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               12 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      4,559,629      3.21%           131,847   0.09%

(2) Derivatives   2,164,661      1.52%         2,235,999   1.57%
(other than
options)
(3) Options and           0      0.00%                0    0.00%
agreements to
purchase/sell
Total             6,724,290      4.73%         2,367,846   1.67%

(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      16,537               6.9550
Purchase      2,103                7.1304
Purchase      800                  7.3438
Purchase      12,539               7.3513
Purchase      861                  7.3507
Purchase      251                  7.2564
Purchase      244                  7.2327
Purchase      4,002                7.2509
Purchase      686                  7.2338
Purchase      73                   7.3614
Purchase      18,174               7.2098
Purchase      816                  7.1324
Sale          10                   7.2560
Sale          648                  7.3560
Sale          686                  7.3610
Sale          878                  7.0795
Sale          116                  7.3710
Sale          1,500                7.3515
Sale          259                  Transfer
Sale          1,500                7.3015
Sale          1,099                7.3500
Sale          7,085                7.2667
Sale          73                   7.2737
Sale          100                  7.3591
Sale          1,668                7.1155
Sale          58,231               7.2828
Sale          16,537               6.9550
Sale          1,500                7.3600

(b)  Derivatives transactions (other than options)
Product name,  Long/Short    Number of     Price per
(e.g. CFD)     (Note 6)      Securities    unit (GBP)
CFD            Short         18174         7.2098
CFD            Short         4002          7.2509
CFD            Short         251           7.2564
CFD            Short         861           7.3506
CFD            Short         12539         7.3512
CFD            Short         73            7.3613
CFD            Long          6224          7.2497
CFD            Long          73            7.2736
CFD            Long          58231         7.2828
CFD            Long          18924         7.2968
CFD            Long          100           7.3591
CFD            Long          1500          7.36
CFD            Long          861           7.3893

(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                         15 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