REG-Norges Bank Rule 8.3 - BHP

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Thu Oct 23, 2008 8:22am EDT

LONDON--(Business Wire)--


                                    FORM 8.3

    DEALINGS BY PERSONS WITH INTERESTS IN SECURITIES REPRESENTING 1% OR MORE

                         (Rule 8.3 of the Takeover Code)

                                      LATE

1. KEY INFORMATION

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*T
Name of person dealing (Note 1)            Norges Bank
------------------------------------------ ---------------------------------------------------------------
Company dealt in                           BHP BILLITON PLC
------------------------------------------ ---------------------------------------------------------------
Class of relevant security to which the    Ordinary Shares GBP 0.10
 dealings being disclosed relate (Note 2)
------------------------------------------ ---------------------------------------------------------------
Date of dealing                            22 October 2008
------------------------------------------ ---------------------------------------------------------------
*T

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)

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                                                        Long                           Short
------------------------------------------ ------------------------------ --------------------------------
                                           Number (%)                     Number (%)
------------------------------------------ ------------------------------ --------------------------------
(1) Relevant securities                    28,189,432 (1.28%)
------------------------------------------ ------------------------------ --------------------------------
(2) Derivatives (other than options)       19,118,040 (0.87%)             8,500 (0.00%)
------------------------------------------ ------------------------------ --------------------------------
(3) Options and agreements to
 purchase/sell
------------------------------------------ ------------------------------ --------------------------------
Total                                      47,307,472 (2.14%)             8,500 (0.00%)
------------------------------------------ ------------------------------ --------------------------------
*T

(b) Interests and short positions in relevant securities of the company, other
than the class dealt in (Note 3)

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       Class of relevant security:                     Long                          Short
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                          Number (%)                    Number (%)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) Relevant securities
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(2) Derivatives (other than options)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(3) Options and agreements to
 purchase/sell
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*T

(c) Rights to subscribe (Note 3)

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Class of relevant security:               Details
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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3. DEALINGS (Note 4)

(a) Purchases and sales

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Purchase/sale                      Number of securities              Price per unit (Note 5)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*T

(b) Derivatives transactions (other than options)

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Product name,        Long/short (Note 6)     Number of securities (Note 7)    Price per unit (Note 5)
e.g. CFD
-------------------- ----------------------- -------------------------------- -----------------------------
CFD                  Short                   61,000                           9.22
-------------------- ----------------------- -------------------------------- -----------------------------
*T

(c) Options transactions in respect of existing securities

(i) Writing, selling, purchasing or varying

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Product name,       Writing,         Number of           Exercise   Type, e.g.    Expiry     Option money
e.g. call option     selling,         securities to      price       American,    date       paid/received
                     purchasing,      which the option               European                 per unit (Note
                     varying etc.     relates (Note 7)               etc.                     5)
------------------- ---------------- ------------------- ---------- ------------- ---------- ----------------
N/A                 N/A              N/A                 N/A        N/A           N/A        N/A
------------------- ---------------- ------------------- ---------- ------------- ---------- ----------------
*T

(ii) Exercising

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Product name, e.g. call option      Number of securities               Exercise price per unit (Note 5)
----------------------------------- ---------------------------------- ------------------------------------
N/A                                 N/A                                N/A
----------------------------------- ---------------------------------- ------------------------------------
*T

(d) Other dealings (including new securities) (Note 4)

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Nature of transaction (Note 8)      Details                            Price per unit (if applicable) (Note
                                                                        5)
----------------------------------- ---------------------------------- ------------------------------------
N/A                                 N/A                                N/A
----------------------------------- ---------------------------------- ------------------------------------
*T

4. OTHER INFORMATION

Agreements, arrangements or understandings relating to options or derivatives

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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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
None
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Is a Supplemental Form 8 attached? (Note 9) NO

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Date of disclosure                                           23 October 2008
------------------------------------------------------------ ---------------------------------------------
Contact name                                                 Robert Cook
                                                             On behalf of Norges Bank
------------------------------------------------------------ ---------------------------------------------
Telephone number                                             004722316922
------------------------------------------------------------ ---------------------------------------------
Name of offeree/offeror with which associated
------------------------------------------------------------ ---------------------------------------------
Specify category and nature of associate status (Note 10)
------------------------------------------------------------ ---------------------------------------------
*T

Notes

Late disclosure

The Notes on Form 8.3 can be viewed on the Takeover Panel's website at
www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk

Norges Bank

Copyright Business Wire 2008
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