Court clash looms on BHP seabed ban THE Northern Territory government has effectively revoked exploration tenements granted to BHP Billiton and two other companies, exposing it to huge compensation claims and threatening the NT's reputation as being "open for business." The Australian understands that one of the companies, listed junior Perth miner Northern Manganese, has lodged a claim with the NT government for what some might consider an ambit claim of more than $1 billion in compensation over the shock decision in June to impose a ban on seabed mining off Groote Eylandt in the Gulf of Carpentaria.