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               20 March 2009

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       4,410,435       2.94%      170,397      0.11%
securities
(2) Derivatives      164,120       0.11%      449,808      0.30%
(other than
options)
(3) Options and            0       0.00%            0      0.00%
agreements to
purchase/sell
Total              4,574,555       3.05%      620,205      0.41%

(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
Purchase      4,377                7.7914
Purchase      38,929               7.7121
Purchase      33,592               7.8750
Purchase      26,607               7.8750
Purchase      19,195               7.8750
Purchase      92                   7.7420
Purchase      12,401               7.7101
Purchase      94                   7.7505
Purchase      10,494               7.7054
Purchase      739                  7.7338
Purchase      65                   7.7550
Purchase      4,285                7.7065
Purchase      3,782                7.7500
Sale          1,896                7.8750
Sale          2,829                7.7204
Sale          4,144                7.8750
Sale          9,516                7.6600
Sale          44,105               7.7336
Sale          10,996               7.6856
Sale          15,531               7.7433
Sale          8,916                7.6875

(b)  Derivatives transactions (other than options)
Product name,  Long/Short    Number of     Price per
(e.g. CFD)     (Note 6)      Securities    unit (GBP)
CFD            Long          10996         7.6856
CFD            Long          2829          7.7204
CFD            Long          44105         7.7335
CFD            Long          15531         7.7433
CFD            Short         2647          7.687
CFD            Short         10494         7.7054
CFD            Short         4285          7.7064
CFD            Short         38929         7.7121
CFD            Short         2927          7.7162
CFD            Short         6827          7.7163
CFD            Short         739           7.7338
CFD            Short         4377          7.7914

(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                         23 March 2009
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