SINGAPORE, April 15, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Valeura Energy Inc. (TSX:VLE, OTCQX:VLERF) ('Valeura' or the 'Company'), the upstream oil and gas company with assets in the Gulf of Thailand and the Thrace Basin of Türkiye, is pleased to announce three oil discoveries on its assets in the offshore Gulf of Thailand.

Sean Guest, President and CEO commented:

'I am pleased to announce that our exploration drilling campaign has resulted in three new oil discoveries, one in the Nong Yao D area, and two in the north-east portion of the Wassana concession. 

As we continue to pursue adding value through growth, near-field exploration forms an important part of sizing up the organic potential of our assets. With successful results like these, the opportunity set before us is continuing to expand.   

Following this exploration drilling campaign we are returning to both infill drilling and development work, which is intended to increase production rates over the coming months to support cash flow generation, particularly as we see benchmark oil prices rise to new highs for this year. We are also planning for further exploration drilling elsewhere in our portfolio later in the year.'

Nong Yao D

The Nong Yao-13 well (G11/48 concession, 90% working interest) was drilled to 5,399 feet measured depth ('MD') (3,342 feet true vertical depth ('TVD')) and discovered just over 30 feet of new oil pay across several intervals.  Importantly, this result confirms that oil has successfully migrated into this area of the block, a factor that was seen to be a risk in the Nong Yao D area. The particular intervals comprising the discovery are relatively shallow new zones which have not been produced elsewhere on the concession. These reservoirs are believed to be recurring across the Nong Yao D area and further analysis on the seismic data is warranted. This work will seek out potential locations for follow-up exploration and appraisal drilling in the vicinity, with the ultimate objective of amassing sufficient volumes to justify a future development.

Niramai and Wassana North

Two wells were drilled north of the Wassana oil field (G10/48 concession, 100% interest) with the objective of identifying sufficient oil volumes in this northern area of the block to justify a future development project. The Niramai-4 well was an exploration/appraisal well approximately one kilometre north-east of the successful Niramai-1 oil discovery, which was originally drilled in 2009. The Niramai-4 well was drilled to 7,312 feet MD (5,581 feet TVD) and discovered over 90 feet of new oil pay across two key reservoirs. 

Following evaluation, the well was then sidetracked with a high-angle well known as Niramai-4 ST1 to test the Wassana North prospect, a separate fault block immediately north of the Wassana field. The well was drilled to 12,388 feet MD (5,782 feet TVD) and discovered approximately 40 feet of new oil pay. The deepest oil-bearing zone is of particular interest in that the wellbore intersected the reservoir significantly downdip of the crest and oil is interpreted to be present to the base of the reservoir, with no oil-water contact identified in the well. This indicates further potential, both deeper than penetrated, and more laterally expansive in the updip portion of the structure. 

While reservoir properties and volumetric estimates are still being calculated for both wells, when combined with the pre-existing Niramai volumes, the total recoverable volumes are believed to exceed management's requirements to support an additional future development on the G10/48 block. Such a development expansion is beyond the scope of the Wassana field re-development project currently being evaluated, but has the potential to extend production and the life of the concession beyond its current economic limit in 2032. Management anticipates that that these new volumes will contribute to the Company's next year end reserves and resources.  

Drilling Plan

The Company's contracted drilling rig has been mobilised to the Nong Yao field, where it will soon begin drilling two infill development wells on the Nong Yao A platform, intended to add to production rates in the near term. Thereafter, and once commissioning work is complete on the Nong Yao C Mobile Offshore Production Unit, the rig will begin development drilling on the Nong Yao C accumulation. The Company is targeting first oil from Nong Yao C in early Q3 2024.

For further information, please contact:

Valeura Energy Inc. (General Corporate Enquiries)                       +65 6373 6940
Sean Guest, President and CEO
Yacine Ben-Meriem, CFO
Contact@valeuraenergy.com

Valeura Energy Inc. (Investor Enquiries)                             +1 403 975 6752 / +44 7392 940495
Robin James Martin, Vice President, Communications and Investor Relations
IR@valeuraenergy.com

CAMARCO (Public Relations, Media Adviser to Valeura)  +44 (0) 20 3757 4980
Owen Roberts, Billy Clegg
Valeura@camarco.co.uk

Contact details for the Company's advisors, covering research analysts, and joint brokers, including Auctus Advisors LLP, Cormark Securities Inc., Research Capital Corporation, Schachter Energy Report, and Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited, are listed on the Company's website at www.valeuraenergy.com/investor-information/analysts/.

About the Company

Valeura Energy Inc. is a Canadian public company engaged in the exploration, development and production of petroleum and natural gas in Thailand and in Türkiye. The Company is pursuing a growth-oriented strategy and intends to re-invest into its producing asset portfolio and to deploy resources toward further organic and inorganic growth in Southeast Asia. Valeura aspires toward value accretive growth for stakeholders while adhering to high standards of environmental, social and governance responsibility.

Additional information relating to Valeura is also available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

Advisory and Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Information

Certain information included in this news release constitutes forward-looking information under applicable securities legislation. Such forward-looking information is for the purpose of explaining management's current expectations and plans relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such information may not be appropriate for other purposes, such as making investment decisions. Forward-looking information typically contains statements with words such as 'anticipate', 'believe', 'expect', 'plan', 'intend', 'estimate', 'propose', 'project', 'target' or similar words suggesting future outcomes or statements regarding an outlook. Forward-looking information in this news release includes, but is not limited to: the Company's ability to increase production rates over the coming months and to shore up cash flow generation; the recurrence of the Nong Yao-13 shallow reservoirs across the Nong Yao D area and the analysis of the foregoing through further seismic reprocessing; the potential for follow-up exploration and appraisal drilling locations in the Nong Yao D vicinity; the Company's anticipation that the Niramai-4 discovery will add to recoverable volumes in its next independent third-party reserves evaluation and to be considered as part of a further development on the G10/48 block; the potential for a commercialisation of the Niramai-4 volumes to extend the life of the concession, beyond its current economic limit; the potential for further potential in the Wassana North discovery, both deeper than penetrated and in the updip portion of the structure; the potential for the Wassana North well to add volumes to potentially recoverable oil in the area; the belief that volumes encountered in the Niramai/Wassana North area exceed requirements for minimum economic field size; the detailed analysis of the Wassana North well data and further appraisal drilling; the timing to begin infill development wells on Nong Yao A and to add production rates in the near term; and the timing to begin Nong Yao C drilling and timing for first oil.   

Forward-looking information is based on management's current expectations and assumptions regarding, among other things: political stability of the areas in which the Company is operating; continued safety of operations and ability to proceed in a timely manner; continued operations of and approvals forthcoming from governments and regulators in a manner consistent with past conduct; future drilling activity on the required/expected timelines; the prospectivity of the Company's lands; the continued favourable pricing and operating netbacks across its business; future production rates and associated operating netbacks and cash flow; decline rates; future sources of funding; future economic conditions; the impact of inflation of future costs; future currency exchange rates; interest rates; the ability to meet drilling deadlines and fulfil commitments under licences and leases; future commodity prices; the impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine; royalty rates and taxes; future capital and other expenditures; the success obtained in drilling new wells and working over existing wellbores; the performance of wells and facilities; the availability of the required capital to funds its exploration, development and other operations, and the ability of the Company to meet its commitments and financial obligations; the ability of the Company to secure adequate processing, transportation, fractionation and storage capacity on acceptable terms; the capacity and reliability of facilities; the application of regulatory requirements respecting abandonment and reclamation; the recoverability of the Company's reserves and contingent resources; ability to attract a partner to participate in its tight gas exploration/appraisal play in Türkiye; future growth; the sufficiency of budgeted capital expenditures in carrying out planned activities; the impact of increasing competition; the ability to efficiently integrate assets and employees acquired through acquisitions; global energy policies going forward; future debt levels; and the Company's continued ability to obtain and retain qualified staff and equipment in a timely and cost efficient manner. In addition, the Company's work programmes and budgets are in part based upon expected agreement among joint venture partners and associated exploration, development and marketing plans and anticipated costs and sales prices, which are subject to change based on, among other things, the actual results of drilling and related activity, availability of drilling, offshore storage and offloading facilities and other specialised oilfield equipment and service providers, changes in partners' plans and unexpected delays and changes in market conditions. Although the Company believes the expectations and assumptions reflected in such forward-looking information are reasonable, they may prove to be incorrect.

Forward-looking information involves significant known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Exploration, appraisal, and development of oil and natural gas reserves and resources are speculative activities and involve a degree of risk. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by the Company including, but not limited to: the ability of management to execute its business plan or realise anticipated benefits from acquisitions; the risk of disruptions from public health emergencies and/or pandemics; competition for specialised equipment and human resources; the Company's ability to manage growth; the Company's ability to manage the costs related to inflation; disruption in supply chains; the risk of currency fluctuations; changes in interest rates, oil and gas prices and netbacks; potential changes in joint venture partner strategies and participation in work programmes; uncertainty regarding the contemplated timelines and costs for work programme execution; the risks of disruption to operations and access to worksites; potential changes in laws and regulations, the uncertainty regarding government and other approvals; counterparty risk; the risk that financing may not be available; risks associated with weather delays and natural disasters; and the risk associated with international activity. See the most recent annual information form and management's discussion and analysis of the Company for a detailed discussion of the risk factors.

Certain forward-looking information in this news release may also constitute 'financial outlook' within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Financial outlook involves statements about Valeura's prospective financial performance or position and is based on and subject to the assumptions and risk factors described above in respect of forward-looking information generally as well as any other specific assumptions and risk factors in relation to such financial outlook noted in this news release. Such assumptions are based on management's assessment of the relevant information currently available, and any financial outlook included in this news release is made as of the date hereof and provided for the purpose of helping readers understand Valeura's current expectations and plans for the future. Readers are cautioned that reliance on any financial outlook may not be appropriate for other purposes or in other circumstances and that the risk factors described above or other factors may cause actual results to differ materially from any financial outlook. The forward-looking information contained in this new release is made as of the date hereof and the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless required by applicable securities laws. The forward-looking information contained in this new release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities in any jurisdiction, including where such offer would be unlawful. This news release is not for distribution or release, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States, Ireland, the Republic of South Africa or Japan or any other jurisdiction in which its publication or distribution would be unlawful.

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