Ascent Resources Regulatory News (AST)

28 Aug 2009 07:00



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

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

Görbeháza-1 Drilling Concluded

Ascent Resources plc, the AIM-traded oil and gas exploration and production company, announces that drilling operations at the Company's Görbeháza-1 well ("GH-1") in the Panhandle region of the Nyírség North Permit in northeast Hungary have concluded and that 7" casing has been run in advance of production testing operations.

The GH-1 well was drilled to a total depth of 1,300 metres and log data indicates that the well encountered gas in two of the three zones targeted. The drilling rig will be moved off location and a service rig brought in to conduct the completion and testing operations, scheduled for commencement in approximately six weeks time.

The Görbeháza-1 well (GH-1) is located a few kilometres south of the Hajdúnánás-1 gas discovery drilled by Hungarian Horizon Energy ('HHE') and JKX Oil and Gas plc ('JKX') and is some 70 kilometres north-west-of PetroHungaria's PEN-104A gas production well in which Ascent has a 45.23% interest. Ascent has a 20.167% in the GH-1 well, the other partners in the project include HHE (33.333% and operator), JKX (33.333%), DualEx Energy International Inc. (12.5%) and Swede Resources AB (0.667%).

Further to the announcement of 18th August 2009, drilling of the PEN-105 well in the Penészlek area of the Nyírség permits in Hungary is in progress and is currently drilling ahead at 1,345 metres in 12-1/4" hole.  It is expected it will reach the primary target this weekend, a gas prospect in the Miocene aged formation that is estimated to be at a depth of 1,500 metres.

* * ENDS * *

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. Ascent also has an oil and gas asset management joint venture with San Severina Holdings SA, a Swiss based investment company, which is focused on acquiring minority interests and providing investment funding for producing and development or appraisal stage oil and gas projects.