Clontarf Regulatory News (CLON)

30th May 2018

Clontarf Energy plc

("Clontarf" or "the Company")

Preliminary Results for the Year Ended 31 December 2017

Clontarf Energy, the oil and gas exploration company focused on Ghana, today announces its results for the year ending 31 December 2017.

This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of Regulation 596/2014.

For further information please visit http://clontarfenergy.com or contact:

Statement Accompanying the Final Results

Junior oil explorers remain in the doldrums. The shares of listed oil exploration companies are generally friendless. Their share prices have almost all fallen and remain in, many cases, more than 90% below their peak. It is virtually impossible to raise serious money. This in turn makes it very hard to undertake meaningful grass roots exploration. The bear market in this sector has lasted for at least seven years, with little sign of improvement.

That's the bad news. The good news is that oil prices are once again at levels which can provide a huge return to successful explorers. A serious reduction in oil and gas exploration in recent years means that properties with potential become available to companies surviving in the sector.

Clontarf has taken advantage of this environment. We were successful in acquiring ground offshore Ghana initially in 2008 with revisions in 2010. In 2017, we obtained Block 18 offshore Equatorial Guinea.

The Ghana block has been the subject of ongoing wrangling for over 5 years. This is not all bad as it implies that people see value in the ground. The current position following the most recent series of discussions is an agreement to submit the licence for approval to the cabinet in Accra. No time scale has been finalised. Cabinet approval would clear the way for the next step - parliamentary approval. Given our experience no guarantees can be given.

Equatorial Guinea is an emerging oil producer in West Africa. We applied for a particular block but were awarded in June an exclusive right to negotiate an agreement on another block - Block 18. Negotiations on the general terms of the licence led to us signing a six month exclusive Memorandum of Understanding earlier this year which enables us to agree a Production Service Contract (PSC) on the block. Talks on this continue though we are yet to negotiate the detailed terms of the PSC, which will be subject to final approval by the Minister and the President.

We have a long history, across numerous countries and resources, of bringing together good technical skills, seed finance and, later, partners to prospect and explore early stage prospects. The very tough oil industry environment of recent years has seen good ground such as that in Ghana and Equatorial Guinea become available. We did outstanding work on the Ghana ground to identify numerous drill targets. If we can finalise the Equatorial Guinea negotiations we will do the same. We then attempt to bring in bigger partners to do the drilling. We did this earlier in Clontarf by bringing in Union Oil on Block 183 in Peru. Earlier still, as Pan Andean, we had joint ventures with Reliance Industries of India, CEPSA of Spain in Peru, and BHP in Bolivia.

Companies such as Clontarf do the early prospecting work, identifying good geology, negotiating workable agreements and often doing enough work to validate the potential. At this stage the multinationals appear. The projects have been de-risked to a degree while the potential has been clarified to a degree. Juniors get a return and/or a potential upside by getting a participation in a joint venture. But the once active joint venture oil exploration market is on the floor. The majors gorged on debt in the early part of the century to fund acquisitions. The collapse in the oil price has seen a serious cut in discretionary expenditure as management scramble to reduce debt. Exploration has been a major casualty.

Of course this must change as oil fields run out and supply becomes sluggish while demand continues to grow. But, explorers such as Clontarf have to survive and hold on to their ground until the majors are ready to move. Eighty dollar oil and a growing world economy suggest that the time is near. But not yet.

Political uncertainty and changing policies continue to bedevil exploration. Governments frequently set unrealistic fiscal and permitting terms which mean that great ground can be left fallow. That has happened to our ground in Peru where our partner, Union Oil, returned Block 183 to the State after failing for three years to obtain necessary permits. Earlier, we had a long and successful period of investment in Peru selling most of our assets in 2009. The decision by Union means that Clontarf now has no assets in Peru so we have written off our residual investment of just over £2.5 million. This accounts for most of the loss reported in the accounts. It does not have any impact on our cash.

Bolivia nationalised natural resource assets without compensation in 2006. Since then almost no junior company exploration capital has been invested in Bolivia. We continue to have ongoing contact with parties in the country but there is nothing to report. Ghana, with good ground and good fiscal terms, has had inordinate delays in finalising contracts - years. Obstacles are raised which companies find difficult to overcome.

The directors are aware of the need to give hope to investors. Almost ten years after negotiating an agreement in Ghana it has not been ratified and we do not know when it will be. The Equatorial Guinea block award is a positive development but it too has complications. We like our strategy of selecting good geology with politics being a secondary concern but we are considering other directions.

John Teeling

Chairman

29th May 2018

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CLONTARF ENERGY PLC

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2017

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2017

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN EQUITY

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2017

Share premium

The share premium reserve comprises of a premium arising on the issue of shares.

Share based payment reserve

The share based payment reserve arises on the grant of share options under the share option plan.

Retained deficit

Retained deficit comprises of losses incurred in 2017 and prior years.

CONSOLIDATED CASH FLOW STATEMENT

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2017

Notes:

1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES

There were no changes in accounting policies from those used to prepare the Group's Annual Report for financial year ended 31 December 2016. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards and IFRSs as adopted by the European Union and in accordance with the Companies Act 2006.

2. LOSS PER SHARE

Basic loss per share is computed by dividing the loss after taxation for the year available to ordinary shareholders by the weighted average number of ordinary shares in issue and ranking for dividend during the year. Diluted earnings per share is computed by dividing the loss after taxation for the year by the weighted average number of ordinary shares in issue, adjusted for the effect of all dilutive potential ordinary shares that were outstanding during the year.

The following table sets out the computation for basic and diluted earnings per share (EPS):

Basic and diluted loss per share is the same as the effect of the outstanding share options is anti-dilutive and is therefore excluded.

3. GOING CONCERN

The Group incurred a loss for the year of £2,778,395 (2016: £199,628) and had net current liabilities of £610,837 (2016: £261,198) at the balance sheet date. These conditions represent a material uncertainty that may cast doubt on the group's ability to continue as a going concern.

Included in current liabilities is an amount of £980,567 (2016: £890,567) owed to directors in respect of directors' remuneration due at the balance sheet date. The directors have confirmed that they will not seek settlement of these amounts in cash for a period of at least one year after the date of approval of the financial statements or until the group has generated sufficient funds from its operations after paying its third party creditors.

The Group had a cash balance of £433,680 at the balance sheet date. Cashflow projections prepared by the directors indicate that the funds available are sufficient to meet the obligations of the Group for a period of at least twelve months from the date of approval of these financial statements.

As in previous years the Directors have given careful consideration to the appropriateness of the going concern basis in the preparation of the financial statements and believe the going concern basis is appropriate for these financial statements. The financial statements do not include the adjustments that would result if the group was unable to continue as a going concern.

4. INTANGIBLE ASSETS

Exploration and evaluation assets relates to expenditure incurred in prospecting and exploration for oil and gas in Peru, Ghana and Equatorial Guinea. The directors are aware that by its nature there is an inherent uncertainty in such development expenditure as to the value of the asset.

On 26 September 2017 the board of Clontarf Energy had been informed that Union Oil (the 80% owner of the concession held in Peru) had returned to the Peruvian Authorities the licence held on Block 183. They gave as their reason an inability over a 3 year period to obtain the permits, particularly environmental permits, necessary to explore.

4. INTANGIBLE ASSETS (CONTINUED)

Clontarf held a 3% royalty on revenue arising from future operations on the Block. Clontarf did not incur any liabilities as a result of Union Oil's decision but has written off the carrying value of the asset. Accordingly an impairment charge of £2,473,538 in respect of the full carrying value of the Group' Peruvian assets has been recorded by the Group in the current year.

During the year the Group incurred expenditure of £78,447 on evaluating licences in Equatorial Guinea. An impairment charge of £78,447 has been recorded by the Group in the current year.

In 2014, the Group reached an agreement with the Ghanaian authorities on the specific revised coordinates of the signed petroleum agreement on a licence block in the Tano area of Ghana. Clontarf Energy PLC await ratification of the amended Petroleum Agreement by Cabinet and Parliament.

The realisation of these intangible assets is dependent on the discovery and successful development of economic oil and gas reserves the ongoing title to the license, the ability of the company to finance the development of the asset and on the future profitable production or process from the asset which is affected by the uncertainties outlined above and risks outlined below:

· licence obligations

· requirement for further funding

· geological and development risks

· title to assets

· political risk

Should this prove unsuccessful the value included in the balance sheet would be written off to the statement of comprehensive income.

5. TRADE PAYABLES

It is the company's normal practice to agree terms of transactions, including payment terms, with suppliers and provided suppliers perform in accordance with the agreed terms, payment is made accordingly. In the absence of agreed terms it is the company's policy that payment is made between 30 - 40 days. The carrying amount of trade and other payables approximates to their fair value.

6. OTHER PAYABLES

Other payables relate to amounts due to directors' remuneration of £980,567 (2016: £890,567) accrued but not paid at year end.

7. CALLED-UP SHARE CAPITAL

Allotted, called-up and fully paid:

Movements in issued share capital

On 20 September 2016 a total of 80,000,000 shares were placed at a price of 0.50 pence per share. Proceeds were used to provide additional working capital and fund development costs.

On 22 September 2016 a total of 47,619,048 shares were placed at a price of 0.525 pence per share. Proceeds were used to provide additional working capital and fund development costs.

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Share Options

A total of 8,900,000 share options were in issue at 31 December 2017 (2016: 8,900,000). These options are exercisable, at prices ranging between 0.725p and 4.6p, up to seven years from the date of granting of the options unless otherwise determined by the board.

8. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

The Company's Annual General Meeting will be held on Friday 29th June 2018 at Hilton Paddington Hotel, 146 Praed Street, London, W2 1EE at 10:30 am.

9. GENERAL INFORMATION

The financial information set out above does not constitute the Company's audited financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2017 or the year ended 31 December 2016. The financial information for 2016 is derived from the financial statements for 2016 which have been delivered to the Registrar of Companies. The auditors had reported on the 2016 statements; their report was unqualified with an emphasis of matter in respect of considering the adequacy of the disclosures made in the financial statements concerning the valuation of intangible assets, and did not contain a statement under section 498(2) or 498(3) of the Companies Act 2006. The financial statements for 2017 will be delivered to the Registrar of Companies.

A copy of the Company's Annual Report and Accounts for 2017 will be mailed shortly only to those shareholders who have elected to receive it. Otherwise, shareholders will be notified that the Annual Report will be available on the website www.clontarfenergy.com . Copies of the Annual Report will also be available for collection from the Company's registered office, Suite 1, 3rd Floor, 11-12 St. James's Square, London, SW1Y 4LB.