15th Sep 2006 07:00
BHP Billiton PLC15 September 2006 15 September 2006 To:Australian Stock ExchangeLondon Stock Exchange CC:New York Stock ExchangeSwiss Stock ExchangeJSE LimitedDeutsche BankUBS Zurich BHP Billiton Group Share Buy-back Programme Attached, for the information of your markets, is a notice in the form (Appendix3D) required by the Listing Rules of the Australian Stock Exchange ('ASX')advising of an extension to the BHP Billiton Limited on-market share buy-backprogramme previously advised to the market on 29 August 2005. The Group wishesto extend the current on-market buy-back programme of BHP Billiton Limited for afurther 12 months to 30 September 2007. BHP Billiton Limited may buy back up to349 million shares on ASX. This number represents less than 10 percent of BHPBilliton Limited's issued share capital at 30 June 2006. A similar authority will be sought by BHP Billiton Plc at the Annual GeneralMeeting. These approvals form part of the programme announced on 23 August 2006 wherebyBHP Billiton announced its intention to return US$3 billion to shareholders overthe next 18 months through a series of share buy-backs. This programme commencedon 7 September 2006 with an on-market buy-back of shares in BHP Billiton Plc. Weexpect it to continue with on-market purchases of shares in BHP Billiton Plcwhich could be made by BHP Billiton Plc and/or BHP Billiton Limited or one ofits subsidiaries. Karen WoodGroup Company Secretary Rule 3.8A Appendix 3D Changes relating to buy-back (except minimum holding buy-back) Information and documents given to ASX become ASX's property and may be madepublic. Introduced 1/9/99. Origin: Appendix 7B. Amended 13/3/2000, 30/9/2001. +-------------------------------------------------+-+---------------+|Name of entity | |ABN |+-------------------------------------------------+-+---------------+|BHP Billiton Limited | |49 004 028 077 |+-------------------------------------------------+-+---------------+ We (the entity) give ASX the following information.+----+------------------------+--------------------------------------+|1 |Date that an Appendix 3C|29 August 2005 || |or the last Appendix 3D | || |was given to ASX | |+----+------------------------+--------------------------------------+ Information about the change Complete each item for which there has been a change and items 9 and 10.+--+--------------------------+--------------------+------------------+| | |Column 1 |Column 2 || | | | || | |(Details announced |(Details of change|| | |to market in |to buy-back || | |Appendix 3C or last |proposals) || | |Appendix 3D) | |+--+--------------------------+--------------------+------------------+| |On-market buy-back | | |+--+--------------------------+--------------------+------------------+|2 |Name of broker who will | | || |act on the company's | | || |behalf | | |+--+--------------------------+--------------------+------------------+| | | | |+--+--------------------------+--------------------+------------------+|3 |Deleted 30/9/2001. | | |+--+--------------------------+--------------------+------------------+|4 |If the company intends to |358 million |349 million (being|| |buy back a maximum number | |less than 10 || |of shares - that number | |percent of the || | | |Company's issued || |Note: This requires a | |share capital at || |figure to be included, not| |30 June 2006 or at|| |a percentage. The | |any time during || |reference to a maximum | |the previous 12 || |number is to the total | |months) || |number including shares | | || |already bought back and | | || |shares remaining to be | | || |bought back. If the total | | || |has not changed, the item | | || |does not need to be | | || |completed. | | || | | | || | | | |+--+--------------------------+--------------------+------------------+ +----+-------------------------+------------------+------------------+| | |Column 1 |Column 2 || | | | || | |(Details announced|(Details of change|| | |to market in |to buy-back || | |Appendix 3C or |proposals) || | |last Appendix 3D) | |+----+-------------------------+------------------+------------------+| | | | |+----+-------------------------+------------------+------------------+|5 |If the company intends to| | || |buy back a maximum number| | || |of shares - the number | | || |remaining to be bought | | || |back | | |+----+-------------------------+------------------+------------------+|6 |If the company intends to|Up to and |Up to and || |buy-back shares within a |including 30 |including 30 || |period of time - that |September 2006 |September 2007 || |period of time; if the | | || |company intends that the | | || |buy-back be of unlimited | | || |duration - that intention| | |+----+-------------------------+------------------+------------------+|7 |If the company intends to| | || |buy back shares if | | || |conditions are met - | | || |those conditions | | |+----+-------------------------+------------------+------------------+ All buy-backs +---+--------------------------+------------------+------------------+|8 |Any other change | | |+---+--------------------------+------------------+------------------+| | | | |+---+--------------------------+------------------+------------------+|9 |Reason for change |Extension of the period of the || | |buy-back programme for capital || | |management purposes and reduction in || | |the maximum number of shares that may|| | |be bought back following the || | |cancellation of 95,950,979 shares on || | |3 April 2006. |+---+--------------------------+-------------------------------------+ +---+--------------------------+--------------------------------------+|10 |Any other information | || |material to a | || |shareholder's decision | || |whether to accept the | || |offer (eg, details of any | || |proposed takeover bid) | |+---+--------------------------+--------------------------------------+ Compliance statement 1. The company is in compliance with all Corporations Act requirementsrelevant to this buy-back. 2. There is no information that the listing rules require to be disclosed thathas not already been disclosed, or is not contained in, or attached to, thisform. Sign here: Date: 15 September 2006 Print name: K.J. WoodGroup Company Secretary BHP Billiton Limited ABN 49 004 028 077 BHP Billiton Plc Registration number 3196209 Registered in Australia Registered in England and Wales Registered Office: Level 27, 180 Lonsdale Street Registered Office: Neathouse Place London SW1V 1BH Melbourne Victoria 3000 United Kingdom Telephone +61 1300 554 757 Facsimile +61 3 9609 3015 Telephone +44 20 7802 4000 Facsimile +44 20 7802 4111 The BHP Billiton Group is headquartered in Australia END This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock ExchangeRelated Shares:
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