Cabot Energy Regulatory News (CAB)

30 Apr 2007 11:06

30 April 2007 Northern Petroleum Plc ("Northern" or "the Company") Northern Awarded Utrecht Exploration Licence

Northern announces that Northern Petroleum Nederland B.V. ("NPN"), a wholly owned Dutch subsidiary, has been awarded the Utrecht Exploration Licence in the West Netherlands Basin, where other NPN licences, Papekop, Andel III and Waalwijk are located. The Utrecht licence covers an area of 1152 km‚².

The licence application was submitted in May 2005.

NPN has a 100% interest in the licence, which is subject to the election by Energie Beheer Nederland B.V. to acquire a 40% paying participating working interest. The licence will run for a term of 5 years.

Derek Musgrove, Managing Director of Northern, stated:

"The potential of this licence was identified at an early stage in our move into The Netherlands. It is covered by publicly available 2D and some 3D seismic and our early work recognised a lead which is a structural feature adjacent to the Ottoland field and on trend with Papekop field. The addition of the Utrecht licence compliments NPN's existing assets in the southwest Netherlands."

In accordance with the AIM Rules - Guidance for Mining and Oil & Gas Companies, the information contained in this announcement has been reviewed and signed off by the Exploration Manager of Northern, Mr Graham Heard BSc (Hons), who has over 30 years experience as a petroleum geologist.

For further information please contact:

Northern Petroleum Plc Tel: +44 (0) 20 7743 6080

Derek Musgrove, Managing Director

Chris Foss, Finance Director

Graham Heard, Exploration Manager

Investec Tel: +44 (0) 20 7597 5000

Michael Ansell / Patrick Robb

Panmure Gordon & Co Tel: +44 (0) 20 7459 3600

Katherine Roe/ Ashton Clanfield

Bishopsgate Communications Limited Tel: +44 (0) 20 7562 3350

Nick Rome / Maxine BarnesNotes to Editors:Northern Petroleum Plc

Northern Petroleum Plc is an AIM listed oil and gas production, development and exploration company with core interests under its management in The Netherlands, Italy and the United Kingdom.

Northern is currently embarked upon a programme to place two oil fields and four gas fields into production with works on the first two, Ottoland and Brakel starting in March and April 2007.

The Company has recently acquired the management interests in the producing Waalwijk gas field where it intends to implement plans to increase late phase gas, production and move to develop a 30 Bcf underground gas storage facility alongside Star Energy and Essent. The NPN deal with Dyas is the second gas production acquisition in 2007 to date.

Northern's Netherland partner list is impressive.

The Company has the second largest exploration position in Italy of licences under management where activities can be expected to pick-up as the result of the extra funds now available. In addition the Company has announced plans to drill a projected eastward extension of the producing Horndean oil field in West Sussex and another exploration well in the county.

Further information on Northern is available at www.northpet.com.