BHP chief executive Mike Henry says Anglo American’s plan to demerge its platinum and diamond businesses is a “variant” of its $64.4 billion takeover proposal and proves the structure of the offer is manageable.

The structure of BHP’s all-scrip bid has become a major point of contention, with Anglo directors saying on Monday they remained opposed to a deal that required them to demerge South African iron ore and platinum mines before a merger with the ASX-listed mining giant was consummated.