Kurdistan Operational Update

RNS Number : 1847D

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Ltd.

18 March 2011

 



Not for release, publication or distribution 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.

18 March 2011

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Ltd. (AIM: GKP)

("Gulf Keystone" or "the Company")

Kurdistan Operational Update

Shaikan-2 Appraisal Well: Initial Oil Flow

Gulf Keystone today reports a significant initial oil flow on the Shaikan-2 Appraisal Well in a 44 meter interval (1,792m to 1,836m) in the Jurassic age formation.

Substantial smoke and/ or the oil flare is/ are visible from the Company's office in Erbil some considerable distance from the Shaikan-2 location, indicating that a significant flow has been encountered and prompting the Company to issue this announcement.

The Company is currently conducting a test, which is expected to continue for another 72 hours to obtain further results, i.e. flow rate, oil quality and similar information, which will be reported in the next announcement.     

Shaikan-2 is the first deep appraisal well to be drilled on the Shaikan structure. The well is drilling approximately nine kilometres to the south-east of the Shaikan-1 discovery well.

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.

Todd F. Kozel, Gulf Keystone's Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer commented:

"This initial oil flow continues to confirm our belief in the world class nature of the Shaikan discovery. We are eagerly anticipating more detailed results from the Shaikan-2 well test."

Enquiries:

Gulf Keystone Petroleum:	[phone]
Todd Kozel, Executive Chairman
Ewen Ainsworth, Chief Financial Officer
Strand Hanson Limited	[phone]
Simon Raggett / Rory Murphy / James Harris
Mirabaud Securities LLP	[phone]
Peter Krens
Pelham Bell Pottinger	[phone]
Mark Antelme

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 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 8 September 2004.

§ Gulf Keystone Petroleum Limited is registered in Hamilton, Bermuda with 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.

 

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