Tanzania: Successful flow-test and drilling update

Ophir Energy plc

Tanzania: Successful Block 4 Pweza flow-test and Block 7 Mlinzi drilling update

London, 2 October 2013: Ophir Energy plc ("Ophir" or "the Company") announces the successful completion of the Pweza-3 appraisal well and flow test in Block 4, Tanzania. Ophir holds 40% of Blocks 1, 3 and 4.BG Group operates with 60%.

Successful Pweza-3 appraisal well and flow-test

The Pweza-3 appraisal well was drilled approximately 2km north of the original Pweza discovery well and encountered 61m of gross pay on prognosis. A Drill Stem Test ("DST") was performed which achieved an equipment constrained flow-rate of 57mmscfd with minimal drawdown and no observable depletion after 5 days of flow. The implied unconstrained flow-rate is expected to be in excess of 150mmscfd. The DST has confirmed that the Tertiary reservoirs in Block 4 have similar excellent characteristics to those in Block 1. This result is expected to dramatically reduce the number of development wells required in Block 4, thereby simplifying the development plan and having a positive impact on the project's economics.

Forward programme update

The Deepsea Metro I drillship will now move to Block 1 to drill the Mzia-3 appraisal well before drilling our high-impact Mlinzi prospect in Block 7. The Mzia-3 well is designed to confirm current resource estimates and target potential upside in the Middle Sand package encountered in the Mzia-1 discovery well. Due to the efficient, early completion of the Pweza-3 programme, the next well in the sequence, Mlinzi Mbali-1 well on the Mlinzi prospect has advanced and is now expected to spud in the second half of November.

Nick Cooper, CEO, commented:

"The Pweza DST is the third flow-test on our discoveries in Tanzania, all of which have confirmed excellent productivity in world-class reservoirs that are expected to increase the project's value. This result completes our near-term appraisal activities in Block 4 and further underpins these discoveries as a second hub development alongside the Block 1 discoveries, providing significant resource into our planned LNG development.

The efficient completion of the Pweza programme will accelerate our high impact Mlinzi Mbali-1 well, which is targeting mean recoverable prospective resources of c.10 TCF and is now expected to spud in the second half of November."

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 focused, world-class upstream oil and gas exploration company which is listed on the London Stock Exchange (FTSE 250). Ophir has an extensive deepwater acreage position in West and East Africa acquired since its foundation in 2004.

The Group's headquarters are located in London (England), with operational offices in Perth (Australia), Dar es Salaam and Mtwara (Tanzania), Malabo (Equatorial Guinea), Libreville (Gabon) and Nairobi (Kenya) and Accra (Ghana).

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