SER.L Regulatory News (SER)

22 August 2013

Sefton Resources, Inc.

("Sefton" or the "Company") 

Statement Regarding the Chairman

As a result of allegations made in two Internet publications against Jim Ellerton, the Company's Executive Chairman, and certain documentation received, Sefton announces that Mr Ellerton has temporarily stepped down from the Board of Directors of the Company (the "Board") while the Non-Executive members of the Board, in conjunction with the Company's lawyers and Nominated Adviser, conduct a full and thorough investigation into the alleged matters (the "Investigation"). Both Mr. Ellerton and the Non Executives believes this will be in the best interests of the Company.

 While the Investigation is underway Mr Ellerton will continue to provide operational consultancy advice to the Group's operating businesses in California and Kansas USA.

The Company anticipates that it will be able to provide a further update to the market within one week as to the progress of the Investigation.

For further information please visit www.seftonresources.com or contact:

About Sefton

Sefton Resources is an oil and gas exploitation, transmission and production company with significant scope to develop its three major areas of interest in onshore United States. Sefton's business strategy is to acquire long life, partially developed reserves with controlling interests, and maximize shareholder value through asset development using the Company's own funds initially then involve third party capital, farm-out or merger. At this time, Sefton operates all its assets, the majority of which are 100% owned.

Currently Sefton has a market capitalisation of approximately £3 million and a higher PV(10) value for its unrisked proved reserves and unproved resources. The key operational focus at this time is on developing three revenue sources from both California and Kansas:

Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) projects in California

Sefton owns 100% of two oil fields in the East Ventura Basin, California - Tapia (heavy gravity oil) and Eureka Canyon (medium gravity oil). The current operational focus is to develop Tapia with an active well drilling and work-over programme in conjunction with the use of cyclic steam production enhancement. Sefton engaged Petrel Robertson Consulting to construct a geologic model to be utilised by Dr Farouq Ali, a recognised expert, in a thermal simulation study to fully optimise production and reserve development of the Tapia field. Tapia generates the majority of Sefton's revenue at this time and has 2012 year-end estimated Proved Reserves (P1) of 3.5 million barrels.

Natural Gas Transmission in Kansas

Three gas pipelines have been acquired by Sefton in North East Kansas. The LAGGS pipeline in Leavenworth County has been fully refurbished and is now connected to the Southern Star Interstate Pipeline system which allows gathering, transportation and sales of natural gas outside local Kansas markets. Plans are to join the Vanguard pipeline to the LAGGS system (Leavenworth County) which will increase the scale of this gathering system. This means Sefton will be able to transport its own and third party natural gas to a national market and generate additional revenues. A third pipeline in Anderson County is planned to be connected to an interstate pipeline system in the future, which will provide additional opportunities for redevelopment of oil and natural gas.

Exploration and Production in Kansas

In North East Kansas (Forest City Basin), Sefton has a significant and growing acreage position (Leavenworth and Anderson Counties) where conventional oil, gas and coal bed methane (CBM) prospects have been identified. The current operational focus is in Leavenworth County where a workover, recompletion, surface equipment replacement and leasing programme is under way that will see oil, gas and CBM wells brought back into production. Initial revenues are from oil whilst additional gas assets are being assembled for future development as pipelines become operational. Estimated 2012 year-end Proved Reserves (P1) for the Leavenworth portion of our Kansas assets are 82,653 barrels of oil and 2.06 Bcf of gas; and total unrisked Proved Reserves and Unproved Resources of 832,485 barrels of oil and 14.4 Bcf of gas for the same area.