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               17 January 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      111,903,784     5.07%      3,787,980     0.17%
securities
(2) Derivatives     5,111,955     0.23%      4,180,955     0.19%
(other than
options)
(3) Options and     1,002,150      0.05%       752,775     0.03%
agreements to
purchase/sell
Total             118,017,889      5.35%     8,721,710     0.40%

(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      105,616               13.7205
Purchase      300                   13.6075
Purchase      107,280               13.8739
Purchase      41,243                13.6747
Purchase      140                   13.9470
Purchase      52,088                13.7454
Purchase      800                   14.3224
Purchase      543                   13.4926
Purchase      250                   13.6288
Purchase      2,512                 13.8551
Purchase      17,148                13.6520
Purchase      18,390                13.6516
Purchase      706,755               13.9164
Purchase      13,540                13.5000
Purchase      3,021                 13.5120
Purchase      250                   13.6288
Purchase      1,000                 13.7288
Purchase      1,459,070             13.8142
Purchase      2,000                 13.9400
Purchase      665                   14.0600
Purchase      83                    13.6283
Purchase      1,393                 13.5573
Purchase      665                   13.6600
Purchase      600,000               Transfer
Purchase      52                    13.6683
Purchase      360                   13.5888
Purchase      10,500                13.5585
Purchase      1,501                 13.6800
Purchase      1,567,129             13.8139
Purchase      99,539                13.5974
Purchase      164,863               13.5753
Purchase      6,660                 13.6902
Purchase      88,531                14.0213
Purchase      17,148                13.6520
Purchase      64,159                14.0043
Purchase      32,399                13.6584
Purchase      40,695                13.5582
Purchase      3,877                 13.4900
Purchase      75                    Transfer
Purchase      546                   13.4900
Purchase      292,317               13.7828
Purchase      1,300,000             1.3900
Purchase      800                   14.3224
Purchase      1,300,000             1.3900
Purchase      26,472                13.8944
Purchase      54,000                14.2548
Purchase      108,059               13.8095
Purchase      95,134                13.7047
Purchase      531                   13.4900
Purchase      3,620                 14.3100
Purchase      22,250                13.6040
Purchase      100                   13.6200
Purchase      14,681                13.6910
Purchase      179                   13.7065
Purchase      1,027,747             13.8937
Purchase      1,501                 13.6700
Purchase      166,064               13.4900
Purchase      13,643                13.6415
Purchase      132,224               13.6845
Purchase      4,223                 13.6593
Purchase      339                   13.4900
Purchase      29,150                13.5320
Purchase      250                   13.6188
Purchase      1,900                 13.7300
Purchase      3,342                 13.4900
Purchase      490,778               13.7404
Purchase      800                   13.5578
Purchase      18,390                13.6583
Purchase      42,755                13.7667
Purchase      108,059               13.8121
Sale          18,390                13.6583
Sale          64,159                14.0043
Sale          5,624                 13.4900
Sale          706,755               13.9139
Sale          105,616               13.7205
Sale          400                   14.1425
Sale          2,512                 13.8551
Sale          6,660                 13.6902
Sale          107,280               13.8714
Sale          54,000                14.2548
Sale          41,243                13.6722
Sale          1,200                 13.5112
Sale          14,681                13.6910
Sale          1,393                 13.5573
Sale          1,300,000             1.3900
Sale          17,148                13.6494
Sale          507,926               13.7374
Sale          40,695                13.5582
Sale          1,459,070             13.8142
Sale          164,863               13.5741
Sale          32,399                13.6584
Sale          190                   13.6212
Sale          42,755                13.7641
Sale          100                   13.6200
Sale          18,390                13.6516
Sale          28,120                13.4900
Sale          1,027,747             13.8937
Sale          535                   13.5412
Sale          800                   13.5578
Sale          22,250                13.6027
Sale          490,778               13.7404
Sale          17,148                13.6520
Sale          800                   13.5578
Sale          292,317               13.7802
Sale          108,059               13.8095
Sale          2,512                 13.8551
Sale          75                    Transfer
Sale          250                   13.6112
Sale          99,539                13.5974
Sale          1,501                 13.6700
Sale          95,134                13.7035
Sale          29,150                13.5307
Sale          665                   14.0600
Sale          132,224               13.6831
Sale          800                   14.3224
Sale          8,386                 13.4900
Sale          150                   13.5250
Sale          1,900                 13.7300
Sale          220                   13.6612
Sale          52,088                13.7428
Sale          4,223                 13.6593
Sale          1,501                 13.6800
Sale          10,500                13.5571
Sale          26,472                13.8930
Sale          531                   13.4900
Sale          543                   13.4900
Sale          665                   13.6600
Sale          108,059               13.8095
Sale          3,021                 13.5100
Sale          119,987               13.6066
Sale          14,681                13.6910
Sale          2,525                 13.9815
Sale          13,540                13.5000

(b)  Derivatives transactions (other than options)
Product name,  Long/Short    Number of     Price per
(e.g. CFD)     (Note 6)      Securities    unit (GBP)
CFD            Short         1300000       1.39
CFD            Short         543           13.4925
CFD            Short         3021          13.512
CFD            Short         29150         13.532
CFD            Short         10500         13.5584
CFD            Short         148901        13.5647
CFD            Short         4223          13.6592
CFD            Short         15962         13.6739
CFD            Short         132224        13.6844
CFD            Short         6660          13.6901
CFD            Short         33321         13.6911
CFD            Short         1900          13.73
CFD            Short         42755         13.7667
CFD            Short         292317        13.7828
CFD            Short         108059        13.8121
CFD            Short         706755        13.9164
CFD            Short         64159         14.0042
CFD            Short         1062          14.1786
CFD            Short         800           14.3224
CFD            Long          800           13.5578
CFD            Long          40695         13.5582
CFD            Long          22250         13.6026
CFD            Long          17148         13.6493
CFD            Long          41243         13.6721
CFD            Long          79336         13.6822
CFD            Long          14681         13.691
CFD            Long          105616        13.7204
CFD            Long          52088         13.7428
CFD            Long          15798         13.8097
CFD            Long          2512          13.855
CFD            Long          107280        13.8714
CFD            Long          26472         13.8929

(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)
CALL            Purchasing        375                48        EURO            20/03/2008    2


(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                         18 January 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   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   -1,775                 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