Acquisition of Company

Standard Chartered PLC
05 September 2007

Standard Chartered to acquire Harrison Lovegrove & Co. Limited



Standard Chartered announces that it has today entered into an agreement to
acquire Harrison Lovegrove & Co. Limited ('Harrison Lovegrove').  The
acquisition is subject to certain regulatory consents, and is expected to be
completed by late October 2007.

Harrison Lovegrove is a leading global oil and gas M&A advisory boutique, with
operational offices in London, Moscow, Kuala Lumpur, Perth, Calgary and Houston
and a research centre located in Washington DC.  It has built up a strong
reputation for offering high quality advice underpinned by an excellent
technical understanding of the oil and gas industry.  Harrison Lovegrove has
advised on successful transactions totaling approximately USD20 billion and has
represented clients from National Oil Companies and the Majors through to both
large and small oil companies.

The Harrison Lovegrove business is highly complementary to Standard Chartered's
existing oil and gas corporate advisory capabilities.  The broader product
platform of Standard Chartered will enable the combined business to offer
significantly greater value to clients in a global sector, which is a key focus
for Standard Chartered.



Mike Rees, CEO Wholesale Banking, said: 'We are delighted to welcome the team
from Harrison Lovegrove to Standard Chartered.  Together, we will provide
clients globally with a unique blend of strategic, financial and technical
advice underpinned by our strong financial product capabilities and insights
into our key geographical markets.'



V. Shankar, Group Head of Client Relationships, said: 'This acquisition builds
substantial scale in our Corporate Finance business and further expands our
capabilities in the global oil and gas sector to market leading levels.  By
leveraging Standard Chartered's franchise, we expect to generate significant
business growth with the combined business, further adding to an already
successful track record in the sector.'



Martin Lovegrove, CEO of Harrison Lovegrove, said: 'We very much welcome the
opportunity to become part of Standard Chartered.  The combined team will be one
of the market leaders in banking services for the global oil and gas sector and
together, we will be able to offer our clients a wide range and depth of
services.  Standard Chartered is the perfect fit for us.'



As at 31 December 2006, the gross assets of Harrison Lovegrove were
approximately USD23 million.



ENDS













For further details please contact:


Standard Chartered



Stephen Atkinson, Head of Investor Relations

Tel: [phone]

[e-mail]



Tim Baxter, Head of External Communications

Tel: [phone]

Mob: [phone]

[e-mail]



Harrison Lovegrove



James Henderson / Alisdair Haythornthwaite

Pelham Public Relations

Tel: [phone]






Notes to Editors



Standard Chartered - leading the way in Asia, Africa and the Middle East


Standard Chartered PLC is listed on both the London Stock Exchange and the Hong
Kong Stock Exchange and is consistently ranked in the top 25 among FTSE-100
companies by market capitalisation.



Standard Chartered has a history of over 150 years in banking and operates in
many of the world's fastest-growing markets with an extensive global network of
over 1,400 branches (including subsidiaries, associates and joint ventures) in
over 50 countries in the Asia Pacific Region, South Asia, the Middle East,
Africa, the United Kingdom and the Americas.



As one of the world's most international banks, Standard Chartered employs over
60,000 people, representing over 100 nationalities, worldwide. This diversity
lies at the heart of the Bank's values and supports the Bank's growth as the
world increasingly becomes one market.



With strong organic growth supported by strategic alliances and acquisitions and
driven by its strengths in the balance and diversity of its business, products,
geography and people, Standard Chartered is well positioned in the emerging
trade corridors of Asia, Africa and the Middle East.



Standard Chartered derives over 90 per cent of profits from Asia, Africa and the
Middle East. Serving both Consumer and Wholesale Banking customers worldwide,
the Bank combines deep local knowledge with global capability to offer a wide
range of innovative products and services as well as award-winning solutions.



Trusted across its network for its standard of governance and corporate
responsibility, Standard Chartered takes a long term view of the consequences of
its actions to ensure that the Bank builds a sustainable business through social
inclusion, environmental protection and good governance.



Standard Chartered is also committed to all its stakeholders by living its
values in its approach towards managing its people, exceeding expectations of
its customers, making a difference in communities and working with regulators.



Harrison Lovegrove & Co. Limited

Harrison Lovegrove was established at the end of 1999.  The firm focuses on
advising companies on the buying and selling of upstream petroleum assets and
companies.

Today, Harrison Lovegrove is the largest independent petroleum advisory firm
operating outside North America.  It employs 44 staff, of whom 29 are front
office professionals, 13 of whom have at least ten years of business experience.
The professional staff come from a range of backgrounds, including geoscience,
petroleum and reservoir engineering, finance and research; 13 have worked in the
upstream oil & gas industry directly. These staff are located in the firm's
operational offices in London, Moscow, Kuala Lumpur, Perth, Calgary and Houston
and its research centre located in Washington DC.

Since being established Harrison Lovegrove has advised on approximately USD20
billion of successful transactions.  It has been employed by 70 corporate
clients, ranging from National Oil Companies through the Majors to both large
and small independent oil companies.  It has worked on over 90 mandates, which
have covered assets lying in a total of 47 countries.  As of today, it is
advising on mandates covering 18 countries.

Importantly, Harrison Lovegrove has been and continues to be particularly active
in the Africa and Asia-Pacific regions, markets which are focus areas for
Standard Chartered.

Harrison Lovegrove is authorised and regulated by the FSA in the UK and FINRA in
the United States of America.




                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange