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               07 September 2007

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        5,156,239    3.63%         6,600     0.00%
securities
(2) Derivatives       732,850    0.52%     1,054,723     0.74%
(other than
options)
(3) Options and             0    0.00%             0     0.00%
agreements to
purchase/sell

Total               5,889,089    4.14%     1,061,323     0.75%


(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      35,640               7.3528
Purchase      21,200               7.4301
Purchase      585                  7.2884
Purchase      324                  7.4590
Purchase      1,938                7.2300
Purchase      500                  7.2510
Purchase      628                  7.4590
Purchase      204                  7.4226
Purchase      112                  7.3637
Purchase      749                  7.4142
Purchase      6,022                7.3542
Sale          1,517                7.4403
Sale          9,000                7.3100
Sale          9,127                7.3100
Sale          400                  7.4500
Sale          11,542               7.3113
Sale          4,275                7.4181
Sale          5,943                7.3810


(b)  Derivatives transactions (other than options)
Product name   Long/Short    Number of     Price per
                             Securities    unit
CFD            Short         971           7.2173
CFD            Short         500           7.251
CFD            Short         3863          7.3291
CFD            Short         7643          7.3473
CFD            Short         35640         7.3527
CFD            Short         5051          7.3804
CFD            Short         21200         7.4301
CFD            Long          11542         7.3113
CFD            Long          19624         7.3613
CFD            Long          13658         7.368
CFD            Long          4275          7.418
CFD            Long          400           7.45


(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                         10 September 2007
Contact name                               BARCLAYS COMPLIANCE
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