Operational Update

Immediate release

                9 September 2009
                       GULFSANDS PETROLEUM PLC

Operations Update:

Cumulative Gross Oil Production at Khurbet East Passes 4 Million
Barrels
Drilling Operations Complete at KHE-12
Yousefieh-1 Completed for Future Production
Yousefieh-2 Appraisal Well Flows Oil to Surface
Yousefieh-3 Appraisal Well Preparing to Spud

London, 9th September  2009:  Gulfsands  Petroleum plc  ("Gulfsands",
the "Group" or the "Company" - AIM: GPX), the oil and gas production,
exploration and development company  with activities in Syria,  Iraq,
and the U.S.A.,  is pleased to  provide the following  update on  the
Company's operations at Block 26,  Syria where Gulfsands holds a  50%
interest and acts as operator.

Khurbet East Oil Production

The  Company  is  pleased  to  announce  that  cumulative  gross  oil
production since the commencement of  production at the Khurbet  East
Early Production  Facility ("EPF")  in  July 2008  has now  passed  4
million barrels of  oil, with negligible  associated formation  water
content.

Khurbet East 12 Drilling Operations Completed

Drilling operations have recently been completed on delineation  well
KHE-12, located 3.2  kilometres south of  KHE-8, previously the  most
southerly well drilled in the field.

The KHE-12 well was drilled to a total measured depth of 2070  metres
and encountered  the top  of the  Cretaceous Massive  reservoir at  a
measured depth of  1984 metres,  or 1592 metres  true vertical  depth
subsea ("TVD ss"), approximately 22 metres deeper than the  pre-drill
prognosis and below  1570 metres TVD  ss, the previously  interpreted
lowest known level of moveable  oil used in determining reserves  for
the field.

The presence of  viscous oil  in KHE-12 observed  while drilling  has
been confirmed in a 6 metre  core section. Analyses of the  drilling,
core and petrophysical data indicate that the well encountered a  net
reservoir section of approximately 10 metres, extending down to  1605
metres TVD ss, with average porosity of approximately 18 percent. The
reservoir parameters and  viscous oil encountered  appear similar  in
quality to  those  encountered in  KHE-8  and an  initial  evaluation
suggests that  the  reservoir  section is  located  in  an  oil-water
transition zone. However, as with  the previous wells drilled in  the
southern portion of the field area, a definitive oil-water contact is
not identified in this well.

A wire-line formation pressure  and fluid sampler measured  formation
pressures at  depths of  approximately 1600  metres TVD  ss that  are
consistent with the oil gradient previously observed elsewhere in the
Khurbet East Field.  However, three  fluid samples recovered by  this
wire-line tool from the same  depth contained formation water.   Flow
testing operations  are  planned to  be  conducted on  the  reservoir
interval following demobilization  of the  drilling rig  in order  to
determine  the  fluids  that   will  be  produced  under   production
conditions.

The implications of the results of  this well on field reserves  will
need to  await a  detailed evaluation  following testing  operations,
analysis of oil quality and remapping of the Field.

Khurbet East 11 Production Testing

The KHE-11  "horizontal"  development  well  penetrated  a  60  metre
section of Cretaceous  Massive reservoir from  approximately 1540  to
1562 metres TVD  ss. The  well has undergone  an extended  production
test flowing oil to surface at stabilized rates under natural flow of
1660 barrels  of oil  per day  ("bopd") on  a 48/64"  choke  setting.
Production from the well has an associated water cut of approximately
30% and further  production monitoring operations  are planned to  be
conducted in order to determine the source of the water production.

Following completion of logging and testing operations the well  will
be completed as a future  production well, although consideration  is
presently being  given  to  the  use of  a  remedial  water  shut-off
operation that  would allow  early production  from this  well to  be
received at the EPF.

Yousefieh No.1 Remedial Cementing and Flow Testing

The Yousefieh-1 well,  drilled in  November 2008,  was re-entered  in
August  2009  to  conduct   remedial  cementing  operations  on   the
production liner and to subsequently flow test the well.

Remedial cementing  operations were  conducted successfully  and  the
production liner was  then perforated  across a  14.5 metre  interval
between 1942.5 metres and 1957 metres. During subsequent flow testing
operations the well  flowed oil  of approximately 25  degrees API  to
surface at an average rate of approximately 356 barrels per day  over
a 7 hour period, under natural flow and through a 48/64" choke,  with
an average water  cut of less  than 1%.  Under  artificial lift  with
nitrogen and through a 2  inch choke, the well  flowed over a 2  hour
period at an average  oil rate of approximately  823 barrels per  day
with a water cut of less than 1%.

Yousefieh-1 is now being completed for future production.

Yousefieh-2 Appraisal Well Flows Oil to Surface

The Yousefieh-2 appraisal well, located approximately 1.8 km east of
the Yousefieh-1 well, was drilled in February 2009 to target the
eastern limit of the same but thinner Cretaceous reservoir
encountered in the Yousefieh-1 discovery well. The well was
re-entered on 7th August 2009 to further evaluate the potential of an
oil zone that was tested previously with inconclusive results. Using
a work-over rig, a liner was set over the potential reservoir
interval 1558 to 1571 metres TVD ss. Following acid treatment, the
reservoir flowed 17 degrees API oil to surface at an average rate of
139 barrels bopd under artificial lift using nitrogen on a 2" choke
setting over a period of 12 hours with an associated water cut of
49%.

As expected, reservoir and oil properties from this tested zone were
confirmed to be of lower quality compared to those encountered at
shallower depths in the Yousefieh-1 discovery well. However, the
results of this successful oil flow test are expected to have
positive implications for the future commercial development of the
Yousefieh Field and will be evaluated alongside existing geological
information to better understand the nature of the Yousefieh oil
accumulation.

Yousefieh-3 Appraisal Well

The Yousefieh-3 appraisal well,  located approximately 500 metres  to
the south-east of the Yousefieh-1 discovery well and intended as  the
second appraisal well  for the Yousefieh  discovery, will be  spudded
later this week. A successful appraisal of the field at this location
is expected to enable the Company to proceed later this year with  an
application  for  commercial  development  of  the  Yousefieh  Field.
Drilling and testing operations are anticipated to take approximately
45 days.

Ric Malcolm, Gulfsands CEO, said

"Oil production from the Khurbet East Field continues to perform
extremely well with over 4 million barrels of gross oil produced,
along with minimal water production and minimal pressure depletion.
The results of the KHE-12 delineation well are welcome, indicating
the potential for a further southern extension to the Field.  We are
also pleased with achieving a successful oil flow test on the
Yousefieh-2 appraisal well.

We now look forward to the testing results of Khurbet East-12 and the
upcoming Yousefieh-3 appraisal well."

This release has been approved by Richard Malcolm, Chief Executive of
Gulfsands Petroleum Plc who has a Bachelor of Science degree in
Geology with 29 years of experience in petroleum exploration and
management. Mr. Malcolm has consented to the inclusion of the
technical information in this release in the form and context in
which it appears.

For more information please contact:


Gulfsands Petroleum (London)                      [phone]
Richard Malcolm, Chief Executive Officer
Kenneth Judge, Director of Corporate Development  [phone]
& Communications

Buchanan Communications Limited (London)          [phone]
Bobby Morse
Ben Romney

RBC Capital Markets (London)                      [phone]
Sarah Wharry


ABOUT GULFSANDS:

Gulfsands is listed on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange.

Syria

Gulfsands owns a 50% working interest and is operator of Block 26 in
North East Syria.  The Khurbet East oil field was discovered in June
2007 and commenced commercial production within 13 months of the
discovery. This field is producing at an average production rate of
approximately 14,800 barrels of oil per day through an early
production facility. Block 26 covers approximately 8,250 square
kilometres and encompasses existing fields which currently produce
over 100,000 barrels of oil per day, and are operated mainly by the
Syrian Petroleum Company.  The current exploration license expires in
August 2010 and is extendable for a further two years.  Gulfsands'
working interest 2P reserves in Syria at 31 December 2008 were 35.2
mmbbls.

Iraq

Gulfsands signed a Memorandum of Understanding in January 2005 with
the Ministry of Oil in Iraq for the Maysan Gas Project in Southern
Iraq, following completion of a feasibility study on the project, and
is negotiating details of a definitive contract for this regionally
important development.  The project will gather, process and transmit
natural gas that is currently a waste by-product of oil production
and as a result of the present practice of gas flaring, contributes
to significant environmental damage in the region. The Company is
actively engaged in discussions with respect to financing and
potential equity partners.  Gulfsands has no reserves in Iraq.

Gulf of Mexico, USA

The Company owns interests in 44 blocks comprising approximately
138,000 gross acres offshore Texas and Louisiana, which include 30
producing oil and gas fields with proved and probable working
interest reserves at 31 December 2008 of 5.1 mmboe.

Certain statements included herein constitute "forward-looking
statements" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation.
These forward-looking statements are based on certain assumptions
made by Gulfsands and as such are not a guarantee of future
performance. Actual results could differ materially from those
expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements due to
factors such as general economic and market conditions, increased
costs of production or a decline in oil and gas prices. Gulfsands is
under no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking
statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or
otherwise, except as required by applicable laws.

More information can be found on the Company's website
www.gulfsands.com

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