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               15 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     107,493,768       4.87%     2,466,246     0.11%
securities
(2) Derivatives    4,215,290       0.19%     3,455,786     0.16%
(other than
options)
(3) Options and    1,002,450       0.05%       752,775     0.03%
agreements to
purchase/sell
Total            112,711,508       5.11%     6,674,807     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      546,154              19.7146
Purchase      19,271               21.7400
Purchase      11,686               21.0000
Purchase      4,588                21.0000
Purchase      2,626                21.0000
Purchase      3,505                21.0000
Purchase      3,135                21.0000
Purchase      3,478                21.0000
Purchase      1,573                21.0000
Purchase      5,469                21.0000
Purchase      33,217               21.0000
Purchase      85,785               21.0000
Purchase      117                  21.7400
Purchase      1,273                21.7400
Purchase      1,776                21.7400
Purchase      2,000                21.6608
Purchase      266,892              21.0006
Purchase      8,120                21.3040
Purchase      11,700               20.5637
Purchase      831                  21.3300
Purchase      304,769              21.1101
Purchase      888                  21.7400
Purchase      2,000                21.6608
Purchase      52,611               21.7400
Purchase      11,575               21.4775
Purchase      116,175              20.6832
Purchase      16,834               20.9810
Purchase      512                  20.5539
Purchase      149,666              20.9146
Purchase      9,639                21.7400
Purchase      26,182               20.5841
Purchase      370                  21.7400
Purchase      4,849                21.7400
Purchase      891                  20.5750
Purchase      672                  20.6226
Purchase      1,133                21.2600
Purchase      516                  20.6226
Purchase      545                  20.6226
Purchase      2,768                20.6226
Purchase      2,515                20.6226
Purchase      444                  20.6226
Purchase      741                  21.1500
Purchase      2,147                20.6226
Purchase      2,927                20.6226
Purchase      404                  20.6226
Purchase      2,800                21.7400
Purchase      113,396              21.0000
Purchase      890                  20.6226
Purchase      1,216                20.6226
Sale          60,000               21.6983
Sale          11,124               21.1702
Sale          1,200                21.6600
Sale          4,000                21.1600
Sale          1,528                21.7259
Sale          17,661               20.5484
Sale          85                   21.3735
Sale          69                   20.7917
Sale          4,542                21.7400
Sale          222,528              21.2447
Sale          0                    19.9970
Sale          195,905              21.2244
Sale          1,200                20.9600
Sale          164                  20.5617
Sale          163,740              20.7523
Sale          63                   20.7917
Sale          443                  21.7400
Sale          222,186              20.9770
Sale          300                  21.7000
Sale          304,769              21.1101
Sale          192                  21.1617
Sale          42,600               21.6611
Sale          479                  21.7400
Sale          141,316              20.7300
Sale          2,491                20.7822
Sale          150                  20.9215
Sale          7,630                21.7400
Sale          150                  21.2615
Sale          150                  20.7830
Sale          13,653               21.7400
Sale          275                  20.8712
Sale          275                  20.8515
Sale          388                  20.8612
Sale          250                  21.1312
Sale          300                  20.8015
Sale          1,278                21.7400
Sale          473                  21.7400
Sale          244                  20.5500
Sale          101,700              20.6827
Sale          13,996               21.0905
Sale          108                  20.6135
Sale          17,749               21.7367
Sale          35,547               20.8649
Sale          200                  21.6268
Sale          2,476                21.7400
Sale          250                  20.9712
Sale          182                  20.9735
Sale          495                  21.7400
Sale          287                  21.7359
Sale          4,161                21.7400
Sale          73                   21.3217
Sale          180                  21.5915
Sale          32,220               21.7400
Sale          2,395                20.8672
Sale          274                  21.1317

(b)  Derivatives transactions (other than options)
Product name,  Long/Short    Number of     Price per
(e.g. CFD)     (Note 6)      Securities    unit (GBP)
CFD            Long          17661         20.5484
CFD            Long          163740        20.7522
CFD            Long          2491          20.7821
CFD            Long          35547         20.8649
CFD            Long          2395          20.8671
CFD            Long          222186        20.9769
CFD            Long          13996         21.0905
CFD            Long          304769        21.1101
CFD            Long          11124         21.1701
CFD            Long          195905        21.2243
CFD            Long          222528        21.2446
CFD            Long          200           21.6267
CFD            Long          42600         21.661
CFD            Long          60000         21.6983
CFD            Long          300           21.7
CFD            Long          1528          21.7258
CFD            Long          287           21.7358
CFD            Long          17749         21.7367
CFD            Short         546154        19.7146
CFD            Short         512           20.5539
CFD            Short         11700         20.5637
CFD            Short         26182         20.5841
CFD            Short         116175        20.6832
CFD            Short         149666        20.9146
CFD            Short         16834         20.9809
CFD            Short         266892        21.0006
CFD            Short         304769        21.1101
CFD            Short         8120          21.304
CFD            Short         831           21.33
CFD            Short         11575         21.4775
CFD            Short         4000          21.6608

(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                         16 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                    1,500.0000       EURO           18/12/2009
Option            Purchased   250                    1,700.0000       EURO           19/12/2008
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