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               18 February 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      107,560,730      4.87%      3,635,641    0.16%
securities
(2) Derivatives     3,767,830      0.17%      4,355,157    0.20%
(other than
options)
(3) Options and     1,003,250      0.05%        752,775    0.03%
agreements to
purchase/sell
Total             112,331,810      5.09%      8,743,573    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      24,493                Transfer
Purchase      103                   Transfer
Purchase      160,680               16.0714
Purchase      44,431                15.7277
Purchase      47,816                15.8083
Purchase      2,609                 16.1800
Purchase      238,591               15.8849
Purchase      20,859                16.0667
Purchase      23,803                16.0559
Purchase      1,612                 16.1800
Purchase      57,098                15.8187
Purchase      95,302                16.1400
Purchase      26,544                15.8527
Purchase      3,224                 16.1800
Purchase      58,834                16.1200
Purchase      132,841               15.9975
Purchase      160,680               16.0744
Sale          1,556                 16.0083
Sale          450                   15.8912
Sale          52,497                16.0133
Sale          80                    Transfer
Sale          160,680               16.0714
Sale          440                   15.7025
Sale          754                   15.8800
Sale          5,687                 15.8499
Sale          200                   15.8912
Sale          300                   16.0712
Sale          22,837                16.0725
Sale          265                   16.0712
Sale          335                   15.8912
Sale          220,000               16.1200
Sale          150                   16.0612
Sale          1,400                 15.9725
Sale          25,782                16.0653
Sale          218                   15.6817
Sale          103                   Transfer
Sale          57,098                15.8157
Sale          513                   16.0817
Sale          31,003                15.9043
Sale          580                   16.1412
Sale          57,098                15.8187
Sale          40,400                16.0142
Sale          33,536                15.9063
Sale          100                   16.0900
Sale          52,497                16.0133
Sale          1,193                 15.9900
Sale          44,431                15.9739
Sale          93,863                16.0302
Sale          163,478               15.9860
Sale          2,500                 16.0479
Sale          38,595                15.9176


(b)  Derivatives transactions (other than options)
Product name,  Long/Short    Number of     Price per
(e.g. CFD)     (Note 6)      Securities    unit (GBP)
CFD            Short         44431         15.7276
CFD            Short         47816         15.8082
CFD            Short         26544         15.8526
CFD            Short         238591        15.8849
CFD            Short         132841        15.9975
CFD            Short         101925        16.0134
CFD            Short         23803         16.0559
CFD            Short         20859         16.0667
CFD            Short         160680        16.0744
CFD            Short         49799         16.1184
CFD            Short         9035          16.1284
CFD            Long          57098         15.8157
CFD            Long          5687          15.8498
CFD            Long          33536         15.9062
CFD            Long          38595         15.9176
CFD            Long          44431         15.9738
CFD            Long          163478        15.9859
CFD            Long          1556          16.0083
CFD            Long          104994        16.0133
CFD            Long          40400         16.0142
CFD            Long          4729          16.0208
CFD            Long          89134         16.0307
CFD            Long          2500          16.0479
CFD            Long          25782         16.0652
CFD            Long          22837         16.0724
CFD            Long          100           16.09


(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            Purchase          500                16.5     EURO            20/03/2008  .62

(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                         19 February 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   350                    1,450.0000       EURO           18/12/2009
Option            Purchased   -250,000               16.0000          AMER           19/09/2008
Option            Purchased   -1,775                 1,600.0000       EURO           20/06/2008
Option            Purchased   -500                   950.0000         EURO           19/12/2008
Option            Purchased   -500                   950.0000         EURO           19/12/2008
Option            Purchased   150                    1,500.0000       EURO           20/03/2008
Option            Purchased   250                    1,700.0000       EURO           19/12/2008
Option            Purchased   -500,000               9.5000           EURO           19/12/2008
Option            Purchased   250                    1,500.0000       EURO           18/12/2009
Option            Purchased   500,000                9.5000           EURO           19/12/2008
Option            Purchased   350                    1,450.0000       EURO           18/12/2009
Option            Purchased   450                    1,400.0000       EURO           20/03/2008
Option            Purchased   500                    1,650.0000       EURO           20/03/2008
Option            Purchased   700                    1,400.0000       EURO           20/03/2008
Option            Purchased   250,000                14.0000          AMER           20/06/2008
Option            Purchased   250,000                14.0000          AMER           20/06/2008
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