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)     29 May 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      4,266,431        2.85%       25,694      0.02%
securities
(2) Derivatives      49,598        0.03%      645,837      0.43%
(other than
options)
(3) Options and           0        0.00%            0      0.00%
agreements to
purchase/sell
Total             4,316,029        2.88%      671,531      0.45%


(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      5,404                8.1218
Purchase      12,992               8.0491
Purchase      7,488                8.0709
Purchase      7,376                8.0135
Purchase      5,787                8.0147
Purchase      5,672                8.0199
Purchase      96                   8.1800
Sale          106                  8.1659
Sale          384                  8.1500
Sale          818                  8.0345
Sale          898                  8.0118
Sale          1,753                7.9930
Sale          2,241                8.0720
Sale          3,255                8.0119
Sale          3,380                8.0176
Sale          4,516                8.0433
Sale          22,258               8.0119
Sale          5,796                8.0100
Sale          10,986               8.0404
Sale          15,600               8.0100
Sale          18,319               8.0119
Sale          4,206                8.0050

(b)  Derivatives transactions (other than options)
Product name,  Long/Short    Number of     Price per
(e.g. CFD)     (Note 6)      Securities    unit (GBP)
CFD            Long          1753          7.993
CFD            Long          4206          8.005
CFD            Long          3380          8.0176
CFD            Long          818           8.0345
CFD            Long          4516          8.0433
CFD            Long          2241          8.0719
CFD            Long          7862          8.1604
CFD            Short         7376          8.0134
CFD            Short         5787          8.0147
CFD            Short         5672          8.0199
CFD            Short         12661         8.0476
CFD            Short         5473          8.1032
CFD            Short         331           8.1054
CFD            Short         5404          8.1218

(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                         01 June 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