RNS Number:7491T
BHP Billiton Limited
31 December 2003

     BHP Billiton Limited is issuing this announcement to fulfil disclosure
  obligations arising from its secondary listing on the London Stock Exchange.

    The text of this release is identical to that issued by BHP Billiton Plc
                                    earlier.


Date                 31 December 2003
Number               41/03

                    BHP BILLITON SETTLES PIPELINE LITIGATION

BHP Billiton today announced that it was part of a consortium that had reached a
settlement with Dalmine SpA with respect to a claim brought against Dalmine in
April 1998. The claim followed the failure of an underwater pipeline installed
subsea in 1994 in the Liverpool Bay area of the UK continental shelf. The
pipeline failed in 1996, two months after being commissioned.

The terms of the settlement provide that a total of #108 million is to be paid
to the consortium.

BHP Billiton is a 46.1% shareholder in the Liverpool Bay development.


Further information on BHP Billiton can be found on our Internet site: 
http://www.bhpbilliton.com

Australia                                                     United Kingdom
Andrew Nairn, Investor Relations                              Mark Lidiard, Investor & Media Relations
Tel: +61 3 9609 3952                                          Tel: +44 20 7802 4156
email: Andrew.W.Nairn@bhpbilliton.com                         email: Mark.Lidiard@bhpbilliton.com

Tania Price, Media Relations
Tel: +61 3 9609 3815
email: Tania.Price@bhpbilliton.com

United States
Francis McAllister, Investor Relations
Tel: +1 713 961 8625 Mobile: +1 713 480 3699
email: Francis.R.McAllister@bhpbilliton.com

BHP Billiton Limited ABN 49 004 028 077                     BHP Billiton Plc Registration number 3196209
Registered in Australia                                     Registered in England and Wales
Registered Office: Level 27, 180 Lonsdale Street Melbourne  Registered Office: Neathouse Place London SW1V 1BH United
Victoria 3000                                               Kingdom
Telephone +61 1300 554 757 Facsimile +61 3 9609 3015        Telephone +44 20 7802 4000 Facsimile +44 20 7802 4111

The BHP Billiton Group is headquartered in Australia




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