Deltic Energy Plc announced that it has been provisionally awarded two licences over three part blocks covering approximately 226 km2 by the North Sea Transition Authority ("NSTA") in Tranche 2 of the UK's 33rd Offshore Licensing Round ("33rd Round"). This provisional award contains the Dewar Prospect, which has previously been licenced and matured by Deltic. Dewar is seen as a low-risk prospect in the Forties Sandstone, located close to existing and proposed new infrastructure associated with the redevelopment of the Murlach Field (formerly known as Skua).

The work programme associated with the initial phase of the licence is restricted to upgrading the seismic data sets held by the Company at relatively low cost and is focussed on providing greater confidence around prospect volumetrics and risk. Block 29/4b represents the residual part of a larger application which included the contiguous Block 29/3b. Block 29/3b, which was provisionally awarded to Shell U.K. Ltd. in Tranche 1 of the 33rd Round, was considered the most prospective part of the application area and the Company will now consider if there is sufficient technical justification to accept Block 29/4b in isolation.

The NSTA has advised that there will be a further tranche of awards which will include licences in the Southern North Sea Gas Basin which was the focus of the Company's licence application efforts in the 33rd Round. Firm guidance from the NSTA on the timing of Tranche 3 awards has not yet been communicated.