Rule 8.3 - VENTURE PRODUCTION

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              VENTURE PRODUCTION
Class of relevant security    ORD GBP0.004
to which the dealings being
disclosed relate (Note 2)
Date of dealing               27 September 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      4,918,156       3.46%          39,118    0.03%
securities
(2) Derivatives   1,369,362       0.96%        1,848,855   1.30%
(other than
options)
(3) Options and           0       0.00%              0     0.00%
agreements to
purchase/sell
Total             6,287,518       4.43%        1,887,973   1.33%

(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      147                  6.7877
Purchase      292                  6.7838
Purchase      260                  6.8338
Purchase      144                  6.8065
Purchase      1,500                6.8481
Purchase      2,913                6.8277
Purchase      4,000                6.8097
Purchase      1,458                6.8177
Purchase      1,000                6.8977
Purchase      1,500                6.8738
Purchase      1,456                6.8254
Purchase      1,000                6.9354
Purchase      100                  6.8438
Purchase      2,000                6.8777
Purchase      1,500                6.9231
Purchase      23,757               6.8550
Purchase      1,360                6.8020
Purchase      3,488                6.7915
Purchase      2,645                6.7919
Purchase      2,645                6.7919
Purchase      500                  6.8227
Sale          724                  6.8359
Sale          34,367               6.7871
Sale          377                  6.8410
Sale          173                  6.8394
Sale          500                  6.7866
Sale          2,645                6.7919
Sale          824                  6.8337
Sale          3,600                6.7831
Sale          275                  6.8310
Sale          1,320                6.8293
Sale          2,900                6.8422
Sale          7,000                6.9262
Sale          1,958                6.8187

(b)  Derivatives transactions (other than options)
Product name,  Long/Short    Number of     Price per
(e.g. CFD)     (Note 6)      Securities    unit (GBP)
CFD            Short         2645          6.7918
CFD            Short         1360          6.8019
CFD            Short         34435         6.8024
CFD            Short         23757         6.8549
CFD            Long          3600          6.783
CFD            Long          20017         6.8071
CFD            Long          1958          6.8187
CFD            Long          1320          6.8293
CFD            Long          824           6.8337
CFD            Long          724           6.8358
CFD            Long          173           6.8393
CFD            Long          2900          6.8422

(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)                 NO


Date of disclosure                         28 September 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