REGULATORY ANNOUNCEMENT

ISSUE OF SIX MILLION ORDINARY SHARES 

TO XSTRATA EMPLOYEE SHARE OWNERSHIP TRUST

AND

NOTIFICATION OF TOTAL VOTING RIGHTS

Zug, Thursday, 17 December 2009

Xstrata plc ("the Company") announces that application has been made to the UK Listing Authority and the London Stock Exchange for a listing of six million (6,000,000) new ordinary shares of US$0.50 each (the "Shares") to be allotted to K.B. (C.I.) Nominees Limited for the purposes of the Xstrata Employee Share Ownership Trust (an employees' share scheme as that term is defined for the purposes of the Companies Act 2006) to trade on the London Stock Exchange and to be admitted to the Official List upon issuance. The Shares rank pari passu with the existing issued shares of the Company.

As a consequence, the total number of Shares in issue on this date is 2,939,011,620. Each Share carries the right to vote in relation to all circumstances at general meetings of the Company. The Company does not hold any treasury shares.