(Brazil government corrects total estimate to 20 bln reais from 24 bln reais)
BRASILIA, March 2 (Reuters) - Mining company Samarco agreed with the Brazilian government to pay an estimated 20 billion reais ($5.1 billion) in damages for a deadly dam spill in November, the government said on Wednesday.
Samarco will pay 4.4 billion reais through 2018 into a fund to cover the clean up caused by the spill of a tailings dam. Samarco is a joint venture between Vale SA VALE5.SA and BHP Billiton BLT.L .
($1 = 3.89 reais)