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 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     106,947,626       4.85%     2,565,627     0.12%
securities
(2) Derivatives    4,294,071       0.19%     3,548,879     0.16%
(other than
options)
(3) Options and    1,002,450       0.05%       752,775     0.03%
agreements to
purchase/sell
Total            112,244,147       5.09%     6,867,281     0.31%


(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      36,901               19.7719
Purchase      329,439              19.7465
Purchase      5,210                19.6564
Purchase      2,432                19.6957
Purchase      7,519                19.6957
Purchase      245                  19.8088
Purchase      125,914              19.7465
Purchase      782                  19.6161
Purchase      1,540                19.7500
Purchase      14,630               19.8283
Purchase      500                  19.8933
Purchase      81                   20.0383
Purchase      174,779              19.7116
Purchase      41,356               19.8251
Purchase      400,248              19.7338
Purchase      13,000               19.9300
Purchase      8,230                19.9300
Purchase      2,833                19.6957
Purchase      8,961                19.7465
Purchase      187,515              19.8062
Purchase      126                  19.6665
Purchase      17,262               19.7465
Purchase      20,881               19.7465
Purchase      10,108               19.7465
Purchase      22,721               19.9233
Purchase      3,816                19.6957
Purchase      13,048               19.7465
Purchase      13,560               19.7465
Purchase      12,057               19.7465
Sale          22                   19.5635
Sale          4,403                19.8994
Sale          496                  20.0417
Sale          25,258               19.7439
Sale          70                   19.9317
Sale          5,470                19.5975
Sale          461                  20.1362
Sale          276,834              19.7321
Sale          741                  19.7135
Sale          42,232               19.5668
Sale          79,051               19.7918
Sale          725                  19.6512
Sale          300                  19.7112
Sale          330                  19.8412
Sale          350                  19.7312
Sale          155                  19.8537
Sale          400                  19.6825
Sale          200                  19.6812
Sale          100                  19.6812
Sale          546,154              19.7146
Sale          350                  19.7212
Sale          37,205               19.7628
Sale          250                  19.7312
Sale          5,753                19.7446
Sale          87                   19.8417
Sale          1,540                19.7500
Sale          152                  19.8817
Sale          279                  19.9262
Sale          93                   19.7217
Sale          600                  19.6825

(b)  Derivatives transactions (other than options)
Product name,  Long/Short    Number of     Price per
(e.g. CFD)     (Note 6)      Securities    unit (GBP)
CFD            Long          5470          19.5974
CFD            Long          546154        19.7146
CFD            Long          276834        19.732
CFD            Long          25258         19.7439
CFD            Long          5753          19.7445
CFD            Long          37205         19.7628
CFD            Long          722           19.79
CFD            Long          79051         19.7917
CFD            Long          4403          19.8993
CFD            Long          279           19.9262
CFD            Long          461           20.1361
CFD            Short         5210          19.6564
CFD            Short         174779        19.7116
CFD            Short         400248        19.7338
CFD            Short         36901         19.7719
CFD            Short         722           19.79
CFD            Short         187515        19.8062
CFD            Short         41356         19.8251
CFD            Short         14630         19.8282
CFD            Short         500           19.8933
CFD            Short         22721         19.9232

(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                         13 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                    1,700.0000       EURO           19/12/2008
Option            Purchased   250                    1,500.0000       EURO           18/12/2009
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