Predator Oil Regulatory News (PRD)

Predator Oil & Gas Holdings PLC

19 February 2020

Predator Oil & Gas Holdings Plc / Index: LSE / Epic: PRD / Sector: Oil & Gas

Predator Oil & Gas Holdings Plc

("Predator" or the "Company" and together with its subsidiaries "the Group")

Guercif Rig Option Exercised

Predator Oil & Gas Holdings Plc (PRD), the Jersey-based Oil and Gas Company, is pleased to provide an update on its drilling plans for the Guercif Permits I, II, III and IV ("Guercif") onshore Morocco. Predator (75%) operates Guercif in joint venture with the Office National des Hydrocarbures et des Mines ("ONHYM") acting on behalf of the State (25%).

Rig Option Agreement exercised

Predator Gas Ventures Ltd. ("PGVL"), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, has exercised its previously announced Rig Option with Star Valley Drilling Ltd. ("Star"), together the "Parties", a Canadian drilling company currently undertaking an extensive drilling programme for SDX Energy Plc in the Rharb Basin west of the Guercif using its Rig No. 101.

Rig mobilisation can occur within a window commencing 15 March 2020 and ending 30 April 2020, unless otherwise agreed by mutual consent of the Parties.

A further update will be given in due course summarising the commercial terms of the rig contract.

 Paul Griffiths, CEO of Predator Oil & Gas Holdings Plc said:

"The Company is excited to be taking another major step towards executing its Guercif drilling plans by exercising our option to take up the drilling rig. The high proportion of commercial gas discoveries recently announced by SDX Energy Plc in the geologically similar Rharb Basin demonstrates the attractiveness of the Company's investment case for the potentially larger drilling targets at Guercif. We look forward to updating the market on further progress as we enter a news-rich period."

This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of the Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 on market abuse

For more information please visit the Company's website at www.predatoroilandgas.com: 

Enquiries:

Qualified Person's statement:

The information contained in this document has been reviewed and approved by Mr. Paul Griffiths, Chief Executive Officer. Mr Griffiths has a BSc in Geology from Imperial College London and is an Associate of the Royal School of Mines. Mr. Griffiths has over 43 years of relevant experience in the upstream oil industry.

Background to Guercif Drilling Plans

The initial drilling programme will comprise the drilling of the Moulouya-1 Prospect, subject to all regulatory consents and approvals, to a depth of 2,000 metres. The drilling rig mobilisation and drilling operations are expected to take up to 30 days.

Completion of the first well will release US$ 1 million of PGVL's US$ 1.5 million bank guarantee with ONHYM, subject to final delivery of all the data from the well to ONHYM.

At PGVL's sole option, and subject to ONHYM approval and all regulatory consents being received, PGVL shall have the option to extend the drilling programme by the drilling of either an appraisal well, if required, or a follow-up exploration well to capitalise on significantly reduced mobilisation and well services costs attributable to having an active rig available for immediate use.

Notes to Editors:

Predator is operator of the Guercif Petroleum Agreement onshore Morocco which is prospective for Tertiary gas in a prospect 4 kilometres from the Maghreb gas pipeline, and deeper Triassic gas. A well location has been selected for drilling in Q2 2020 and a rig option agreement has been exercised.

Predator is an oil and gas exploration company with the objective of participating with FRAM Exploration Trinidad Ltd. in further developing the remaining oil reserves in the producing Inniss Trinity oil field onshore Trinidad, primarily through the application of C02 EOR technology. Potential for cash flow exists by executing the Pilot Enhanced Oil Recovery project using locally sourced carbon dioxide for injection into the oil reservoirs ("C02 EOR"). Near-term expansion and growth potential is focussed on upscaling the C02 EOR operations in the Inniss-Trinity oil field.

In addition, Predator also operates exploration and appraisal assets in licensing options offshore Ireland, for which Successor Authorisations have been applied for, adjoining Shell's Corrib gas field in the Slyne Basin on the Atlantic Margin and east of the Kinsale gas field and Barryroe oil field in the Celtic Sea. Ireland however remains a very challenging regulatory environment for business investment in the oil and gas sector and is not the immediate focus of the Company's near-term operations.

The Company has a highly experienced management team with a proven track record in the oil and gas industry.