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               07 August 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    109,773,659        4.97%     1,627,399     0.07%
securities
(2) Derivatives   2,009,438        0.09%    11,229,522     0.51%
(other than
options)
(3) Options and     502,700        0.02%       751,000     0.03%
agreements to
purchase/sell
Total           112,285,797        5.09%    13,607,921     0.62%

(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           Price per unit
                        Securities          (GBP)
Purchase                67,729              15.5586
Purchase                63                  Transfer
Purchase                58,293              15.6141
Purchase                1,314               15.5261
Purchase                900                 15.7200
Purchase                3,045               15.5000
Purchase                313                 15.3325
Purchase                5,000               15.8425
Purchase                226,286             15.5700
Purchase                205,550             15.6000
Purchase                114,727             15.5500
Purchase                61,548              15.6478
Purchase                26,440              15.4915
Purchase                500                 15.8475
Purchase                1,482               15.5000
Purchase                7,479               15.5000
Purchase                13,976              15.5000
Purchase                73,967              15.5240
Purchase                160                 15.8084
Purchase                625                 15.7688
Purchase                40,941              15.5866
Purchase                500                 15.7026
Sale                    15,399              15.4983
Sale                    356,134             15.6548
Sale                    63,302              15.6273
Sale                    141,929             15.5865
Sale                    63                  Transfer
Sale                    191                 Transfer
Sale                    76                  15.6042
Sale                    600                 15.8600
Sale                    900                 15.7200
Sale                    131                 15.8121
Sale                    84                  Transfer
Sale                    87                  Transfer
Sale                    1,900               15.4300
Sale                    8,000               15.4375
Sale                    7,067               15.7800
Sale                    91,757              15.5910
Sale                    1,876               15.4674
Sale                    313                 15.7775
Sale                    21,424              15.6446
Sale                    129,832             15.6429
Sale                    300                 15.7812
Sale                    653                 15.8862
Sale                    540                 15.8425
Sale                    807                 Transfer

(b)  Derivatives transactions (other than options)
Product name,  Long/Short    Number of     Price per
(e.g. CFD)     (Note 6)      Securities    unit (GBP)
CFD            Long          8000          15.4375
CFD            Long          1876          15.4673
CFD            Long          15399         15.4982
CFD            Long          19005         15.5031
CFD            Long          79628         15.5562
CFD            Long          141929        15.5864
CFD            Long          63302         15.6273
CFD            Long          129832        15.6429
CFD            Long          21424         15.6446
CFD            Long          356134        15.6548
CFD            Long          1756          15.7115
CFD            Long          900           15.72
CFD            Long          313           15.7774
CFD            Long          12129         15.8189
CFD            Long          29334         15.8262
CFD            Long          600           15.86
CFD            Short         313           15.3324
CFD            Short         1643          15.4531
CFD            Short         24797         15.494
CFD            Short         73967         15.5239
CFD            Short         114727        15.55
CFD            Short         67729         15.5586
CFD            Short         40941         15.5866
CFD            Short         205550        15.6
CFD            Short         58293         15.6141
CFD            Short         61548         15.6477
CFD            Short         500           15.7026
CFD            Short         900           15.72
CFD            Short         5000          15.8425

(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)                 YES


Date of disclosure                         08 August 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   750                    2,200.0000       EURO           19/12/2008
Option            Purchased   350                    1,450.0000       EURO           18/12/2009
Option            Purchased   350                    1,450.0000       EURO           18/12/2009
Option            Purchased   250                    1,900.0000       EURO           18/12/2009
Option            Purchased   250                    1,900.0000       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   500,000                9.5000           EURO           19/12/2008
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