Rule 8.3 - BHP BILLITON PLC

FORM 8.3

    DEALINGS BY PERSONS WITH INTERESTS IN SECURITIES REPRESENTING 1% OR MORE
              (Rule 8.3 of the City Code on Takeovers and Mergers)


1.   KEY INFORMATION

Name of person dealing        BARCLAYS PLC
(Note 1)
Company dealt in              BHP BILLITON PLC
Class of relevant security    USD0.50
to which the dealings being
disclosed relate (Note 2)
Date of dealing               12 December 2007

2.   INTERESTS, SHORT POSITIONS AND RIGHTS TO SUBSCRIBE

(a)  Interests and short positions (following dealing) in the class of relevant
security dealt in (Note 3)

                            Long                     Short

                      Number       (%)         Number       (%)

(1) Relevant     110,982,833     5.02%      7,170,809    0.32%
securities
(2) Derivatives    4,738,870     0.21%      1,329,524    0.06%
(other than
options)
(3) Options and    1,290,000     0.06%      1,758,425    0.08%
agreements to
purchase/sell
Total            117,011,703     5.29%     10,258,758    0.46%


(b)  Interests and short positions in relevant securities of the company, other
     than the class dealt in (Note 3)

Class of                    Long                     Short
relevant
security:

                  Number              (%)   Number              (%)

(1) Relevant
securities

(2) Derivatives
(other than
options)

(3) Options and
agreements to
purchase/sell

Total


(c)  Rights to subscribe (Note 3)

Class of relevant security:   Details


3.   DEALINGS (Note 4)

(a)  Purchases and sales

Purchase/sale      Number of Securities    Price per unit
                                                (GBP)
Purchase           5,597                   16.4055
Purchase           18,815                  16.2788
Purchase           43,220                  16.4074
Purchase           1,187                   16.3694
Purchase           26,270                  16.4156
Purchase           2,226                   16.4000
Purchase           8,420                   16.2924
Purchase           129,349                 16.2696
Purchase           31,000                  16.3510
Purchase           7,500                   16.3000
Purchase           27,586                  16.7000
Purchase           8,452                   16.3867
Purchase           7,660                   16.7000
Purchase           24,888                  16.7000
Purchase           18,485                  16.6467
Purchase           2,089                   16.3400
Purchase           890                     16.3400
Purchase           18,815                  16.2819
Purchase           13,206                  16.3542
Purchase           114,547                 16.7000
Purchase           1,197                   16.3175
Purchase           64,781                  16.2835
Purchase           78,252                  16.7600
Sale               878,813                 16.7200
Sale               1,187                   16.3694
Sale               648                     16.2625
Sale               501                     16.3080
Sale               31,000                  16.3479
Sale               32,043                  16.6494
Sale               31,000                  16.3510
Sale               94                      16.2723
Sale               300                     16.6323
Sale               13,483                  16.5602
Sale               2,800                   16.6732
Sale               29,300                  16.4459
Sale               2,203                   16.6968
Sale               21,600                  16.6307
Sale               2,581                   16.5083
Sale               150,661                 16.3914
Sale               127                     16.3123
Sale               2,226                   16.4000
Sale               8,296                   16.7000
Sale               26,270                  16.4147
Sale               12,505                  16.3966
Sale               18,815                  16.2788
Sale               1,187                   16.3694
Sale               2,226                   16.3902
Sale               43                      16.5523
Sale               381,939                 16.3629


(b) Derivatives transactions (other than options)
Product Name  Long/Short  Number Of Securities  Price Per Unit
CFD           Short       129349                16.2696
CFD           Short       18815                 16.2819
CFD           Short       64781                 16.2835
CFD           Short       13206                 16.3541
CFD           Short       9571                  16.3694
CFD           Short       7740                  16.3706
CFD           Short       5597                  16.4054
CFD           Short       43220                 16.4073
CFD           Short       26270                 16.4155
CFD           Short       712                   16.5614
CFD           Short       18485                 16.6466
CFD           Short       114547                16.7
CFD           Long        501                   16.3079
CFD           Long        31000                 16.3478
CFD           Long        381939                16.3629
CFD           Long        1187                  16.3693
CFD           Long        5098                  16.3911
CFD           Long        150661                16.3913
CFD           Long        26270                 16.4146
CFD           Long        29300                 16.4459
CFD           Long        2581                  16.5083
CFD           Long        21600                 16.6306
CFD           Long        32043                 16.6493
CFD           Long        8385                  16.6629
CFD           Long        2800                  16.6732
CFD           Long        2203                  16.6968


(c)  Options transactions in respect of existing securities

(i)  Writing, selling, purchasing or varying

Product name,   Writing,          Number of          Exercise  Type, e.g.     Expiry       Option money
e.g. call       selling,          securities to      price     American,      date         paid/received
option          purchasing,       which the option             European etc.               per unit (GBP)
                varying etc.      relates (GBP)
PUT             Purchase          250                16        EURO           15/02/2008   1
PUT             SALE              750                16        EURO           21/12/2007   .33


(ii) Exercising

Product name, e.g.  Number of           Exercise price per
call option         securities          unit (Note 5)




(d)  Other dealings (including new securities) (Note 4)


Nature of transaction Details           Price per unit
(Note 8)                                (if applicable)
                                        (Note 5)




4.   OTHER INFORMATION
None

Agreements, arrangements or understandings relating to options or derivatives


Full details of any agreement, arrangement or understanding between the
person disclosing and any other person relating to the voting rights of
any relevant securities under any option referred to on this form or
relating to the voting rights or future acquisition or disposal of any
relevant securities to which any derivative referred to on this form is
referenced.  If none, this should be stated.




Is a Supplemental Form 8 attached? (Note 9)                 YES


Date of disclosure                         13 December 2007
Contact name                               Geoff Smith
Telephone number                           020 7116 2913
If a connected EFM, name of
offeree/offeror with which connected
If a connected EFM, state nature of
connection (Note 10)

Notes

The Notes on Form 8.3 can be viewed on the Takeover Panel's website at
www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk

SUPPLEMENTAL FORM 8

DETAILS OF OPEN POSITIONS
(This form should be attached to Form 8.1, Form 8.1(b)(ii) or Form 8.3, as appropriate)

OPEN POSITIONS (Note 1)
Product name,     Written or  Number of securities   Exercise price  Type, e.g.  Expiry date
e.g. call option  purchased   to which the option    (Note 2)        American,
                              or derivative relates                  European etc.
Option            Purchased   250                    1,600.0000      EURO        15/02/2008
Option            Purchased   -500,000               9.5000          EURO        19/12/2008
Option            Purchased   -250,000               16.0000         AMER        19/09/2008
Option            Purchased   -1,775                 1,600.0000      EURO        20/06/2008
Option            Purchased   -1,250                 1,200.0000      EURO        21/12/2007
Option            Purchased   -1,000                 1,100.0000      EURO        21/12/2007
Option            Purchased   -1,000                 1,500.0000      EURO        19/12/2008
Option            Purchased   -750                   1,600.0000      EURO        21/12/2007
Option            Purchased   -650                   1,900.0000      EURO        21/12/2007
Option            Purchased   -500                   950.0000        EURO        19/12/2008
Option            Purchased   -500                   950.0000        EURO        19/12/2008
Option            Purchased   -500                   1,400.0000      EURO        21/12/2007
Option            Purchased   -1,000,000             15.0000         AMER        21/12/2007
Option            Purchased   250                    1,700.0000      EURO        19/12/2008
Option            Purchased   500,000                9.5000          EURO        19/12/2008
Option            Purchased   350                    1,550.0000      EURO        21/12/2007
Option            Purchased   450                    1,400.0000      EURO        20/03/2008
Option            Purchased   500                    1,300.0000      EURO        21/12/2007
Option            Purchased   500                    1,400.0000      EURO        21/12/2007
Option            Purchased   500                    1,500.0000      EURO        21/12/2007
Option            Purchased   500                    1,600.0000      EURO        21/12/2007
Option            Purchased   700                    1,400.0000      EURO        20/03/2008
Option            Purchased   1,000                  2,000.0000      EURO        21/12/2007
Option            Purchased   250,000                14.0000         AMER        20/06/2008
Option            Purchased   250,000                14.0000         AMER        20/06/2008
Option            Purchased   285,000                15.9000         AMER        21/12/2007
Option            Purchased   -500                   1,650.0000      EURO        21/12/2007


Where there are open option positions or open derivative positions (except for CFDs), full details should be given.
Full details of any  existing agreements to purchase or to sell  should also be given on this form.

2. For all prices and other monetary amounts, the currency must be stated.

For details of the Code's dealing disclosure requirements, see Rule 8 and its Notes which can be viewed on the Takeover
Panel's website at www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk