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               24 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       4,394,765       2.93%      183,056      0.12%
securities
(2) Derivatives      163,977       0.11%      414,383      0.28%
(other than
options)
(3) Options and            0       0.00%            0      0.00%
agreements to
purchase/sell
Total              4,558,742       3.04%      597,439      0.40%

(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      6,781                7.8261
Purchase      947                  7.7713
Purchase      378                  7.7662
Purchase      5,263                7.7233
Purchase      8,383                7.7616
Purchase      8,776                7.7846
Purchase      21,256               7.8464
Sale          215                  7.6753
Sale          275                  7.6753
Sale          937                  7.7505
Sale          565                  7.7555
Sale          378                  7.9788
Sale          98                   7.7505
Sale          436                  7.6753
Sale          505                  7.6753
Sale          532                  7.7505
Sale          300                  7.7400
Sale          581                  7.7900
Sale          74                   8.0225
Sale          825                  7.7900
Sale          21,516               7.8677
Sale          1,312                7.7190
Sale          1,507                7.7000
Sale          2,729                7.9148
Sale          7,177                7.8753
Sale          8,488                7.7836
Sale          12,854               7.8081
Sale          622                  7.6753

(b)  Derivatives transactions (other than options)
Product name,  Long/Short    Number of     Price per
(e.g. CFD)     (Note 6)      Securities    unit (GBP)
CFD            Long          1312          7.719
CFD            Long          300           7.74
CFD            Long          8488          7.7835
CFD            Long          6008          7.8037
CFD            Long          3364          7.8038
CFD            Long          12854         7.8081
CFD            Long          21516         7.8677
CFD            Long          5242          7.8727
CFD            Long          2729          7.9148
CFD            Long          8447          7.9326
CFD            Long          378           7.9788
CFD            Short         5263          7.7233
CFD            Short         8383          7.7616
CFD            Short         378           7.7661
CFD            Short         947           7.7712
CFD            Short         4633          7.8219
CFD            Short         2148          7.835
CFD            Short         21256         7.8464

(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                         25 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