BHP TO MERGE BHP MINERALS AND UTAH INTERNATIONAL

  The Broken Hill Pty Co Ltd &lt;BRKN.S>
  said it will merge its BHP Minerals division and &lt;Utah
  International Inc> into a single business unit under a common
  management structure.
      The merger will be effective June 1, coinciding with the
  retirement of Utah International chairman and chief executive
  Bud Wilson, BHP said in a statement.
      The new BHP-Utah Minerals International Group will be
  headed by Jim Curry as executive general manager and chief
  executive officer. Curry is currently executive vice-president
  of Utah International, BHP said.
      &lt;BHP Petroleum (Americas) Inc>, formerly part of Utah
  International, will become a subsidiary of BHP's renamed &lt;BHP
  Petroleum International>, now &lt;BHP Petroleum Pty Ltd>, the
  company said.
      BHP will also bring its Queensland coal operations under
  one management structure and consolidate minerals marketing and
  sales offices in various markets throughout the world.
      BHP acquired Utah from General Electric Co &lt;GE> in 1984.
      Utah's assets include stakes of 40.25 to 52.25 pct in seven
  large Central Queensland coking mines, 49 pct of the Samarco
  iron ore operation in Brazil, 60 pct of La Escondida copper
  deposit in Chile, the Island Copper mine at Port Hardy in
  Canada, 70 pct of a coal mine and 30 pct of a gold mine in
  South Africa and coal and other mines in the U.S.
      BHP Minerals' assets include wholly and partly-owned iron
  ore mines, coal mines, manganese and base-metal operations or
  prospects and 30 pct of the Ok Tedi gold-copper project in
  Papua New Guinea.
  

