New Non-Executive Director

Ascent Resources PLC
15 May 2006

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

15 May 2006

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

                           New Non-Executive Director


Ascent Resources plc, the AIM traded oil and gas exploration and production
company, has appointed Peter Earl to its Board as a non-executive director with
immediate effect.  Mr. Earl's appointment complements and expands the already
strong capabilities of the existing Board.


Mr. Earl has considerable experience in corporate finance and power generation.
He is currently the CEO of AIM listed independent power plant developer, IPSA
Group plc, and Managing Director of Rurelec plc, a company established to
develop rural electrification and power generation projects in Latin America,
also listed on AIM.


After beginning his career at the Boston Consulting Group, advising state-owned
companies being reorganised for privatisation, Mr. Earl became an investment
banker at Blyth Eastman Dillon. He then worked at Orion Bank in the early 1980s
and subsequently was a founding director of Arab Banking Corporation's
investment bank. During his career, he has advised ministries of finance and
central banks in Abu Dhabi, Albania, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.


Acting on secondment to the World Bank and UNDPE, Mr. Earl has advised on
privatisations in Latin America and Eastern Europe, where he has served as
Deputy Chairman for the United Nations Economic Commission for the Europe
infrastructure finance group.  In the mid 1990s he advised on US$6 billion of
cross-border power sector acquisitions and bids, involving 5,000MW of installed
capacity and more than two million distribution customers, before founding
Independent Power Corporation in late 1995.


Mr. Earl has also previously held directorship positions with amongst others The
Carter Organization Inc, and Tranwood PLC.  He is the author of the standard
European textbook on cross-border takeovers published by Euromoney.


Ascent Chairman John Kenny said: 'I am committed to building a first-rate Board
of Directors to develop the assets of Ascent for its shareholders. Peter's
appointment represents an important step in achieving this objective.  He has a
wealth of experience gained in the finance, hydrocarbon and power generation
sectors, and I am convinced that he will make a major contribution in moving the
Company to its next level of development.'


Peter Earl will be issued options to subscribe for 500,000 new shares of the
Company at a price of 11.5p exercisable between the first and fifth
anniversaries of issue.


Peter Earl, aged 51, is a director or has been a director of the following
companies during the previous five years:



Current Directorships:

Independent Power Corporation PLC
IPSA Group PLC
Rurelec PLC



Directorships held within the previous five years:

Consort Resources Limited


There are no other matters which are required to be announced with regard to
this appointment under paragraph (g) of Schedule 2 of the AIM Rules.



                                  * * ENDS * *



Contacts

Jeremy Eng                   Ascent  Resources plc           Tel: [phone]  
Hugo de Salis               St Brides Media & Finance Ltd    Tel: [phone]



Notes

Ascent Resources plc has assembled an extensive portfolio of 20 oil and gas
assets across Europe since March 2005.  These assets include oil production from
the Ayoluengo Field of northern Spain along with nearby oil exploration, oil and
gas exploration in Switzerland and Italy, gas exploration and development in
Hungary and Romania, as well as applications for new exploration acreage
offshore Holland and minor assets in Gabon.


With the strong and stable European gas market, the Company's portfolio is
balanced in favour of gas over oil, and with the exception of Holland, projects
are located onshore where operating and development costs are very much less
than they are offshore.  The Company plans to drill six exploration wells in
2006: two in Spain, two in Italy and two in Hungary.  Suitable drilling
equipment has been sourced and the permitting of these wells is in progress with
drilling to commence in the late summer. The Company will also participate in up
to four non-operated exploration wells in Romania.


In parallel with acquiring the oil and gas assets, the Company has appointed to
the Board a team of experienced directors who are specialists in the European
energy business and each of whom has expertise and experience in commercialising
energy assets.


                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange