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               09 May 2008

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     106,501,993       4.83%     2,330,714     0.11%
securities
(2) Derivatives    4,049,599       0.18%     3,440,206     0.16%
(other than
options)
(3) Options and    1,002,450       0.05%       752,775     0.03%
agreements to
purchase/sell
Total            111,554,042       5.05%     6,523,695     0.30%


(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      700                  Transfer
Purchase      131,298              19.6857
Purchase      343,487              19.6857
Purchase      2,076                19.6732
Purchase      6,492                19.6725
Purchase      3,014                19.7500
Purchase      9,421                19.7500
Purchase      9,329                19.5953
Purchase      21,736               19.6857
Purchase      184                  Transfer
Purchase      234                  Transfer
Purchase      202                  Transfer
Purchase      64                   19.8283
Purchase      233                  19.7683
Purchase      220,695              19.7917
Purchase      56,977               19.9360
Purchase      108                  Transfer
Purchase      20,983               19.6732
Purchase      80,432               19.8497
Purchase      144,933              19.8074
Purchase      10,722               19.6857
Purchase      2,427                19.6730
Purchase      9,508                19.6857
Purchase      6,406                19.6857
Purchase      27,401               19.7500
Purchase      17,988               19.6857
Purchase      3,441                19.7500
Purchase      3,293                19.6725
Purchase      14,187               19.6857
Purchase      2,032                19.6965
Purchase      12,618               19.6857
Purchase      13,650               19.6857
Purchase      10,263               19.4990
Sale          1,334                19.6010
Sale          21,848               19.7066
Sale          66,136               19.7500
Sale          422,895              19.7223
Sale          502                  19.7217
Sale          234                  Transfer
Sale          84,439               19.6644
Sale          39                   19.7817
Sale          292                  19.9515
Sale          165                  19.6830
Sale          56                   19.6617
Sale          56,977               19.9360
Sale          208,396              19.6541
Sale          5,950                19.9262
Sale          202                  Transfer
Sale          100                  19.6215
Sale          400                  19.6215
Sale          3,580                19.7500
Sale          175                  19.6125
Sale          118,010              19.7658
Sale          93                   19.7617
Sale          88                   19.6617
Sale          262,128              19.9600
Sale          300                  19.7612
Sale          83                   19.7517
Sale          209                  Transfer
Sale          184                  Transfer
Sale          900                  Transfer
Sale          200                  19.8412
Sale          107                  19.7117
Sale          150                  19.9325
Sale          415                  19.6115
Sale          25                   19.6117
Sale          19,000               19.4800
Sale          435                  19.6025
Sale          16,935               19.9341

(b)  Derivatives transactions (other than options)
Product name,  Long/Short    Number of     Price per
(e.g. CFD)     (Note 6)      Securities    unit (GBP)
CFD            Long          19000         19.4799
CFD            Long          1334          19.6009
CFD            Long          208396        19.6541
CFD            Long          84439         19.6643
CFD            Long          21848         19.7066
CFD            Long          422895        19.7222
CFD            Long          3441          19.75
CFD            Long          118010        19.7657
CFD            Long          5950          19.9262
CFD            Long          16935         19.9341
CFD            Long          56977         19.936
CFD            Long          292           19.9515
CFD            Short         7246          19.5389
CFD            Short         9329          19.5953
CFD            Short         20983         19.6732
CFD            Short         220695        19.7917
CFD            Short         144933        19.8073
CFD            Short         80432         19.8497
CFD            Short         56977         19.936

(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)


(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)                 NO


Date of disclosure                         12 May 2008
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   500,000                9.5000           EURO           19/12/2008
Option            Purchased   250,000                14.0000          AMER           20/06/2008
Option            Purchased   250,000                14.0000          AMER           20/06/2008
Option            Purchased   500                    1,900.0000       EURO           18/12/2009
Option            Purchased   500                    1,900.0000       EURO           18/12/2009
Option            Purchased   350                    1,450.0000       EURO           18/12/2009
Option            Purchased   350                    1,450.0000       EURO           18/12/2009
Option            Purchased   250                    1,500.0000       EURO           18/12/2009
Option            Purchased   250                    1,700.0000       EURO           19/12/2008
Option            Purchased   250                    1,500.0000       EURO           18/12/2009
Option            Purchased   -500                   950.0000         EURO           19/12/2008
Option            Purchased   -500                   950.0000         EURO           19/12/2008
Option            Purchased   -1,775                 1,600.0000       EURO           20/06/2008
Option            Purchased   -250,000               16.0000          AMER           19/09/2008
Option            Purchased   -500,000               9.5000           EURO           19/12/2008

Notes

1. 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