Grant of options

Ascent Resources PLC
23 September 2005

      Ascent Resources plc / Epic: AST / Index: AIM / Sector: Oil and Gas



23rd September 2005



                Ascent Resources plc ('Ascent' or 'the Company')

                         'Issue of Shares and Options'



Ascent Resources plc, the AIM listed oil and gas exploration and production
company, has granted the following options to subscribe for new ordinary shares
in the Company.



The named Directors, JV partners and consultants have been granted the following
options to subscribe at 15p per share for new ordinary shares in the Company,
exercisable from 23rd March 2006 until 23rd September 2008.



Jeremy Eng                                                       2,500,000

Malcolm Groom                                                    1,000,000

Jonathon Legg                                                    1,000,000

JV partners and consultants                                        950,000



The named Directors have also been granted the following options to subscribe at
40p per share for new ordinary shares in the Company, exercisable from 23rd
September 2006 until 23rd September 2009.



Jeremy Eng                                                       2,500,000

Malcolm Groom                                                    1,000,000

Jonathon Legg                                                    1,000,000



Additionally, 319,447 new ordinary shares have been issued in satisfaction of
fees totalling £35,139.17 for work associated with the acquisition of projects
in Italy.   Application will be made today for the new shares to trade on AIM
and it is expected that dealings in these shares will commence on 29th September
2005.  The new ordinary shares will rank pari passu in all respects with the
existing shares in issue.



                                  * * ENDS * *



Issued on behalf of Ascent Resources plc by St Brides Media & Finance Ltd, 46,
Bedford Row, London, WC1R 4LR.

Contacts:

Jeremy Eng              Ascent  Resources plc               Tel: [phone]

Hugo de Salis           St Brides Media & Finance Ltd       Tel: [phone]



Notes:



Ascent Resources plc is an AIM quoted oil and gas company with a primary focus
in Europe. Since being founded in November 2004, Ascent has assembled a
portfolio of exploration assets that include majority interests in eight
exploration permits.  Applications for a further two are in progress.  Ascent
considers the full spectrum of projects covering exploration, early stage
development and production. The Company has an experienced technical team with
strong industry contacts and a proven track record. They have implemented a
structured two phase development strategy: Phase 1 is to develop the core of
European projects; while Phase 2 is to acquire a lesser number of larger scale
projects across a wider geographical range. The Company now has a 90% interests
in projects in Hungary (gas), Switzerland (gas & oil), and Holland (gas), a 100%
interest in an Italian gas exploration project and a 70% interest in Italian oil
exploration as well as the royalty and working interests in Gabon.  The balance
of oil and gas assets and the geographical spread of projects mainly in net
energy importing countries are designed to mitigate the risk in commodity price
fluctuation and changes in global energy politics.






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