BIL
 BIBLT                                                                           
     BHP Billiton Plc - Transaction in own shares                               
     BHP Billiton Plc                                                           
     Share code:  BIL                                                           
ISIN:  GB0000566504                                                        
     Date:13 September 2006                                                     
     Contact:   Robert Franklin, Company Secretary                              
     Tel: +44 (0) 20 7802 4116                                                  
BHP BILLITON PLC - TRANSACTION IN OWN SHARES                               
     BHP Billiton Plc announces that on 13 September 2006 it purchased 1,000,000
     of its ordinary shares at an average price of 931.39 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 23,020,000 of its     
     ordinary shares as treasury shares.  The total number of ordinary shares in
     issue (excluding shares held as treasury shares) is 2,445,127,002.         
For further information, please contact:                                   
     Investor Relations                                                         
     Mark Lidiard                                                               
     Office: +44 (0) 20 7802 4156                                               
Mobile: +44 (0) 77 6993 4942                                               
     Company Secretariat                                                        
     Robert Franklin                                                            
     Office: +44 (0) 20 7802 4116                                               
Mobile: +44 (0) 7824 302684                                                
BHP Billiton Limited                    BHP Billiton                            
ABN 49 004 028 077                      Plc Registration number 3196209         
Registered in Australia                 Registered in England and Wales         
Registered Office: 180 Lonsdale Street  Registered Office: Neathouse            
Melbourne Victoria 3000                 Place, London SW1V 1BH United           
                                        Kingdom                                 
Telephone +61 1300 55 4757 Facsimile    Telephone +44 20 7802 4000              
+61 3 9609 3015                         Facsimile +44 20 7802 4111              
     T         BHP Billiton Group is headquartered in Australia                 
Date: 14/09/2006 08:16:04 AM Produced by the JSE SENS Department