Director/PDMR Shareholding

Rockhopper Exploration plc
18 August 2006


Rockhopper Exploration plc

18 August 2006


Executive Directors increase holdings in Rockhopper Exploration


Rockhopper Exploration plc ('the Company') has been notified that on 17th August
2006 three Executive Directors exercised their options to purchase new Ordinary
Shares in the Company at an option price of 10 pence per share. Under the terms
of the option scheme the earliest such purchases could occur was 15th August
2006, the anniversary of the Company's listing on the Alternative Investment
Market.

Samuel Moody, Managing Director
Number of shares acquired             75,000
Number of shares now held            858,428
Interest in issued share capital      1.192%

Peter Dixon-Clarke, Finance Director
Number of shares acquired             75,000
Number of shares now held            145,129
Interest in issued share capital      0.2%

Keith Williams, Exploration Director
Number of shares acquired             75,000
Number of shares now held            147,619
Interest in issued share capital      0.2%

Application has been made for the Ordinary Shares to be admitted to trading on
AIM on 23rd August 2006.

Following the exercise of the options the revised number of issued shares is
71,999,605.

www.rockhopperexploration.co.uk


For further information, please contact:

Rockhopper Exploration
Sam Moody, Managing Director                                       01722 414 419

Aquila Financial Limited
Peter Reilly                                                       020 7202 2601
www.aquila-financial.com


                      This information is provided by RNS
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