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               01 october 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      4,849,731       3.41%          58,725    0.04%

(2) Derivatives   1,547,481       1.09%        1,922,508   1.35%
(other than
options)
(3) Options and           0       0.00%              0     0.00%
agreements to
purchase/sell
Total             6,397,212       4.50%        1,981,233    1.39%

(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      300                  6.8465
Purchase      7,215                6.8490
Purchase      120                  6.8404
Purchase      409                  6.8720
Purchase      9,921                6.8609
Purchase      6,446                6.8678
Purchase      471                  6.8288
Purchase      8,077                6.9073
Purchase      1,500                6.8677
Purchase      711                  6.9366
Purchase      431                  6.9366
Purchase      259                  Transfer
Purchase      2,457                6.9050
Purchase      14,558               6.8472
Purchase      1,430                6.8720
Sale          259                  Transfer
Sale          17,217               6.8949
Sale          6,196                6.9277
Sale          7,215                6.8490
Sale          6,446                6.8678
Sale          97                   6.8713
Sale          6,446                6.8678
Sale          660                  6.7920
Sale          7,215                6.8490
Sale          5,145                6.9229

(b)  Derivatives transactions (other than options)
Product name,  Long/Short    Number of     Price per
(e.g. CFD)     (Note 6)      Securities    unit (GBP)
CFD            Short         14558         6.8471
CFD            Short         13060         6.849
CFD            Short         9921          6.8609
CFD            Short         8077          6.9072
CFD            Long          7215          6.8489
CFD            Long          6446          6.8678
CFD            Long          97            6.8713
CFD            Long          42922         6.887
CFD            Long          17217         6.8948
CFD            Long          5145          6.9228
CFD            Long          6196          6.9276

(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                         02 October 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