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               08 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      4,600,009      3.24%            83,747   0.06%

(2) Derivatives   1,900,390      1.34%         2,052,867   1.44%
(other than
options)
(3) Options and           0      0.00%                0    0.00%
agreements to
purchase/sell
Total             6,500,399      4.57%          2,136,614  1.50%

(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      43,708               6.8325
Purchase      3,000                6.8847
Purchase      700                  6.7715
Purchase      726                  6.8388
Purchase      3,111                6.8104
Purchase      700                  6.9189
Purchase      1,394                6.8690
Purchase      43,708               6.7750
Purchase      4,886                6.7638
Purchase      2,860                6.7721
Purchase      259                  Transfer
Purchase      1,221                6.8599
Purchase      2,118                6.8613
Purchase      202                  6.8690
Sale          175                  6.7662
Sale          4,000                6.7653
Sale          3,000                6.9103
Sale          700                  6.9189
Sale          259                  Transfer
Sale          1,620                6.7750
Sale          2,118                6.8263
Sale          43,708               6.9150
Sale          43,708               6.8325
Sale          301                  6.7712
Sale          8,820                6.8193
Sale          1,806                6.9094
Sale          43,708               6.8325
Sale          700                  6.9189
Sale          12,142               6.8720

(b)  Derivatives transactions (other than options)
Product name,  Long/Short    Number of     Price per
(e.g. CFD)     (Note 6)      Securities    unit (GBP)
CFD            Short         1221          6.8599
CFD            Short         2118          6.8613
CFD            Short         2579          6.8917
CFD            Long          1620          6.775
CFD            Long          8820          6.8193
CFD            Long          2118          6.8263
CFD            Long          20707         6.8351
CFD            Long          12142         6.872
CFD            Long          1806          6.9093
CFD            Long          700           6.9188

(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                         09 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