BHP seen as unlikely to pounce on Anglo or Teck as it eyes organic growth

By Melanie Burton

MELBOURNE (Reuters) -Top global miner BHP’s focus on expanding its own copper assets while it undergoes leadership change means it is unlikely to gatecrash the planned $53 billion tie-up of Anglo American and Teck Resources, investors and bankers said on Wednesday.

London-listed Anglo American and Canada’s Teck Resources announced a merger on Tuesday, marking the sector’s second-biggest tie-up ever, to forge a new global copper-focused heavyweight.

The deal came just over a year after BHP scrapped a $49 billion bid for Anglo that in one mega acquisition would have beefed up the Australian miner’s holding in the metal seen as essential to the energy transition.

After being rebuffed by Anglo three times, BHP opted instead to double down on a series of smaller projects w