Options Exercise and Additional Listing

For immediate
release
24 April 2009

               Gulfsands Petroleum plc ("the Company")

               Options Exercise and Additional Listing


The Company has today made  application for the admission of  570,000
shares to be admitted to trading on AIM.  The shares have been issued
pursuant to  the  exercise  of options.   Dealings  are  expected  to
commence on 28  April 2009.   The total  number of  shares in   issue
following exercise of these  options is 119,122,500 ordinary shares.

For more information please contact:


Gulfsands Petroleum (London)                      [phone]
Ric Malcolm, Chief Executive Officer
Andrew Rose, Chief Financial 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 AIM.

Syria

Gulfsands owns a 50% working interest in 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 currently producing more than 11,000 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 licence expires in  August 2010 and  is extendable for  a
further two years. Gulfsands' working  interest reserves in Syria  at
31 December 2008 were 28.7 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

---END OF MESSAGE---




This announcement was originally distributed by Hugin. The issuer is 
solely responsible for the content of this announcement.