Purchase of Own Securities

Merrill Lynch World Mining Tst PLC
2 February 2001


                            PURCHASE OF OWN SHARES

1) Date of the purchase:

1 February 2001

2) Number of Ordinary Shares purchased:

100,000

3) Highest and lowest price paid per share (excluding expenses):

93p

4) The issued share capital of the Company following this buy-back will be:

Ordinary shares - 169,099,852

5) Name of contact for queries:

Miss A J Marsh

020 7743 5430

6) Name of authorised Company official responsible for this notification:

Miss A J Marsh

for Merrill Lynch Investment Managers Group Services Limited

Secretary

7) Date of notification:

1 February 2001