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               03 April 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       4,349,514     2.90%        119,197     0.08%
securities
(2) Derivatives      205,452     0.14%        397,117     0.27%
(other than
options)
(3) Options and            0     0.00%              0     0.00%
agreements to
purchase/sell
Total              4,554,966     3.04%        516,314     0.34%


(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      2,818                8.3466
Purchase      400                  8.2814
Purchase      8,059                8.3052
Purchase      7,429                8.2889
Purchase      4,227                8.2992
Purchase      642                  8.3462
Purchase      23,004               8.2897
Purchase      815                  8.3093
Purchase      180                  8.2802
Purchase      1,200                8.3581
Sale          205                  8.2550
Sale          483                  8.4445
Sale          642                  8.2188
Sale          1,186                8.2211
Sale          2,634                8.4450
Sale          3,148                Transfer
Sale          3,830                8.2864
Sale          7,299                8.2887
Sale          8,279                8.2862
Sale          10,193               8.2123
Sale          1,291                8.0900

(b)  Derivatives transactions (other than options)
Product name,  Long/Short    Number of     Price per
(e.g. CFD)     (Note 6)      Securities    unit (GBP)
CFD            Long          710           8.2
CFD            Long          10193         8.2122
CFD            Long          642           8.2187
CFD            Long          1186          8.221
CFD            Long          8279          8.2862
CFD            Long          3830          8.2864
CFD            Long          483           8.4445
CFD            Short         7400          8.2544
CFD            Short         180           8.2802
CFD            Short         400           8.2814
CFD            Short         7429          8.2889
CFD            Short         23004         8.2897
CFD            Short         393           8.2948
CFD            Short         4227          8.2991
CFD            Short         422           8.3227
CFD            Short         642           8.3462
CFD            Short         2818          8.3466
CFD            Short         1200          8.3581
CFD            Short         2048          8.3684

(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                         06 April 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