SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 6-K
Report of Foreign Private Issuer
Pursuant to Rule 13a-16 or 15d-16 of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Report on Form 6-K for the month of June 2004
The BOC Group plc
Chertsey Road, Windlesham,
Surrey GU20 6HJ
England
(Name and address of registrant's principal executive office)
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports
under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F.
Form 20-F X Form 40-F
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Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as
permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1):
Yes: |_| No: |X|
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as
permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7):
Yes: |_| No: |X|
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant by furnishing the information
contained in this form is also thereby furnishing the information to the
Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
Yes: |_| No: |X|
Enclosures:
1. A notification dated 3 June 2004 advising that BOC and Sinopec SPC are to
form an industrial gases joint venture in Shanghai.
Page 1 of 11
2. A notification dated 10 June 2004 advising that FMR Corp and Fidelity
International Limited have a notifiable interest of 3.18% in the issued
share capital of The BOC Group plc.
3. A notification dated 25 June 2004 of the disposal of 11,299 Ordinary shares
in The BOC Group plc by Ogier Trustee Limited as a trustee of The BOC Group
plc Employee Share Trust (1995).
4. A notification dated 30 June 2004 advising that Cater Allen International
Limited have a notifiable interest of 3.49% in the issued share capital of
The BOC Group plc.
Page 2 of 11
THE BOC GROUP plc ANNOUNCEMENT RELEASED TO A REGULATORY INFORMATION SERVICE
ON 3 JUNE 2004
AT 10:00 HRS UNDER REF: PRNUK-0306040759-92F0
BOC and Sinopec SPC to form industrial gases joint venture in Shanghai
Windlesham, UK, 3 June, 2004 - BOC (LSE: BOC), the leading industrial gases
supplier in Asia, and Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical Company Ltd. (SPC), a
subsidiary of Sinopec Corp., have signed a letter of intent to form a joint
venture (JV) to meet the industrial gases needs of SPC in the Jinshan District,
Shanghai, China.
The JV expects to invest initially in the production of nearly 3,000 tonnes per
day of air separation gases capacity through the acquisition of SPC's existing
industrial gases assets and then to commence construction of a new world-scale
air separation unit (ASU).
The scale economics of the project, with its reliable, multi-plant arrangement,
will result in the JV becoming a major industrial gases supplier in the region.
The JV will support SPC's fast growing petrochemical business and those of
additional customers in the area. The Jinshan District where the JV will be
located is one of the major areas of petrochemical investment in China and,
aside from the SPC complex, includes the nearby Shanghai Industrial Chemical
Park, where a number of global and local chemical companies are located.
The JV will be the second industrial gases venture that BOC has entered into
with a Sinopec company. In April 2002, BOC and Sinopec Yangzi Petrochemical
Corp. (Sinopec YPC), a subsidiary of the Sinopec Group, formed a joint venture
known as Nanjing BOC-YPC Gases Company Ltd. (BYG) to meet expanding
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industrial gases requirements in Nanjing, China. BYG has entered into long-term
supply agreements with two major industrial gas users in the area, the large YPC
Petrochemical Co. Ltd complex and the BASF-YPC Company Ltd integrated
petrochemical complex, both located in the Nanjing Chemical Industry Park.
Mr. Wu Hai Jun, deputy general manager, Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical Co., Ltd
said: "By co-operating with BOC - an international and professional gas company
- to supply utilities and infrastructure services, SPC will be able to focus
more on developing and enhancing the competitiveness of its core business in the
petrochemical industry. The co-operation not only benefits SPC in terms of
production cost reduction and business profitability but also allows us to
supply customers in the adjacent areas with gas products that will deliver
attractive returns for both partners."
Steven Fang, global vice president, BOC Process Systems, said: "We are delighted
to be able to extend our partnership with Sinopec through this second JV and
further strengthen our position as the leading industrial gases supplier to the
petrochemical industry in China. We are very confident that this JV, like our
current partnership in Nanjing, will leverage both parties' resources and
capabilities to optimize plant operations in support of Sinopec's petrochemical
business and other major investors in the region."
SPC, Sinopec Corp.'s largest subsidiary, was the first Chinese company listed on
the New York, Hong Kong and Shanghai stock exchanges. It is one of the largest
petrochemical companies in China, producing refined oil products, intermediate
petrochemicals, synthetic fibres and plastics. It is also the largest ethylene
and acrylic fibre producer, and one of the most important producers of oil
products, resins and synthetic fibres in China.
The BOC Group (LSE:BOC), the worldwide industrial gases, vacuum technologies and
distribution services company, serves two million customers in more than 50
countries. It employs 44,500 people and had annual sales of some (pound)4.3
billion in 2003.
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BOC was the first global industrial gases company to establish a presence in
China and has invested more than US$400 million over the past two decades. In
addition to its joint venture relationship with Sinopec, BOC has recently
initiated important capacity expansions with Taiyuan Iron and Steel Corporation
(TISCO), the largest stainless steel producer in China; and Guangzhou Iron and
Steel (GIS), a major steel producer in China with an annual steel production
capacity of 3.5 million tons.
BOC supplies gas and related solutions to the chemicals, petroleum, glass, water
services, electronic packaging, fibre optics, hydrogen energy, metals and food
industries. BOC helps meet customer needs in a variety of ways, from the supply
of a single gas or application through to designing, constructing and operating
fully integrated gas and utilities schemes. Further information about The BOC
Group may be obtained on the Internet at www.boc.com.
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Contact: Christopher Marsay, Director - Investor Relations
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Tel: 01276 477222 (International +44 1276 477222)
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THE BOC GROUP plc ANNOUNCEMENT RELEASED TO A REGULATORY INFORMATION SERVICE
ON 10 JUNE 2004
AT 16.45 HRS UNDER REF: PRNUK-1006041643-139C
SCHEDULE 10
NOTIFICATION OF MAJOR INTERESTS IN SHARES
All relevant boxes should be completed in block capital letters.
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1. Name of company 2. Name of shareholder having a major interest
The BOC Group plc FMR Corp and Fidelity International Limited
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3. Please state whether notification indicates that it is in 4. Name of the registered holder(s) and, if more than one
respect of holding of the shareholder named in 2 holder, the number of shares held by each of them
above or in respect of a non-beneficial interest or in
the case of an individual holder if it is a holding of
that person's spouse or children under the age of 18 See additional information
Notification in respect of party named in 2 above.
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5. Number of 6. Percentage of issued 7. Number of shares/amount 8. Percentage of issued class
shares/amount of class of stock disposed
stock acquired
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9. Class of security 10. Date of transaction 11. Date company informed
Ordinary shares of 25p each 9 June 2004 9 June 2004
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12. Total holding following this notification 13. Total percentage holding of issued class following this
notification
15,818,524 3.18%
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14. Any additional information 15. Name of contact and telephone number for queries
In a letter dated 9 June 2004 and received on 9 Sarah Larkins
June 2004 The BOC Group plc has been notified Assistant Company Secretary
that FMR Corp and Fidelity Investments Limited 01276 807383
have a 3.18% notifiable interest in the issued
Ordinary share capital of the Company.
Neither FMR Corp nor Fidelity Investments Limited
own shares for their own account. The shares are held
by Fidelity on behalf of their clients.
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16. Name and signature of authorised company official responsible for making this notification
Sarah Larkins
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Date of notification ___10 June 2004_________
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THE BOC GROUP plc ANNOUNCEMENT RELEASED TO A REGULATORY INFORMATION SERVICE
ON 25 JUNE 2004
AT 12.59 HRS UNDER REF: PRNUK-2506041257-7F6A
25 June 2004
THE BOC GROUP plc EMPLOYEE SHARE TRUST (1995)
The BOC Group plc (the Company) has been notified of the disposal
on 25 June 2004 of 11,299 Ordinary shares of 25p each in the Company at a sale
price of 937p per share by Ogier Trustee Limited (the Trustee) as trustee of The
BOC Group plc Employee Share Trust (1995) (the Trust). These Ordinary shares
have been transferred, following exercise of options, to participants in the
Company's senior executive share option plans.
Following this disposal of 11,299 Ordinary shares, the Trustee now
holds 4,902,913 Ordinary shares.
Each of the executive Directors of the Company is a potential
beneficiary under the Trust and therefore for Companies Act purposes is regarded
as interested in all of these 4,902,913 Ordinary shares. Despite this technical
interest, each executive Director will only be entitled to receive Ordinary
shares from the Trust in satisfaction of options granted to him in respect of
these Ordinary shares.
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THE BOC GROUP plc ANNOUNCEMENT RELEASED TO A REGULATORY INFORMATION SERVICE
ON 30 JUNE 2004
AT 15.31 HRS UNDER REF: PRNUK-3006041530-4302
SCHEDULE 10
NOTIFICATION OF MAJOR INTERESTS IN SHARES
All relevant boxes should be completed in block capital letters.
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1. Name of company 2. Name of shareholder having a major interest
The BOC Group plc Carter Allen International Limited
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3. Please state whether notification indicates that it is in 4. Name of the registered holder(s) and, if more than one
respect of holding of the shareholder named in 2 holder, the number of shares held by each of them
above or in respect of a non-beneficial interest or in
the case of an individual holder if it is a holding of
that person's spouse or children under the age of 18 See additional information
Notification in respect of party named in 2 above.
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5. Number of 6. Percentage of issued 7. Number of shares/amount 8. Percentage of issued class
shares/amount of class of stock disposed
stock acquired
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9. Class of security 10. Date of transaction 11. Date company informed
Ordinary shares of 25p each 25 June 2004 30 June 2004
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12. Total holding following this notification 13. Total percentage holding of issued class following this
notification
17,343,762 3.49%
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14. Any additional information 15. Name of contact and telephone number for queries
In a letter dated 25 June 2004 and received on 30 Carol Hunt
June 2004 The BOC Group plc has been notified 01276 807759
that Cater Allen International Limited
have a 3.49% notifiable interest in the issued
Ordinary share capital of the Company.
The Company has been advised that this holding has
arisen from stock lending transactions.
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16. Name and signature of authorised company official responsible for making this notification
Carol Hunt, Deputy Company Secretary
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Date of notification ___30 June 2004_________
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SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, the registrant, The BOC Group plc, has duly caused this report to be
signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
Date:July 1, 2004
By: /s/ Carol Hunt
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Name: Carol Hunt
Title: Deputy Company Secretary
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