Award of Exploration Permits

Ascent Resources PLC
23 August 2005


       Ascent Resources Plc / Epic: AST / Index: AIM / Sector: Oil & Gas

23 August 2005

                Ascent Resources Plc ('Ascent' or 'the Company')

                 Awarded Gas Exploration Permits in Switzerland


Ascent Resources plc, the AIM listed oil and gas exploration and production
company, has been awarded two hydrocarbon exploration permits in the Canton of
Bern through SEAG (Swiss Petroleum AG) on behalf of its 90% owned Swiss Joint
Venture.  The two permit areas each contain a gas discovery in wells originally
drilled for oil exploration by Elf Aquitaine in 1972 and 1982.   No further
exploration was undertaken at that time as the gas pipeline network and gas
market were both under-developed.

The permit in the Seeland/Frienisberg area covers 363.5 square km and contains
the Hemrigen well discovered in 1982.  The Thun permit covers 330 square km and
contains the Linden well discovered in 1972.  In the coming months, the joint
venture plans to re-process the seismic data from these permit areas and
complete a new programme of geological and geophysical interpretation of the
areas.


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Issued on behalf of Ascent Resources Plc by St Brides Media & Finance Ltd, 46
Bedford Row, London, WC1R 4LR.

Enquiries:

Jeremy Eng                   Ascent  Resources Plc            Tel: [phone]

Hugo de Salis               St Brides Media & Finance Ltd     Tel: [phone]


Notes:

Ascent Resources Plc is an AIM quoted oil and gas company with a primary focus
in Europe. Since being founded in November 2004, Ascent has assembled a
portfolio of exploration assets that include majority interests in eight
exploration permits.  Applications for a further two are in progress.  Ascent
considers the full spectrum of projects covering exploration, early stage
development and production. The Company has an experienced technical team with
strong industry contacts and a proven track record. They have implemented a
structured two phase development strategy: Phase 1 is to develop the core of
European projects; while Phase 2 is to acquire a lesser number of larger scale
projects across a wider geographical range. The Company now has a 90% interests
in projects in Hungary (gas), Switzerland (gas & oil), and Holland (gas), a 100%
interest in an Italian gas exploration project and a 70% interest in Italian oil
exploration as well as the royalty interest in Gabon.  The balance of oil and
gas assets and the geographical spread of projects mainly in net energy
importing countries are designed to mitigate the risk in commodity price
fluctuation and changes in global energy politics.


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