ERHC Energy Inc. Pursues Investments in Nigeria Oil and Gas
2009-11-24 13:30:02.317 GMT
ERHC Energy Inc. Pursues Investments in Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry
Signs Memorandums of Understanding Related to Interests in Eremor Marginal Field and Stake in Oil Well Testing Company
HOUSTON, TX -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 11/24/09 -- ERHC Energy Inc. (OTCBB:
ERHE), a publicly traded American company with oil and gas assets in the highly prospective Gulf of Guinea off the coast of West Africa, today announced that negotiations are underway on potential investments that would expand the Company's presence in Nigeria's oil and gas industry.
ERHC has signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Circle Ltd. and Excel Exploration and Production Ltd. to negotiate investment in and acquisition of working interests in the Eremor Marginal Field (OML 46). The Eremor Field, which is located in shallow water off-shore Nigeria, was discovered in 1978. The discovery well, Eremor-1, encountered three oil and gas zones, the most prominent of which is the D-03 reservoir with 43 feet of net oil sand. It was re-entered for testing in 2005 with the D-03 reservoir testing 2,200 barrels per day of oil with API gravity of 220, a low gas to oil ratio and no water. Excel was awarded a 100 percent interest and operatorship of Eremor in 2003.
ERHC, through its locally incorporated subsidiary, ERHC Energy Nigeria Ltd., has also entered into a non-binding MOU with WellTest Integrated Services Ltd. to negotiate the acquisition of a controlling equity interest in WellTest. The company provides well testing, production engineering and procurement services to Nigeria's oil and gas industry.
To coordinate the Company's business development in the Nigerian and West African oil and gas industry, ERHC has opened its Nigeria liaison office at Oguda Close, Maitama, Abuja. The Company's wholly owned subsidiary ERHC Energy Nigeria Ltd. operates the liaison office.
"With considerable progress being made in the ongoing exploration campaign of our oil and gas interests in the Nigeria Sao Tome and Principe Joint Development Zone (JDZ), this is the right time to accelerate business development activities elsewhere," said Peter Ntephe, chief operating officer of ERHC. "These opportunities will begin the process of diversifying our portfolio of assets and accelerate the timeline for producing revenues. We are also investigating other exploration and production opportunities and will report progress to stockholders at the earliest appropriate time."
The MOUs are non-binding and the completion of the transaction is subject to, among other things, negotiation of a definitive agreement, satisfactory due diligence and adequate financing. The parties expect to enter into a definitive agreement and complete the transactions, subject to satisfaction of closing conditions and the receipt of all necessary regulatory and other approvals, including board approvals.
ERHC Energy has interests in six of the nine Blocks in the offshore JDZ and realizing the value of these interests remains the Company's primary focus. A comprehensive drilling campaign is currently underway in JDZ Blocks 2, 3 and 4. The Company has additional interests in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of Democratic Republic of Sao Tome & Principe.
About ERHC Energy
ERHC Energy Inc. is a Houston-based independent oil and gas company focused on growth through high impact exploration in the highly prospective Gulf of Guinea and the development of undeveloped and marginal oil and gas fields. ERHC is committed to creating and delivering significant value for its shareholders, investors and employees, and to sustainable and profitable growth through risk balanced smart exploration, cost efficient development and high margin production. For more information, visit www.erhc.com.
Cautionary Statement
This press release contains statements concerning ERHC Energy Inc.'s future operating milestones, future drilling operations, the planned exploration and appraisal program, future prospects, future investment opportunities and financing plans, future shareholders' meetings, response to the Senate Subcommittee investigation, developments in the SEC investigation of the Company and related proceedings, as well as other matters that are not historical facts or information. Such statements are inherently subject to a variety of risks, assumptions and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated, projected, expressed or implied.
A discussion of the risk factors that could impact these areas and the Company's overall business and financial performance can be found in the Company's reports and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These factors include, among others, those relating to the Company's ability to exploit its commercial interests in the JDZ and the exclusive territorial waters of Sao Tome and Principe, general economic and business conditions, changes in foreign and domestic oil and gas exploration and production activity, competition, changes in foreign, political, social and economic conditions, regulatory initiatives and compliance with governmental regulations and various other matters, many of which are beyond the Company's control. Given these concerns, investors and analysts should not place undue reliance on these statements. Each of the above statements speaks only as of the date of this press release.
The Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statement to reflect any change in the Company's expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any of the above statements is based.
Cautionary Note to U.S. Investors -- The United States Securities and Exchange Commission permits oil and gas companies, in their filings with the SEC, to disclose only proved reserves that a company has demonstrated by actual production or conclusive formation tests to be economically and legally producible under existing economic and operating conditions. We use certain terms on this Web site, such as "recoverable reserves potential," that the SEC's guidelines generally prohibit us from including in filings with the SEC. U.S. Investors are urged to consider closely the disclosure in our Form 10-K. You may review our filing with the SEC at the following Web site:
www.sec.gov/cgi-bin/browse-edgar?action=getcompany&CIK=0000799235.
Contact:
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DPK Public Relations
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