Competent Person's Report Update

RNS Number : 5853I

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Ltd.

31 August 2016

 

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31 August 2016

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Ltd. (LSE: GKP)

("Gulf Keystone", "GKP" or "the Company")

Competent Person's Report Update

2P Reserves stable and reservoir performance as expected for the Shaikan field, a world class asset

In connection with the publication of a Prospectus as part of the Balance Sheet Restructuring Transaction ("Restructuring"), Gulf Keystone today announces the release of an updated Competent Person's Report ("CPR").  The CPR is an independent third-party audit of the Company's Reserves, as at 30 June 2016.  The CPR was again prepared by ERC Equipoise ("ERCE") and revises and updates the previous report dated September 2015.

Highlights

·      With 12.4 million barrels produced in the period since the previous CPR, gross Shaikan 2P Reserves are effectively unchanged at 622 million barrels of oil

·      GKP's net working interest Shaikan 2P Reserves have increased from 348 million barrels of oil to 360 million barrels, now reported on a 58% working interest basis subject to execution and consummation of the Second Amendment to the Shaikan Production Sharing Contract ("Second Shaikan Amendment"), as envisaged by the Bilateral Agreement between the Company and the MNR announced on 17 March 2016

·      Inclusive of 2C Contingent Resources and Technically Recoverable Volumes, Shaikan has over 1 billion barrels of oil remaining

·      With over 25 million barrels produced to date, the Company now has an increasingly confident understanding of the reservoir

·      No unexpected changes in reservoir behaviour have been observed, demonstrating the stable and predictable performance of the field

·      Contingent Resources totals now exclude volumes previously reported for the relinquished Sheikh Adi and Ber Bahr blocks

CPR Methodology

ERCE has audited the reserves assessment in compliance with PRMS/SPE reporting guidelines.

The table below represents the updated CPR's conclusions on Shaikan Reserves, Contingent Resources and Technically Recoverable Volumes⁽¹⁾  in comparison with the September 2015 CPR:

MMstb(2)	2P	2C	2P+2C	TRV(1)	2P+2C+ TRV(1)	Net diluted WI to GKP -  2P
Sept 2015	639	239	878	142	1,020	348(3)
Aug 2016	622	239	861	150	1,011	360(4)

Notes

(1) Technically Recoverable Volumes ("TRV") are recognised in the production profile beyond the term of the Shaikan Production Sharing Contract

(2) MMstb: Million stock tank barrels

(3) Based on 54.4% Working Interest

(4) Based on a 58.0% Working Interest subject to the execution and consummation of the Second Shaikan Amendment, as envisaged by the Bilateral Agreement between the Company and the MNR announced on 17 March 2016

Sources: September 2015 ERC Equipoise CPR; August 2016 ERC Equipoise CPR

Commenting on the publication of the updated CPR, Jón Ferrier, CEO, said:

"With cumulative production now totalling more than 25 million barrels, we have continued to build on our understanding of the field's characteristics. This updated CPR, prepared as part of the Company's Restructuring, is highly positive as it reiterates our assumptions of last year about the quality of the Shaikan field, and reinforces its prominent position in the region.  We thank the Kurdistan Regional Government's Ministry of Natural Resources for their ongoing support.

Our near term objective of restructuring the Company's balance sheet continues to be our primary focus, following which we will be armed with the leadership, knowledge, technical capability and funding to work with our partners to realise the field's full potential."

The latest CPR can be viewed on the Company's website: http://www.gulfkeystone.com/investor-centre/presentations-and-technical-reports 

Enquiries:

Gulf Keystone Petroleum:	[phone]
Jón Ferrier, CEO
Sami Zouari, CFO
Anastasia Vvedenskaya, Head of Investor Relations	[phone]
Celicourt Communications:	[phone]
Mark Antelme Jimmy Lea

Notes to Editors:

·      Gulf Keystone Petroleum Ltd. (LSE: GKP) is a leading independent operator and producer in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and the operator of the Shaikan field with current production capacity of 40,000 barrels of oil per day

·      Further information on Gulf Keystone is available on its website www.gulfkeystone.com

Disclaimer

This announcement contains certain forward-looking statements.  These statements are made by the Company's Directors in good faith based on the information available to them up to the time of their approval of this announcement but such statements should be treated with caution due to inherent uncertainties, including both economic and business factors, underlying such forward-looking information.  This announcement has been prepared solely to provide additional information to shareholders to assess the Group's strategies and the potential for those strategies to succeed. This announcement should not be relied on by any other party or for any other purpose.

 

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