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               10 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        5,159,643    3.63%        18,493     0.01%
securities
(2) Derivatives       786,091    0.55%     1,100,171     0.77%
(other than
options)
(3) Options and             0    0.00%             0     0.00%
agreements to
purchase/sell

Total               5,945,734    4.18%     1,118,664     0.79%


(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      7,643                7.3474
Purchase      272                  7.3340
Purchase      135                  7.2540
Purchase      554                  7.4490
Purchase      2,067                7.2541
Purchase      16,482               7.3455
Purchase      1,811                7.3784
Purchase      830                  7.4300
Purchase      300                  7.3050
Purchase      17,160               7.3434
Purchase      900                  7.4668
Purchase      86                   7.4490
Purchase      852                  7.3257
Purchase      202                  7.3840
Purchase      1,684                7.3049
Purchase      135                  7.3540
Sale          13,658               7.3680
Sale          1,256                7.1407
Sale          1,684                7.3574
Sale          127                  7.3005
Sale          800                  7.1804
Sale          3,000                7.2054
Sale          378                  7.1759
Sale          133                  7.1709
Sale          7,092                7.2980
Sale          2,866                7.3413
Sale          12,848               7.3258
Sale          367                  7.3100
Sale          3,500                7.1955


(b)  Derivatives transactions (other than options)
Product name   Long/Short    Number of     Price per
                             Securities    unit
CFD            Short         1684          7.3048
CFD            Short         300           7.305
CFD            Short         852           7.3256
CFD            Short         6259          7.3413
CFD            Short         17160         7.3434
CFD            Short         16482         7.3455
CFD            Short         1811          7.3783
CFD            Short         900           7.4667
CFD            Long          7092          7.298
CFD            Long          367           7.31
CFD            Long          6512          7.3225
CFD            Long          6336          7.3291
CFD            Long          2866          7.3412
CFD            Long          1684          7.3574
CFD            Long          28384         7.3582


(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                         11 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