Spudding of Vietnam Well

Soco International PLC
18 January 2006

                             SOCO International plc

                           ('SOCO' or 'the Company')



                     Spudding of Appraisal Well in Vietnam



SOCO is an international oil and gas exploration and production company,
headquartered in London traded on the London Stock Exchange and a constituent of
the FTSE 250 Index. The Company has continuing interests in Vietnam, Yemen,
Thailand and the Republic of Congo with ongoing production operations in Yemen.



The Company's majority owned subsidiary, SOCO Vietnam Ltd. ('SOCO Vietnam'),
announces the commencement of drilling of the second well on the Te Giac Trang
('TGT') structure on Block 16-1 in the Cuu Long Basin offshore Vietnam.  The
TGT-2X well spudded today after an extended weather delay whilst awaiting to be
towed from the Ca Ngu Vang-4X well, which was temporarily suspended in December.




The TGT-2X well is an up-dip appraisal well to the discovery well, the TGT-1X
that tested at a rate of 9,432 barrels of oil equivalent per day. It will be the
fourth well in the multi-well drilling programme which began in 2005 in Vietnam.
  The rig will return to Block 9-2 following completion of the appraisal
programme in Block 16-1.



                                                                 18 January 2006



ENQUIRIES:


SOCO International plc
Roger Cagle                       Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Financial      Tel: [phone]
                                  Officer


Pelham Public Relations
James Henderson                                                                   Tel: [phone]
Charles Vivian                                                                    Tel: [phone]





Notes to Editors



SOCO holds its interests in Vietnam, all in the Cuu Long Basin offshore, through
its 80% owned subsidiary SOCO Vietnam Ltd ('SOCO Vietnam').  SOCO Vietnam holds
a 25% working interest in Block 9-2, which is operated by the Hoan Vu Joint
Operating Company and a 28.5% working interest in Block 16-1, which is operated
by the Hoang Long Joint Operating




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