Director/PDMR Shareholding

For immediate release 17 May 2010

Desire Petroleum plc

("Desire" or the "Company")

Director/PDMR Shareholding

Further to the announcement made on 20 January 2009, the Company wishes to make the following announcement updating the position of certain shares in the Company held by Phipps & Company Ltd and the Phipps &Company Retirement Benefit Scheme.

As a result of scheduled loan repayments to the Phipps & Company Retirement Benefit Scheme from Phipps & Company Ltd, the security granted by Phipps & Company Ltd over certain Desire shares held by it has been reduced from 10,887,500 Desire shares to 4,000,000 Desire shares.

Both Stephen Phipps and Anna Neve, directors of Desire, are directors and shareholders of Phipps and Company Ltd and are beneficiaries of the Phipps and Company Retirement Scheme.

There are no changes to the beneficial or potential beneficial ownership of the shares in Desire held by Phipps and Company Ltd as a consequence of this change.

For further information please contact: