BHP Group Regulatory News (BHP)

BHP RESULTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2019

Safety and sustainability: Our highest priority

·; Tragically we had a fatality at Saraji in Queensland in December 2018. This was despite improvements in our safety leading indicators with increased proactive hazard reporting and in-field safety leadership engagements.

Value and returns: Record US$17 billion of total announced returns to shareholders for the year

·; Record final dividend of 78 US cents per share, which includes an additional amount of 25 US cents per share (equivalent to US$1.3 billion) above the 50% minimum payout policy. Total ordinary dividends announced of US$1.33 per share or US$6.7 billion, equivalent to a 74% payout ratio.

·; Onshore US sales process completed, with net proceeds of US$10.4 billion returned to shareholders through a combination of an off-market buy-back (A$27.64 per share) and a special dividend (US$1.02 per share).

·; Underlying return on capital employed(i), excluding Onshore US assets, of 18%.

Maximise cash flow: Strong free cash flow generation and high margin

·; Attributable profit of US$8.3 billion and Underlying attributable profit(i) of US$9.1 billion up 2% from the prior year.

·; Profit from operations of US$16.1 billion and Underlying EBITDA(i) of US$23.2 billion at a margin(i) of 53% for continuing operations.

·; Net operating cash flow of US$17.4 billion and free cash flow(i) of US$10.0 billion from continuing operations.

Capital discipline: Investment in high returning projects, exploration success and strong balance sheet

·; Capital and exploration expenditure(i) within guidance at US$7.6 billion. Guidance unchanged for the 2020 financial year at below US$8 billion. In accordance with our Capital Allocation Framework, we expect capital and exploration expenditure to be approximately US$8 billion for the 2021 financial year.

·; At the end of the year, we had five major projects under development that are all tracking to plan. The Ruby (Trinidad and Tobago) oil and gas development was approved in August 2019.

·; In exploration, seven out of nine petroleum wells drilled encountered hydrocarbons over the year, across Trinidad and Tobago, Mexico and the US Gulf of Mexico, and acreage acquired in the Orphan Basin (offshore Canada). We increased our early stage optionality in copper with three new investments completed across Canada, Mexico and Ecuador, in addition to a stake acquired in SolGold (Ecuador). Further evaluation of the Oak Dam discovery (Australia) is underway.

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·; Net debt(i) of US$9.2 billion, down by US$1.7 billion, reflects continued strong free cash flow. The application of IFRS 16 Leases, inclusion of derivatives and new leases increases net debt by US$3.8 billion in the 2020 financial year. As a result, we have revised our net debt target range from US$10 to US$15 billion to US$12 to US$17 billion. We expect net debt to remain at the lower end of this range in the near term. There is no change to underlying cash flows.

Results for the year ended 30 June 2019

BHP Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Mackenzie:

"Today we announced a record final dividend of 78 US cents per share, or US$3.9 billion. This is on top of a record US$17 billion already returned to shareholders in the 2019 financial year.

Our performance over the past five years has delivered an increase in volumes of 10 per cent and a reduction in unit costs of more than 20 per cent across our major assets. Over the 2019 financial year, underlying improvements in our operational performance were offset by the impacts of weather, resource headwinds and unplanned outages in the first half of the year. At Western Australia Iron Ore, unit costs on a C1 basis were below US$13 per tonne for the 2019 financial year.

Higher prices and record production from several of our operations contributed to strong operating cash flows. We used that cash to invest in attractive growth projects, advance our exploration programs and increase returns to shareholders. We now have six major projects under development in petroleum, copper, iron ore and potash, following the approval of the Ruby oil and gas development this month. All of them are on schedule and budget.

This disciplined approach sets us up to deliver strong returns over the long term. Our transformation programs have the potential to unlock significant value through more productive and stable operations, as we embrace new ways of working and harness new technology.

We enter the 2020 financial year with positive momentum and a strong outlook for both volume and cost."

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Our highest priority is the health and safety of our employees and contractors, and that of the broader communities in which we operate. Tragically, one of our colleagues died at our Saraji mine in Queensland in December 2018. Our investigation of the incident has been completed, and we are in the process of implementing lessons learnt across the business. The frequency rate for high potential injuries, which are injury events where there was the potential for a fatality, declined by 18 per cent over the 2019 financial year(ii). Our Total Recordable Injury Frequency (TRIF) was 4.7 per million hours worked(ii), seven per cent higher than the previous year predominantly relating to minor injuries with low potential severity. We continued to focus on leading indicators to improve our safety performance, with further increases in proactive hazard reporting from the workforce and in-field safety leadership engagements throughout the 2019 financial year.

We are resolute in our determination that all of our people go home safe, every day. Our transformation programs, focus on asset integrity and our ongoing commitment to safety leadership across the company, will help us achieve this.

We continue to take action on climate change and are well placed to meet our five-year target to maintain total operational greenhouse gas emissions at or below 2017 financial year levels. Our operational greenhouse gas emissions totalled 14.2 Mt CO2-e on a continuing operations basis for the 2019 financial year(iii), a three per cent decrease compared to our 2017 financial year baseline (excluding Onshore US). Operational greenhouse gas emissions (including Onshore US) totalled 14.7 Mt CO2-e for the 2019 financial year.

We invested US$93 million in social and environmental projects (including donations) that contribute to an improved quality of life in the communities where we operate, meeting our social investment target.

BHP remains committed to supporting the Renova Foundation with the recovery of communities and ecosystems affected by the Samarco tragedy.

Resettlement of the Bento Rodrigues, Paracatu and Gesteira communities remains one of the Renova Foundation's priority social programs and they continue to engage and consult with a large number of stakeholders. Increases to the technical scope for resettlement of the communities and licencing delays from authorities have impacted the timeline for completion, however, construction of the resettlement sites continues to progress. At Bento Rodrigues, construction of housing and a public school is underway, while infrastructure works are progressing; at Paracatu, earthworks to prepare the town site have started; and at Gesteria, the urban plan is being designed in consultation with the community.

Under the compensation program, more than 8,700 general damages claims have been resolved, in addition to approximately 260,000 claims for temporary interruption to water supplies resolved immediately following the dam failure. The Renova Foundation continues to assist 13,160 families with income support. River stabilisation is largely completed, while other river remediation works continue to progress, including improvements in water quality and re-vegetation of riverbanks and floodplains. In May 2019, Brazil's National Sanitary Surveillance Agency (ANVISA) attested to the safe consumption in certain quantities of fish and crustaceans from the Doce River basin and coastal region.

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BHP continues to support Samarco in its efforts to restart, provided it is safe, economically viable and has the support of the community. To restart, Samarco also requires the necessary licencing approvals and the funding for restart preparation works.

Samarco is currently progressing plans for the accelerated decommissioning of its upstream tailings dams in the Germano dam complex following legislative changes in Brazil. This accelerated timing has resulted in BHP recognising a provision for decommissioning of US$263 million. Combined with the impact of US$586 million related to updated assumptions for the lifting of the fishing ban, financial assistance and compensation programs and resettlement of communities, and other movements, BHP recorded a total income statement charge of US$1.1 billion (after tax) in relation to the Samarco dam failure for the 2019 financial year. This charge is recognised as an exceptional item. Additional commentary is included on page 37.

·; Attributable profit of US$8.3 billion includes an exceptional loss of US$818 million (2018: US$3.7 billion, which includes a US$5.2 billion exceptional loss). The 2019 financial year exceptional loss is related to the Samarco dam failure, partially offset by the reversal of provisions for global taxation matters which were resolved during the period.

·; Underlying attributable profit of US$9.1 billion (2018: US$8.9 billion).

·; Profit from operations (continuing operations) of US$16.1 billion (2018: US$16.0 billion) increased as a result of higher prices, lower depreciation and amortisation charges and the favourable impacts of exchange rate movements, offset by the impact from resource headwinds (copper grade decline, petroleum natural field decline and higher coal strip ratios), production outages, and adverse weather (including Tropical Cyclone Veronica).

·; Underlying EBITDA (continuing operations) of US$23.2 billion (2018: US$23.2 billion), with higher prices and favourable exchange rate movements offset by higher costs (including outages), inflation, the impact of weather, and other net movements.

·; Underlying EBITDA margin (continuing operations) of 53 per cent (2018: 55 per cent).

·; Underlying return on capital employed of 16.1 per cent (2018: 14.4 per cent), or 18.0 per cent excluding Onshore US.

·; Improvements in our operational performance (record volumes at Jimblebar; record throughput at our Chilean copper assets; record production at South Walker Creek and Poitrel) were offset by significant resource headwinds (grade decline at our copper assets; higher strip ratios at our coal assets; natural field decline in petroleum) and the impact of unplanned production outages in the first half of the 2019 financial year.

·; We achieved unit cost(i) guidance at Petroleum, Escondida and Western Australia Iron Ore (WAIO).WAIO unit costs, on a C1 basis excluding third party royalties, were lower than the prior year at US$12.86 per tonne, despite the impact from the Tropical Cyclone Veronica. Queensland Coal and New South Wales Energy Coal (NSWEC) unit costs were marginally above guidance (based on exchange rate of AUD/USD 0.75).

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·; Unit cost guidance for the 2020 financial year (based on exchange rates of AUD/USD 0.70 and USD/CLP 683) reflects: natural field decline at Conventional Petroleum; lower copper grades, lower by-product credits and higher deferred stripping costs at Escondida; maintenance strategies to improve equipment reliability at WAIO; and increased wash plant maintenance and inflationary pressures at Queensland Coal.

·; Historical costs and guidance are summarised below:

(1) FY20 and medium-term unit cost guidance are based on exchange rates of AUD/USD 0.70 and USD/CLP 683.

(2) Average exchange rates for 2019 of AUD/USD 0.72 and USD/CLP 673.

(3) FY19 unit costs at guidance exchange rates of AUD/USD 0.75 and USD/CLP 663.

·; Underlying improvements in productivity of US$1.0 billion were offset by the impact of unplanned production outages of US$0.8 billion during the December 2018 half year, in addition to grade decline at Escondida of US$0.8 billion and higher unit costs in coal (lower volumes, wet weather, and higher strip ratio and contractor stripping costs) and Nickel West (mine plan changes) of US$0.4 billion. Overall, a negative movement of US$1.0 billion was recorded for the 2019 financial year.

·; Production and guidance are summarised below:

(1) Other copper comprises Pampa Norte, Olympic Dam and Antamina.

(2) Increase in BHP's share of volumes reflects the expiry of the Wheelarra Joint Venture sublease in March 2018, with control of the sublease area reverted to the Jimblebar Joint Venture, which is accounted for on a consolidated basis with minority interest adjustments.

·; Group copper equivalent production declined by two per cent(iv), with annual production records at two petroleum and four minerals operations offset by grade and natural field decline, weather-related interruptions and unplanned outages.

·; Group copper equivalent production for the 2020 financial year is expected to be slightly higher than the 2019 financial year(iv), despite an expected seven per cent decline in petroleum volumes largely due to natural field decline.

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·; Net operating cash flows (continuing operations) of US$17.4 billion (2018: US$17.6 billion) reflect strong commodity prices offset by increased costs and higher Australian and Chilean income tax payments in the 2019 financial year.

·; Free cash flow (continuing operations) of US$10.0 billion, after investment of US$7.4 billion. Total free cash flow of US$20.5 billion, including US$10.4 billion of proceeds from the sale of Onshore US.

·; Our balance sheet remains strong, with net debt at US$9.2 billion at 30 June 2019 (31 December 2018: US$9.9 billion; 30 June 2018: US$10.9 billion). The reduction of US$1.7 billion in net debt reflects strong free cash flow generation, including proceeds received from the sale of Onshore US, partially offset by record returns to shareholders of US$16.6 billion, dividends paid to non-controlling interests of US$1.2 billion and an unfavourable non-cash fair value adjustment of US$0.4 billion related to interest rate and exchange rate movements(v).

·; The application of IFRS 16 Leases from 1 July 2019 will increase the Group's assets and liabilities by approximately US$2.3 billion as operating leases and certain other leases are recognised on the balance sheet. A change in our definition of net debt to include the fair value of derivatives used to hedge foreign exchange and interest rate risks relating to net debt (which are recognised in other financial assets and other financial liabilities on the balance sheet) will also increase net debt by US$0.2 billion. Had these changes, which have a combined impact of approximately US$2.5 billion, been in effect at 30 June 2019, net debt would have been approximately US$11.7 billion. Additional new leases commencing in the 2020 financial year (including the Spence Growth Option desalination plant and renewals of existing lease arrangements) are expected to increase net debt by a further US$1.3 billion to bring the overall increase to US$3.8 billion. Included within leases are vessel lease contracts that are priced with reference to a freight index that can be volatile. While these contracts make up less than a quarter of the total lease liability balance on 1 July 2019, they must be remeasured at each reporting date and could potentially cause significant movements in lease assets, lease liabilities and net debt. Reflecting these impacts, the Group has revised its net debt target range from US$10 to US$15 billion, to US$12 to US$17 billion. There is no change to the Group's underlying cash flows.

·; We remain committed to a strong balance sheet through the commodity price cycle, and expect net debt to remain at the lower end of the revised target range in the near term.

·; Gearing ratio(i) of 15.1 per cent (31 December 2018: 15.2 per cent; 30 June 2018: 15.3 per cent).

·; On 17 December 2018, a US$5.2 billion off-market buy-back of BHP Group Limited shares was successfully completed and enabled the buy-back of 265.8 million shares at A$27.64 per share. On 30 January 2019, a special dividend of US$1.02 per share, representing the balance of US$5.2 billion of the net proceeds from the sale of Onshore US, was paid to shareholders.

·; The dividend policy provides for a minimum 50 per cent payout of Underlying attributable profit at every reporting period. The minimum dividend payment for the June 2019 half year period is 53 US cents per share, or US$2.7 billion.

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·; The Board has determined to pay an additional amount of 25 US cents per share or US$1.3 billion, taking the final dividend to a record 78 US cents per share. This is equivalent to a 73 per cent payout ratio(2018: 69 per cent).

·; In total, dividends of US$11.9 billion (US$2.35 per share) have been determined for the 2019 financial year, including the special dividend of US$5.2 billion (US$1.02 per share) and an additional amount of US$2.2 billion above the minimum payout policy.

·; This brings the total announced cash returns to shareholders for the 2019 financial year to US$17.1 billion.

·; Capital and exploration expenditure of US$7.6 billion in the 2019 financial year was within guidance. This included maintenance expenditure(vi) of US$2.0 billion and exploration of US$873 million.

·; Capital and exploration expenditure guidance for the 2020 financial year is unchanged at below US$8 billion. Capital and exploration expenditure of approximately US$8 billion is expected for the 2021 financial year. Guidance is subject to exchange rate movements.

·; This guidance includes a US$0.9 billion exploration program in the 2020 financial year, with US$0.7 billion for petroleum exploration and appraisal expenditure.

·; Historical capital and exploration expenditure and guidance are summarised below:

(1) Includes capitalised deferred stripping of US$1.0 billion for FY19 (FY18: US$880 million) and US$0.8 billion for FY20.

(2) Conventional Petroleum capital expenditure for FY20 includes US$1.1 billion of development and US$0.1 billion of maintenance.

·; Average annual sustaining capital expenditure guidance over the medium term, excluding costs associated with our Value Chain Automation program, is unchanged for WAIO and Queensland Coal and forecast to be approximately:

- US$4 per tonne for WAIO, including the capital cost for South Flank; and

- US$8 per tonne for Queensland Coal.

·; NSWEC sustaining capital expenditure guidance has increased from US$5 per tonne to US$6 per tonne as a result of lower than expected volumes in the medium term, as we focus on higher quality products.

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·; Our three latent capacity projects under development are tracking to plan:

- Escondida Water Supply Extension project is expected to deliver first water in the 2020 financial year;

- West Barracouta project is expected to achieve first production in the 2021 calendar year; and

- WAIO to sustainably achieve supply chain capacity of 290 Mtpa over the medium-term.

·; At the end of the 2019 financial year, BHP had five major projects under development in petroleum, copper, iron ore and potash, with a combined budget of US$11.1 billion over the life of the projects. All projects remain on time and on budget.

- The Spence Growth Option project remains on budget and is expected to achieve first production in the first half of the 2021 financial year.

·; On 7 August 2019, the BHP Board approved an investment of US$283 million (BHP share) for the development of the Ruby oil and gas project in Trinidad and Tobago.

·; BHP continues to progress feasibility studies on the phased roll-out of autonomous haul trucks across a number of our Australian operations (coal and iron ore). In accordance with our Capital Allocation Framework, a decision on the deployment of autonomous trucks will be made on a site by site basis, considering return and risk metrics, as we look to replicate the improvement in haulage costs and reduction in safety incidents seen at Jimblebar.

·; Major projects are summarised below:

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(1) Unless noted otherwise, references to capacity are on a 100 per cent basis, references to capital expenditure from subsidiaries are reported on a 100 per cent basis and references to capital expenditure from joint operations reflects BHP's share.

(2) Potash capital expenditure of approximately US$215 million is expected for FY20.

Adherence to our Capital Allocation Framework aims to balance value creation, cash returns to shareholders and balance sheet strength in a transparent and consistent manner.

(1) Includes dividends paid to non-controlling interests of US$(1.2) billion (FY18: US$(1.6) billion); net investment and funding of equity accounted investments of US$(0.6) billion (FY18: US$0.2 billion); excludes exploration expenses of US$0.5 billion (FY18: US$0.6 billion) which is classified as organic development in accordance with the Capital Allocation Framework; total net cash outflow of US$1.3 billion (FY18: US$0.8 billion).

(2) Includes a special dividend of US$5.2 billion (US$1.02 per share) paid in January 2019.

The global economy grew by around 3¾ per cent in the 2018 calendar year, with a notable pick up in the US economy, and resilient growth in China. We expect global growth to register near the lower end of a range of 3¼ per cent to 3¾ per cent for the 2019 calendar year. Any further escalation in trade protection or loss of business confidence is a downside risk for consensus views of the world economy, commodity demand and energy and metals prices in the 2020 financial year. We actively consider the plausibility of this outcome in our range analysis.

We continue to expect China's economic growth to slow modestly in the 2019 calendar year to around 6¼ per cent. The negative impact of weaker exports is expected to be partially offset by easier monetary and fiscal policy. China's policymakers are likely to seek a balance between the pursuit of reform and maintenance of macroeconomic and financial stability. Over the longer term, we expect China's economic growth rate to decelerate as the working age population falls and the capital stock matures.

The US performed strongly in the 2018 calendar year but near-term prospects are less certain. The expansionary impact of tax cuts is expected to progressively fade and trade policies remain unpredictable. The European and Japanese economies have slowed and we expect growth to be modest next year. In India, growth prospects remain solid.

Global steel production has maintained healthy growth in the second half of the 2019 financial year, continuing the upswing from the trough towards the end of the 2015 calendar year. However, the growth profile has become unbalanced recently, with robust expansion in China and the US offsetting weakness in Europe and Japan. As anticipated, steel mill margins have begun to normalise. We expect iron ore quality differentiation to remain a durable element in price formation for steel making raw materials.

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The Platts 62% Fe Iron Ore Fines price index has been elevated since the Brumadinho tailings dam tragedy in Brazil first disrupted the market in late January 2019. The lump premium has also been strong. In addition to the decline in Brazilian exports, prices have responded to stronger than expected Chinese pig iron production and cyclone disruptions to Australian supply. We expect supply conditions will return to a more normal path on a one to three year timeframe, and prices are likely to be volatile as that adjustment plays out. In the longer term, the marginal price setting tonne will be provided by a higher-cost, lower value-in-use exporter from Australia or Brazil.

The Platts Premium Low-Volatile Metallurgical Coal price index reached a high in the middle of the 2019 financial year amid supply constraints in Queensland. Prices eased from the peak on weaker European demand and improved Australian supply. China's import policies remain a source of uncertainty. Longer term, we expect India to sustain strong demand growth, while high-quality metallurgical coals are expected to continue to offer steelmakers value-in-use benefits.

Copper prices have been heavily influenced by swings in global trade uncertainty in the second half of the 2019 financial year. Against this backdrop, we believe underlying fundamentals remain sound. Copper demand should grow steadily. Grade decline, rising input costs, water constraints and a scarcity of high-quality future development opportunities continue to constrain the industry's ability to meet this growing demand at low cost. Scrap supply and aluminium substitution are constraints on the upside.

Nickel prices have also been heavily affected by trade uncertainty in the second half of the 2019 financial year. In our view, growth in supply should keep pace with demand from traditional uses in the near term. The electrification of transport will require on-going investment in new sources of supply in the coming decades.

Crude oil prices were volatile in the second half of the 2019 financial year. Swings in global growth expectations, strategic behaviour of major producers, falling production in Venezuela and Iran, and geopolitical risk, all contributed to price volatility over the last six months. The fundamental outlook remains positive, underpinned by rising demand from the developing world and natural field decline in supply.

The Japan-Korea Marker price for LNG was lower on average in the second half of the 2019 financial year, reflecting slower growth in North Asian demand and a large increment of new supply from project ramp-ups. Longer term, we expect LNG to grow faster than overall gas demand, with price formation progressing towards global harmonisation.

Potash prices continued their gradual upward trend in the second half of the 2019 financial year, but weakness has recently started to appear in some markets. Regional demand has been mixed in the 2019 calendar year to date, with China the positive standout. We expect annual demand growth of two to three per cent over the next decade, resulting in demand exceeding available supply from on-stream, latent and forthcoming capacity by the mid-to-late 2020s.

The following table and commentary describes the impact of the principal factors(i) that affected Underlying EBITDA for the 2019 financial year compared with the 2018 financial year:

Underlying improvements in productivity of US$1.0 billion were offset by the impact of unplanned production outages of US$0.8 billion during the December 2018 half year; higher than expected unit costs at Queensland Coal (lower volumes, wet weather and increased contractor stripping costs), New South Wales Energy Coal (higher strip ratio and contractor stripping costs) and Nickel West (mine plan changes) of US$0.4 billion; and grade decline at Escondida of US$0.8 billion. Overall, a negative movement in productivity of US$1.0 billion was recorded for the 2019 financial year.

The following table reconciles relevant factors with changes in the Group's productivity:

The average realised prices achieved for our major commodities are summarised in the following table and are presented on a continuing operations basis:

(1) Based on provisional, unaudited estimates. Prices exclude sales from equity accounted investments, third party product and internal sales, and represent the weighted average of various sales terms (for example: FOB, CIF and CFR), unless otherwise noted. Includes the impact of provisional pricing and finalisation adjustments.

(2) Includes internal sales.

(3) Comparative financial information has been restated for the new accounting standard, IFRS 15 Revenue from Contracts with Customers, which became effective from 1 July 2018.

(4) Hard coking coal (HCC) refers generally to those metallurgical coals with a Coke Strength after Reaction (CSR) of 35 and above, which includes coals across the spectrum from Premium Coking to Semi Hard Coking coals, while weak coking coal (WCC) refers generally to those metallurgical coals with a CSR below 35.

(5) Export sales only; excludes Cerrejón. Includes thermal coal sales from metallurgical coal mines.

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In Copper, the provisional pricing and finalisation adjustments decreased Underlying EBITDA by US$242 million in the 2019 financial year and is included in the average realised copper price in the above table.

The following exchange rates relative to the US dollar have been applied in the financial information:

(1) Displayed as US$ to A$1 based on common convention.

Depreciation, amortisation and impairments decreased by US$528 million to US$6.1 billion, reflecting lower depreciation and amortisation at Petroleum (lower volumes at Shenzi and an increase in estimated remaining reserves at Atlantis), lower depreciation at Escondida (increase in asset life of the Escondida Water Supply project), and lower impairment charges compared to the previous period (predominantly related to conveyors at Escondida).

Net finance costs decreased by US$181 million to US$1.1 billion mainly due to higher interest earned on increased term deposit holdings and a lower average debt balance following the repayment on maturity of Group debt.

(1) Refer exceptional items below for further details.

The Group's adjusted effective tax rate, which excludes the influence of exchange rate movements and exceptional items, was 36.0 per cent (2018: 31.4 per cent). The adjusted effective tax rate is above 30 per cent primarily due to profits being subject to rates of tax higher than 30 per cent (for example, Australian petroleum projects and Chilean operations), a reduction in US tax credits related to Chilean taxes and an increase in provision for tax disputes. The adjusted effective tax rate is expected to be in the range of 33 to 38 per cent for the 2020 financial year.

Other royalty and excise arrangements which are not profit based are recognised as operating costs within Profit before taxation. These amounted to US$2.5 billion during the period (2018: US$2.2 billion).

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On 19 November 2018, BHP settled its long-standing transfer pricing dispute relating to its marketing operations in Singapore with the Australian Taxation Office. The settlement fully resolved all prior years and provides certainty in relation to the future Australian taxation treatment of BHP's marketing operations. The settlement did not involve any admission of tax avoidance by BHP. As part of the settlement, BHP paid a total of approximately A$529 million in additional taxes for the prior years, being 2003 to 2018 (BHP paid A$328 million of this amount when the amended assessments were received in prior years, with the balance of A$201 million paid in the December 2018 quarter). From the 2020 financial year, all profits made in Singapore in relation to the Australian assets owned by BHP Group Limited will be fully subject to Australian tax under the Controlled Foreign Company tax rules, due to a change in ownership of the main marketing entity.

The following table sets out the exceptional items for the 2019 financial year. Additional commentary is included on page 33.

(1) Refer to note 1 Exceptional items and note 8 Significant events - Samarco dam failure of the Financial Information for further information.

(2) Financial impact of US$242 million relates to the reversal of provisions for global taxation matters which were resolved during the period. Refer to note 1 Exceptional items of the Financial Information for further information.

During the 2019 financial year, the Group's gross debt decreased from US$26.8 billion at 30 June 2018 to US$24.8 billion at 30 June 2019. This was mainly due to the redemption of US$2.4 billion of debt (consisting of €1.3 billion of European medium term notes and US$0.8 billion of senior notes, which matured in November 2018 and April 2019 respectively), partially offset by a fair value adjustment of US$0.4 billion related to interest rate and exchange rate movements.

The Group has a US$6.0 billion commercial paper program backed by a US$6.0 billion revolving credit facility, which expires in May 2021. As at 30 June 2019, the Group had no outstanding US commercial paper, no drawn amount under the revolving credit facility and US$15.6 billion in cash and cash equivalents.

Our Board today determined to pay a final dividend of 78 US cents per share. The final dividend to be paid by BHP Group Limited will be fully franked for Australian taxation purposes.

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BHP's Dividend Reinvestment Plan (DRP) will operate in respect of the final dividend. Full terms and conditions of the DRP and details about how to participate can be found at: bhp.com

BHP Group Plc shareholders registered on the South African section of the register will not be able to dematerialise or rematerialise their shareholdings between the dates of 4 September and 6 September 2019 (inclusive), and transfers between the UK register and the South African register will not be permitted between the dates of 30 August and 6 September 2019 (inclusive). American Depositary Shares (ADSs) each represent two fully paid ordinary shares and receive dividends accordingly. Details of the currency exchange rates applicable for the dividend will be announced to the relevant stock exchanges following conversion and will appear on the Group's website.

Any eligible shareholder who wishes to participate in the DRP, or to vary a participation election should do so in accordance with the timetable above, or, in the case of shareholdings on the South African branch register of BHP Group Plc, in accordance with the instructions of your CSDP. The DRP Allocation Price will be calculated in each jurisdiction as an average of the price paid for each share actually purchased to satisfy DRP elections. The Allocation Price applicable to each stock exchange will made available at: bhp.com/DRP

On 19 March 2019, we announced the appointment of Ian Cockerill and Susan Kilsby to the BHP Board as independent Non-executive Directors, effective 1 April 2019.

The current members of the Board's committees are:

(1) Senior Independent Director (SID).

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Segment summary(1)

A summary of performance for the 2019 and 2018 financial years is presented below. Unless otherwise noted, information in this section has been presented on a continuing operations basis to exclude the contribution from Onshore US.

(1) Group and segment level information is reported on a statutory basis which, in relation to Underlying EBITDA, includes depreciation, amortisation and impairments, net finance costs and taxation expense of US$505 million (2018: US$618 million) related to equity accounted investments. It excludes exceptional items of US$945 million (2018: US$509 million) related to share of loss from equity accounted investments, related impairments and expenses. Refer to note 1 Exceptional items and note 8 Significant events - Samarco dam failure of the Financial Information for further information.

Group profit before taxation comprised Underlying EBITDA, exceptional items, depreciation, amortisation and impairments of US$7,045 million (2018: US$7,187 million) and net finance costs of US$1,064 million (2018: US$1,245 million).

(2) Revenue is based on Group realised prices and includes third party products. Sale of third party products by the Group contributed revenue of US$1,198 million and Underlying EBITDA of US$129 million (2018: US$1,436 million and US$62 million).

(3) For more information on the reconciliation of certain alternative performance measures to our statutory measures, reasons for usefulness and calculation methodology, please refer to alternative performance measures set on pages 45 and 54.

(4) Exceptional items of US$(952) million excludes net finance costs of US$(108) million included in the total US$(1,060) million related to the Samarco dam failure. Refer to note 1 Exceptional items and note 8 Significant events - Samarco dam failure of the Financial Information for further information.

(5) Includes US$357 million capitalised exploration (2018: US$233 million).

(6) Includes US$21 million of exploration expenditure previously capitalised, written off as impaired (included in depreciation and amortisation) (2018: US$76 million).

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(7) Group and unallocated items includes Functions, other unallocated operations including Potash, Nickel West and consolidation adjustments. Revenue not attributable to reportable segments comprises the sale of freight and fuel to third parties. Exploration and technology activities are recognised within the relevant segments.

(8) Comprises revenue of US$77 million generated by Petroleum (2018: US$75 million) and US$4 million generated by Iron Ore (2018: US$13 million).

(9) Comparative financial information has been restated for the new accounting standard, IFRS15 Revenue from Contracts with Customers, which became effective from 1 July 2018.

Underlying EBITDA for Petroleum, excluding Onshore US, increased by US$460 million to US$3.8 billion in the 2019 financial year.

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Conventional Petroleum unit costs increased by five per cent to US$10.54 per barrel of oil equivalent due to additional planned maintenance, partially offset by higher volumes. Unit costs in the 2020 financial year are expected to be between US$10.50 and US$11.50 per barrel (based on an exchange rate of AUD/USD 0.70) reflecting the impact of lower volumes, partially offset by lower maintenance activities at our Australian assets. In the medium term, we expect an increase in unit costs to less than US$13 per barrel (based on an exchange rate of AUD/USD 0.70) as a result of natural field decline.

(1) Conventional Petroleum assets exclude divisional activities reported in Other and closed mining and smelting operations in Canada and the United States.

(2) Exploration expense represents conventional Petroleum's share of total exploration expense.

(3) Other includes non-cash profit on sales of assets, inventory movements, foreign exchange, provision for onerous lease contracts and the impact from revaluation of embedded derivatives in the Trinidad and Tobago gas contract.

(4) FY19 based on an exchange rate of AUD/USD 0.72.

Petroleum exploration expenditure for the 2019 financial year was US$685 million, of which US$388 million was expensed. A US$0.7 billion exploration and appraisal program is planned for the 2020 financial year. This program includes the 3DEL appraisal well at Trion in Mexico and additional wells in Trinidad and Tobago to follow up on our discoveries to date.

In Trinidad and Tobago, Phase 2 and 3 of our deepwater drilling campaign were completed. These campaigns included two wells in the Southern licences which further assessed the commercial potential of the Magellan play - the Victoria-1 well encountered gas and no commercial hydrocarbons were encountered at the Concepcion-1 well. Analysis is ongoing. Four wells were drilled in our Northern licences, the Bongos-2 discovery well opened a new play and subsequent wells Bélé-1, Tuk-1 and Hi-Hat-1 all encountered gas. Technical work is underway to evaluate commercial options for the Northern Gas play. The rig will return to our Northern licences during the September 2019 quarter to explore for additional volumes.

In the US Gulf of Mexico, we continue to advance evaluation of the development options to optimise value at Wildling. In the Western US Gulf of Mexico, the Ocean Bottom Node(vii) seismic acquisition was completed in early January 2019 and processed data is expected to be delivered during the March 2020 quarter. On 8 August 2019, we entered into an agreement to sell our 50 per cent interest in the Samurai prospect to a private equity firm. The sale is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close in September 2019.

In Mexico, we drilled our first operated well at Trion, following acquisition of the discovery in 2017. Trion 2DEL encountered oil in line with expectations and was followed by a down-dip sidetrack to delineate the field and provide information about the Oil Water Contact. Another appraisal well, Trion 3DEL(viii) spud on 9 July 2019 and we are encouraged by the preliminary results, with the well encountering oil in the reservoirs up dip from all previous well intersections. Evaluation and analysis is ongoing.

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In Eastern Canada, we were the successful bidder in October 2018 for licences in the Orphan Basin, offshore Eastern Canada. An exploration plan for the licences 8 and 12 was submitted to the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board on 13 July 2019.

Financial information for Petroleum for the 2019 and 2018 financial years is presented below.

(1) Total Petroleum statutory result revenue includes: crude oil US$3,171 million (2018: US$2,933 million), natural gas US$1,259 million (2018: US$1,124 million), LNG US$1,179 million (2018: US$920 million), NGL US$263 million (2018: US$294 million) and other US$58 million (2018: US$137 million which includes third party products).

(2) Includes US$297 million of capitalised exploration (2018: US$193 million).

(3) Includes US$21 million of exploration expenditure previously capitalised, written off as impaired (included in depreciation and amortisation) (2018: US$76 million).

(4) Australia Production Unit includes Macedon, Pyrenees and Minerva.

(5) Predominantly divisional activities, business development, UK (divested in November 2018), Neptune and Genesis. Also includes the Caesar oil pipeline and the Cleopatra gas pipeline, which are equity accounted investments. The financial information for the Caesar oil pipeline and the Cleopatra gas pipeline presented above, with the exception of net operating assets, reflects BHP's share.

(6) Comprises closed mining and smelting operations in Canada and the United States.

(7) Total Petroleum statutory result Revenue excludes US$17 million (2018: US$16 million) revenue related to the Caesar oil pipeline and the Cleopatra gas pipeline. Total Petroleum statutory result Underlying EBITDA includes US$2 million (2018: US$3 million) D&A related to the Caesar oil pipeline and the Cleopatra gas pipeline.

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Underlying EBITDA for the 2019 financial year decreased by US$2.0 billion to US$4.6 billion.

Escondida unit costs increased by seven per cent to US$1.14 per pound, driven by an expected 12 per cent decline in copper grade and labour settlement costs.

Unit costs in the 2020 financial year are expected to increase to between US$1.20 and US$1.35 per pound (based on an exchange rate of USD/CLP 683) reflecting lower by-product credits and higher deferred stripping costs. The impact of a decline in copper grade of approximately five per cent is expected to be offset by increased concentrator throughput. Unit costs are expected to remain less than US$1.15 per pound in the medium term (based on an exchange rate of USD/CLP 683) with expected higher power and water costs offset by transformation programs focused on efficiency improvements and optimised maintenance strategies.

(1) Comparative financial information has been restated for the new accounting standard, IFRS15 Revenue from Contracts with Customers, which became effective from 1 July 2018.

(2) FY19 based on exchange rates of AUD/USD 0.72 and USD/CLP 673.

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Consistent with our exploration focus on copper we have added to our early stage copper optionality. In the first half of the 2019 financial year we acquired an 11.2 per cent interest in SolGold Plc, the majority owner and operator of the Cascabel porphyry copper-gold project in Ecuador. In the June 2019 quarter, we secured a five per cent interest in Midland Exploration Inc, which has copper exploration tenements in Canada, and entered an exploration financing agreement with Riverside Resources to fund exploration in Mexico's north-eastern Sonora region. In July 2019 we entered a binding earn-in and joint venture agreement over two mining concessions in Ecuador with Luminex and are preparing to continue exploration activities on the sites, Tarqui and Tarqui 2.

In addition, we progressed the second phase of a drilling program at Oak Dam in the June 2019 half after identifying a potential new iron oxide, copper, gold (IOCG) mineralised system 65 kilometres to the south east of BHP's operations at Olympic Dam in South Australia. The results are currently being analysed and an update will be provided once finalised later in the year.

Financial information for Copper for the 2019 and 2018 financial years is presented below.

(1) Escondida is consolidated under IFRS 10 and reported on a 100 per cent basis.

(2) Includes Spence and Cerro Colorado.

(3) Antamina, SolGold and Resolution are equity accounted investments and their financial information presented above with the exception of net operating assets reflects BHP Group's share.

(4) Predominantly comprises divisional activities, greenfield exploration and business development. Includes Resolution and SolGold (acquired in October 2018).

(5) Total Copper statutory result Revenue excludes US$1,144 million (2018: US$1,305 million) revenue related to Antamina. Total Copper statutory result Underlying EBITDA includes US$110 million (2018: US$113 million) D&A and US$222 million (2018: US$299 million) net finance costs and taxation expense related to Antamina, Resolution and SolGold that are also included in Underlying EBIT. Total Copper Capital expenditure excludes US$229 million (2018: US$183 million) related to Antamina and US$1 million (2018: US$ nil) related to SolGold. Exploration gross excludes US$4 million (2018: US$ nil) related to SolGold of which US$3 million (2018: US$ nil) was expensed.

(6) Comparative financial information has been restated for the new accounting standard, IFRS15 Revenue from Contracts with Customers, which became effective from 1 July 2018.

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Underlying EBITDA for the 2019 financial year increased by US$2.2 billion to US$11.1 billion.

(1) Increased volumes reflecting the expiry of the Wheelarra Joint Venture sublease in March 2018, with control of the sublease areas reverting to the Jimblebar Joint Venture, which is accounted for on a consolidated basis with minority interest adjustments.

WAIO unit costs were lower than the prior year at US$14.16 per tonne (or US$12.86 per tonne on a C1 basis excluding third party royalties(3)), reflecting higher volumes, continued productivity improvements and favourable exchange movements, offset by the impacts of a train derailment in November 2018 and Tropical Cyclone Veronica in March 2019. Unit costs declined by five per cent in the second half of the 2019 financial year following strong operational performance in the June 2019 quarter and optimised maintenance schedules.

Unit costs in the 2020 financial year are expected to decrease to between US$13 and US$14 per tonne (based on an exchange rate of AUD/USD 0.70). In the medium term, we expect to lower our unit costs to less than US$13 per tonne (based on an exchange rate of AUD/USD 0.70).

(1) June 2019 quarter sales has been adjusted since it was previously reported.

(2) FY19 based on an average exchange rate of AUD/USD 0.72.

(3) Excludes third party royalties of US$1.00 per tonne (2018: US$0.74 per tonne), net inventory movements US$(0.30) per tonne (2018: US$0.25 per tonne), depletion of production stripping US$0.75 (2018: US$0.58), exploration expenses, demurrage, exchange rate gains/losses, and other income US$(0.15) per tonne (2018: US$(0.35) per tonne).

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Financial information for Iron Ore for the 2019 and 2018 financial years is presented below.

(1) Includes US$52 million of capitalised exploration (2018: US$40 million).

(2) Samarco is an equity accounted investment and its financial information presented above, with the exception of net operating assets, reflects BHP Billiton Brasil Ltda's share. All financial impacts following the Samarco dam failure have been reported as exceptional items in both reporting periods.

(3) Predominantly comprises divisional activities, towage services, business development and ceased operations. 

(4) Includes inter-segment and external sales of contracted gas purchases.

Underlying EBITDA for the 2019 financial year decreased by US$330 million to US$4.1 billion.

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Queensland Coal unit costs increased by two per cent to US$69 per tonne mainly due to wet weather impacts and higher strip ratios, diesel prices and contractor stripping costs, partially offset by favourable exchange rate movements. Unit costs in the 2020 financial year are expected to be between US$67 and US$74 per tonne (based on an exchange rate of AUD/USD 0.70) as a result of increased wash plant maintenance and local inflationary pressures. In the medium term, we expect to lower our unit costs to between US$54 and US$61 per tonne (based on an exchange rate of AUD/USD 0.70) reflecting higher volumes, lower strip ratios, optimised maintenance strategies and efficiency improvements from the transformation programs.

(1) FY19 based on an average exchange rate of AUD/USD 0.72.

NSWEC unit costs increased by 10 per cent to US$50 per tonne as a result of higher strip ratios and contractor stripping costs, and unfavourable inventory movements. This was partially offset by the impact of favourable exchange rate movements. Unit costs in the 2020 financial year are expected to be between US$55 and US$61 per tonne (based on an exchange rate of AUD/USD 0.70) reflecting increased stripping costs and lower volumes as we continue to progress through the monocline, increase development stripping and focus on higher quality products. In the medium term, unit costs are expected to be between US$46 and US$50 per tonne (based on an exchange rate of AUD/USD 0.70), reflecting ongoing progression through the monocline and our focus on higher quality products.

(1) FY19 based on an average exchange rate of AUD/USD 0.72.

Financial information for Coal for the 2019 and 2018 financial years is presented below.

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