Issue of Options

Immediate Release
                                                                                              14
May 2008

                       GULFSANDS PETROLEUM PLC

                          Issue of Options

Gulfsands Petroleum plc  ("the Company")  or ("Gulfsands")  announces
that yesterday it  granted a total  of 3,625,000 options  based on  a
closing price of 188p, vesting immediately, and expiring on 13th  May
2013.
Of the 3.6 million options granted, 1 million have been granted to
the Directors as follows:-


Andrew West  1,000,000
Mahdi Sajjad 1,000,000
Ken Judge      600,000
David Cowan    400,000



For more information please contact:

Gulfsands Petroleum plc (London)                      [phone]
Kenneth Judge, Director of Development                           4016
                                                         +44 (0) 7733
                                                              001 002
Buchanan Communications Limited (London)              [phone]
Bobby Morse                                                      5000
Nick Melson

RBC Capital Markets (London)                          [phone]
                                                                 4804
Andrew K Smith
Sarah Wharry

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