Appointment of Andrew Rose as Chief Financial O...

LONDON, May 8 /PRNewswire/ --     Gulfsands Petroleum plc (AIM: GPX) 
("Gulfsands", "the Group" or "the 
Company"), the oil and gas production, exploration and development
company with activities in Syria, Iraq and the USA, is delighted to announce
the appointment of Mr. Andrew Rose as Chief Financial Officer and Director.



    Andrew Benedict Rose, 51, was the former Chief Financial Officer of
Burren Energy ("Burren"), the UK independent oil and gas company
which was acquired by ENI S.p.A. ("ENI"), the Italian oil major, for US$3.6
billion in January 2008. Mr. Rose, who holds a BSc in Engineering from
Cambridge University, joined Burren Energy as Chief Financial Officer in
2001, when it was a private company. He was a key Director in developing and
building Burren from a small private company, through to its listing on the
London Stock Exchange in December 2003 and into one of the UK's most
successful mid tier independent oil companies, culminating in its sale to ENI
late last year.



    Mr. Rose spent the greater part of his early career in investment
banking, working in advisory, capital markets and structured finance roles,
and prior to joining Burren was head of Corporate Finance for Eastern Europe,
Middle East and Africa at Societe Generale.



    It is expected that Mr Rose will begin to take up his responsibilities
from the beginning of June 2008 and will join the Company on a full-time
basis on 1 August.



    Gulfsands' Chairman, Andrew West, said: "The appointment of Andrew Rose as
CFO and Director marks a milestone in the continued development of Gulfsands
into a leading independent oil and gas company. Andrew brings to us an
exceptional track record as a successful oil and gas company CFO and has
outstanding credentials in the City of London. The Board is delighted to
welcome Andrew and we very much look forward to working with him".



    
    For more information please contact:

    Gulfsands Petroleum (London)               [phone]
    Kenneth Judge, Director of Corporate       [phone]
    Development
 
    Buchanan Communications Limited (London)   [phone]
    Bobby Morse
    Nick Melson
 
    RBC Capital Markets (London)               [phone]
    Andrew K. Smith
    Sarah Wharry