Gulf Keystone Petroleum Regulatory News (GKP)

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18 August 2011

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Ltd. (AIM: GKP)

("Gulf Keystone" or "the Company")

Kurdistan Operational Update

Shaikan-2 Triassic Discovery

Gulf Keystone announces today that it has made a new Triassic discovery with the Shaikan-2 Appraisal Well, drilled approximately nine km to the south-east of the Shaikan-1 discovery well in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

Gulf Keystone has completed drilling of the Shaikan-2 Appraisal Well to a TD (total depth) of 3,300 meters in the middle Triassic, following which a flow test has been performed in the newly discovered Kurre Chine C zone over a 80 meter interval (3,195m to 3,275m). This new zone is highly pressured and correlates with the high pressure zone penetrated at the bottom of Shaikan-1.

The Kurre Chine C flow test in Shaikan-2 has achieved variable flow rates up to a maximum recorded rate of 4,450 barrels of 36 degree API oil per day with associated gas of 813,000 scf per day through a 36/64" choke.

After success with this first test, the Company plans to continue with its programme of Shaikan-2 testing in the Triassic and Jurassic.

The Company has a 75 percent working interest in the Shaikan block and is partnered with the MOL subsidiary, Kalegran Ltd., and Texas Keystone Inc. which have the remaining 20 and 5 percent working interests respectively.

John Gerstenlauer, Gulf Keystone's Chief Operating Officer commented:

"The new Triassic discovery is yet another chapter in our Shaikan success story. As a result of these successful Shaikan-2 well test results, oil volumes that will eventually be attributed to this zone, will be in addition to the already impressive 4.86 to 10.8 billion barrels of gross oil-in-place already discovered in the Shaikan field."

Enquiries:

or visit: www.gulfkeystone.com

John Gerstenlauer, the Company's Chief Operating Officer, who has 31 years of relevant experience within the sector and meets the criteria of a qualified person under the AIM note for mining, oil and gas companies, has reviewed and approved the technical information contained in this announcement. Mr. Gerstenlauer is a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers.

Notes to Editors:

§ Gulf Keystone Petroleum Ltd. (AIM: GKP) is an independent oil and gas exploration and production company focused on exploration in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

§ Gulf Keystone Petroleum International (GKPI) holds Production Sharing Contracts for fourexploration blocks in Kurdistan.

§ The Company's shares have traded on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange since listing on 8th September 2004.

§ Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited is registered in Hamilton, Bermuda with further offices in Erbil, Kurdistan (Iraq), Algiers, Algeria and London, UK.

Not for release, publication or distribution, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States or jurisdictions other than the United Kingdom and Bermuda where to do so would constitute a contravention of the relevant laws of such jurisdiction. This document (and the information contained herein) does not contain or constitute an offer of securities for sale, or solicitation of an offer to purchase securities, in the United States or jurisdictions other than the United Kingdom and Bermuda where to do so would constitute a contravention of the relevant laws of such jurisdiction. The securities referred to herein have not been and will not be registered under the US Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), and may not be offered or sold in the United States unless the securities are registered under the Securities Act, or an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act is available. No public offering of the securities will be made in the United States.