Manas Announces That Shell Joins Petromanas Energy Inc. in Albania
BAAR, Switzerland, Feb. 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Manas Petroleum Corp. ("Manas") (TSX-V: MNP; OTCBB: MNAP) today announced that on February 9, 2012 Petromanas Energy Inc. has secured Shell as JV partner for selected Albanian assets.
Manas, through its subsidiary DWM Petroleum AG owns 31.7% of the issued and outstanding shares of Petromanas.
Petromanas Energy Inc. ("Petromanas" or the "Company") today announced it has entered into a definitive farm out agreement (the "Agreement") with a wholly owned subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell plc ("Shell"), whereby Shell will farm into the Company's rights on onshore exploration Blocks 2-3 (the "Blocks") comprising approximately 852,000 acres onshore Albania. Under the terms of the Agreement, Shell will acquire a 50% participating interest in the Blocks in exchange for payments and carried costs up to US$50.3 million. Petromanas will continue to act as operator of the Blocks.
"We are very pleased to have Shell as a joint venture partner. They bring exceptional technical capabilities and substantial resources to our new relationship," said Mr. Glenn McNamara, CEO of Petromanas. "We believe that partnering with a global leader like Shell provides a validation of the potential of our Albanian assets and the exploration work we have completed to date. Our 2012 drilling program remains unchanged and is moving ahead as planned from a position of enhanced strength and we expect the addition of a further seismic program to accelerate the exploration and development of the Blocks."
Under the terms of the Agreement, Shell would carry Petromanas on the following items: a work program up to US$22.5 million in the first exploration period and subject to entering into the second exploration period, a second exploration well. Any potential excess costs of the work program over the carried amounts shall be jointly paid by both parties in proportion to their participating interest. In addition, Shell will pay a cash consideration for a total amount of US$16.3 million, of which US$11 million is refundable to Shell should Petromanas secure a partner for the other Petromanas blocks during the current exploration period.
The Agreement is subject to customary closing conditions including the receipt of all necessary regulatory and government approvals.
About Manas Petroleum Corp.
Manas Petroleum is an international oil and gas company with primary focus on exploration and development in South-Eastern Europe, Central Asia and Mongolia. In Albania, Manas participates in a 1.7 million acre exploration project through its equity interest in Petromanas Energy Inc., a Canadian public company. In Kyrgyz Republic, Manas has signed a US$54 million farm-out agreement with Santos International, a subsidiary of one of Australia's largest oil and gas companies. In addition to the development of its Kyrgyz Republic project, Manas participates in an oil and gas exploration project in neighboring Tajikistan through its majority-owned subsidiary Somon Oil Company, subject to an option farm out agreement with Santos. In Mongolia, Manas owns record title to the two Production Sharing Contracts covering Blocks XIII and XIV through its wholly-owned subsidiary Gobi Energy Partners GmbH, but 26% of the beneficial ownership interest in these blocks is held in trust for others.
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
For further information please contact:
Roger Jenny
Corporate Secretary
Manas Petroleum Corp.
Bahnofstr. 9, P.O. Box 155
CH-6341 Baar, Switzerland
Phone: +41 44 718 1030
Fax: +41 44 718 1039
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.manaspete.com
Scott Koyich
North America Investor Relations
Brisco Capital Partners Corp.
Phone: +1 403 262 9888
Email: [email protected]
Dr. Georg Hochwimmer
Europe Investor Relations
General Research GmbH
Phone: +49 89 2500 4330
Email: [email protected]
DISCLAIMER
Forward-Looking Statement Disclaimer
This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are projections of events, revenues, income, future economic performance or management's plans and objectives for future operations. In some cases you can identify forward-looking statements by the use of terminology such as "may", "should", "anticipates", "believes", "expects", "intends", "forecasts", "plans", "future", "strategy", or words of similar meaning. These statements are only predictions and are subject to known and unknown risks, including the risks described in Manas' periodic disclosure documents filed on SEDAR and EDGAR, copies of which are also available on the company's website at www.manaspetroleum.com. Any of these risks could cause Manas' or its industry's actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Except as required by applicable law, including the securities laws of the United States and Canada, Manas does not intend to update any of the forward-looking statements to conform these statements to actual results.
SOURCE Manas Petroleum Corp.
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