BHP’s Potash Bid May Push Resource Deals to Record

BHP Billiton Ltd.’s $40 billion hostile bid for Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan Inc. puts this year on course to be the busiest for natural resources deals.

Commodities companies, including miners, oil producers and chemical makers, have announced $362 billion of takeovers so far this year. If they maintain that pace, they will eclipse the record $576 billion of deals announced in 2007, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Resources deals constitute 28 percent of this year’s $1.26 trillion merger market, double their average share during the previous 10 years.