Faroe Petroleum : 28/04/2015 Bister exploration well commences drilling in the Norwegian Sea Download pdf 341kB

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Faroe Petroleum, the independent oil and gas company focusing principally on exploration, appraisal and production opportunities in Norway and the UK, is pleased to announce the spudding of the Bister exploration well 6407/8-7 (Faroe 7.5%).

The Bister prospect is located in the Norwegian Sea in Licence PL 348/C, which also contains the producing Hyme field and the 2013 Snilehorn discovery. The licence is located adjacent to the producing Njord field (Faroe 7.5%) with Statoil as the operator of both PL348 and Njord.

Well 6407/8-7 will be targeting oil and gas in the Jurassic, Ile, Tilje and Åre formations (analogous to the Hyme oil field and Snilehorn reservoirs). There is a seismic amplitude anomaly on the Bister prospect of a similar character to the anomalies on both the Snilehorn discovery (estimated gross recoverable resource range of 57-101 mmboe) and the Hyme field. There is also evidence of a pressure barrier between Snilehorn and Hyme, which contributes towards the de-risking of the Bister prospect.

The Bister exploration well, located in approximate water depth of 260 metres, is operated by Statoil (35%) using the Transocean Spitzbergen drilling rig with partners GDF SUEZ E&P Norge AS (20%), E.ON E&P Norge AS (17.5%), Core Energy AS (17.5%) and VNG Norge AS (2.5%). Results from the well will be announced when drilling operations are complete.

"I am very pleased to announce the spudding of the Bister exploration well to follow up on the significant Snilehorn discovery announced in 2013, located in the same licence and close to the producing Njord Field infrastructure. This is the second well in our 2015 exploration programme, following the successful completion of the Shango discovery earlier this month. During the coming months we also expect to start drilling the first of two follow-up wells at the significant Pil discovery (Faroe 25%) on the Blink and Boomerang prospects."

Please click here to view the full announcement.

In addition, please find past presentations, reports and news at www.fp.fo

For further information please contact:

Faroe Petroleum plc
Graham Stewart, CEO
Tel: +44 1224 650 920

Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited
Callum Stewart /Michael Shaw/Ashton Clanfield
Tel: +44 20 7710 7600

RBC Capital Markets
Matthew Coakes/Jeremy Low
Tel: +44 20 7653 4000

FTI Consulting
Edward Westropp/Tom Hufton
Tel: +44 20 3727 1000

Andrew Roberts, Group Exploration Manager of Faroe Petroleum and a Geophysicist (BSc. Joint Honours in Physics and Chemistry from Manchester university), who has been involved in the energy industry for more than 25 years, has read and approved the exploration and appraisal disclosure in this regulatory announcement.

The Company has, through successive licence applications and acquisitions, built a substantial and diversified portfolio of exploration, appraisal, development and production assets across the Atlantic margin, the UK and Norwegian North Sea, Norwegian Sea, Barents Sea and the Celtic Sea. Faroe Petroleum has extensive experience working with major and independent oil companies and its joint venture partners include BP, Centrica, E.ON Ruhrgas, GDF, Maersk, OMV, Repsol, Shell, Statoil, Total, Tullow and Wintershall.

The Company's substantial licence portfolio provides considerable spread of risk and reward. Faroe has a very active drilling programme ahead and it currently has interests in six principal producing oil and gas fields in the UK and Norway, including interests in the Schooner and Ketch gas fields and Blane oil field in the UK and interests in the producing Njord, Brage and Ringhorne East fields in Norway. Full year average economic production for 2015 is estimated to be between 8,000 boepd and 10,000 boepd.

In November 2013 and March 2014 Faroe announced the Snilehorn and Pil discoveries in the Norwegian Sea in close proximity to the producing Njord and Hyme fields and in April 2014 the Company announced the Solberg discovery in the Norwegian Sea. In July 2014 the Company announced the successful drilling of the Bue side-track well and provided an update of the resource range for the Pil and Bue discoveries of between 80 and 200 mmboe (gross). More recently, in April 2015, the Company announced the Shango discovery in the Norwegian North Sea.

Norway operates a tax efficient system which incentivises exploration, through reimbursement of 78% of costs in the subsequent year. Faroe has built an extensive portfolio of high potential exploration licences in Norway which, together with its established UK west of Shetlands and North Sea positions provides the majority of prospects targeted by the Company's sustainable four to five well per annum drilling programme.

Faroe Petroleum is quoted on the AIM Market of London Stock Exchange. The Company is funded from cash reserves and cash flow, and has access to a $250m borrowing base facility, with a fully funded drilling programme through 2015. Faroe has highly experienced technical teams who are leaders in the areas of seismic and geological interpretation, reservoir engineering and field development, focused on creating exceptional value for its shareholders.