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               28 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     113,316,965      5.08%      5,331,598    0.24%
securities
(2) Derivatives    4,101,971      0.18%       1,053,873   0.05%
(other than
options)
(3) Options and    1,002,150      0.04%         753,775   0.03%
agreements to
purchase/sell
Total            118,421,086      5.30%       7,139,246   0.32%


(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           26,809                  15.6894
Purchase           4,193                   15.6100
Purchase           29,884                  15.6745
Purchase           87,278                  15.7080
Purchase           995                     15.6674
Purchase           11,700                  15.7458
Purchase           400                     15.7026
Purchase           23,229                  15.6766
Purchase           250                     15.7875
Purchase           2,616                   15.7100
Purchase           595,358                 15.6710
Purchase           73,000                  15.6098
Purchase           575,080                 15.6570
Purchase           6,000                   15.7300
Purchase           10,559                  15.5755
Purchase           15,930                  15.6100
Purchase           250                     15.7875
Purchase           2,892                   15.6289
Purchase           2,715                   15.6930
Purchase           73,000                  15.6098
Purchase           9,070                   15.7427
Purchase           26,571                  15.7280
Purchase           393,654                 15.6956
Purchase           400                     15.7026
Purchase           595,358                 15.6710
Purchase           420                     15.6777
Purchase           6,000                   15.7300
Purchase           100                     15.5977
Purchase           3,000                   15.6530
Purchase           250                     15.7788
Purchase           7,620                   15.6331
Purchase           132,317                 15.6137
Sale               7,620                   15.6301
Sale               595,358                 15.6710
Sale               93,278                  15.7094
Sale               995                     15.6674
Sale               10,559                  15.5739
Sale               6,000                   15.7270
Sale               79                      15.5417
Sale               3,000                   15.6500
Sale               300                     15.5525
Sale               2,616                   15.7070
Sale               6,000                   15.7300
Sale               3,553                   15.6100
Sale               18,475                  15.6100
Sale               400                     15.7026
Sale               29,884                  15.6745
Sale               11,700                  15.7443
Sale               2,715                   15.6900
Sale               575,080                 15.6570
Sale               87,278                  15.7080
Sale               26,809                  15.6880
Sale               23,229                  15.6750
Sale               995                     15.6674
Sale               9,070                   15.7399
Sale               2,892                   15.6273
Sale               26,571                  15.7280
Sale               393,654                 15.6928
Sale               73,000                  15.6098
Sale               132,317                 15.6123

(b) Derivatives transactions (other than options)
Product Name  Long/Short  Number Of Securities  Price Per Unit
CFD           Short       6355                  15.5445
CFD           Short       10559                 15.5755
CFD           Short       125962                15.6171
CFD           Short       3000                  15.6529
CFD           Short       29884                 15.6745
CFD           Short       23229                 15.6765
CFD           Short       2715                  15.6929
CFD           Short       393654                15.6956
CFD           Short       400                   15.7026
CFD           Long        2892                  15.6273
CFD           Long        7620                  15.6301
CFD           Long        995                   15.6673
CFD           Long        4636                  15.668
CFD           Long        22173                 15.6922
CFD           Long        2616                  15.707
CFD           Long        6000                  15.727
CFD           Long        26571                 15.728
CFD           Long        9070                  15.7398
CFD           Long        11700                 15.7442
CFD           Long        700                   15.8074

NB: The below transactions which were previously disclosed have been cancelled
Deal Date     Long/Short     Number of Securities   Price per unit (GBP)
27/12/2007    Short          700                    15.8074

(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                         31 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   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   700                    1,400.0000      EURO         20/03/2008
Option            Purchased   500                    1,500.0000      EURO         15/02/2008
Option            Purchased   450                    1,400.0000      EURO         20/03/2008
Option            Purchased   250                    1,700.0000      EURO         19/12/2008
Option            Purchased   250                    1,600.0000      EURO         15/02/2008
Option            Purchased   -500                   950.0000        EURO         19/12/2008
Option            Purchased   -500                   950.0000        EURO         19/12/2008
Option            Purchased   -1,000                 1,500.0000      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

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