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:     5 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 5 May 2006 it purchased 400,000 of its       
ordinary shares at an average price of 1178.9831 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 8,470,000 of its           
ordinary shares as treasury shares.  The total number of ordinary shares in     
issue (excluding shares held as treasury shares) is 2,459,677,002.              
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   BHP Billiton Plc Registration number      
077                                   3196209                                   
Registered in Australia               Registered in England and Wales           
Registered Office: 180 Lonsdale       Registered Office: Neathouse Place,       
Street Melbourne Victoria 3000        London SW1V 1BH United Kingdom            
Telephone +61 1300 55 4757 Facsimile  Telephone +44 20 7802 4000 Facsimile      
+61 3 9609 3015                       +44 20 7802 4111                          
The BHP Billiton Group is headquartered in Australia                            
Date: 05/05/2006 05:50:19 PM Produced by the JSE SENS Department