Ascent Resources Regulatory News (AST)

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

4 January 2011

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

Exercise of Options

Ascent Resources plc, the AIM-traded oil and gas exploration and production company, announces that it has today applied for admission to trading on AIM of 550,000 new ordinary shares of 0.1p each ('Ordinary Shares'), issued and allotted as a result of the exercise of options.

As a consequence of the above allotment and issue, the total number of Ordinary Shares in issue at the date of this notice is 520,330,299 with each share carrying the right to one vote. There are no shares held in treasury. The total number of voting rights in the Company is therefore 520,330,299.

The above figure may be used by shareholders as the denominator for the calculations by which they determine if they are required to notify their interest in, or a change to their interest in, the Company under the Disclosure and Transparency Rules.

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

Notes

Ascent Resources plc has a diversified portfolio of hydrocarbon exploration and development interests across five countries in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, Hungary, Slovenia and Netherlands. Its 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 would be offshore.