Xstrata has acquired a 0.0148% in WMC, or 173,954 voting shares, with a total of 1.171 billion shares on offer.

The shares are the first to be taken up under Xstrata’s $6.35/share offer to WMC shareholders as the former moves to take over the Australian miner.

BHP Billiton has been reportedly considering a bid and is believed to be assessing WMC’s assets, as is fellow major Rio Tinto.

WMC shares were today trading around the $7.20 mark, as the market holds out for a higher offer from either Xstrata or another party.