PROVIDENCE SECURES NEW SIX BLOCK LICENCE OVER R...

4(th) January 2012
Embargo 7am
 PROVIDENCE SECURES NEW SIX BLOCK LICENCE OVER RATHLIN BASIN, OFFSHORE NORTHERN
                                    IRELAND

Providence Resources P.l.c., ('Providence') the London (AIM) and Dublin (ESM)
listed oil and gas exploration and production company, is pleased to confirm
that its wholly owned UK subsidiary PR Singleton Limited has been offered a
frontier exploration licence over six blocks in the Rathlin Basin, offshore
Northern Ireland by the UK Government's Department of Energy & Climate Change
(DECC). This offer was made as part of the second tranche of awards under the
UK's 26th seaward oil and gas licensing round which was announced on December
30(th) 2011.

The initial licence phase is for six years with a well required to be drilled
within this term in order to progress to the next phase. Providence has
committed to carry out a number of technical studies on the hydrocarbon
exploration potential to inform on the drillable opportunities within the
licence area. Providence will operate the licence with a 100% equity interest.

Tony O'Reilly, Chief Executive of Providence, said:

"We are very pleased to have been offered additional offshore acreage in the
Rathlin Basin, which in conjunction with the licence secured over Rathlin Island
in 2010, gives Providence the leading offshore acreage position in this emerging
basin. Providence has a clear corporate focus to evaluate the main hydrocarbon
basins off the island of Ireland, and this new offshore acreage complements our
already substantial portfolio, where we now have licence interests in eight
distinct basins."

CONTACTS:
Providence  Resources Plc                                                   Tel:
[phone]
Tony O'Reilly

Powerscourt                                                      Tel: +44 (0)207
250 1446
Rob Greening/Lisa Kavanagh

Murray Consultants                                                    Tel: +353
(0)1 498 0300
Pauline McAlester

Cenkos Securities Plc                                        Tel: +44 (0)207
397 8900
Adrian Hargrave/Nick Wells

J&E Davy                                        Tel: + 353 (0)1 679 6363
Eugenee Mulhern/Stephen Barry

ABOUT PROVIDENCE
Providence Resources Plc is an Irish based oil and gas exploration company whose
shares are traded on the AIM market in London and on Dublin's ESM market.
Providence's portfolio of production, appraisal and exploration assets includes
licence interests in Ireland (offshore) and the United Kingdom (onshore). In
2011, Providence announced plans to invest with its partners upwards of $500
million in the drilling of a number of exploration and development wells in 6
different basins offshore Ireland. This multi-year programme, which commenced in
November 2011, represents the largest drilling campaign ever carried out
offshore Ireland.www.providenceresources.com.

ANNOUNCEMENT
This announcement has been reviewed by John O'Sullivan, Technical Director,
Providence Resources P.l.c. John holds a B.Sc. in Geology from University
College Cork, Ireland, an M.Sc. in Applied Geophysics from the National
University of Ireland, Galway and a M.Sc.in Technology Management from The
Smurfit School of Business at University College Dublin. John is presently
working part-time on a PhD dissertation at Trinity College, Dublin. John has
worked in the offshore business for 20 years and is a fellow of the Geological
Society of London and member of The Petroleum Exploration Society of Great
Britain. Definitions in this press release are consistent with SPE guidelines.


SPE/WPC/AAPG/SPEE Petroleum Resource Management System 2007 has been used in
preparing this announcement







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Source: Providence Resources plc via Thomson Reuters ONE

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