BHP has pre-emptively changed its executive pay structure to avoid astronomical ''long term'' bonuses being paid to its executives in the years ahead, as the company's strong recovery since 2015 threatens to generate super-sized five-year performance payments.

The reduced range of potential outcomes for BHP executives' long-term incentive payments came as chief financial officer Peter Beaven was given a higher personal performance score for fiscal 2019 than the other senior executives seen as his main internal rivals to succeed Andrew Mackenzie as chief executive.