Syrian Development Update

For immediate release
                                              17 June 2008

Second horizontal development well completed in Khurbet East Field

London, 17th June  2008:  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 announce that the Company has completed
the drilling operations  on the second   horizontal development  well
within the Khurbet East Field  ("KHE-6H").  The KHE-6H well has  been
completed and  suspended as  the fifth  oil producer  for  connection
through the Early Production Facility ("EPF"), scheduled to  commence
operation during the third quarter of 2008.

The KHE-6H  well  was designed  to  be  drilled and  completed  as  a
horizontal producer within the Cretaceous Massive Reservoir ("Massive
Reservoir") in the Khurbet East Field.  The top of the reservoir  was
encountered at the  depth predicted  in the  pre-drill estimate.  The
well was drilled through a total horizontal section of  approximately
200 metres within the reservoir interval..

At this point  in the  life cycle  of the  project, it  is more  cost
effective to forego a  limited production test  and move directly  to
well completion  and  subsequent  tie-in  to  the  EPF.  As  such,  a
drill-stem test was not undertaken.

With completion of operations at  KHE-6H, the Company has five  wells
that are capable of production from the Massive Reservoir at  Khurbet
East.   Construction  and   installation  of  the   EPF  is   nearing
completion,  and  the  Company  now  expects  to  achieve  first  oil
production from Khurbet East during the third quarter of 2008.


Gulfsands' Executive Chairman, Andrew West, said:

"We are  pleased to  have successfully  completed this  phase of  the
development drilling  operations at  Khurbet East,  and we  now  look
forward  to  first  oil  production  from  the  Khurbet  East   Early
Production Facility."


This release has been approved  by Jason Oden, Gulfsands  Exploration
Manager, who has a Bachelor of  Science degree in Geophysics with  23
years of experience  in petroleum exploration  and management and  is
registered as a Professional Geophysicist.  Mr. Oden 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]
Kenneth Judge, Director of Corporate Development [phone]
Jon Bey, Investor Relations: North America       + 1 866 689 2599
Buchanan Communications Limited (London)         [phone]
Bobby Morse
Nick Melson

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



ABOUT GULFSANDS:

Gulfsands is listed on AIM.

Syria
Gulfsands owns a 50% working interest and is operator of Block 26  in
North  East  Syria.   Block  26  covers  approximately  8,250  square
kilometres and encompasses  existing fields  which currently  produce
over 100,000 barrels of oil per day. These fields are operated mainly
by the Syria Petroleum Company.  In the first half of 2007  Gulfsands
announced an oil and gas discovery on Block 26 called Khurbet  East.
This discovery is currently  under development with first  production
targeted for the  fourth quarter  of 2008.   On 23  August 2007,  the
Company initiated the first extension period of exploration on  Block
26 for a further period of three years.

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 and following completion of  a feasibility study on the  project
is negotiating  details of  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.

Gulf of Mexico, USA
The  Company  owns  interests   in  48  offshore  blocks   comprising
approximately 168,000 gross acres  which includes numerous  producing
oil and  gas fields  offshore  Texas and  Louisiana with  proved  and
probable recoverable reserves net to Gulfsands at 31 December 2007 of
41.5 BCFGE (6.9 MMBOE), consisting of 27.3 BCFG and 2.36 MMBO.

Onshore USA
Gulfsands owns interests in two oil and gas fields onshore Texas, USA
(98.5% working  interest  in  Emily Hawes  Field  and  37.5%  working
interest in  Barb Mag  Field) with  proved and  probable  recoverable
reserves net  to Gulfsands  at 31  December 2007  of 3.1  BCFGE  (0.5
MMBOE), consisting of 2.8 BCFG and 57,000 barrels of oil.

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.net.

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