http://www.falklands-oil.com/

http://www.rockhopperexploration.co.uk

http://www.argosresources.com/




Rockhopper was established in 2004 with a strategy to invest in and undertake an offshore oil exploration programme in the North Falkland Basin. It was floated on AIM in August 2005. Rockhopper was the first company to make a commercial oil discovery in the Falklands. Today Rockhopper is the largest acreage holder in the North Falkland Basin, with interests in the Greater Mediterranean region.

http://www.hybridan.com/HybridanSCW/?small-cap-wraps

13 July 2010

............Rockhopper Exploration (RKH 327p/629.56m)

The North Falkland Basin oil and gas exploration company announced last week that its Executive Chairman, Pierre Jungels, had increased his shareholding in the company by 23,350 shares. Rockhopper has moved from strength to strength since the beginning of the year, having made an oil discovery at its Sea Lion exploration well and, last week, presenting a new analysis of wireline MDT samples obtained from Sea Lion that is helping to confirm a medium grade crude oil. Share price has risen from 38.5p at the end of May to 327p as of today. Management investment is usually seen as a good sign of confidence, and we have no reason to suspect otherwise in this particular case. Having put considerable time and resources into exploring this site, Rockhoppers good fortune is well deserved. A gushing success, we think...............

Just shows how bad news always overshadows good news.

In yesterdays Telegraph Business, the Fogl failure was front page, with the heading, 'Falkland Oil and Gas falls as well proves dry'.
Fair enough, but where was the Rockhopper discovery when it was reported, which was far more important as regards the FI fields, it was tucked away inside.
Yesterdays report also contained comments such as, 'The setback is the latest in a series that has dogged exploration around the Falkland Islands. Forecasts that the area around the islands could hold up to 3, billion barrels of oil have appeared to date, to be wildly optimistic'.

As Proselenes states, "It took 7 dusters in the North Sea before they struck one with oil, so I think the Falklands is doing rather better".
Quite right to!

For those who have not kept a close eye on the FIO's they would on reading the very pessimistic Telegraph report think this was almost a too much to risk area of investing.
Where do they get the 'This is the latest in a series of setbacks etc', instead of stating, 'although very early in the campaign, the percentage of discovery/failure is better than the average'.

As already said, bad news always overshadows good news, and no doubt the Telegraph report will influence the potential investors to stay out.

These newspapers reporters are generally very close with Institutional Investors. If the II's want to sell, the papers tip the stocks left right and center. If the II's are buying they will avoid mention or write depressing articles.

Every so often they get fed a bone with which to tip and make money.

Therefore its no surprise................

Did a little write up on TMF as a poster there asked some questions about RKH. Link below :


http://boards.fool.co.uk/Message.asp?mid=11979388


.

marky thanks for the umpteenth repeat however took small profit in BOR some time back when they went over 70p will probably go back in when their future plans become clearer as they have 100m cash enough to drill 3 wells good luck with RKH you may need it!

Harry
"If you lot had been in The Royal Navy in 1982" - I was - surveying Berkeley Sound in 1981 as an area for oil rig maintenance / production! This exploration goes back years, both here in the FI and in the Far South. Also in the area when the Argentinians found it a year later! Held shares with FI interests since 1982 and now the good times roll!

I agree with Pros that the press have an infuential bias and serve more than one master.

Appointing KPMG is a step in the right direction for a full FTSE main market listing soon........

http://www.investegate.co.uk/Article.aspx?id=201007160700084411P

16 July 2010

ROCKHOPPER EXPLORATION PLC ("Rockhopper" or the "Company")

Change of Auditor

The Directors of Rockhopper announce that, following a five yearly review of the external audit function, they issued an invitation to tender to both their existing auditor and a number of new auditors. Following meetings with each of the candidates, the Company has appointed KPMG Audit Plc as the auditor to the Company and its subsidiaries with immediate effect.

Baker Tilly UK Audit LLP has resigned as the Company's auditor and has confirmed to the Company that there are no circumstances in connection with its resignation which it considers need to be brought to the attention of the Company's shareholders or creditors. The Directors of the Company would like to thank Baker Tilly UK Audit LLP for all their hard work over the last five years.

Rockhopper Exploration plc
Sam Moody - Managing Director
Tel. +44 (0)20 7920 2340 (via M: Communications)

M: Communications
Patrick d'Ancona or Ben Simons
Tel. +44 (0)20 7920 2340

Canaccord Genuity Limited
Robert Finlay / Henry Fitzgerald-O'Connor
Tel. +44 (0) 20 7050 6500

Warning.

If you are tempted to open a link re Fogl on iii by the poster jsander34, DON'T as it is spreading a virus. Thought it best to warn on here as I know a few of us are members of both sites, and have shares in Fogl as well as Rkh.

Greek.

Just tell the Administrator on iii & they will remove the post. (Or do you have a hidden purpose for bringing that post to our attention???)

greekman,

Can't iii remove the link ps .... have you seen those Ali t-shirts yet ?

Aldwickk,

Many have asked iii to remove since first posted on 13th. If only they were as efficient as MoneyAm.

Re the T shirts. Have not seen them yet, but about 2 weeks ago I ordered 2 T shirts both with boxing scenes on them.

Will discuss my hero Ali and my boxing nickname on The Talk to yourself thread if interested.

Why do people do such nasty things ?.....at the start of the computing age : I suppose it was a laugh...but now......no joke.....at all.....

Completely agree. The virus link has been posted on multiple sites on iii since the 13th, and yet they have still not been removed even after dozens of complaints to iii.
Pity they are not as efficient as MoneyAm.

Sorry re off thread but did not want anyone caught out. Will not post further on this now everyone is aware.

regards Greek.

Sorry greekman, just my suspicious nature. For those people still running dial-up or ADSL modem, a good firewall & anti-virus should have no problem nowadays with dealing with virtually all viruses.
Am hoping for a friday afternoon sell-off & a dip in RKH sp in order to pick up more. Maybe (hopefully) everyone has transferred cash to BP. for a quick profit?

don't think they're going to see it harry.,.

just bought a few more ahead of spudding of ernest in the coming couple of weeks

Had to go out for a few hours so left a 'buy' on the system @ 320p, with little hope of it triggering. I now seem to have more RKH stock than I was expecting!

Harrycat,

No prob re your suspicious comment. Suspicious is my middle name.

Sounds greek to me.

http://en.mercopress.com/2010/07/16/falklands-oil-exploration-to-continue-with-second-rockhopper-drill

Falklands oil exploration to continue with second Rockhopper drill
Oil fortunes ebbed and flowed this week as one exploration company abandoned its well, another looked forward to a second bumper find, and a new player joined the race for black gold in Falklands waters.

Shares in Falkland Gas and Oil fell by more than 60% before recovering slightly to trade 45 per cent lower at 110p on news earlier this week it would plug and abandon its Toroa well, about 90 miles from Stanley in the South Falklands Basin.

FOGL failed to find any hydrocarbons after drilling to almost 2,500 metres, but said it would continue to pursue its other licence areas in the south and east.

Chief Executive Tim Bushell said results were disappointing, but he added: It has to be remembered that this is the first well in a previously un-drilled frontier basin. We look forward to continuing our exploration programme once a suitable deepwater rig has been secured.

The Ocean Guardian rig will now be released to Rockhopper Exploration, seeking a second major find after striking rich at its Sea Lion site. The first significant discovery in the current round of drilling sent Rockhopper shares soaring by 650% in May, and the company hopes to repeat its success at its Ernest prospect in the north, where it will begin drilling later this month.

Meanwhile, a fifth company has announced plans to join the drilling race, once it raises 70 million in a London stock market listing. Argos Resources is led by John Hogan, who worked on Lasmos attempts to find oil off the Falklands in 1998. The significance of their announcement is that Argos holds licences next to the Rockhopper discovery.

An industry expert was quoted in the UK Guardian as saying: Punters will be disappointed that the Toroa well in the South Falklands Basin failed to find reservoir hydrocarbons.

However, smart investors will be aware of the massive geological and geographical gap between the South and North Falklands basins the latter having been massively de-risked by the Sea Lion discovery.

Director of Mineral Resources, Phyl Rendell said her department and the government anticipated the ups and downs of oil exploration, and remained really pleased with the program so far.

All the difficulties have been overcome and we are particularly pleased to see the first well drilled in the southern basin, she said.

Technically and logistically it is fantastic. It will take numerous months to analyse but it does represent a landmark in the exploration campaign.

Mrs Rendell said all five existing licensees were now active, and FIG would be seeking interest from other exploration companies later in the year as part of its ongoing marketing strategy.

She also paid special tribute to all those involved in building the lay-down area near FIPASS: They have done a remarkable job moving all those tonnes of equipment, and there have been no hold-ups to the rig, which has been the main thing.

Argentina, though, continues to express its displeasure. According to La Nacion newspaper, Argos has already been sent a letter by the Argentine Embassy in London warning it to abstain from drilling or it will face legal actions.

Similar threats have been levelled at the other exploration companies as the Argentine Government continues its attempts to make life difficult through imposing shipping permits, through its Decree 256, designed to disrupt movement of equipment and supplies between mainland South America and the Falklands.

Lawmakers in Buenos Aires are reported to have now approved a bill to impose sanctions on any companies working in Argentina with links to the Falklands exploration program. The bill was passed unanimously in the lower house and is expected to be ratified by the Senate.

Mrs Rendell, though, remained unmoved by the political manoeuvring: It is not preventing the campaign from proceeding, she said.

Acting Governor Ric Nye told the Penguin News Thursday: As I said in my letter in last weeks edition, the UK has protested to Argentina, and has firmly rejected Decree 256.

The UK Government has made clear its view that it considers that the Decree and its implementing regulations are not compliant with international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The Convention provides for ships of all States to enjoy the right of innocent passage through territorial seas. As with other matters concerning a ships route and operation, it is ultimately for a ships Master and owners to decide whether or not to comply with the Decree, but there is a clear view in the UK that to do so is unnecessary.

Cllr Emma Edwards, minerals portfolio holder for the Legislative Assembly, was yesterday unavailable for comment.

By Tony Curran - Penguin News - Stanley