BHP Billiton Limited (BHP) ASX:BHP plc:LON:PLN NYSE:BBL is the world's largest diversified resource company, with operations spanning several continents. It has interests in mineral exploration, production and processing, oil and gas exploration and development, steel production and merchandising. The company is a major producer of a range of commodities, most notably aluminum, base metals (copper), carbon steel materials (iron ore and coking coal), energy coal, petroleum, stainless steel materials (nickel and chrome) and diamonds (over 3 million carats, all of it coming from EKATI in Canada). The company was formed through the 2001 merger of BHP, an Australian company, and Billiton, which was operated from London with the majority of operations in South Africa. The merger was structured as a dual-listed companies (or DLC) merger. As a result, the two companies still technically exist as separate entities BHP Billiton Limited (formerly BHP) and BHP Billiton Plc (formerly Billiton) but share one board and one management team, which are headquartered in Melbourne, Australia. The pre-existing primary listings on the London and Australian stock exchanges are maintained, as are the secondary listings of BHP Billiton Plc on the Johannesburg and Paris stock exchanges. Like main competitor Rio Tinto BHP has corporate offices in both Australia and the UK (despite the fact that when they merged 58% of the new company was controlled by Australia's BHP).^[1] The company's fiscal year ends June 30, the BHP Billiton Group is listed in London and Australia as two entities sharing the same management but having distinct shareholders, BHP Billiton Limited (current article) appoint more of the higher management and board of directors while British based BHP Billiton plc has strong minority control of the company.

Largest domestic and international competitor Rio Tinto (US$ 41.825 billion in revenue in 2010 compared to US$52.798 billion for BHP) combined their iron ore operations in Western Australia (to be completed in the second half of 2010); the deal saves the companies US$10 billion in costs. The joint venture deal comes just after BHP attempted a hostile takeover of Rio Tinto during the economic crisis which was followed by an attempt by Chinalco of China to buy up to 19% of Rio Tinto.^[2]

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