VALEURA COMMENTS ON RECENT EVENTS AFFECTING TURKEY

Calgary, October 17, 2019: Valeura Energy Inc. (TSX:VLE, LSE:VLU) (“Valeura” or the “Company”), the upstream natural gas producer focused on appraising and developing an unconventional gas accumulation play in the Thrace Basin of Turkey in partnership with Equinor, comments on its ongoing operations in relation to recent events affecting Turkey.

All of Valeura’s people, contractors, and assets remain safe and not directly impacted by the conflict in northern Syria. For reference, Valeura’s operations are located in the northwest (Thrace) region of Turkey, west of Istanbul and more than 1,000 km from the Turkey-Syria border. Field operations and specifically the production testing of the Inanli-1 well are progressing safely, and as planned.

Valeura has retained external legal counsel from the DLA Piper Washington D.C. office to provide ongoing legal counsel and monitoring of the U.S. Executive Order sanctions recently imposed against the Government of Turkey and certain Turkish parties and officials. The Company believes its ongoing business is able to proceed unimpeded by recent sanctions. Valeura anticipates continuing its natural gas production operations, including uninterrupted sales to its existing customers in Turkey, and the Company is continuing its appraisal testing programme in relation to its unconventional gas accumulation play. The Company has not, as of the date of this announcement, received any notice from any of its contractors or service providers of any anticipated disruption in their ability to support Valeura’s ongoing operations.

The Company continues to actively monitor the situation and, if required, may take measures to ensure its operations remain conducted in such a manner as to not trigger sanctions imposed by the Government of the United States of America.

Ensuring security, safety, and business continuity is a high priority for Valeura, and accordingly, the Company remains vigilant in monitoring the prevailing situation in Turkey to identify and manage risks to its people, assets, and ongoing operations. Business is proceeding as usual.

 

For further information please contact:

Valeura Energy Inc. (General and Investor Enquiries) +1 403 237 7102
Sean Guest, President and CEO
Steve Bjornson, CFO
Robin Martin, Investor Relations Manager
Contact@valeuraenergy.com, IR@valeuraenergy.com

GMP First Energy (Financial Adviser and Joint Corporate Broker) +44 (0) 20 7448 0200
Jonathan Wright, Hugh Sanderson

Canaccord Genuity Limited (Joint Corporate Broker) +44 (0) 20 7523 8000
Henry Fitzgerald-O’Connor, James Asensio

CAMARCO (Public Relations, Media Adviser) +44 (0) 20 3757 4980
Owen Roberts, Billy Clegg, Monique Perks, Thayson Pinedo
Valeura@camarco.co.uk

 

About Valeura Energy
Valeura Energy Inc. is a Canada-based public company engaged in the exploration, development and production of petroleum and natural gas in Turkey.

Since Valeura was established in 2010, the Company has executed a number of transactions and currently holds interests in 20 production leases and exploration licences in the Thrace Basin of Turkey totalling 0.46 MM acres (gross) or on a net basis 0.37 MM acres of shallow rights and 0.26 MM net acres of deep rights.

Valeura is appraising an unconventional basin-centered gas accumulation (“BCGA”) play in the Thrace Basin on its deep rights, which has been evaluated by DeGolyer and MacNaughton, an independent reserves auditor, to hold, effective December 31, 2018, 10.1 Tcfe of estimated working interest unrisked mean prospective resources of natural gas, which includes 236 MMbbl of condensate. By applying 3D seismic, modern reservoir stimulation technology and horizontal and deeper vertical well drilling, Valeura is aiming to achieve commercial scale operations from this tight gas resource.

In addition, the Company owns an extensive network of gas gathering and sales infrastructure to support direct marketing of natural gas to end users, and in Q2 2019, produced an average of 4.2 MMcf/d of natural gas from conventional gas accumulations in its shallower rights.

The Company is listed on both the Toronto Stock Exchange under VLE and on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange under VLU.
Additional information relating to Valeura is also available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on the Company’s corporate website at www.valeuraenergy.com.

 

Forward-Looking Statements and Cautionary Statements

This news release contains certain forward-looking statements and information (collectively referred to herein as “forward-looking information”) including, but not limited to: the Company’s ability to continue its operations in Turkey, safely, and unimpeded by recent events; and the Company’s future potential measures to ensure its operations remain conducted in such a manner as to not trigger sanctions imposed by the Government of the United States of America. Forward-looking information typically contains statements with words such as “anticipate”, “estimate”, “expect”, “target”, “potential”, “could”, “should”, “would” or similar words suggesting future outcomes. The Company cautions readers and prospective investors in the Company’s securities to not place undue reliance on forward-looking information, as by its nature, it is based on current expectations regarding future events that involve a number of assumptions, inherent risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by the Company.

Statements related to “prospective resources” are deemed forward-looking statements as they involve the implied assessment, based on certain estimates and assumptions, that the prospective resources can be profitably produced in the future. Specifically, forward-looking information contained herein regarding “prospective resources” include volumes of prospective resources and the ability to finance future development and, the conversion of a portion of prospective resources into reserves.

Forward-looking information is based on management’s current expectations and assumptions regarding, among other things: continued political stability of the areas in which the Company is operating; continued safety of operations and ability to proceed in a timely manner; continued operations of and approvals forthcoming from the Turkish government and regulators in a manner consistent with past conduct; future seismic and drilling activity on the expected timelines; the continued favourable pricing and operating netbacks in Turkey; future production rates and associated operating netbacks and cash flow; decline rates; future sources of funding; future economic conditions; future currency exchange rates; the ability to meet drilling deadlines and other requirements under licenses and leases; and the Company’s continued ability to obtain and retain qualified staff and equipment in a timely and cost efficient manner. In addition, the Company’s work programmes and budgets are in part based upon expected agreement among joint venture partners and associated exploration, development and marketing plans and anticipated costs and sales prices, which are subject to change based on, among other things, the actual results of drilling and related activity, availability of drilling, reservoir stimulation and other specialised oilfield equipment and service providers, changes in partners’ plans and unexpected delays and changes in market conditions. Although the Company believes the expectations and assumptions reflected in such forward-looking information are reasonable, they may prove to be incorrect.

Forward-looking information involves significant known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Exploration, appraisal, and development of oil and natural gas reserves are speculative activities and involve a degree of risk. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by the Company including, but not limited to: the risks of currency fluctuations; changes in gas prices and netbacks in Turkey; uncertainty regarding the contemplated timelines and costs for the deep evaluation; the risks of disruption to operations and access to worksites, threats to security and safety of personnel and potential property damage related to political issues or civil unrest in Turkey; potential changes in laws and regulations, the uncertainty regarding government and other approvals; counterparty risk; risks associated with weather delays and natural disasters; and the risk associated with international activity.

The forward-looking information included in this news release is expressly qualified in its entirety by these cautionary statements. The forward-looking information included herein is made as of the date hereof and Valeura assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information to reflect new events or circumstances, except as required by law. See the AIF for a detailed discussion of the risk factors.

This announcement does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities in any jurisdiction, including where such offer would be unlawful. This announcement is not for distribution or release, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States, Ireland, the Republic of South Africa or Japan or any other jurisdiction in which its publication or distribution would be unlawful.

Neither the Toronto Stock Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Toronto Stock Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

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