4th Sep 2008 10:23
| FORM 38.5 (SUMMARY) | 
| Lodge with Company Announcements Office and the Panel. Use a separate form for each class of | 
| securities in which dealings have been made. | 
| CONNECTED EXEMPT PRINCIPLE TRADER: | 
| DISCLOSURE UNDER RULE 38.5 OF THE CITY CODE ON TAKEOVERS AND | 
| Name of EPT | Merrill Lynch International | 
| Date of disclosure | 04 September 2008 | 
| Date of dealing | 03 September 2008 | 
| Telephone number | 020 7996 2121 | 
| Please see attached disclosure of dealings under Rule 38.5 in the securities of the following | 
| 03 September 2008 | 
| Rio Tinto Plc - Common | 
| Imperial Energy Corporation Plc - Common | 
| British Energy Group Plc - Common | 
| BHP Billiton Limited - Common | 
| FORM | 
| 38.5(a) | 
| DEALINGS BY CONNECTED EXEMPT PRINCIPAL TRADERS | 
| (Rule 38.5 of The City Code on Takeovers and Mergers) | 
| 1. KEY INFORMATION | 
| Name of exempt principal trader | Merrill Lynch International | 
| Company dealt in | Rio Tinto Plc | 
| Class of relevant security to which the | Common | 
| dealings being disclosed relate | 
| Date of dealing | 03/09/2008 | 
| 2. DEALINGS | 
| (a) Purchases and sales | 
| Total number of securities | Highest price paid | Lowest price paid | 
| purchased | 
| 795,835 | GBP 48.03 | GBP 46.14 | 
| Total number of securities sold | Highest price received | Lowest price received | 
| 516,561 | GBP 47.85 | GBP 46.11 | 
| (b) Derivatives transactions (other than options) | 
| Product name, | Short/Long | Number of securities | Price per unit | 
| eg. CFD | 
| Long Swap | LONG | 128,000 | GBP 47.20 | 
| Long Swap | LONG | 16,831 | GBP 47.77 | 
| Long Swap | LONG | 2,900 | GBP 46.72 | 
| Long Swap | LONG | 2,073 | GBP 46.06 | 
| Long Swap | LONG | 757 | GBP 47.77 | 
| Long Swap | LONG | 340 | GBP 47.26 | 
| Long Swap | LONG | 180 | GBP 47.28 | 
| Long Swap | LONG | 120 | GBP 47.35 | 
| Long Swap | LONG | 10 | GBP 47.35 | 
| Product name, | Short/Long | Number of securities | Price per unit | 
| eg. CFD | 
| Short Swap | SHORT | 6 | GBP 47.30 | 
| Short Swap | SHORT | 10 | GBP 47.10 | 
| Short Swap | SHORT | 583 | GBP 46.35 | 
| Short Swap | SHORT | 1,550 | GBP 46.75 | 
| Short Swap | SHORT | 3,250 | GBP 46.75 | 
| (c) Options transactions in respect of existing securities | 
| (i) Writing, selling, purchasing or varying | 
| Product name | Writing, | Number of | Exercise | Type, e.g. | Expiry date | Option | 
| selling, | securities under | price | American, | money | 
| eg call option | purchasing, | option | European etc | paid/received | 
| varying etc. | per unit | 
| Warrant | Selling | -100 | £1.11 | AMERICAN | 17-Apr-09 | 
| (ii) Exercising | 
| Product name | Number of securities under | Exercise price | 
| eg call option | option | 
| 3. OTHER INFORMATION | 
| 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. | 
| NONE | 
| Date of disclosure | 04/09/2008 | 
| Contact name | Louise Howard | 
| Telephone number | +44 20 7996 2121 | 
| Name of offeree/offeror with whom connected | BHP Billiton Plc | 
| Nature of connection # | Advisor | 
| FORM 38.5 | 
| DEALINGS BY CONNECTED EXEMPT PRINCIPAL TRADERS | 
| (Rule 38.5 of The City Code on Takeovers and Mergers) | 
| 1. KEY INFORMATION | 
| Name of exempt principal trader | Merrill Lynch International | 
| Company dealt in | Banco Santander SA. | 
| Class of relevant security to which the | Common | 
| dealings being disclosed relate | 
| Date of dealing | 03/09/2008 | 
| 2. DEALINGS | 
| (a) Purchases and sales | 
| Total number of securities | Highest price paid | Lowest price paid | 
| purchased | 
| 11,874,657 | EUR 11.96 | EUR 11.73 | 
| Total number of securities sold | Highest price received | Lowest price received | 
| 663,439 | EUR 11.95 | EUR 11.76 | 
| (b) Derivatives transactions (other than options) | 
| Product name, | Short/Long | Number of securities | Price per unit | 
| eg. CFD | 
| Long Swap | LONG | 10,775 | EUR 11.87 | 
| Long Swap | LONG | 88 | EUR 11.82 | 
| Product name, | Short/Long | Number of securities | Price per unit | 
| eg. CFD | 
| Short Swap | SHORT | 13,000 | EUR 11.85 | 
| Short Swap | SHORT | 28,020 | EUR 11.88 | 
| (c) Options transactions in respect of existing securities | 
| Product name | Writing, | Number of | Exercise | Type, e.g. | Expiry | Option | 
| selling, | securities under | price | American, | date | money | 
| eg call option | purchasing, | option | European etc | paid/received | 
| varying etc. | per unit | 
| (ii) Exercising | 
| Product name | Number of securities under | Exercise price | 
| eg call option | option | 
| 3. OTHER INFORMATION | 
| 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. | 
| NONE | 
| Date of disclosure | 04/09/2008 | 
| Contact name | Louise Howard | 
| Telephone number | +44 20 7996 2121 | 
| Name of offeree/offeror with whom connected | Banco Santander SA. | 
| Nature of connection # | Advisor | 
| FORM 38.5(a) | 
| DEALINGS BY CONNECTED EXEMPT PRINCIPAL TRADERS WITH | 
| RECOGNISED INTERMEDIARY STATUS DEALING IN CLIENT- | 
| SERVICING CAPACITY | 
| (Rule 38.5(a) of The City Code on Takeovers and Mergers) | 
| 1. KEY INFORMATION | 
| Name of exempt principal trader | Merrill Lynch International | 
| Company dealt in | BHP Billiton Limited | 
| Class of relevant security to which the | Common | 
| dealings being disclosed relate | 
| Date of dealing | 03/09/2008 | 
| 2. DEALINGS | 
| (a) Purchases and sales | 
| Total number of securities | Highest price paid | Lowest price paid | 
| purchased | 
| 150,000 | AUS 37.91 | AUS 37.91 | 
| (b) Derivatives transactions (other than options) | 
| Product name, | Short/Long | Number of securities | Price per unit | 
| eg. CFD | 
| (c) Options transactions in respect of existing securities | 
| Product name | Writing, | Number of | Exercise | Type, e.g. | Expiry | Option money | 
| selling, | securities under | price | American, | date | 
| eg call option | purchasing, | option | European etc | paid/received | 
| varying etc. | per unit | 
| (ii) Exercising | 
| Product name | Number of securities under | Exercise price | 
| eg call option | option | 
| 3. OTHER INFORMATION | 
| 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. | 
| NONE | 
| Date of disclosure | 04/09/2008 | 
| Contact name | Louise Howard | 
| Telephone number | +44 20 7996 2121 | 
| Name of offeree/offeror with whom connected | BHP Billiton Plc | 
| Nature of connection # | Advisor | 
| FORM 38.5(a) | 
| DEALINGS BY CONNECTED EXEMPT PRINCIPAL TRADERS WITH | 
| RECOGNISED INTERMEDIARY STATUS DEALING IN CLIENT- | 
| SERVICING CAPACITY | 
| (Rule 38.5(a) of The City Code on Takeovers and Mergers) | 
| 1. KEY INFORMATION | 
| Name of exempt principal trader | Merrill Lynch International | 
| Company dealt in | Imperial Energy Corporation Plc | 
| Class of relevant security to which the | Common | 
| dealings being disclosed relate | 
| Date of dealing | 03/09/2008 | 
| 2. DEALINGS | 
| (a) Purchases and sales | 
| Total number of securities | Highest price paid | Lowest price paid | 
| purchased | 
| 249,228 | GBP 11.45 | GBP 11.30 | 
| Total number of securities sold | Highest price received | Lowest price received | 
| 228,831 | GBP 11.48 | GBP 11.30 | 
| (b) Derivatives transactions (other than options) | 
| Product name, | Short/Long | Number of securities | Price per unit | 
| eg. CFD | 
| (c) Options transactions in respect of existing securities | 
| Product name | Writing, | Number of | Exercise | Type, e.g. | Expiry | Option money | 
| selling, | securities under | price | American, | date | 
| eg call option | purchasing, | option | European etc | paid/received | 
| varying etc. | per unit | 
| (ii) Exercising | 
| Product name | Number of securities under | Exercise price | 
| eg call option | option | 
| 3. OTHER INFORMATION | 
| 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. | 
| NONE | 
| Date of disclosure | 04/09/2008 | 
| Contact name | Louise Howard | 
| Telephone number | +44 20 7996 2121 | 
| Name of offeree/offeror with whom connected | Imperial Energy Corporation Plc | 
| Nature of connection # | Advisor | 
Related Shares:
Banco SantanderRio Tinto