Directorate Change

Asia Energy PLC
09 March 2006


        ASIA ENERGY PLC APPOINTS GRAHAM TAGGART AS NEW FINANCE DIRECTOR


Asia Energy PLC ('the Company') announced today that Mr Graham Taggart will be
joining as the Company's new Finance Director with effect from the end of March
2006.

Mr Taggart, a qualified Chartered Accountant aged 48, joins the Company
following a 24 year career with Rio Tinto in the resources industry, principally
in Australian coal and Indonesian coal and gold businesses.

His most recent position was Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary for
Rio Tinto Coal Australia.  In this position Mr Taggart was responsible for a
group of Rio Tinto entities producing some 60 million tonnes per annum of
thermal coal and coking coal.

Mr Taggart was previously  General Manager - Commercial and Chief Financial
Officer for PT Kaltim Prima Coal (producing some 20 million tonnes of thermal
coal per annum), and before that he was Director Finance for PT Kelian
Equatorial Mining (producing some 500,000 oz of gold per annum), both Indonesian
based.

Mr Chris Eager, Asia Energy's Chairman said, 'I am pleased to have a person with
Graham Taggart's credentials joining the Phulbari Coal Project. Graham has
worked alongside the Company's new Chief Executive Mr Steve Bywater at Rio
Tinto, and together they have a proven track record in developing and operating
large scale mining operations like Phulbari'.

Mr Taggart will be granted 400,000 options in the Company at an exercise price
of £4.60 with a term of 5 years from the date of this announcement.

In recognition of his contribution towards the development of the Company's
Phulbari Coal Project, Mr Gary Lye, an Executive Director and Chief Operating
Officer of the Company, has had his employment contract extended by a further 2
years and will be issued 120,000 options on the same terms as Mr Taggart's.

Additional information

The information detailed below is disclosed in accordance with Rule 17 and
Schedule Two of the AIM Rules. Except for the information disclosed below, there
is no other information which falls to be disclosed under these rules.

Mr Taggart is a director and alternate director of the companies listed below
and will resign from these boards on completion of his current duties with Rio
Tinto.

Listing of Directorships and Alternate Directorships below:


Company                                                            Director         Alternate

Blair Athol Pty Ltd                                                x
Leichhardt Coal Pty Limited                                                         x
Newco Finance Pty Limited                                                           x
Hail Creek Coal Pty Ltd                                            x
HC Developments Pty Ltd                                            x
Hail Creek Marketing Pty Ltd                                       x
HC Expansion Pty Ltd                                               x
Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminal Pty Ltd                                                 x
Half Tide Marine Pty Ltd                                                            x
Dalrymple Marine Services Pty Ltd                                                   x
Kestrel Coal Pty Limited                                           x
Kestrel Coal Sales Pty Limited                                     x
Clermont Coal Mines Limited                                        x
Winchester South Development Company Proprietary Limited           x
Rio Tinto Coal Australia Pty Limited                               x
Queensland Coal Pty Limited                                        x
Coal Marketing Services Pty Ltd                                    x
Bengalla Agricultural Company Pty Limited                                           x
Bengalla Coal Sales Co. Pty Limited                                                 x
Bengalla Mining Co. Pty Limited                                                     x
Warkworth Coal Sales Limited                                       x
Warkworth Mining Limited                                           x
Warkworth Pastoral Co Pty Limited                                  x
Warkworth Tailings Treatment Pty Ltd                               x
Mount Thorley Operations Pty Limited                               x
Mount Thorley Coal Loading Ltd                                     x
Moura Coal Investments Pty Limited                                 x
Ravensworth Pastoral Company Pty Limited                           x
The Energy Group Australia Pty Limited                             x
Newcastle Coal Shippers Pty Ltd                                                     x
Port Waratah Coal Services Ltd                                                      x
Coal & Allied Finance Limited                                      x
CNA Bengalla Investments Pty Limited                               x
CNA Bengalla Pty Limited                                           x
CNA Investments (UK) Pty Limited                                   x
CNA Resources Holdings Pty Limited                                 x
CNA Resources Limited                                              x
CNA Staff Retirement Fund Pty Ltd                                  x
CNA Sub Holdings Pty Limited                                       x
CNA Warkworth Australasia Pty Limited                              x
Dolphin Properties Pty Ltd                                         x
Australian Coal Resources Limited                                  x
Coal & Allied Mining Services Pty Limited                          x
Coal & Allied Operations Pty Ltd                                   x
Coal & Allied Sales Pty Limited                                    x
Coal & Allied Superannuation Pty Ltd                               x
Hexham Engineering Pty Limited                                     x
Howick Coal Sales Pty Limited                                      x
Hunter Valley Coal Pty Limited                                     x
Kalamah Pty Ltd                                                    x
Kembla Coal & Coke Pty Limited                                     x
Lemington Coal Mines Pty Ltd                                       x
Millfield Coal Mining Co Pty Ltd                                   x
Miller Pohang Coal Co Pty Ltd                                      x
Namoi Valley Coal Pty Limited                                      x
Northern (Rhondda) Collieries Pty Limited                          x
Novacoal Australia Nominees Pty Limited                            x
Novacoal Australia Pensions Pty Limited                            x
Novacoal Australia Pty Limited                                     x
Oaklands Coal Pty Limited                                          x
Port Hunter Coal Management Pty Limited                            x
R W Miller (Holdings) Limited                                      x
Rio Tinto Coal (NSW) Pty Limited                                   x
Rio Tinto Energy Marketing Services Pty Limited                    x
Vale Engineering Pty Limited                                       x
Western Main Collieries Pty Ltd                                    x



For further information
Steve Bywater, Chief Executive (London)               Justine Howarth, Cathy Malins
Tel: [phone]                             Parkgreen Communications
Fax: [phone]                             Tel: [phone]
                                                      [e-mail]
Gary Lye, Chief Operating Officer:(Bangladesh)        [e-mail]
Tel:[phone]
[e-mail]



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