Operational Update

BowLeven Plc
21 March 2007


                    BowLeven plc ('BowLeven' or 'the Company')

       Operational update - commencement of drilling of D-1 exploration well

 Following the success of its IE-2 appraisal well, BowLeven is pleased to
announce that drilling has commenced on the D-1 exploration well located in the
Douala Basin in Block MLHP 5 of the Etinde Permit in Cameroon.

The primary objectives of the D-1 well are to explore the Upper Miocene
channelised turbidite sands, which are believed to be similar to those that were
found by Noble Energy to be hydrocarbon bearing 10km downslope in the O-1
Belinda discovery in Equatorial Guinea. If successful, the well will be
suspended to allow for possible later re-entry and completion as a gas
condensate producer. The well will be drilled to a depth of approximately 10,000
feet and total operational time is currently estimated at approximately 8 weeks.
 
Further update announcements will be made as appropriate.


For further information contact:


BowLeven plc
Kevin Hart, Chief Executive Officer         00 44 777 193 4974

Maitland
Neil Bennett                                00 44 207 379 5151
Liz Morley


 
Notes to the Editor:

BowLeven is an African oil and gas group, based in Edinburgh and traded on AIM
since December 2004.

BowLeven holds, through its wholly-owned subsidiary EurOil Limited, a 100%
equity interest in the Etinde Permit area being three shallow water blocks in
offshore Cameroon, West Africa; namely Blocks MHLP 5, MHLP 6 and MHLP 7. In
total BowLeven has approximately 2,300 km2 of exploration acreage located across
the Rio del Rey and Douala basins in the Etinde Permit. Bowleven has operated in
Cameroon since 1999.

The D-1 well is located approximately 37 km from the power plant at Limbe in
Cameroon. The Cameroon Government has recently announced a cooperation agreement
with the Government of Equatorial Guinea to investigate a project to export gas
from Cameroon to the gas liquefaction plant on Bioko Island on Equatorial 
Guinea. It is proposed that Limbe would be the gathering hub for any such 
scheme.

BowLeven has also recently acquired First Africa Oil, which has a 100% equity
interest in both the EOV offshore block in Gabon, which contains an existing oil
discovery that it is seeking to develop, and the Epaemeno Block which is 1,340
km2 of exploration acreage in onshore Gabon which sits next to a number of
recent discoveries in surrounding blocks.

BowLeven will announce its interim results on 22nd March 2007.

 



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