BHP Coal Shipments Report for the Six Months Ended 30 November 1998.

MELBOURNE, Australia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 30, 1998--Shipments are from the coal mines owned by BHP or managed by BHP Coal Pty Ltd on behalf of the mine owners -- the CQCA Joint Venture, the Gregory Joint Venture, BHP Mitsui Coal Pty Ltd, PT Arutmin and PT Kendilo Coal, Indonesia. -0-

                        Total Coal Shipments (Thousands of Tonnes)
                      Three Months Ended          Six Months Ended
                          30 November                30 November
                     1998     1997    %Inc      1998     1997    %Inc
                                      (Dec)                      (Dec)
CQCA Joint Venture
 Blackwater         1,580    1,069    47.8     2,763    2,107    31.1
 Goonyella          1,864    1,971    (5.4)    3,517    3,635    (3.2)
 Peak Downs         1,648    1,793    (8.1)    3,055    3,248    (5.9)
 Saraji             1,159    1,034    12.1     2,339    2,033    15.1
 Norwich Park         774    1,341   (42.3)    1,823    2,526   (27.8)
                  -------  -------   ------  -------  -------   ------
Sub Total CQCA      7,025    7,208    (2.5)   13,497   13,549    (0.4)

Gregory Joint Venture

 Gregory/Crinum     1,012    1,377   (26.5)    2,168    2,191    (1.0)
BHP Mitsui Coal

 Moura                884    1,193   (25.9)    1,825    2,106   (13.3)
 Riverside            803      602    33.4     1,227    1,326    (7.5)
 Sth Walker Creek     511      220   132.3     1,015      462   119.7
 Sub Total
   BHP Mitsui Coal  2,198    2,015     9.1     4,067    3,894     4.4
Total Qld
   Operations      10,235   10,600    (3.4)   19,732   19,634     0.5
Mt Owen, NSW (1)        -      700  (100.0)        -    1,450  (100.0)
Illawarra
 Collieries         1,983    1,620    22.4     3,773    3,810    (1.0)
Western US
 Operations (2)     3,628    2,914    24.5     7,147    6,436    11.0
Indonesian
 Operations (3)     1,489    1,505    (1.1)    3,249    2,976     9.2
TOTAL BHP COAL     17,335   17,339     0.0    33,901   34,306    (1.2)

                     Shipments by Destinations (Thousands of Tonnes)
                       Three Months Ended         Six Months Ended
                           30 November               30 November
                    1998     %   1997     %   1998     %   1997     %

Japan              3,562  20.5  3,667  21.1  7,705  22.7  7,910  23.1
Europe             3,643  21.0  3,066  17.7  6,182  18.2  5,551  16.2
Indian Sub
 -continent          869   5.0  1,177   6.8  2,045   6.0  2,148   6.3
Other Asia         2,319  13.4  2,606  15.0  4,290  12.7  4,799  14.0
Sth America          714   4.1  1,018   5.9  1,711   5.0  1,607   4.7
Australia          2,257  13.0  2,186  12.6  3,959  11.7  4,348  12.7
USA                3,628  20.9  2,914  16.8  7,147  21.1  6,436  18.8

Other                343   2.0    705   4.1    862   2.5  1,507   4.4
TOTAL             17,335   100 17,339   100 33,901   100 34,306   100

(1)  Mt Owen mine was sold to interests led by Glencore International
     AG in May 1998.

(2)  BHP's Western US coal operations became part of the BHP Coal
     Group in August 1998. They comprise three thermal coal mines in
     New Mexico supplying mine mouth power plants.

(3)  After 13.5% share to Indonesian Government.