Circle Oil in Quest for Partners for Drilling in Block 52, Offshore Oman

Circle Oil Plc , the international oil and gas exploration, development and production company to announced today the following operational update on its activities in Block 52 in Oman.

Block 52

The processing of the 5,026 line kilometres of marine 2D seismic, recorded from December 2010 to February 2011, has been completed. The processed data received to date are of a significantly improved quality over the historic seismic data. Interpretations have confirmed the presence of multiple structures and potential targets for exploration drilling. As result a farm-out process has recently been initiated using both internal data rooms and an external agency. The farm-out process is aimed at seeking a partner(s) to drill a commitment well in Block 52 within the next 18 months.

Circle’s interpretations detailed in the farmout package in Block 52 have identified several promising play types in stratigraphy ranging in age from Pre-Cambrian to Tertiary, but the offshore Outer Sawquirah Area of Late Cretaceous to Palaeogene structural closures is considered the most prospective.

The identified principal reservoir intervals are Palaeogene Hadhramaut carbonates and clastics and late Cretaceous Aruma Group carbonates. Potential source rocks are considered to be Lower Hadhramaut and Aruma shales with additional potential in the basinal Jurassic Sahtan Group and the Infra-Cambrian Huqf Super Group. Sealing units for potential traps are provided by extensive shale units of the Fars, Hadhramaut and Aruma groups.

Nine large four way dip closed prospects are recognised in the Outer Sawqirah Area. Internal pre-drill deterministic STOIIP of these nine prospects for the most likely unrisked case is calculated as 7,264 MMBO. The associated ultimate recoverable resources for the nine prospects are estimated internally as 2,179 MMBO.

The water depths for proposed drilling locations on the nine prospects range from 724 to 956 m and target depths range from 1,490 to 2,850 m. The largest individual prospect, presently designated as Prospect A1, is situated in a water depth of approximately 769 m, with an internally estimated deterministic most likely STOIIP of 2,435 MMBO and associated most likely ultimate recoverable resources of 731 MMBO, with depth to top target at 1,490 m.

The Company would emphasize the point that the pre-drill deterministic estimates of STOIIP and resources are based on the information and interpretations available at time of issue and are made based on Circle’s management deterministic best estimates. There can be no assurance that such estimates will prove to be accurate as future technical evaluations and results, including drilling results, could lead to variations or differ materially from those indicated in this release.

As expected, further exploration work is necessary and the Company is now seeking partners to join in this effort.

Block 52, covering an area of over 63,460 square kilometres, lies about 500 kilometres SSW of Muscat in an underexplored area of offshore Southern Oman. The concession agreement includes the right of conversion to a production licence of 30 years in the event of commercial discoveries. Circle Oil Oman Offshore Ltd is the operator of Block 52 with a 100% working interest.

Commenting Prof. Chris Green, CEO, said:

” In Block 52, the new seismic is of excellent quality and multiple closures, including some leads we mapped previously, have been firmed up as prospects. The interpretations coming from Block 52 seismic have allowed us to prepare a comprehensive farm-out package.”

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September 5, 2011; Image:Circle Oil