Tanzania Block 1: Mkizi gas discovery

Ophir Energy plc

Tanzania Block 1: Mkizi gas discovery

London, 29July 2013: Ophir Energy plc ("Ophir" or "the Company") announces the successful results of the Mkizi-1 well in Block 1, Tanzania which has resulted in a new gas discovery. Ophir holds 40% of Blocks 1, 3 and 4. BG Group operates with 60%.

Successful Mkizi-1 well

The Mkizi-1 well was drilled by the Deepsea Metro I drillship and was located in 1,301m water depth, between the Mzia and Jodari discoveries in Block 1. The well encountered gas pay in three reservoir intervals within a Tertiary aged stacked channel complex. Total net pay was 33m and reservoir quality was high with all three intervals exhibiting excellent porosities and permeabilities. Estimates for the mean recoverable resource from the discovery are in-line with Ophir's pre-drill expectations of 0.6 TCF. 

The Deepsea Metro I drillship will now move on to drill two appraisal wells, including a drill stem test (DST), on the Pweza discovery in Block 4. This will be the first DST on the series of Block 4 discoveries, following on from the successful tests in Block 1 on Mzia and Jodari.

Nick Cooper, CEO, commented:

"The successful Mkizi-1 well is our ninth discovery in Tanzania and continues our 100% strike rate in country, adding further resource to our existing discoveries in Block 1. Appraisal of Pweza will look to further underpin volumes in Block 4 which were upgraded with the recent success of the Ngisi drilling programme, whilst the DST is the final stage in firming up the commerciality of the resource across the Chewa-Pweza-Ngisi hub."

Ends

For Further Enquiries please contact:

Ophir Energy plc +44 (0)20 7290 5800

Nick Cooper, CEO

Richard Rose, Corporate Communications and Strategy

Brunswick Group +44 (0)20 7404 5959

Patrick Handley

Elizabeth Adams

Notes to Editors

Ophir Energy (OPHR.LN) is an African focussed, upstream oil and gas resource company which is a member of the FTSE 250. The Group's headquarters are located in London (England), with operational offices in Perth (Australia), Malabo (Equatorial Guinea), Dar es Salaam and Mtwara (Tanzania), Port Gentil (Gabon) and Nairobi (Kenya).

For further information on Ophir, please refer to www.ophir-energy.com