Theres no smoke without fire.Barnett says he is "directly aware"...

Theres no smoke without fire.Barnett says he is "directly aware" of a move.


BHP Billiton says 'no basis' for Woodside takeover bid rumours From: AAP April 11, 2011 12:45PM "BHP Billiton advises that the market is currently fully informed of all material information and is not aware of any basis for the market speculation," the company said / File Source: Bloomberg
BHP Billiton says it is not aware of any basis for the market speculation that the world's biggest resources producer is in talks to make an offer to buy Woodside Petroleum.
"BHP Billiton advises that the market is currently fully informed of all material information and is not aware of any basis for the market speculation," the company said in a statement.

BHP Billiton's statement comes after shares in Woodside jumped to an almost 18-month high on a report in The Sunday Times in the UK that the mining giant was planning a takeover of the oil and gas producer.

Western Australian Premier Colin Barnett also said that HE was DIRECTLY AWARE of a move by BHP Billiton on Woodside.

"I'm aware that there have been discussions of that in the media and I'm also DIRECTLY AWARE of those (discussions)," he said.

Mr Barnett said at the Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association's (APPEA) annual conference in Perth that he didn't object to BHP Billiton taking a 34 per cent stake in Woodside but that he was strongly opposed to a takeover of the energy giant.