AU$9.9 Million Capital Raising
Sydney, Feb 6, 2012 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Central Petroleum Ltd (
ASX:CTP) ("Central" or "Company") advises that it has completed the issue of the Share Purchase Plan ("SPP") shares to existing shareholders in addition to completing a top-up placement ("Placement") of 50 million new Central shares at 5.5 cents per share to institutional, sophisticated and professional investors. In total the SPP and Placement raised $9.9 million before costs.
The funds raised in the placement are to provide the Company with additional working capital towards funding the planned ongoing appraisal of the Surprise prospect oil discovery located in the Amadeus Basin which will involve an Extended Production Test (EPT), 3D seismic and additional drilling. The EPT is planned to commence in April and the timing of 3D seismic and further drilling to be finalised shortly.
The placement was managed by Patersons Securities Limited.
Settlement of the placement is scheduled to occur on 9 February 2012 and the new shares are expected to be quoted on that date.
Following the completion of initial flow testing at the Surprise-1 RE H well the Hunt Rig #3 was released and is stacked on site pending a determination of drilling plans going forward.
The Company is evaluating alternative scenarios for the lifting, transportation and sale of the oil produced during the EPT which may last up to six months or more pending flow stabilisation and possible application for a Production Licence. Work is underway to obtain the necessary permits and regulatory approvals with the Company expecting to finalise and announce a sales contract for the oil produced during the EPT in the coming weeks.
About Central Petroleum Limited
Central Petroleum Limited (
ASX:CTP) is an established ASX-listed Australian oil and gas producer (ASX:CTP) with exploration and appraisal permits in the Northern Territory (NT). Central has grown to become the largest onshore gas operator in the NT, supplying residential and industrial customers in the NT and wider Australian east coast market.
Central is seeking to become a major domestic energy supplier, in addition to helium and naturally occurring hydrogen, with exploration, appraisal and development plans across 169,112 km2 of tenements the NT, including some of Australia's largest known onshore conventional gas prospects in the Amadeus Basin.
| ||
|
