Notification of Major Interest in Shares

TR-1: NOTIFICATION OF MAJOR INTEREST IN SHARES

1. Identity of the issuer or the underlying issuer of existing shares to which voting rights are attached: ii

Afren plc 

2 Reason for the notification (please tick the appropriate box or boxes):

An acquisition or disposal of voting rights

YES

An acquisition or disposal of qualifying financial instruments which may result in the acquisition of shares already issued to which voting rights are attached

An acquisition or disposal of instruments with similar economic effect to qualifying financial instruments

An event changing the breakdown of voting rights

Other (please specify):

3. Full name of person(s) subject to the notification obligation: iii

JPMorgan Asset Management Holdings Inc.

4. Full name of shareholder(s)  (if different from 3.):iv

JPMorgan Asset Management (UK) Limited

J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc.

JF Asset Management (Taiwan) Limited

JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association

5. Date of the transaction and date on which the threshold is crossed or reached: v

12 January 2010

6. Date on which issuer notified:

13 January 2010

7. Threshold(s) that is/are crossed or reached: vi, vii

5% upwards

8. Notified details:

A: Voting rights attached to shares viii, ix

Class/type of shares

if possible using the ISIN CODE

Situation previous to the triggering transaction

Resulting situation after the triggering transaction

Number of Shares

Number of Voting Rights

Number of shares

Number of voting rights

% of voting rights x

Direct

Direct xi

Indirect xii

Direct

Indirect

GB00B0672758

19,832,933

19,832,933

44,319,336

4.98%

B: Qualifying Financial Instruments

Resulting situation after the triggering transaction

Type of financial instrument

Expiration date xiii

Exercise/  Conversion Period xiv

Number of voting rights that may be acquired if the instrument is exercised/ converted.

% of voting rights

C: Financial Instruments with similar economic effect to Qualifying Financial Instruments xv, xvi

Resulting situation after the triggering transaction

Type of financial instrument

Exercise price

Expiration date xvii

Exercise/ Conversion period xviii

Number of voting rights instrument refers to

% of voting rights xix, xx

Contract for Difference

306,835

(Delta Amount 306,835)

Nominal

Delta

0.03%

Total (A+B+C)

Number of voting rights

Percentage of voting rights

44,626,171

5.02%

9. Chain of controlled undertakings through which the voting rights and/or the financial instruments are effectively held, if applicable: xxi

Total disclosable holding for JPMorgan Asset Management Holdings Inc : 44,626,171 (5.02%)

JPMorgan Asset Management (UK) Limited

J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc.

JF Asset Management (Taiwan) Limited

JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association

Proxy Voting:

10. Name of the proxy holder:

N/A

11. Number of voting rights proxy holder will cease to hold:

N/A

12. Date on which proxy holder will cease to hold voting rights:

N/A

13. Additional information:

N/A

14. Contact name:

Tracey Young

15. Contact telephone number:

020 7777 0424