Stock Options Grant

Serica Energy plc
16 January 2006

For Immediate Release: Monday, January 16, 2006



                           SERICA STOCK OPTION GRANTS



Toronto, January 16, 2006 - Serica Energy plc (TSX Venture: SQZ; AIM: SQZ) today
announced that it granted 696,000 incentive stock options on November 23, 2005,
of which 330,000 were granted to senior officers of the Company at an exercise
price of £0.97 (CDN$1.96) per ordinary share expiring five years from the date
of grant.



As a result of the grant, the Company now has 142,548,579 ordinary shares
outstanding (155,296,455 ordinary shares on a fully diluted basis).


About Serica Energy PLC


Serica Energy PLC is an international oil & gas exploration and production
company with primary activities in Indonesia, the UK North Sea and Spain. It
currently has offices in Singapore, Jakarta and the United Kingdom.  For more
information, please visit the Company website, www.serica-energy.com.





Enquiries:


Serica Energy Plc
Chris Hearne                        [e-mail]                      [phone]


Pelham Public Relations
James Henderson                     [e-mail]                   [phone]
Alisdair Haythornthwaite            [e-mail]          [phone]

CHF Investor Relations
Olav Svela                          [e-mail]                                 1-416-868-1079 x242



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