Appointment

Alkane Energy PLC 26 January 2001 Alkane Energy plc Lord Fraser Of Carmyllie QC Joins Board The Board of Alkane Energy plc, the UK's leading commercial producer of methane gas from abandoned coal mines, is pleased to announce that Lord Fraser of Carmyllie QC is to join the board as a non-executive Director with immediate effect. Lord Fraser's political career spans three decades. He became MP for Angus South in 1979 and between 1982 and 1989 was Solicitor General for Scotland. He became Minister of State at the Scottish Office in 1992 and in 1995 was appointed Minister for Energy, Department of Trade and Industry. In 1997 he became Deputy Leader of the Opposition and spokesman on Trade and Industry. He served on the Select Committee on House of Lords' Offices in 1997-98 and is currently a member of the Select Committee on European Union (Sub-Committee E). Dr Cameron Davies, Executive Chairman, commented: 'We are delighted that Lord Fraser has agreed to join the Board. His political acumen and experience of the energy sector will be invaluable to Alkane in the future development of the company.' Lord Fraser has been duly appointed and pursuant to paragraph 16.4 of the Listing Rules the company advises that: (a) Lord Fraser is currently a director of the following publicly quoted companies: 1. JKX Oil & Gas Plc 2. IPE Holdings Plc 3. theoilsite.com plc (b) There are no other directorships or details to be disclosed pursuant to the requirements of Paragraph 6.F.2 (b) to 6.F.2 (g) of the Listing Rules in respect of Lord Fraser. Enquiries: Dr Cameron Davies Tel: 01623 421642 Executive Chairman Alkane Energy plc Judith Parry Tel: 0113 242 1171 Millham Communications Notes to Editors: 1. Alkane Energy plc joined the Official List of the UKLA in December 2000 and at the same time raised £30m through an institutional placing. 2. Mines gas is a waste gas consisting of approx. 70% methane, 15% nitrogen and 15% carbon dioxide. It escapes into the atmosphere from operating and abandoned coal mines in a similar way to methane from landfill sites. Methane is recognised as one of the major components of greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. It is estimated that it has a global warming effect almost 21 times that of carbon dioxide. There are more than 900 abandoned coal mines in the UK. 3. Alkane currently holds 18 EXL and PEDL onshore licences in the UK, which give it exclusive Coal Mine Methane (CMM) production rights over a total area of 4,282 km(2). This is the largest licensed acreage relating to potential CMM extraction in the UK. 4. Alkane already has three operational sites in the East Midlands where CMM is captured and sold at competitive prices for electricity generation and as a fuel for industrial processes. The Company plans to use its proven technology to roll out a further 100 sites over the next five years. 26 January 2001
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