Falcon Oil starts trading on AIM, ESM, closes financing

2013-03-28 06:35 ET - News Release

Mr. Philip O'Quigley reports

FALCON OIL & GAS LTD. ANNOUNCES ADMISSION TO TRADING ON AIM AND ESM

Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd.'s enlarged issued share capital has been admitted to trading on the Alternative Investment Market (symbol: FOG) and the Enterprise Securities Market (symbol: FAC). Trading on AIM and ESM will commence at 8.00 a.m. today. This admission follows the completion of a placing of 120,381,973 new common shares in the capital of the Company (the "Placing Shares") at 14 pence per share to raise approximately US$25 million (GBP 16.9 million) before expenses (the "Placing").

None of the Placing Shares may be sold, transferred, hypothecated or otherwise traded on or through the facilities of the TSX Venture Exchange or otherwise in Canada or to the benefit of a Canadian resident until July 29, 2013.

Falcon is an international oil & gas company engaged in the acquisition, exploration and development of conventional and unconventional oil and gas assets, with the current portfolio spread between South Africa, Australia and Hungary. Falcon is incorporated in British Columbia, Canada and headquartered in Dublin, Ireland with a technical team based in Budapest, Hungary.

Falcon's strategy is to leverage the Company's expertise in the unconventional oil and gas industry to acquire interests in licences covering large acreages of land and to build on its internationally diversified portfolio of unconventional assets and interests, which are located in countries, which the Board believes support the exploitation of unconventional oil and gas.

Philip O'Quigley, CEO of Falcon commented:

"I am pleased to announce the start of trading in our shares in London and Dublin, following a successful placing in which we raised approximately US$25 million. We are pleased to offer our new and existing investors an opportunity to grow with us as we seek to realise the value potential within our diversified and large acreage positions in Australia, South Africa and Hungary."

Key Highlights:

Falcon has an internationally diverse portfolio

-- Falcon has existing interests covering approximately 14.75 million acres: -- Australia - four exploration permits covering approximately 7 million acres in the Beetaloo Basin. -- South Africa - Technical Cooperation Permit covering approximately 7.5 million acres onshore Karoo Basin. -- Hungary - Mako Production Licence adjacent to Algyo field. -- Falcon currently believes that these are some of the most prospective unconventional oil and gas basins in the world. Balanced portfolio with significant upside potential

-- Estimated gross unrisked recoverable prospective resources (play level) of 162 Tcf of gas and 21,345 Mmbo of oil (P50) in the Group's Beetaloo Exploration Permits in Australia. -- Gross un-risked recoverable prospective gas resources of 568 Bcf (P50) (the Algyo Play). -- Gross recoverable contingent resources of 35.3 Tcf of gas and 76.7 Mmbo of oil (P50) (the Deep Mako Trough) in the Mako Production Licence in Hungary. Falcon has established partners in place in each country

-- Partnered with significant, well-established multinational energy companies. -- Hess and Naftna Industrija Srbije Jsc carrying the Company through the initial respective work programmes and providing technical skills and financial resources in Australia and Hungary. -- Joint Cooperation Agreement with Chevron in South Africa. Operating in countries that support the exploitation of unconventional oil and gas

-- Regions characterised by high regional demand for energy. -- Jurisdictions with governments that Falcon believes are favourable towards unconventional oil and gas exploration. Falcon has an experienced board and management team

-- Individuals with established track records in acquiring and developing oil and gas assets. -- Non-Executive Chairman John Craven, Petroleum Geologist with 35 years of E&P experience. Current CEO of Discover Exploration, formerly Cove Energy, Petroceltic and Dana Petroleum. -- Chief Executive Officer Philip O'Quigley with 20 years E&P experience. Previously Finance Director of Providence Resources. Davy has acted as Falcon's nominated adviser, ESM adviser and joint broker in connection with the Placing and the Admission, and GMP Securities Europe LLP ("GMP") has acted as joint broker in connection with the Placing. Pursuant to a placing agreement, the Company has paid each of GMP and Davy one percent of the aggregate value of Placing Shares placed by GMP or Davy, as applicable, with certain existing shareholders prior to the Admission who are also placees in the Placing, and five percent of the aggregate value of the Placing Shares placed pursuant to the Placing by each of Davy and GMP with placees other than such existing shareholders.

On Admission, the Company will have 817,336,473 common shares admitted to trading on AIM and the ESM. The Admission document relating to AIM Admission and further information on Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd. as required under Rule 26 of the AIM and ESM Rules and is available www.falconoilandgas.com.

The Placing Shares have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or under any state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold within the United States except in certain transactions exempt from the registration requirements of such Act. This release does not constitute an offer to sell nor the solicitation of an offer to buy the Placing Shares or any other securities and shall not constitute an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy, or a sale of, the common shares or any other securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale is unlawful.

We seek Safe Harbor.