Ascent Resources Regulatory News (AST)

1 Jun 2009 07:00



Ascent Resources plc / Epic: AST / Index: AIM / Sector: Oil and Gas

Ascent Resources plc ('Ascent' or 'the Company')

To be assigned an interest in the Jolly Ranch Project in Colorado

Ascent Resources plc, the AIM-traded oil and gas production and exploration company, through its asset management business with San Severina Holdings SA ('San Severina'), the Swiss based  investment  company, is to be assigned an interest in the Jolly Ranch Project ('the Project'), an oil and gas  development in Colorado in the United States of America. San Severina has agreed to purchase a 20% interest in the Project and will transfer 20% of this interest (a 4% interest in the Project) to Ascent on completion, which is expected to occur during June 2009. The other partners in the  Project are the operator, Running Foxes Petroleum Inc ('Running Foxes'), and Nighthawk  Production LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Nighthawk Energy plc ('Nighthawk'), each of whom will retain a 40% interest.

The Jolly Ranch Project is located in the south eastern part of Colorado in Lincoln and Ebert counties and is in the southern part of the Denver Basin. Hydrocarbon production  is  from  multiple oil  shale reservoirs as well as from both shallow and deep conventional reservoirs. 12 new wells have been drilled by Running Foxes over the last year and the 10 deep wells have all tested oil. Two shallow wells, which target the shallow Codell Cretaceous sands, have not yet been completed.

Jolly Ranch is the central part of the Project where some 50,000 net acres has been leased and where all the 12 wells were drilled. San Severina will pay an initial consideration of US$21.9 million and has an option to extend its participation into the other project areas at the time additional wells are drilled into each of six project extension areas. Running Foxes and Nighthawk have additional leases in the surrounding Middle Mist and Mustang Ranch areas, which with Jolly Ranch total some 370,000 acres (282,000 net acres). The consideration for the 20% interest and with the exercise of all  the options in the project extension areas totals US$80 million.

Ascent Managing Director Jeremy Eng said, "We see the Jolly Ranch Project as an excellent start to our joint venture with San Severina and we look forward to taking up our interest in this very exciting project.  This is to be the first of a number of projects that Ascent and San Severina plan to participate in together under the Asset Management Programme and at this time we are studying a number of other opportunities and expect to announce further acquisitions in the near future."

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For further information visit www.ascentresources.co.uk or contact:

Notes

Ascent Resources plc has a diversified portfolio of some 20 hydrocarbon exploration and development projects across five countries in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, Hungary, Slovenia and Netherlands. Ascent's portfolio contains a solid base of field redevelopment projects with selected exposure to exploration upside. The portfolio is focussed on gas and with the exception of the shallow water Netherlands project, all of its projects are located onshore where operating and development costs are substantially lower than they are offshore.  In October 2008, Ascent agreed with San Severina Holdings SA, a Swiss based investment company, to establish an oil and gas asset management joint venture. The joint venture will acquire minority interests and providing investment funding for producing and development or appraisal stage oil and gas projects.