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: [phone]
Executive Chairman
Alkane Energy plc

Judith Parry                                   Tel: [phone]
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