BHP Billiton, the global mining giant, is expected this week to announce plans to return at least dollars3bn to shareholders, in spite of the strike at its Escondida copper mine in Chile, writes Mark Smith. Copper prices, already at record levels, soared after BHP closed Escondida on Friday. Workers had been on strike for 12 days over pay demands, reducing output by 60per cent. Escondida, which produces 8per cent of the world's copper, closed completely on Thursday. However, reports yesterday suggested the mine had made progress in talks with union workers over the weekend to end the strike.
BHP has returned dollars11m to shareholders in the past five years.
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