Melbourne-headquartered, UK and Australian-listed BHP's most important asset is its Pilbara iron ore operation. It also mines nickel in the Goldfields, produces gas for WA at Macedon and owns a share of the North West Shelf LNG and Scarborough projects.
Decommissioning
Offshore regulator NOPSEMA has had enough of BHP's "limited action" and ordered the decommissioning of three fields, adding to the cleanup bill heading towards Woodside shareholders.
Energy Transition
Woodside and BHP have responded to the energy transition by heading in opposite directions. Here are 13 takeaways about Woodside's future. They will need some luck.
Decommissioning
If Woodside absorbs BHP's oil & gas assets new laws ensure the massive decommissioning liability falls to one of the companies, not the Australian taxpayer, unlike the Northern Endeavour.
Gas
BHP and Woodside are negotiating the complete transfer of BHP oil and gas assets in exchange for Woodside shares, but the deal is not done, indicating last-minute brinksmanship across the negotiation table.
Analysis
Speculation is mounting of a big Woodside-BHP deal next week. There may be lessons from South32, another destination for BHP's unwanted assets.
Woodside Petroleum
Buying BHP’s Australian oil and gas assets could allow Woodside to escape its lost decade, but its shareholders and Australian taxpayers should count their fingers after the handshake.
Pilbara Summit 2021
WA's iron ore miners must develop wind power and drop decades of rivalry to share transmission networks to meet their emissions reduction targets, according to Alinta Energy.
Carbon Emissions
BHP's climate target excludes the Bass Strait, North West Shelf and future Scarborough LNG on the incorrect basis that the operator controls the emissions, not the joint owners.
Decommissioning
Bass Strait partners ExxonMobil and BHP must plug 180 wells, dismantle ten platforms and tackle life-threatening corrosion after intervention by offshore safety regulator NOPSEMA.
Shipping
In the race to decarbonise iron ore shipping Rio and BHP are chasing incremental improvements with LNG while Andrew Forrest's Fortescue wants zero-emission green ammonia ASAP.
Carbon Emissions
WA's industrial greenhouse gas emissions are dominated by four products and a handful of companies, including a few that have managed to keep a low profile in the climate wars.
Woodside Petroleum
The next Woodside chief executive will be the first to decide what to do apart from gas. Low-profile BHP Petroleum head Geraldine Slattery is a lead contender to take charge of this pivotal WA company.
Carbon Emissions
Andrew Forrest has put his iron ore miner FMG on a fast track to net-zero emissions by 2030. Achieving high speed on a rocky road will not be easy.
Decommissioning
Resources Minister Keith Pitt warned ExxonMobil ceo Darren Woods he would tighten rules for selling offshore oil and gas assets and shortly after the US major canned its Bass Strait exit.
LNG
Tomorrow Peter Coleman must convince investment analysts that Woodside has a credible growth plan with Scarborough LNG, and that will take more than spin about a few approvals.
Carbon Emissions
Hydrogen is at the back of the queue in BHP's efforts to decarbonize mining, after cleaner electricity, in-pit crushing and trolley-assist trucks.