Northern Petroleum Plc (“Northern”) announces that it has been advised by British Drilling and Freezing Limited that it has commenced to rig-down its rig no. 28 preparatory to mobilisation of that rig to the Sandhills-2 well-site on the Isle of Wight.

The Sandhills-2 appraisal well is being drilled at a location on licence PEDL 098 about 1km. to the south of the Sandhills-1 well drilled in 1982 by British Gas which logged an oil column in the Great Oolite and from the sidewall cores taken at the time in that formation Northern recovered oil.

Following the drilling of Sandhills-2 the rig will be moved to the Bouldnor Copse-1 well site near Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight to drill a deeper and potentially larger exploration prospect in the Triassic Sherwood Sandstone on licence PEDL 089.

PEDL 098 licencees are:

PEDL 089(A) licencees are:

Further enquiries:

Northern Petroleum Plc
Graham Heard, Exploration Manager
Chris Foss, Company Secretary
Tel: 020 7743 6080

Hansard Communications
Chris Roberts/Ben Simons
Tel: 020 7245 1100