Drilling Update

7 Mar 2006 07:57

Empyrean Energy PLC07 March 2006 Empyrean Energy PLC ("Empyrean" or the "Company"; Ticker: (EME)) Drilling Update • HORIZONTAL DRILLING COMMENCES AT EAGLE NORTH-1• OPERATOR ANTICIPATES RESULTS WITHIN THE NEXT 10 DAYS AIM quoted Empyrean Energy PLC today announces the following update on the EagleNorth-1 well in California, USA. Victoria Petroleum NL as operator for the Eagle North-1 well has advised thatpreparations are underway to drill a horizontal well towards the lower Gatchelloil sands that produced oil during testing of the Mary Bellocchi-1 well. The planned horizontal well will drill laterally through 300m (within a verticalcolumn of 15m) of lower Gatchell oil sand to determine the potential horizontaloil flow rate. The horizontal well is to be drilled with normal balanced water based drillingmud. This will provide a clear evaluation of the oil bearing nature of the lowerGatchell sands. It will also avoid formation damage due to overbalanced drillingconditions and associated complications such as washouts and ineffectiveconnectivity between the wellbore and the reservoir - all of which may haveaffected the Eagle North-1 vertical well. Testing of the vertical well resultedin the recovery of a small amount of oil and no water. The operator anticipates that the horizontal well may be completed within thenext 10 days. For further information Laurence Read/ Angus PrenticeConduit PRTel: +44 (0) 207 429 6603Mob: +44 (0) 7974 982 512 David NewtonHB CorporateTel: +44 (0) 207 510 8600 Chris LambertEmpyrean Energy plcTel: +44 (0) 207 932 2442 This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange