1 Dec 2008 11:39
LENI GAS & OIL Plc
("LGO" or "The Company")
1 December, 2008
Gulf of MexicoΒ DrillingΒ Success
Leni Gas & Oil plc (LGO) the AIM listed international oil and gas exploration, development and production company notes today's Drilling Update by Leed Petroleum ("LDP") announcing that the Eugene Island A-8 well has reached its total depth and has encountered commercial hydrocarbons in the two primary well targets. It has also been announced that once production from the A-8 well has been completed and the drilling rig is off location, Leed Petroleum intends to re-complete the A-6 well from the existing platform as a long term producer from the well's primary zone.Β
TheΒ EugeneΒ IslandΒ acreage is operated by Leed Petroleum, in which LGO has an indirect interest through its 28.94% holding in Byron Energy Pty Ltd ("Byron").Β ByronΒ has a 25% Working Interest in both Eugene Island Blocks 183 and the southern half of Block 184 (Net Revenue Interest up to 20.83% in Block 183 and 19.17% in the southern half of Block 184), including the Eugene Island 184A platform and production facilities. Byron has also a 12.5% Working Interest (Net Revenue Interest 9.58%) in the northern halfΒ EugeneΒ Island Block 184 and 10.37% Working Interest (Net Revenue Interest 8.64%) in Eugene Island Block 172, excluding theΒ EugeneΒ IslandΒ 172 producing reserves and platform.Β
David Lenigas, Executive Chairman, commented:
"Today's news fromΒ theΒ EugeneΒ IslandΒ developmentΒ drilling campaignΒ marks further extremely positive developments onΒ theΒ acreage.Β TheΒ A-8 well drilling results confirm the huge potential ofΒ EugeneΒ IslandΒ and we look forward to reporting the production schedule,Β together with existing productionΒ from A-6 and A-7, in the near term."
Competent Person's Statement:Β
The technical information contained in this announcement has been reviewed and approved by Fraser S Pritchard, Director of Operations for Leni Gas & Oil Plc (member of the SPE) who has 20 years relevant experience in the oil industry.
Enquiries:Β
Leni Gas & Oil plcΒ
David Lenigas, Executive ChairmanΒ
Tel +44 (0) 20 7016 5103Β
Beaumont Cornish LimitedΒ
Roland Cornish /Β Rosalind Hill AbrahamsΒ
Tel +44 (0) 20 7628 3396Β
Mirabaud Securities Limited
Rory Scott
Tel +44 (0) 20 7878 3360
Pelham PRΒ
Mark Antelme
Tel + 44 (0)20 3178 6242
Leed PetroleumΒ PLCΒ today announced the following:
Leed Petroleum plc
("Leed" or theΒ "Company")
Drilling update
Leed reports 3rdΒ back to back drilling success inΒ Gulf of Mexico
Leed Petroleum PLCΒ (AIM: LDP), the oil and gas exploration and production company focused on the Gulf of Mexico, announcesΒ thatΒ theΒ Eugene Island A-8 wellΒ has reached its total depth andΒ hasΒ encountered commercial hydrocarbons in theΒ twoΒ primary well targets.Β
TheΒ Eugene Island A-8 well was spudded on 6 October 2008Β and reached a total measured depth ofΒ 15,470Β ftΒ onΒ 25 NovemberΒ 2008. TheΒ primary objectivesΒ of the A-8 wellΒ were a superiorΒ "take-point" from the exploration target discovered by and currently producingΒ viaΒ the A-6 well,Β as well asΒ toΒ testΒ one exploratory zone.Β Electric line logs have confirmed that the Company encounteredΒ threeΒ pay sands, containing a total ofΒ 155Β feet of true vertical thickness pay.
The Company isΒ currentlyΒ casing and completing the Eugene Island A-8 well for production fromΒ the deeper objective, which hasΒ 96Β feet of true vertical thickness pay.Β First production from this zone is expected to occurΒ byΒ the first quarter of 2009.
FollowingΒ theΒ completion of the A-8 well, Leed plans to release the Ensco 98 drilling rig. TheΒ Company is reviewing theΒ Gulf of MexicoΒ rig market andΒ making plansΒ to drill currently undevelopedΒ properties in theΒ Company's portfolio during 2009.Β
In addition, onceΒ production fromΒ the A-8 wellΒ has beenΒ completedΒ and the drilling rigΒ isΒ off location, theΒ CompanyΒ intends to implement its planΒ to re-complete theΒ A-6 wellΒ from the existing platformΒ as a long term producer fromΒ the well'sΒ primary zone.Β
The Eugene Island Blocks are located 50 miles offshore, south ofΒ Morgan City,Β LouisianaΒ in theΒ Gulf of MexicoΒ in approximately 80 feet of water. Leed's management has built an inventory of development projects and exploration targets across the Eugene Island Block 183/184 Field.
Howard Wilson, President and Chief Executive of Leed, commented:
"The drilling programme atΒ EugeneΒ IslandΒ has been aΒ greatΒ success for Leed. It hasΒ proven transformational in terms ofΒ theΒ Company's developed reserves, production and revenueΒ baseΒ and delivered theΒ CompanyΒ intoΒ aΒ profitΒ duringΒ the three months endedΒ 30Β June 2008.
We plan to return to drilling atΒ EugeneΒ IslandΒ at a later dateΒ as there are numerousΒ exploration and developmentΒ projects still to be drilled in this prolific, low riskΒ area.Β But itΒ is now time for theΒ Company toΒ move on and develop additional fieldsΒ in the portfolioΒ andΒ diversifyΒ theΒ production base.
The success atΒ EugeneΒ IslandΒ clearly demonstrates theΒ excellentΒ risk-reward profile for our shareholders, with the ability to add material value at relatively low risk and cost. This strategyΒ will be replicatedΒ throughout our other properties, which will enable significant value to be generated in the short to medium term."
NOTES TO EDITORS
Leni Gas & Oil Plc is an international oil and gas exploration, development and production company headquartered in London, trading on the London Stock Exchange's AIM index. The Company has assets in the US Gulf of Mexico and Lower 48, Spain, Trinidad, Hungary and Malta. LGO's strategy is delivering growth through the acquisition of proven reserves and the enhancement of producing assets in low risk countries.
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