First Day of Dealings on AIM

Egdon Resources PLC 21 December 2004 NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION IN THE UNITED STATES, CANADA, JAPAN, AUSTRALIA OR THE REPUBLIC OF IRELAND 21 December 2004 EGDON RESOURCES PLC First Day of Dealings on AIM Egdon Resources Plc ('Egdon' or 'the Company'), the independent UK focused oil and gas exploration company, is pleased to announce that trading of its shares commences on AIM today. The Company has raised £4.5 million (gross of expenses) for the Company and £500,000 for existing shareholders. Seymour Pierce Limited ('Seymour Pierce') is the Nominated Adviser and Broker to Egdon. Egdon has interests in nineteen exploration licences containing a significant number of identified oil and gas prospects and is primarily focused on the hydrocarbon-producing basins of the on-shore UK. The Company has found hydrocarbons in two of the three wells it has participated in to date: - Avington-2 in 2003 - Waddock Cross-2 in 2004 Both of these oil discoveries are currently under appraisal with production from Avington and Waddock Cross expected to commence during 2005. The Company intends to become a significant and profitable oil and gas producer through an active and focussed exploration and appraisal drilling programme, asset and/or company acquisitions, and pro-active management of the Company's oil and gas assets. In particular, the Company will look to grow largely through exploration success, continue to focus on the on-shore UK and will look to identify and exploit new technologies and opportunities to enhance asset value. Placing Statistics Placing Price 30p Number of Ordinary Shares in issue prior to the Placing 36,594,974 Number of new Ordinary Shares being Placed 15,000,000 Number of existing Ordinary Shares being Placed 1,666,666 Number of Ordinary Shares in issue immediately following Admission 51,594,974 Placing Shares as a percentage of the enlarged issued share capital 32.3% Market capitalisation at the Placing price £15.48m Gross proceeds of the Placing receivable by the Company £4.5m Estimated net proceeds of the Placing receivable by the Company £3.99m Reasons for the Placing and Use of Proceeds The net proceeds of the Placing receivable by the Company, which are expected to be £3.99 million, will provide significant further equity capital for the Company, strengthening the Company's capital base, and will put the Company in a strong position to progress its business strategy described above and take advantage of future acquisition and development opportunities as and when they arise. In particular, the funds raised from the Placing will be used for seismic acquisition and appraisal drilling at Avington and Waddock Cross. The data to be acquired will reduce the uncertainties on the size of the accumulations prior to field development. Funds from the Placing will also be used to drill up to four new exploration wells and acquire additional 3D seismic data to reduce the risk on further prospects within the portfolio. For further information please contact: Egdon Resources Plc 01256 702292 Mark Abbott, Joint Managing Director Andrew Hindle, Joint Managing Director Seymour Pierce Limited 020 7107 8000 Jonathan Wright Jeremy Porter Richard Redmayne Buchanan Communications 020 7466 5000 Eric Burns Ben Willey Notes to the Editors: Egdon is an established, independent UK-based oil and gas exploration company primarily focused on the hydrocarbon-producing basins of the onshore UK. Egdon also has exploration interests in the offshore UK and France. The Company applies advanced level exploration technology to the overlooked potential of such areas. Egdon was formed in 1997 by Dr Andrew Hindle and Mark Abbott and its Ordinary Shares have been traded on the OFEX market since July 2000. The Company has acquired a diverse portfolio of nineteen exploration licences containing a significant number of identified oil and gas prospects. The licences cover a broad risk spread, ranging from discoveries under appraisal through to higher risk but higher potential reward prospects. Company Background Egdon has focused geographically on the onshore UK as the Directors believe that the area is underexplored, having had relatively low levels of exploration activity since the mid 1980s when a major phase of seismic prospecting and, to a lesser extent, drilling was curtailed by a drop in oil prices and changes to the UK fiscal regime with the removal of Petroleum Revenue Tax ('PRT') relief. By the mid 1990s, the majority of the exploration areas had been relinquished, enabling Egdon to acquire its extensive portfolio of UK interests, largely through applications to the Department of Trade and Industry in the Eighth to Twelfth Landward Licensing Rounds. Egdon has successfully been awarded an interest in all of its applications over the past six years. As a consequence of its UK geographic focus, Egdon has been able to secure and maintain Enterprise Investment Scheme ('EIS') and Venture Capital Trust ('VCT') tax status thus affording qualifying investors significant UK tax breaks. The Directors believe the onshore UK also has a number of other positive factors for Egdon, including: • Proven hydrocarbon systems in a number of sedimentary basins; • Extensive, accessible and affordable seismic and well database; • Opportunities to apply recent technological developments and new exploration ideas to identify and exploit new and existing plays; • Relatively low drilling costs compared to offshore operations; • Cost effective oil export routes; • Ability to monetise discoveries with limited capital expenditure as compared to offshore operations; • De-regulated gas and electricity markets; • Benign operating environment; and • Political and fiscal stability Egdon has built up a significant UK well and seismic database and developed experience of operating in the onshore UK and within the UK planning system since 1997. The Directors believe that these factors provide Egdon with a significant competitive advantage. In addition to identifying new exploration prospects, Egdon has acquired interests in a number of undeveloped oil and gas prospects which were either considered not economic at the time they were discovered or were not recognised by the companies that drilled them. Avington and Waddock Cross are examples of such prospects. The Company's Oil & Gas Assets Egdon has interests in nineteen exploration licences in the UK and France. Egdon's licence interests cover a total area of approximately 4400 km(2). All of the Company's licences are in proven hydrocarbon producing areas. Egdon is recognised as a designated 'operator' by the UK Department of Trade and Industry and is also operator of its French licence. RPS Troy-Ikoda, the oil and gas consultancy, has undertaken a review of certain of Egdon's oil and gas properties and has reported that Egdon has attributable proven, probable and possible reserves of 2.01 millions of stock tank barrels ('MMstb') and unrisked best estimate contingent resources of 6.56 MMstb and 1.63 billions of cubic feet of gas ('Bscf'). The Company estimates that it has unrisked best estimate prospective resources of 71.9 MMstb and 96.39 Bscf. Financial Record and Current Trading A summary of the financial information on the Company, extracted from the Prospectus, dated 16 December 2004, is set out below: 2002 2003 2004 Year ended 31 July £ £ £ Profit and Loss Turnover 105,258 22,677 33,457 Gross profit/(loss) 76,746 (2,329) (3,949) Operating loss (183,041) (226,417) (219,978) Loss on ordinary activities before and after tax (138,240) (199,919) (246,350) As at 31 July Balance Sheet Fixed assets 135,695 1,275,408 1,779,650 Net current assets 1,162,963 700,081 236,156 Creditors due after more than one year - (350,000) - Provisions for liabilities and charges (34,633) (34,633) (28,800) Net assets 1,264,025 1,590,856 1,987,006 Management The Directors of the Company are: Philip Henry Peter Stephens, Non-executive Chairman Philip, aged 62, was an investment banker in the City for 37 years, until his retirement in 2002. He is currently non-executive Chairman of Oakdene Homes plc and Invesco Geared Opportunities Trust plc and is a non-executive director of Business Post Group plc and Foresight 4 VCT plc and until recently was a non-executive Director of Eurodis Electron Group plc. Prior to retirement, he was at stockbrokers Williams de Broe for four years as Joint Head of the Corporate Finance department and before that, was head of UK corporate finance at securities house UBS from 1995, having joined that firm in 1989. Philip joined the Board of Egdon in October 2004. Andrew David Hindle, Joint Managing Director Andrew, aged 42, is a highly experienced geologist with over 20 years world-wide experience, specialising in petroleum migration. He holds a first degree in Geological Sciences gained in 1983 from Leeds University and following a year with BP gained a MSc. Degree in Petroleum Geology in 1985 from Aberdeen University. In 1998 he completed a PhD (part-time) through the Open University for research into petroleum migration. He worked for Texaco from 1985 until 1996 on UK and international exploration and development projects, working overseas from 1990 to 1994. Subsequently he worked for Anadarko Algeria Corporation from 1996 to 1997. In 1997 he became a founding director of Egdon. Andrew is also a Director of Geofocus Limited, Toffee Limited, Eskbank Resources Limited and Eskbank Resources (Canada) Limited. Mark Anthony William Abbott, Joint Managing Director Mark, aged 43, is a geophysicist with over 20 years worldwide experience. He holds a first class honours degree in Exploration Sciences (Geology/Geophysics/ Mining Engineering) gained in 1985 from the University of Nottingham. He worked for the British Geological Survey from 1985 to 1992 in the U.K. and overseas, mainly involved in onshore basin analysis in the U.K. Between 1992 and 1996 he worked in the International Division of British Gas Exploration and Production Limited evaluating exploration and appraisal projects. From 1996 to 1997 he was employed by Anadarko Algeria Corporation as a Staff Exploration Geophysicist. In 1997 he became a founding director of Egdon. Mark is also a director of MA Exploration Services Limited, an exploration consulting company. Kenneth Maurice Ratcliff, Non-executive Director Ken, aged 54, is a chartered accountant with extensive finance and business experience. He is currently the accountant at Epsom College and at GDC UK Limited. He was an audit manager with Touche Ross & Co in London before moving into accountancy and finance positions within the oil and gas industry in 1978. Ken has previously held senior management positions with GDC UK Limited, Ensign Geophysics Limited, Seismic Geocode Limited, Tenneco Corporation and Merlin Geophysical Limited. Ken joined the Board of Egdon in 2001. Walter Rookehurst Roberts, Non-executive Director Walter, aged 53, is an oil and gas lawyer with a strong record in commercial and legal management. Walter qualified as a solicitor with Simmons & Simmons before joining Phillips Petroleum in 1980. He then worked for Lasmo in both the U.K and in Australia where he set up its legal department. Walter was the principal negotiator for UK joint venture commercial negotiations and gas sales for Talisman until 1995. More recently he was the London partner of Cummings & Co and he is currently an executive director of Pinnacle Energy Limited and a non-executive director of Bow Valley Petroleum (UK) Limited and other related Bow Valley companies. Walter joined the Board of Egdon in 2001. John George Rodway Rix, Non-executive Director John, aged 70, was a well respected oil industry analyst until retirement in 1994, holding positions at N M Rothschild & Sons, de Zoete & Bevan and Greig Middleton & Co. John continues to be actively involved within the investment community and is also chairman and managing director of Dorset Exploration Limited. John joined the Board of Egdon in 2001. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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