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               16 October 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     120,070,322     5.44%      1,169,917     0.05%
securities
(2) Derivatives    2,403,466     0.11%     18,377,378     0.83%
(other than
options)
(3) Options and        2,700     0.00%          1,000     0.00%
agreements to
purchase/sell
Total            122,476,488     5.55%     19,548,295     0.89%

(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           2,028               8.1100
Purchase           19,177              9.0511
Purchase           18,039              8.8514
Purchase           32,027              8.0920
Purchase           20,000              8.4898
Purchase           1,070,836           8.7138
Purchase           9,042               8.6054
Purchase           5,200               8.9590
Purchase           7,100               8.6695
Purchase           1,011,798           8.5661
Purchase           20,000              8.4898
Purchase           26,475              8.1921
Purchase           170,003             8.4237
Purchase           27,701              8.5050
Purchase           251                 Transfer
Purchase           5,775               9.0511
Purchase           126                 Transfer
Purchase           65,934              8.6438
Purchase           66,332              8.8400
Purchase           972,879             8.5268
Purchase           89                  8.2750
Purchase           66,453              8.1280
Purchase           176                 9.1600
Purchase           2,396               8.1100
Purchase           362                 8.1100
Purchase           26,330              8.4000
Purchase           772,083             8.6192
Purchase           27,525              8.4950
Purchase           100,000             8.8746
Purchase           23,855              8.1100
Purchase           64,692              8.1100
Purchase           4,651               8.1100
Purchase           688                 8.1100
Purchase           7,433               9.0511
Purchase           30,908              8.1100
Purchase           4,822               8.1100
Purchase           3,616               8.1100
Purchase           1,480               8.1100
Purchase           23,484              8.6455
Purchase           1,535               8.2875
Purchase           13,396              8.7051
Sale               39                  Transfer
Sale               176                 9.1600
Sale               166,207             8.1100
Sale               27,525              8.4950
Sale               251                 Transfer
Sale               1,080               8.9153
Sale               426                 Transfer
Sale               493                 Transfer
Sale               20,000              8.4898
Sale               27,701              8.5050
Sale               84,095              9.0148
Sale               439                 Transfer
Sale               130,000             8.7146
Sale               22,222              8.9649
Sale               2,938               8.1100
Sale               380                 8.8853
Sale               34,800              9.1600
Sale               225                 8.9503
Sale               1,000               9.3103
Sale               1,100               8.8453
Sale               400                 8.8350
Sale               66,006              8.6548
Sale               1,535               8.2875
Sale               741,345             8.6694
Sale               1,011               Transfer
Sale               1,843               8.8700
Sale               32,000              8.5322
Sale               301                 Transfer
Sale               176                 7.9650
Sale               81,100              8.5083
Sale               126                 Transfer
Sale               1,223               9.0145
Sale               213                 9.7300
Sale               69,713              8.7737
Sale               1,062,205           8.8591

(b)  Derivatives transactions (other than options)
Product name,  Long/Short    Number of     Price per
(e.g. CFD)     (Note 6)      Securities    unit (GBP)
CFD            Long          1535          8.2875
CFD            Long          221634        8.4045
CFD            Long          81100         8.5083
CFD            Long          32000         8.5321
CFD            Long          103648        8.625
CFD            Long          66006         8.6547
CFD            Long          5750          8.6947
CFD            Long          69713         8.7736
CFD            Long          361568        8.8018
CFD            Long          1062205       8.8591
CFD            Long          54495         8.9528
CFD            Long          22222         8.9648
CFD            Long          1223          9.0144
CFD            Long          84095         9.0148
CFD            Short         10901         7.9365
CFD            Short         8805          8.0099
CFD            Short         32027         8.0919
CFD            Short         5345          8.11
CFD            Short         66453         8.1279
CFD            Short         26475         8.1921
CFD            Short         1535          8.2875
CFD            Short         448810        8.3091
CFD            Short         170003        8.4236
CFD            Short         20000         8.4898
CFD            Short         1011798       8.566
CFD            Short         105191        8.6038
CFD            Short         9042          8.6054
CFD            Short         772083        8.6191
CFD            Short         65934         8.6438
CFD            Short         23484         8.6454
CFD            Short         1070836       8.7138
CFD            Short         410073        8.7563
CFD            Short         11137         8.7862
CFD            Short         66332         8.8399
CFD            Short         18039         8.8513

(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                         17 October 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                   950.0000         EURO           19/12/2008
Option            Purchased   -500                   950.0000         EURO           19/12/2008
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

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