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               05 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      4,658,181      3.28%           64,559    0.05%

(2) Derivatives   1,852,477      1.30%         2,046,949   1.44%
(other than
options)
(3) Options and           0      0.00%                0    0.00%
agreements to
purchase/sell
Total             6,510,658      4.58%         2,111,508   1.49%

(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      11,858               6.8306
Purchase      116                  6.7888
Purchase      291                  6.7838
Purchase      1,500                6.7888
Purchase      268                  6.8663
Purchase      685                  6.8788
Purchase      823                  6.8411
Purchase      3,000                6.7997
Purchase      1,500                6.7786
Purchase      446                  7.0127
Purchase      500                  6.7988
Purchase      1,500                6.8777
Purchase      4,433                6.8952
Purchase      823                  6.8411
Purchase      264                  6.7927
Sale          148                  6.8616
Sale          186                  6.8910
Sale          1,050                6.8910
Sale          295                  6.7860
Sale          7,328                6.8902
Sale          3,422                6.9569
Sale          3,923                6.7750
Sale          368                  6.9674
Sale          7,320                6.8788
Sale          2,100                6.9067
Sale          823                  6.8411
Sale          1,660                6.7750

(b)  Derivatives transactions (other than options)
Product name,  Long/Short    Number of     Price per
(e.g. CFD)     (Note 6)      Securities    unit (GBP)
CFD            Short         11858         6.8305
CFD            Short         823           6.8411
CFD            Short         268           6.8663
CFD            Short         14345         6.8749
CFD            Short         4433          6.8951
CFD            Long          12495         6.8596
CFD            Long          7320          6.8787
CFD            Long          7328          6.8901
CFD            Long          2100          6.9066
CFD            Long          3422          6.9568
CFD            Long          368           6.9674

(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                         08 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