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Meridian Petroleum PLC
04 April 2006

MERIDIAN PETROLEUM PLC
('Meridian' or 'the Company')

VICTORY 1-21 SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED


Meridian, the oil & gas exploration and production company with key assets in
the USA and Australia today announced that the Victory 1-21 production well (10%
WI) has been successfully deepened in order to further penetrate a Niagaran
reef.

Using a coiled tubing unit and conventional work over rig, Total Depth was
reached at 4,394 feet and gas communication was made between 4,161 feet and
4,192 feet, an increase of approximately 31 feet in net pay. The well was
treated with acid to stimulate flow and is currently being swabbed to remove
remaining acid from the well bore following which the well will be put back on
line this week. It is anticipated that enhanced production rates will be gained
from the additional pay sections in the reservoir.

Anthony Mason, Chief Executive of Meridian said:

'The successful deepening of Victory 1-21 is good news for Meridian. The well
will be back on line this week, following which Meridian will resume receiving
income from Victory 1-21. We are now looking forward to the imminent completion
on Calvin 36.'

Don Caldwell, a certified petroleum geologist, is the Company's Qualified Person
and has reviewed the information in this announcement.


Enquiries:


Meridian Petroleum (020 7409 5041)
Tony Mason, Chief Executive

Westhouse Securities (020 7601 6100)
Richard Morrison

Citigate Dewe Rogerson (020 7638 9571)
Media enquiries: Martin Jackson / George Cazenove
Analyst enquiries: Nina Soon


This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange ND

We must be due some bad news soon(Milford) before the rest of the good.
;-)

new oilbarrel report out.. apparently a reserves update will be out shortly

09.07.2008
Meridian Petroleum Sees Monthly Cash Flows Top US$2 Million As Michigan And Louisiana Projects Deliver The Goods
Given last months 75,000 fine and public censure for failing to comply with AIM rules between August 2004 and February 2007 (related to poor disclosure of progress of its projects in Michigan), it is little wonder that the pace and detail of announcements from Meridian Petroleum has increased over the past six months. Whats more, the company, with new management and governance structures in place, now has plenty of good news to share following last months acquisition of interests in the East Lake Verret field in Louisiana and this weeks news that monthly revenues for June topped US$2 million.

The Orion 36 well in Michigan is proving a star performer for the company, setting a new daily gas production record of 5.57 million cubic feet per day at the end of June.
We have been pushing the well along quite hard and are getting close to the capacity of the plant but the reservoir is holding good pressures, which suggests we can continue to work it at this kind of level, chairman Stephen Gutteridge told oilbarrel.com.
In May, the state authorities upped the maximum allowable production level from Orion to 8.86 million cubic feet per day, somewhat higher than the current capacity of the 5.5 million-6 million cf/d capacity of the Orion plant. At present there are no plans to tinker with the development, particularly as the reef reservoir can be drained effectively with this single well.

Total net production for June, based on the companys net revenue interest in the well of 72.785 per cent, was 96 million cubic feet of gas and 998 barrels of natural gas liquids, equivalent to some 17,000 barrels of oil or some 567 barrels of oil equivalent per day. Cumulative production since start-up in August 2007 has now passed the 1 billion cubic feet marker and the US$4 million invested in the well has been fully recovered. With its costs recovered, the companys NRI will now fall to 54.589 per cent. Julys production numbers will be lower while the local pipeline operator undertakes routine repair and maintenance work. Meridian will use this downtime to take new bottom hole pressure readings to help reserves consultancy RPS Energy calculate the remaining reserves at Orion.

We do not know what the reserves implications will be but certainly the well has been performing very strongly and its worth asking RPS for a further review, said Gutteridge.

Given the success of this sour gas project, the AIM company wouldnt be averse to taking on an Orion look-alike. Certainly there are a number of potential reef candidates in the area, although these will require some geological and petroleum engineering work before the company commits to acquiring the leases, said Gutteridge.

Production from Orion has now been joined by output from the East Lake Verret field in southern Louisiana. Last month Meridian paid US$8.95 million for 60 per cent of Rozel Energys net revenue interests in the field, which was discovered by a forerunner of Exxon in 1952 and lies in shallow inland waters. It currently produces 5 million cubic feet per day of gas and 250 barrels per day of oil from six wells. Meridians share of this works out at around 1 million cf/d of gas and 60 bpd of oil: in June the production tally net to Meridian was 244 boepd. Production from the existing wells is expected to hold steady through 2009 and will then start to decline but Meridian sees opportunities to target proven undeveloped reserves to increase production, particularly of oil, from 2009 and extend the fields productive life beyond 2012.

The acquisition price means the proven reserves 768,000 barrels of oil equivalent (split about 55/45 between natural gas/oil) have been purchased for US$12.80 per barrel of oil equivalent. The effective date of the transaction was March 1, giving the company exposure to four months of back production and rising commodity prices. Taken together with the output from the Orion 36 well, this adds up to average daily production of over 800 boepd in June, which should generate over US$2 million in revenues.

This is a pretty healthy income stream and puts the company on a more sustainable financial footing going forward. Helpfully, the deal has also diversified the companys cash flow from over-dependence on the Orion 36 well (which is important as the companys other well in Michigan, Milford-26, has proved disappointing and despite significant investment looks unlikely to be a commercial goer) and added some lucrative oil production to the books.

The transaction was funded via a US$50 million debt facility with Macquarie Bank Limited, US$9 million of which was drawn down to fund the ELV deal. A further US$6 million of the debt facility will be used to further develop the ELV field, which has two behind pipe zones and five proven undeveloped drilling locations. Meridian, as the new operator, already has plans for up to three wells on the field, although no timetable in place as yet.

We have only just taken over as operator so it will take a few weeks to formulate our game plan on this one, said Gutteridge. We have also inherited a number of new partners and we need to make sure we have all their support. But we are certainly well funded to carry out this kind of development work and move the business along at quite a pace.

This will still leave the company with US$35 million of financial headroom to fund further acquisitions and move forward its Australian assets. Here the company is planning to shoot seismic over the PEL 82 licence in the first quarter of 2009 and is looking at options to move forward exploration of the Delores gas prospect in the Arrowie Basin, where it may bring in a farm-in partner or partially sell the asset or even proceed on a go-it-alone basis.

With the new debt facility in place and a solid production stream bolstering cash flows, the AIM firm has the muscle to push ahead with its existing projects and acquire new ones. Given that oil is over US$140 a barrel, there is every incentive for the company to capitalise on its improved financial and operational position.

Look here, all the usual suspects. Morning all.

janestone

Isn't there a book called theequationomurder Jane?

MRP have fantastic over this week at holding their own in such dire times in the market. Everything looking very solid and plenty of newsflow to come.

RNS Number : 7752Y
Meridian Petroleum PLC
10 July 2008









10th July 2008

Meridian Petroleum plc

('Meridian' or the 'Company')




Update on Shareholder Register




Meridian Petroleum plc (AIM : MRP), the US-focused oil and gas exploration and production company, announces a further update on the investigation into its shareholder register.




Further to the announcement on 5th June 2008, the Company has continued to seek further information on the beneficial ownership of shares held in certain nominee accounts.




As a result of this further investigation, it has been confirmed that:-




Mellon Nominees (UK) Limited ('Mellon') disposed of 14,627,334 shares in the period 5 September 2007 to 2 June 2008. It was confirmed to the Company on 13 June 2008 that all of these shares (at the time of their disposal) were beneficially owned by Mr Anthony Mason, the former CEO of the Company.




Of the 14,627,334 shares referred to above, the Company was informed of the following disposals by Mr. Mason in this period, and the market was fully informed at the time:

135,000 shares were transferred to Angelo Baskaran, Finance Director of the Company, on 29 November 2007

6,377,550 shares were transferred to Ms. Maurene Singer (Mr Mason's ex-wife) on 31 January 2008




The remaining 8,114,784 shares disposed of by Mellon were transferred to nominee accounts held by HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Ltd ('HSBC') and Raven Nominees Ltd ('Raven'). Disclosures made to the Company by these nominees do not identify Mr. Mason as having any beneficial interest in the shares following the transfer. Almost all of these shares have been disposed of, directly or indirectly, to a wide range of market-makers in the Company's shares. The total remaining shareholding held by the Mellon, HSBC and Raven nominee accounts was less than 1% of the Company's current issued share capital as at 8th July 2008.




Following the issue of s793 notices, as at 16 June 2008 the Company has received notification of those persons who were beneficially interested in over 90% of the Company's issued share capital. None of these disclosed interests were in the name of Mr. Mason.




Save for the transfers to Mr. Baskaran and Ms. Singer, Mr. Mason has not provided the Company with any disclosure in respect of any of these transactions or of his current shareholding.




The Board believes that the level of Mr Mason's shareholding is of material interest to current and potential investors in the Company. The Board would welcome full disclosure by Mr. Mason of his shareholding, but in the absence of such disclosure, the Board believes it is appropriate to give guidance to the market on the level of Mr. Mason's shareholding based on the information available to the Company. Although in the absence of appropriate disclosure from Mr. Mason the Company cannot be completely certain, the Board believes that Mr Mason's current shareholding has been reduced to less than 1% of the Company's current issued share capital.




The Company does not intend to carry out any further investigations into this matter, although if Mr Mason provides the Company with verifiable disclosure of his shareholding then the Company will publish that information immediately.

TM virtually out of the picture so the selling should dry up and the sp march up to were it belongs at long last.

alot of buying but not really moving north

most odd

Micro Cap. Oiler Meridian Petroleum Entering New Era
Stock Name Meridian Petroleum
EPIC MRP
Rating BUY
Mkt. Cap. 9.4m
Price 9.75p
Target 29p
BOEPD June A 800
Revenue June $2m



Image : Meridian Petroleum PLC

The AIM market is frequently faulted for it's poor regulation and for being the resultant breeding ground of unpunished white collar fraud. Last week after the result of a lengthy investigation Meridian Petroleum became one of the few companies whose reporting aberrations had been so apparent that the governing authorities have little choice but to take action, in this case issuing a censorship and 75,000 fine for among other things signalling to the market that it's Calvin well completion was to occur within a month, when actual completion was almost 3 years later.

The ruling drew a line under the governance issues that had plagued the company during it's previous administration, with Meridian recently emphasising that Tony Mason, the founder and former ceo, who much of the blame centred on had sold the majority of his shareholding.

Having suffered a series of exploration failures and delays on their niche US assets, the company had faced an uncertain future. When Orion came online at the turn of the year it looked to offer the strapped for cash company a temporary reprieve, buying time to offload it's non-operating Australian licences and seek a farm in partner for it's Calvin deep prospect.

Better than expected flow rates and a doubling of US gas spot prices, have since allowed the company to shelve the knock down Australian sale, with a view of developing the licence themselves.

Although the reserves at Orion are estimated to be modest 2.3bcf, the relatively strong cash flow that it has generated allowed the company to earlier this month secure a $50m financing package for purchase of new assets and development of existing fields. The first acquisition was for a working interest in the East Lake Verret (ELV) Field in South Louisiana. This deal was finalised on the 1st of July, for a total consideration of $8.95m at a value of $12.60 per probable barrel.

With a market cap. in the region of only 9m and cashflow in the order of $10m+ a year from Orion alone the company appears cheap. Assuming that they develop and raise current production from ELV they should be able to realise a potential further $10m in revenues. Extrapolating that with the rest of the finance would take the total revenue of the company to the region of $40m pa.

Perhaps the most exciting upside comes from the Australian assets. The near doubling of gas prices has allowed Meridian to abandoned the proposed sale of these licences and at a cost of $2.5m is now conducting an extensive 3D seismic program, centering on the previously identified 423bsqt Delores prospect.

Monthly production rates at Orion meanwhile continue to surprise on the upside with a reassessment of reserves due later this month an obvious catalyst for a rerating.

Given the illiquidity of the stock and it's chequered past we consider this a speculative buy despite it's huge upside.

http://www.worldstockforum.com/worldstockforum/articleView.do?mn=article&id=19

Well i've bought a few of these today on the weakness.
Seems a very interesting stock with lots going on and a variety of assets, plus its well funded. Management seems driven and able. Strong production and cashflow. So currently 7.5m valuation seems very good value indeed.

very very good value!!!

Things are ticking along very nicely still......value will come in the sp.....interims due out 25th September which should show a maiden profit.





MERIDIAN PETROLEUM plc

('Meridian' or the 'Company')




Operations Update







Meridian Petroleum (AIM: MRP), the oil and gas exploration and production Company with producing assets in the USA and exploration licences in Australia, announces an update on its US operations in Michigan and Louisiana for the month of August 2008.




Orion 36 Well, Michigan, USA




The Orion 36 well set two new gas production records in August helped by minimal down-time during the month. A new gross daily production record of 6.05mmcfd was achieved on 15 August 2008. During the month the average gross daily gas production rate was 5.7mmcfd and the well produced 171mmcf, comfortably exceeding the previous record month. Production of natural gas liquids (NGL's) during the month was 1511 bbls.




Net production to Meridian in August (based on a Net Revenue Interest (NRI) of 54.589%) was 93.3mmcf of gas and 825bbls of NGL's. This is equivalent to 16375 barrels of oil equivalent (boe) at a daily production rate of 528 boe/day.




At the end of August typical flowing well-head pressure was in the range of 550 - 600 psi and following the very successful build-up of production over the past 12 months, the management believes that this is likely to be the peak month for the Orion 36 well.




RPS Energy have evaluated the bottom hole pressure data obtained in July and have provided the Company with updated reserve figures calculated as at 1 July 2008. When compared with the previous figures and allowing for production during the first half of 2008, 1P remaining recoverable reserves have increased by 7.5% to 1.27bcf (as at 1 July 2008). Calculated 2P reserves have however declined by 11% to 1.46bcf as at 1 July 2008.




US gas prices were lower in August but recovered a little at the end of the month to average $9.14 per mcf for gas produced. The Company's gas hedging contracts produced a profit of over $100,000 in total for July and August.




'Orion2' Prospect, Michigan, USA




Wellmaster, the Orion contract operator, is in the process of finalizing the leasing and permitting arrangements required to drill this prospect from the existing site. Discussions between the Company and Wellmaster on the commercial arrangements have begun, and it is expected that these will be similar to the existing Orion arrangements. Efforts are now underway to secure the necessary equipment and resources, and although the market remains tight, there is a reasonable prospect of drilling commencing before the end of the year.




East Lake Verret Field (ELV), Louisiana, USA




The ELV Field continued to deliver a steady performance in August although production was affected by the need to shut down at the very end of the month to prepare for Hurricane 'Gustav.' The storm passed right over the ELV facilities but no significant damage was reported and the field was brought back on-line by 4 September 2008.




As a result of this shut-in, the August figures are subject to final confirmation, but we expect gross gas production of 140mmcf and gross oil production of 6450bbls. Meridian's net share of production is 28.4mmcf of gas and 1458bbls of oil, equivalent to 6190 boe at an average daily rate of 200 boe.




The Company is continuing to progress plans for the drilling of 2-3 wells to bring the proven undeveloped reserves of ELV on-stream as quickly as possible. Initial geological work is underway and the procedures for clearance with partners and the Louisiana State authorities have commenced. Based on the information provided at the time of the acquisition of the ELV interests, proven undeveloped reserves comprise some 500,000 boe compared with 200,000 boe of proven producing reserves. A number of drilling locations are being evaluated with the objective being to materially increase the Company's net production from the field.




Stephen Gutteridge, Chairman of Meridian, said:




'Our producing assets continue to perform well. Our plans for drilling a second Niagaran reef, the 'Orion2' prospect, are timely, and it is an opportunity to offset the expected future decline in Orion 36 output with a new source of production and continue the efficient utilisation of our plant capacity. Together with the 500,000 boe of untapped proven reserves in ELV, we are anticipating adding material new production in the next 6 to 9 months.'




Resources Update




The reserves estimates reproduced below have been prepared in accordance with the standards adopted by the Society of Petroleum Engineers. 1P reserves are Proved reserves with a 90% probability that value will be equal to or greater than stated value. 2P reserves are Proved plus Probable reserves with a 50% probability that value will be equal to or greater than stated value.




Orion - Gross Remaining Recoverable Reserves




Reserves (bcf)
As at 1 Jan 2008
Production Jan - June 2008
Calculated

Reserves as at 1 July 2008
Latest Reserves estimate as at 1 July 2008
Inc/(Dec) in Reserves

%

1P
1.91
0.73
1.18
1.27
7.5

2P
2.37
0.73
1.64
1.46
(11.0)





RPS Energy has approved these reserve figures.




ELV Net Reserves as at 1 March 2008 (as reported in the Acquisition announcement of 12 June 2008)




Reserves
Total

Hydrocarbons (boe)

Proven - Producing
206

Proven - Non-Producing
58

Proven - Undeveloped
504

Total - Proven
768

Probable
252

Total Proven & Probable
1020

is this the mother of all bargains?

more like the bastard child!

Has to be the mother of all bargains for any bastard child and their Mums and Dads!

yup .... great performance over the last 3 years! ..... like paternity cases, well worth avoiding!

The sp has been in an uptrend since April, increasing 50% in that time.

Interims out on the 25th September should show a maiden profit from a H1 revenue of approx $8m.

is that so .....

That is so.