Appointment of CFO

Immediate
Release                                                                
8 May 2008
 
                       Gulfsands Petroleum plc
APPOINTMENT OF ANDREW ROSE AS CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
London,  8th.  May,   2008:  Gulfsands  Petroleum   plc  (AIM:   GPX)
("Gulfsands",  "the  Group"  or  "the  Company"),  the  oil  and  gas
production, exploration and  development company  with activities  in
Syria, Iraq and the USA, is delighted to announce the appointment  of
Mr. Andrew Rose as Chief Financial Officer and Director. 
Andrew Benedict Rose, 51, was  the former Chief Financial Officer  of
Burren Energy  ("Burren"), the  UK independent  oil and  gas  company
which was acquired by ENI S.p.A. ("ENI"), the Italian oil major,  for
US$3.6 billion  in  January 2008.   Mr.  Rose,  who holds  a  BSc  in
Engineering from Cambridge University, joined Burren Energy as  Chief
Financial Officer in 2001,  when it was a  private company. He was  a
key Director in developing and  building Burren from a small  private
company, through  to its  listing  on the  London Stock  Exchange  in
December 2003  and into  one of  the UK's  most successful  mid  tier
independent oil companies, culminating in  its sale to ENI late  last
year.
 
Mr. Rose spent  the greater part  of his early  career in  investment
banking, working in advisory, capital markets and structured  finance
roles, and prior to joining Burren was head of Corporate Finance  for
Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa at Societe Generale. 
 
It  is  expected   that  Mr   Rose  will   begin  to   take  up   his
responsibilities from the beginning  of June 2008  and will join  the
Company on a full-time basis on 1 August.
 
Mr. Rose has been granted 1,000,000 options to subscribe for ordinary
shares in the Company  as part of  his overall compensation  package.
The options are all exercisable at 175 pence per share and will  vest
in three tranches, being 500,000 on  the date of his appointment  and
250,000 on  each  of  the  first  and  second  anniversaries  of  his
appointment.
 
Further information concerning Mr. Rose  as required to be  disclosed
pursuant to Schedule  Two, paragraph  (g) (i)  to (viii)  of the  AIM
Rules is to be found at the end of this announcement.
Gulfsands' Chairman, Andrew West, said:
"The appointment of Andrew Rose as CFO and Director marks a milestone
in the continued development of Gulfsands into a leading  independent
oil and gas company.  Andrew brings to us an exceptional track record
as  a  successful  oil  and  gas  company  CFO  and  has  outstanding
credentials in the City of London.  The Board is delighted to welcome
Andrew and we very much look forward to working with him".
Further information concerning Mr. Rose
 
Current Directorships
 
None
 
Previous directorships in the last 5 years
 
Burren Energy Plc
Burren Energy (Egypt) Ltd
Burren Energy (Services) Ltd
Burren Energy India Ltd
Burren Energy (Yemen) Ltd
Burren Energy Drilling Services Ltd
Burren Energy (Oman) Ltd
Burren Energy New Ventures Ltd
Burren Energy (Trinidad) Ltd
Burren Energy (652A) Ltd
Icarus Investments Ltd (family investment company)
 
There are no further details for Mr Rose required to be disclosed
pursuant to Schedule Two, paragraph (g) (i) to (viii) of the AIM
Rules.
For more information please contact:

Gulfsands Petroleum (London)                     [phone]
Kenneth Judge, Director of Corporate Development [phone]
                                                  
Buchanan Communications Limited (London)         [phone]
Bobby Morse                                       
Nick Melson                                       
                                                  
RBC Capital Markets (London)                     [phone]
Andrew K. Smith                                   
Sarah Wharry

 
 
ABOUT GULFSANDS:
 
Gulfsands is listed on AIM.
 
Syria
Gulfsands owns a 50% working interest and is operator of Block 26  in
North  East  Syria.   Block  26  covers  approximately  8,250  square
kilometres and encompasses  existing fields  which currently  produce
over 100,000 barrels of oil per day. These fields are operated mainly
by the Syria Petroleum Company.  In the first half of 2007  Gulfsands
announced an oil and gas discovery on Block 26 called Khurbet  East. 
This discovery is currently  under development with first  production
targeted for the  fourth quarter  of 2008.   On 23  August 2007,  the
Company initiated the first extension period of exploration on  Block
26 for a further period of three years.  The Company has also  formed
a strategic partnership with Cham  Holding for acquiring oil and  gas
projects in Syria and Iraq.
 
Iraq
Gulfsands signed a Memorandum of  Understanding in January 2005  with
the Ministry of Oil  in Iraq for the  Maysan Gas Project in  Southern
Iraq and following completion of  a feasibility study on the  project
is negotiating  details of  definitive contract  for this  regionally
important development.  The project will gather, process and transmit
natural gas that is  currently a waste  by-product of oil  production
and as a result of the  present practice of gas flaring,  contributes
to significant environmental damage in the region.
 
Gulf of Mexico, USA
The  Company  owns  interests   in  48  offshore  blocks   comprising
approximately 168,000 gross acres  which includes numerous  producing
oil and  gas fields  offshore  Texas and  Louisiana with  proved  and
probable recoverable reserves net to Gulfsands at 31 December 2007 of
41.5 BCFGE (6.9 MMBOE), consisting of 27.3 BCFG and 2.36 MMBO.
 
Onshore USA
Gulfsands owns interests in two oil and gas fields onshore Texas, USA
(98.5% working  interest  in  Emily Hawes  Field  and  37.5%  working
interest in  Barb Mag  Field) with  proved and  probable  recoverable
reserves net  to Gulfsands  at 31  December 2007  of 3.1  BCFGE  (0.5
MMBOE), consisting of 2.8 BCFG and 57,000 barrels of oil.
 
Certain  statements  included   herein  constitute   "forward-looking
statements" within the meaning of applicable securities  legislation.
These forward-looking  statements are  based on  certain  assumptions
made  by Gulfsands  and  as  such  are  not  a  guarantee  of  future
performance.  Actual  results  could  differ  materially  from  those
expressed or  implied  in  such  forward-looking  statements  due  to
factors such  as general  economic and  market conditions,  increased
costs of production or a decline in oil and gas prices. Gulfsands  is
under  no  obligation  to   update  or  revise  any   forward-looking
statements, whether as a result of new information, future events  or
otherwise, except as required by applicable laws.
 
More information can be found on the Company's website
www.gulfsands.net.

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