Board Appointment

Kea Petroleum plc

("Kea" or the "Group")

Board Appointment

Board Appointment

Kea Petroleum PLC, (AIM: KEA), the New Zealand-based oil and gas exploration company, is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr John Dennehy to the Board of the Company as Commercial Director, with immediate effect. Based in New Zealand, John will share the responsibility of the day to day running of Kea with David Bennett, who will assume the title of Director of Exploration. John Dennehy has an extensive track record in international banking and finance, including as co founder of McAuley, Dennehy & Tolley, one of the UK's leading independent structured asset finance houses. MDT's clients included sovereign flag carrier airlines, major European transportation groups and financial institutions.

Apart from having held a number of board positions in New Zealand, John has also advised on a NZ government agency funded alternative energy programme, and on the international funding of infrastructure projects in the Pacific Island states.

John is also currently executive chair of Simcro Ltd, a leading NZ agritech company, developing animal drug delivery systems for the major international pharmaceutical groups.

Ian Gowrie-Smith, Executive Chairman, commented: "We are delighted to welcome John to the Board as Commercial Director. He has strong international credentials and extensive experience in negotiating and concluding major infrastructure and financing projects worldwide. Kea is entering a very active period with companies potentially wishing to farm in to our leases and many simultaneous negotiations with the New Zealand Government, land owners and suppliers of equipment. John's input will be vital to our success."

Additional Information

John Francis Dennehy, age 60 years, holds 600,177 shares and 200,000 options with an exercise price of 8p in Kea Petroleum PLC and, other than the directorships/partnerships set out below, there is no further information to be disclosed under schedule 2(g) and Rule 17 of the AIM Rules.

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Notes to Editors:

Kea Petroleum is an AIM listed oil and gas exploration company with interests in four petroleum exploration permits in New Zealand's Taranaki Basin and one exploration permit in Australia's Surat Basin. Kea listed on the London market in February 2010.