SOCO Updates on Drilliing Operations

SOCO International plc provided an update on the company's operations in Vietnam, Congo and Angola.

Vietnam

SOCO announces that the first well drilled in the H5 fault block of the Te Giac Trang field, the TGT-10X exploration well, has encountered approximately 384 feet (117 meters) of net pay section (circa 820 feet or 250 meters gross pay) having reached 13,865 feet (4,226 meters) Measured Depth (MD). The well has drilled into the Oligocene D2 section.

Higher formation pressure than predicted has required higher than expected mud weights and consequently a liner will now be run over the Miocene and Oligocene reservoir horizons. Consideration is being given to drilling the remainder of the well using a 6 inch bit to reach the target total depth of approximately 14,534 feet (4,430 meters) MD. This will be done upon the completion of the current downhole logging operations which will establish the reservoir parameters to assist the design of the flow testing programme for the Miocene and Oligocene horizons.

The well is located approximately 3.7 miles (6 kilometers) south of the H4 Well Head Platform, in the southern part of Block 16-1's TGT Field in the Cuu Long Basin off the southern coast of Vietnam.

Republic of Congo

SOCO announces that the exploration well on the Lideka East Marine prospect, the LDKEM-1 well, spud July 20. The well will test the potential of a post-salt structure of the Sendji Formation in the Lower Congo Basin, offshore Pointe Noire, in the Marine XI license which is updip from the 2009 Lideka Marine-1 well where oil shows were observed. The Sendji Formation is in a four way structural dip closure at the well location. Additionally, the lower part of the Tchala Formation is in structural closure with a fault seal to the North and East, and LDKEM-1 will also be able to test the reservoir potential of the Lower Tchala.

The well is expected to take approximately 30-35 days to reach the target depth.

Republic of Angola (Cabinda)

Final preparations are underway at the Dinge 20-6 and Dinge 20-7 well locations prior to the commencement of the two well exploration program. The first well is expected to spud by the end of July. The Dinge 20-6 well is planned to test the Vovo Sands in the pre-salt section onshore Cabinda North in the area of the Dinge discovery. The target sands were deposited in a lacustrine environment above the middle Bucomazi which is a world class source rock.