Exploration Update

Tullow Oil PLC
25 February 2008

News release



Ghana and Uganda Exploration Update


25 February 2008 - Tullow Oil plc (Tullow) announces an oil discovery on the
Odum-1 exploration well in Ghana and the decision to suspend the Ngassa
exploration well and re-drill from an alternative location.


ODUM-1 OIL DISCOVERY (Tullow 22.9%)


Odum-1, the second exploration well drilled on the West Cape Three Points
licence offshore Ghana, has discovered a commercial light oil accumulation based
on the results of drilling, wireline logs and a sample of the reservoir fluid.
The well, in water depths of 955 metres, has been drilled to a depth of 3,387
metres and has encountered a gross oil column of 60 metres and 22 metres of net
pay. Samples recovered from the reservoir indicate an oil gravity of
approximately 29 degrees API.


The discovery is a stratigraphic trap in a Campanian age fan system and opens a
second new play fairway in the Tano Basin. Further prospectivity in this new
Campanian play has already been identified in both the West Cape Three Points
and Deepwater Tano licences.


Following completion of drilling operations on Odum-1, the well will be
suspended as a future development well and the Songa Saturn drillship will move
to drill Mahogany-2, the next appraisal well on the Jubilee field.


While appraisal of the upside of Jubilee is ongoing, the field partnership is
also working on plans for a phased development of the field. The Eirik Raude
fifth generation semi-submersible has been contracted for a minimum of three
years and is a critical element in our plan to target first oil in 2010.




NGASSA-1 TO BE SUSPENDED AND RE-DRILLED FROM NEW LOCATION (Tullow 100%)


The Ngassa-1 exploration well in Block 2 Uganda commenced drilling on 17
November 2007 and the well has reached a total depth of 1,635 metres. Due to
persistent borehole instability, Tullow has decided to suspend the well and
re-drill from an alternative location.


Drilling difficulties on Ngassa-1 were accentuated by the necessary high-angle
deviation of this long-reach well through thick claystones close to a major
fault zone. The well trajectory was selected on the best available 2D seismic
data and on the basis of the location's minimal environmental footprint.


Whilst drilling the shallow section, the well discovered six net metres of gas
bearing sands. The thick claystone seals encountered provide good encouragement
about the underlying oil prospectivity.


The substantial primary and secondary oil objectives remain undrilled so it is
now planned to re-drill the well from a location where subsurface conditions are
expected to be more benign. The new well design will benefit considerably from
the recently acquired 3D seismic and the information gained in the first hole.
This information, combined with the new location, will enable the well to be
drilled with a less acute trajectory and to be steered clear of identified
faults. Options include a near term onshore deviated well and an offshore
vertical well.


The Nabors 221 rig will now be moved to Block 3A to drill the Kingfisher-2 well
during the second quarter of the year.


Commenting today, Aidan Heavey, Chief Executive of Tullow said:


'The discovery of oil in the Odum well continues the success of our exploration
campaign in Ghana. This commercial discovery is located only 13 kilometres from
the larger Jubilee Field and has opened up a new prospective play in the region.
While the technical challenges associated with the Ngassa well are
disappointing, it remains a valid high impact prospect and the new location, 3D
seismic and experience of drilling Ngassa-1 should enable us to successfully
drill it as part of Tullow's Lake Albert Rift Basin campaign.'


For further information contact:

Tullow Oil plc                 Citigate Dewe Rogerson         Murray Consultants
([phone])             ([phone])             ([phone])
Aidan Heavey                   Martin Jackson                 Joe Murray
Tom Hickey
Chris Perry



Notes to Editors


Tullow is a leading independent oil & gas, exploration and production group,
quoted on the London and Irish Stock Exchanges (symbol: TLW) and is a
constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. The Group has interests in over 100
exploration and production licences across 23 countries and focuses on four core
areas: Europe, Africa, South Asia and South America.


Tullow's European interests are primarily focused on gas in the UK Southern
North Sea where it has significant interests in the Caister-Murdoch System and
the Thames-Hewett areas and operates over 70% of its production.


In Africa, Tullow has exploration and production in Gabon, Cote d'Ivoire,
Mauritania and Equatorial Guinea and two large appraisal and development
programmes in Ghana and Uganda. Tullow also has exploration interests in
Mauritania, Senegal, Congo (DRC), Tanzania, Madagascar, Namibia and Angola.


In South Asia, Tullow has exploration and production in Pakistan and Bangladesh
and high impact exploration activities in India.


In South America Tullow has high impact exploration interests in Trinidad and
Tobago, French Guiana and Suriname.


For further information please refer to our website at www.tullowoil.com






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