BHP said it had taken legal advice and was confident of its position. The company said intended to vigorously defend the assessment. "The outcome of the dispute is unlikely to be known for some time,'' the miner told the stock exchange this morning. "In the meantime BHP Billiton believes that the matter is adequately provided for in the accounts.'' BHP's HBI plant in Port Hedland, meant to add value to its iron ore production through processing, was a financial and operational debacle for the company.