BIL
 BIBLT                                                                           
BHP Billiton Plc - Transaction in Own Shares                                    
BHP Billiton Plc                                                                
ISIN: GB0000566504                                                              
Share Code: BIL                                                                 
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:          15 May 2006                                                      
BHP BILLITON PLC - TRANSACTION IN OWN SHARES                                    
BHP Billiton Plc announces that on 15 May 2006 it purchased 1,750,000 of its    
ordinary shares at an average price of 1100.182143 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 17,320,000 of its ordinary 
shares as treasury shares.  The total number of ordinary shares in issue        
(excluding shares held as treasury shares) is 2,450,827,002.                    
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  Registered Office: Neathouse Place,     
Melbourne Victoria 3000                 London SW1V 1BH United Kingdom          
Telephone +61 1300 55 4757              Telephone +44 20 7802 4000              
Facsimile +61 3 9609 3015               Facsimile +44 20 7802 4111              
Contact:       Elizabeth Hobley, Deputy Secretary                               
               Tel: +44 (0) 20 7802 4054                                        
The BHP Billiton Group is headquartered in Australia                            
Date: 16/05/2006 07:03:34 AM Produced by the JSE SENS Department