anyone got any ideas about the block trades that went through today?

website: http://www.sterlingenergyplc.com/



weather: www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/graphics_at4+shtml/084938.shtml?50wind120

Directors putting their hands in their own pockets, that's what I like to see!

----------------------------------


Sterling Energy PLC
19 May 2005


Sterling Energy plc ('the Company')

Director's Share Purchases


The Company was informed today that on 18 May 2005 that the following Directors
of the Company, purchased a total of 1,027,865 ordinary shares of 1p each
('Ordinary Shares') increasing their respective holdings as detailed below.

Director No. of shares Price paid per Total no. of Percentage of
bought share shares held the issued
following share held post
purchase purchase
Harry Wilson* 200,000** 15.125p 27,970,092 2.01
Graeme Thomson 350,000 14.60p 16,049,558 1.15
Andy Grosse 327,865 15.25p 5,500,473 0.39
Paul Griggs 150,000 15.20p 150,000 0.01

* Includes 17,823,802 shares held by Roselea Limited, a company in which Mr
Wilson has a 26% interest and is a director.
** The purchase was made by Roselea Limited.

19 May 2005



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

and what we love to see...

Amvescap PLC



FORM SAR 3

DISCLOSURE OF ACQUISITIONS

(Rule 3 of The Rules Governing Substantial Acquisitions of Shares)


Name of acquirer AMVESCAP PLC
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Beneficial owner, if different from above

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Names of any other persons acting by
agreement or understanding (see SAR 5)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Company dealt in STERLING ENERGY PLC
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Class of voting shares (eg ordinary shares) ORDINARY 1P
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date of acquisition 18 MAY 2005
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Number of shares acquired 4,950,000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of rights over shares acquired #
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nature of rights over shares
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Total holding of voting shares (and
percentage of total voting shares in issue) 210,368,636 ( 15.09% )
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total holding of rights over shares (and
percentage of total voting shares in issue)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Combined total holding (and percentage) of
voting shares and rights over shares 210,368,636 ( 15.09% )
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Date of disclosure 19 MAY 2005
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contact name MARIA MADEMYR
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Telephone number 01491 417215
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


# See the definition of 'rights over shares' in the Definitions Section of the
SARs.

For details of the SARs disclosure requirements, see SARs 3 and 5 and their
Notes which can be viewed on the Takeover Panel's website at

www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk
.

Good to see the directors adding to their holdings, especially when they already own quite a few. And nice to see Amvescap buying some more. I'm assuming then that we won't see a drilling update from the Gom at the end May now since the directors have been buying. Could be wrong though.

Just found this on Oilvoice which is of interest to us. They have started a Gulf of Mexico facts section as a part of their website. Not had time to look around it but could be handy.

http://www.oilvoice.com/m/gom.asp?pageType=gom

gav,

Yes I would think you're right.

There's nothing like putting out some "good" news to take the focus off a delay!

Am I becoming too cynical?, Maybe I need to work for Alan Byers!

I wonder where Jo Moore works now?

Proptrade..why has the note from Amvescap not been put up on the LSE website?

Andy,

I wasn't assuming any delay as such in getting the results, but you could of course be correct. I was just assuming that they would be in a closed period in the run up to publishing results from the test. I'm not too sure exactly of the specific rules for director buying over such a period, so thats why I said I could be wrong.

no idea. maybe a delay. i saw it origionally on dow jones newswires and then here as well...

sidtrix - It's on UK-wire http://www.uk-wire.com/cgi-bin/articles/20050519112300Z6230.html

7.5 million sells & 2 million buys in 5 transactions.... hmmmm something is happening here but what???

SEY recommended as a BUY in tomorrows IC.
reports huge increase in reserves and valued far too consevatively.

I'm assuming then that we won't see a drilling update from the Gom at the end May now since the directors have been buying.

Would seem that way.

In respect of the buys and sells, I reckon the sells could be buys as they are not rock bottom bid price. Just guessing though.

Also the fact that the Driectors have bought is a clear signal to the City that they have confidence, nice whenthere is so much turmoil in the sector.

Can't say they are not trying............ depends on who is taking notice.

Others elsewhere are buying today, their buys are being reported as sells.

Nothing new here then!!

SEY went down .5p in the end, quite staggering really, and the chart looks awful!

So today we had two RNS, director buying, and a fund picking up a large chunk, and also news that SEY are being recommended in the IC tomorrow, and we went DOWN?

Don't want to see what happens on a bad day!

lol

Fall out from the RPT mess.

yup. back up on news

Investors Chronicle item, (edited), taken from iii and posted by that nice drop dead gorgeous Andy Reilly.

STERLING ENERGY (SEY)

A doubling of production from Sterling's Gulf of Mexico Osprey assets was behind the surge in the company's profits................... But, with Chinguetti coming on stream, cash flow should increase next year.

Buy



Ooooooooo I could eat his socks.

SWW,

Yes, that article is nicely written, must be good for a .25p rise early tomorrow am!

Morning all, this may be old news but it came in the Money Week mag today... This year Sterling expects to double gas output & receive higher gas prices than in 2004. The implications for profits (up 130% in 2004) are "mouth-watering.BUY. The Times. Regards goal.