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               04 August 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       3,762,726     2.51%         27,508     0.02%
securities
(2) Derivatives      318,987     0.21%        614,264     0.41%
(other than
options)
(3) Options and            0     0.00%              0     0.00%
agreements to
purchase/sell
Total              4,081,713     2.73%        641,772     0.43%



(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      1,480                8.3474
Purchase      503                  8.3405
Purchase      23,896               8.3498
Sale          2,137                8.3400
Sale          2,148                8.3400
Sale          2,164                8.3400
Sale          2,170                8.3400
Sale          291                  8.3400
Sale          2,198                8.3400
Sale          2,066                8.3400
Sale          90                   8.3400
Sale          169                  8.3400
Sale          254                  8.3400
Sale          278                  8.3400
Sale          288                  8.3400
Sale          2,179                8.3500
Sale          2,079                8.3400
Sale          352                  8.3500
Sale          2,062                8.3400
Sale          2,022                8.3400
Sale          2,013                8.3400
Sale          1,972                8.3400
Sale          1,969                8.3400
Sale          1,932                8.3400
Sale          1,919                8.3400
Sale          1,911                8.3400
Sale          1,905                8.3500
Sale          1,886                8.3400
Sale          1,879                8.3500
Sale          1,859                8.3500
Sale          2,082                8.3500
Sale          473                  8.3500
Sale          572                  8.3400
Sale          564                  8.3400
Sale          559                  8.3400
Sale          544                  8.3516
Sale          539                  8.3400
Sale          533                  8.3400
Sale          525                  8.3400
Sale          515                  8.3500
Sale          515                  8.3400
Sale          511                  8.3400
Sale          511                  8.3400
Sale          492                  8.3500
Sale          306                  8.3500
Sale          474                  8.3400
Sale          1,184                8.3400
Sale          440                  8.3400
Sale          437                  8.3400
Sale          430                  8.3400
Sale          430                  8.3400
Sale          421                  8.3500
Sale          412                  8.3400
Sale          386                  8.3400
Sale          382                  8.3500
Sale          380                  8.3500
Sale          365                  8.3400
Sale          1,845                8.3400
Sale          313                  8.3500
Sale          489                  8.3400
Sale          1,328                8.3400
Sale          1,853                8.3400
Sale          1,506                8.3400
Sale          1,502                8.3400
Sale          1,492                8.3400
Sale          1,492                8.3400
Sale          1,452                8.3500
Sale          1,426                8.3400
Sale          1,416                8.3400
Sale          1,400                8.3400
Sale          1,392                8.3400
Sale          1,369                8.3400
Sale          1,354                8.3400
Sale          1,533                8.3400
Sale          1,339                8.3400
Sale          1,537                8.3500
Sale          1,306                8.3500
Sale          1,291                8.3400
Sale          1,285                8.3400
Sale          1,274                8.3500
Sale          1,273                8.3400
Sale          1,267                8.3400
Sale          1,264                8.3400
Sale          1,245                8.3400
Sale          1,242                8.3400
Sale          1,240                8.3400
Sale          1,228                8.3400
Sale          1,211                8.3400
Sale          1,350                8.3500
Sale          1,750                8.3400
Sale          2,260                8.3500
Sale          906                  8.3400
Sale          905                  8.3400
Sale          897                  8.3400
Sale          883                  8.3400
Sale          882                  8.3400
Sale          1,818                8.3400
Sale          1,812                8.3400
Sale          1,800                8.3400
Sale          1,797                8.3400
Sale          1,773                8.3400
Sale          1,770                8.3400
Sale          1,509                8.3400
Sale          1,759                8.3400
Sale          1,847                8.3400
Sale          1,680                8.3400
Sale          1,672                8.3400
Sale          1,665                8.3400
Sale          1,650                8.3500
Sale          1,642                8.3400
Sale          1,640                8.3400
Sale          1,638                8.3400
Sale          1,627                8.3400
Sale          1,607                8.3400
Sale          1,600                8.3500
Sale          1,552                8.3400
Sale          1,550                8.3400
Sale          1,766                8.3400
Sale          15,264               8.3400
Sale          2,212                8.3400
Sale          827                  8.3400
Sale          825                  8.3500
Sale          824                  8.3400
Sale          823                  8.3400
Sale          816                  8.3400
Sale          787                  8.3400
Sale          782                  8.3400
Sale          772                  8.3400
Sale          757                  8.3400
Sale          755                  8.3400
Sale          750                  8.3400
Sale          830                  8.3500
Sale          18,931               8.3400
Sale          831                  8.3400
Sale          14,335               8.3404
Sale          10,151               8.3487
Sale          7,957                8.3400
Sale          6,796                8.3400
Sale          6,455                8.3500
Sale          6,414                8.3500
Sale          745                  8.3400
Sale          6,075                8.3414
Sale          5,374                8.3400
Sale          5,215                8.3400
Sale          4,743                8.3400
Sale          4,538                8.3400
Sale          746                  8.3400
Sale          1,013                8.3400
Sale          1,151                8.3400
Sale          1,150                8.3400
Sale          1,144                8.3400
Sale          1,142                8.3400
Sale          1,126                8.3400
Sale          1,113                8.3400
Sale          1,108                8.3400
Sale          1,108                8.3400
Sale          1,087                8.3500
Sale          1,087                8.3400
Sale          1,086                8.3400
Sale          1,072                8.3500
Sale          827                  8.3400
Sale          1,027                8.3400
Sale          4,013                8.3500
Sale          999                  8.3400
Sale          996                  8.3400
Sale          988                  8.3400
Sale          981                  8.3400
Sale          976                  8.3400
Sale          952                  8.3500
Sale          925                  8.3400
Sale          922                  8.3400
Sale          913                  8.3400
Sale          908                  8.3500
Sale          870                  8.3400
Sale          863                  8.3400
Sale          1,062                8.3400
Sale          2,679                8.3400
Sale          597                  8.3400
Sale          589                  8.3500
Sale          583                  8.3500
Sale          3,288                8.3500
Sale          582                  8.3400
Sale          3,218                8.3400
Sale          3,000                8.3400
Sale          2,906                8.3500
Sale          2,900                8.3400
Sale          2,861                8.3400
Sale          2,861                8.3400
Sale          2,732                8.3400
Sale          4,349                8.3400
Sale          2,680                8.3400
Sale          618                  8.3500
Sale          2,632                8.3400
Sale          2,615                8.3400
Sale          2,563                8.3400
Sale          2,523                8.3400
Sale          2,396                8.3400
Sale          2,378                8.3500
Sale          2,351                8.3400
Sale          2,335                8.3400
Sale          2,303                8.3500
Sale          2,301                8.3500
Sale          2,299                8.3400
Sale          1,181                8.3400
Sale          2,726                8.3400
Sale          700                  8.3400
Sale          2,223                8.3400
Sale          3,991                8.3400
Sale          3,914                8.3400
Sale          3,889                8.3400
Sale          3,868                8.3400
Sale          3,659                8.3400
Sale          3,609                8.3400
Sale          3,467                8.3400
Sale          3,438                8.3400
Sale          732                  8.3400
Sale          727                  8.3500
Sale          725                  8.3400
Sale          604                  8.3400
Sale          709                  8.3400
Sale          606                  8.3400
Sale          700                  8.3400
Sale          695                  8.3400
Sale          661                  8.3400
Sale          657                  8.3400
Sale          657                  8.3400
Sale          644                  8.3400
Sale          636                  8.3400
Sale          633                  8.3400
Sale          628                  8.3500
Sale          626                  8.3400
Sale          624                  8.3400
Sale          624                  8.3400
Sale          4,146                8.3400
Sale          719                  8.3400

(b)  Derivatives transactions (other than options)
Product name,  Long/Short    Number of     Price per
(e.g. CFD)     (Note 6)      Securities    unit (GBP)
CFD            Long          14335         8.3404
CFD            Long          10151         8.3487
CFD            Long          544           8.3515
CFD            Long          19388         8.36
CFD            Short         503           8.3404
CFD            Short         23896         8.3498


(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                         05 August 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