BHP denies plans to sell ships

Broken Hill Proprietary Co, Australia's largest resources company, says none of its 11 ships is for sale at the moment, though it will consider all options in the future.

The Australian newspaper reported that BHP, which moves more than 80 million tonnes of cargo annually, indicated it was considering selling its vessels because of the high cost of running ships from Australian ports.

'We certainly have not got any ships on the market,' said a BHP official. Still, 'BHP, always considers all the options it has available.'