AFR.L Regulatory News (AFR)

Afren plc (AFR LN)

Rig contract

London, 17 March 2010 - Afren plc ("Afren" or the "Company") and its partners Oriental Energy Resources and Amni International Petroleum Development Company, announce the signing ofan additional drilling contract with Transocean for the GSF High Island Vll jack-up rig, to carry out planned drilling on their assets located offshore South East Nigeria.

Highlights

u Contract duration up to 210 days

u Day rate of US$84,000

u Expected to mobilise on 24 March 2010 with an estimated five days to tow and jack-up on location

u Necessary drilling resources in place to undertake planned development, appraisal and exploration drilling around Ebok / Okwok / OML 115 and infill drilling at Okoro

u The first well, Ebok Deep, to spud end March 2010

A rig contract has been signed with Transocean, commencing in March 2010, to carry out planned drilling at the Ebok / Okwok / OML 115 complex and Okoro field offshore south east Nigeria. The contract will run for a period of up to 210 days, and has been secured at an operating rate of US$84,000 per day. The GSF High Island Vll rig is expected to mobilise from its current location in Cameroon on 24 March 2010.

With the Transocean Adriatic lX rig already under contract and drilling ahead at Ebok under the Phase 1 development plan, the introduction of a second rig provides the necessary resources and flexibility to complete Afren and its partners planned 2010 work programme that incorporates:

o The drilling of one exploration well to test the Ebok Deep intervals

o One appraisal well to define the size and extent of the Okwok field and its development requirements

o One exploration well to test the prospectivity that has been identified on the surrounding OML 115 acreage

o Six wells under development Phase 2 at the Ebok West Fault Block

o Two infill production wells at the producing Okoro field

Osman Shahenshah, Chief Executive of Afren, commented:

"The second rig, secured at competitive rates, gives Afren and our indigenous partners the flexibility and resources to complete the ambitious 18 well drilling programme in 2010. We are also pleased to extend our relationship with Transocean, who provided the drilling units for the successful Okoro development and Ebok appraisal wells, and with whom we also have the Adriatic lX currently under contract and drilling ahead with the Ebok Phase 1 development. The signing of this contract is an important milestone for our 2010 drilling campaign, the most active period of drilling in the Company's history."

Notes to Editors

Afren is an African focused independent oil and gas exploration and production company listed on the main market of the London Stock Exchange. Afren is currently producing from its assets offshore Nigeria and Côte d'Ivoire, with a significant appraisal and development project due onstream in 2010 from Nigeria. Afren has operated exploration interests in Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire and Nigeria, with minority exploration interests in Congo Brazzaville, Gabon and the Joint Development Zone of Nigeria - São Tomé & Príncipe.

For further information please refer to www.afren.com.