Petro Matad Limited, the AIM quoted Mongolian oil explorer, announces its unaudited interim results for the six months ended 30 June 2019.
Financial Summary
The Group posted a loss of USD 4.41 million for the six-month period ended 30 June 2019, which compares to a loss of USD 6.65 million for the comparable period in 2018. The Company's cash balance at 30 June 2019 was USD 16.12 million (USD 3.79 million in cash and USD 12.33 million in Financial Assets), which compares to a cash balance of USD 15.55 million (USD 12.54 million in cash and USD 3.01 million in Financial Assets) on 30 June 2018.
Following the two successful placings in 2018, no new fund raises have been undertaken in 2019 as the Company's cash resources are sufficient to fully meet the costs of the planned 2019 drilling programme.
Operational Update
The Heron 1 exploration well in the Tamsag Basin of Block XX spudded with the DQE International 40105 rig on 19 July 2019. Land permits for Heron (and Gazelle) have been received and drilling operations continue towards a planned total depth (TD) of 3,050 metres. The well is an appraisal of the T19-46 oil field immediately to the north in Block XIX and is targeting a prospect with 25 MMbo of Mean Prospective Recoverable Resource. The Company expects to be in a position to announce the results of the drilling and logging of the well during the week commencing 9 September 2019.
The Gazelle 1 exploration well will follow Heron 1 after a six-kilometre rig move and will take approximately 35 days to drill and log. The planned TD is 2,500 metres and the Gazelle Prospect has an estimated Mean Prospective Recoverable Resource of 13 MMbo. Gazelle 1 is located updip of Petro China's T19-46-1 oil well on the western flank of the Tamsag Basin which is the primary source kitchen for the fields in Block XIX.
The Red Deer 1 exploration well in the Asgat Sag Basin of Block XX spudded with the Daton Petroleum Engineering and Oilfield Service LLC rig, DXZ1, on 4 August 2019. The well is targeting a prospect with 48 MMbo of Mean Prospective Recoverable Resource. Drilling operations continue towards the planned TD of 2,100 metres. Results from the drilling and logging of the well are expected to be completed by mid-September 2019.
In the event of a discovery in one or more of the 2019 exploration wells, the Company will bring in a separate rig for testing. A call-off testing contract has been signed, which ensures testing operations, if warranted, can commence soon after discovery.
The Company successfully obtained two-year PSC extensions for Blocks IV and V, as was announced on 26 June 2019.
Further operational updates will be provided in due course.
