Madhumitha Jaganmohan
Research expert covering climate and environmental sustainability
BHP - statistics & facts
BHP, formerly known as BHP Billiton, was formed as a result of the 2001 merger between BHP (Broken Hill Propriety Company Limited) and Billiton, is one of the world’s leading producers of several commodities, including copper, iron ore, and uranium, as well as having interests in oil, natural gas, and coal. As of May 2024, BHP had the highest market capitalization of any mining company in the world. The multinational company is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, and is one of the most valuable Australian brands.
BHP's key company figures
With operations located mainly in Australia and the Americas, BHP is both an extractor and processor of minerals, oil, and natural gas. In 2024, the annual revenue of BHP amounted to approximately 55.6 billion U.S. dollars, a slight increase from the company's revenue the previous year. Moreover, being one of the largest mining companies worldwide, BHP's market capitalization amounted to some 160 billion U.S. dollars as of 2024. There were 42,319 employees of BHP as of 2023 globally, with the greatest share of the employees working in in Australia.BHP company segments
There were three reportable segments of BHP: Iron Ore, Copper, and Coal as of 2024. BHP also has a segment called Group and unallocated items/eliminations that includes the company's functions, other unallocated operations including potash, Nickel West, and legacy assets (which were previously disclosed as mines in the Petroleum segment), and consolidation adjustments. The most profitable of the segments as of the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024 was the Iron Ore segment, which generated a revenue of 27.9 billion U.S. dollars that year.BHP's bad press
Being a large global mining company, BHP is not free of controversy. In November 2015, a mine waste water dam in south-eastern Brazil that was jointly owned by BHP and Vale collapsed. It killed at least 17 people, injured more than 50 people, and caused devastating environmental damage to the surrounding area.
