barnetts big mouth, page-2

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/bhp-assures-wa-it-wont-bid-for-woodside-report-2011-04-12

Oopsie Charlie!

"SYDNEY (MarketWatch) -- West Australian Premier Colin Barnett says he has received a personal assurance from BHP Billiton Ltd. /quotes/comstock/13*!bhp/quotes/nls/bhp (BHP 100.26, -2.42, -2.36%) that it isn't expecting to bid for Woodside Petroleum Ltd. (WPL.AU), although he is hopeful a new cornerstone investor will emerge, the Australian Financial Review reported Wednesday.

Barnett said Monday at an energy conference in Perth that BHP Billiton had sounded him out about a possible acquisition of 24.3% of Woodside from Royal Dutch Shell PLC /quotes/comstock/13*!rds.b/quotes/nls/rds.b (RDS.B 72.20, -2.21, -2.97%) as a precursor to a takeover bid, the AFR previously reported. BHP later Monday told the market it knew of no basis for the speculation and that the market was "currently fully informed of all material information."

On Tuesday, the state premier told the AFR that BHP's interest in Woodside appeared to have dissipated, after he received an email from the miner following his comments.

"BHP just let us know they aren't contemplating a takeover of Woodside," he said, according to the newspaper.

"Obviously BHP has taken a look at Woodside but haven't pursued it," he said."