BIL
 BIBLT                                                                           
BHP Billiton Plc - Transaction In Own Shares                                    
BHP Billiton Plc                                                                
Registration number 3196209                                                     
Registered in England and Wales                                                 
Share Code: BIL                                                                 
ISIN: GB0000566504                                                              
Issued by:          BHP Billiton Plc                                            
To:                 London Stock Exchange                                       
                    Australian Stock Exchange                                   
Cc:                 New York Stock Exchange                                     
                    JSE Limited                                                 
Swiss Stock Exchange                                        
                    Deutsche Bank                                               
                    UBS Zurich                                                  
Date:               2 May 2006                                                  
Contact:            Elizabeth Hobley, Deputy Secretary                          
                    Tel: +44 (0) 20 7802 4054                                   
BHP BILLITON PLC - TRANSACTION IN OWN SHARES                                    
BHP Billiton Plc announces that on 2 May 2006 it purchased 1,500,000 of its     
ordinary shares at an average price of 1156.035 pence per ordinary share.  It is
intended that all of the purchased shares will be held as treasury shares.      
Following the above purchase, BHP Billiton Plc holds 4,750,000 of its ordinary  
shares as treasury shares.  The total number of ordinary shares in issue        
(excluding shares held as treasury shares) is 2,463,397,002.                    
For further information, please contact:                                        
Investor Relations                                                              
Mark Lidiard                                                                    
Office:   +44 (0) 20 7802 4156                                                  
Mobile:   +44 (0) 77 6993 4942                                                  
Company Secretariat                                                             
Elizabeth Hobley                                                                
Office:   +44 (0) 20 7802 4054                                                  
Mobile:   +44 (0) 7919 326871                                                   
BHP Billiton Limited ABN 49 004 028 077      BHP Billiton Plc Registration      
                                             number 3196209                     
Registered in Australia                      Registered in England and Wales    
Registered Office: 180 Lonsdale                                                 
Street Melbourne Victoria 3000               Registered Office: Neathouse Place,
                                             London SW1V 1BH United Kingdom     
Telephone +61 1300 55 4757                                                      
Facsimile +61 3 9609 3015                    Telephone +44 20 7802 4000         
                                             Facsimile +44 20 7802 4111         
The BHP Billiton Group is headquartered in Australia                            
Date: 03/05/2006 07:31:40 AM Produced by the JSE SENS Department