHP made the announcement as it released third-quarter production figures that were slightly below expectations.
The company, which recently negotiated with most of its Asian iron ore customers to switch from annual contracts to index-based prices, said iron ore and metallurgical coal production had been impacted by weather disruptions.
Iron ore production for the quarter ending on March 31 was 31.16 million tonnes — down 4 percent on second quarter output but 11 percent ahead of that of a year earlier.
Production of metallurgical coal at Queensland mines was hit by tropical Cyclone Ului, leaving total production up 7 percent compared with last year, but down 8 percent on the second quarter at 8.16 million tonnes.
Record petroleum production was achieved for the nine months to March 31, following the successful start-up of the Pyrenees operation in Australia and the strong performance of projects in the US, BHP said.
“At first glance, BHP Billiton looks to have reported a mixed set of production numbers for the March 2010 quarter,” IG Markets market strategist Ben Potter said.
“Total petroleum production looks to have come in shy of analysts’ expectations despite a third consecutive year-to-date production record,” he said.
“However, a stronger-than-expected performance from the base metals unit would have partially offset this weakness,” Potter said.
‘IN A DIFFERENT PLACE’: The envoy first visited Shanghai, where he attended a Chinese basketball playoff match, and is to meet top officials in Beijing tomorrow US Secretary of State Antony Blinken yesterday arrived in China on his second visit in a year as the US ramps up pressure on its rival over its support for Russia while also seeking to manage tensions with Beijing. The US diplomat tomorrow is to meet China’s top brass in Beijing, where he is also expected to plead for restraint as Taiwan inaugurates president-elect William Lai (賴清德), and to raise US concerns on Chinese trade practices. However, Blinken is also seeking to stabilize ties, with tensions between the world’s two largest economies easing since his previous visit in June last year. At the
UNSETTLING IMAGES: The scene took place in front of TV crews covering the Trump trial, with a CNN anchor calling it an ‘emotional and unbelievably disturbing moment’ A man who doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire outside the courthouse where former US president Donald Trump is on trial has died, police said yesterday. The New York City Police Department (NYPD) said the man was declared dead by staff at an area hospital. The man was in Collect Pond Park at about 1:30pm on Friday when he took out pamphlets espousing conspiracy theories, tossed them around, then doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire, officials and witnesses said. A large number of police officers were nearby when it happened. Some officers and bystanders rushed
Beijing is continuing to commit genocide and crimes against humanity against Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in its western Xinjiang province, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a report published on Monday, ahead of his planned visit to China this week. The State Department’s annual human rights report, which documents abuses recorded all over the world during the previous calendar year, repeated language from previous years on the treatment of Muslims in Xinjiang, but the publication raises the issue ahead of delicate talks, including on the war in Ukraine and global trade, between the top U.S. diplomat and Chinese
RIVER TRAGEDY: Local fishers and residents helped rescue people after the vessel capsized, while motorbike taxis evacuated some of the injured At least 58 people going to a funeral died after their overloaded river boat capsized in the Central African Republic’s (CAR) capital, Bangui, the head of civil protection said on Saturday. “We were able to extract 58 lifeless bodies,” Thomas Djimasse told Radio Guira. “We don’t know the total number of people who are underwater. According to witnesses and videos on social media, the wooden boat was carrying more than 300 people — some standing and others perched on wooden structures — when it sank on the Mpoko River on Friday. The vessel was heading to the funeral of a village chief in