Final step in Mongolian PSC approval process completed
Baar, Switzerland, April 28, 2009
Manas Petroleum Corp. (MNAP.OB)
Manas Petroleum Corporation announces that its wholly-owned subsidiary, DWM Petroleum AG, has signed production contracts with the Petroleum Authority of Mongolia for blocks 13 and 14 at the Hotel Khan Palace Kempinsky in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, on April 21, 2009. The production contracts were signed by Dashzeveg Amarsaikhan, the Chairman of the Petroleum Authority of Mongolia, and by Alex Becker on behalf of DWM Petroleum AG in a televised ceremony. Jamiansurengiyn Batsuuri, Vice-Minister of the Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy, Dr. Ariunsan Baldanjav, Economic Policy Advisor of the Prime Minister's office, and several distinguished members of Parliament also attended the televised ceremony. The signing ceremony follows a review process by Mongolian Government and Security Council and formal ratification by parliament. Subject to payment of fees, this represented the final step in assigning these blocks for exploration and exploitation according to Mongolian law.
Manas owns a 74% interest in blocks 13 and 14, which cover an aggregate of over 20,000 square kilometers, or almost five million acres, of land located on Mongolia's southern border. The production contracts provide for a five-year exploration period (with two optional six month extensions allowed) beginning on the effective date of April 21, 2009, and a twenty-year exploitation period (with two five year extensions allowed). The remaining 26% interest in blocks 13 and 14 is held by a Mongolian oil and gas company and two investors.
Erik Herlyn, CEO of Manas Petroleum Corp. commented, " I think it is important to note the potential of the blocks. They cover an immense area and we believe they show great potential for exploration as evidenced by, among other things, multiple oil seeps and extensive source rocks."
Manas has already identified several leads from previous seismic. It plans to begin a US $1.6 million exploration program during the summer of 2009. Manas expects that this exploration program should include reconnaissance and geological mapping, gravimetric profiling and lithographic and paleontologic stratigraphic work and reprocessing of seismic. Manas has US $2 million currently set aside in Mongolia to fund exploration.
This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are projections of events, revenues, income, future economic performance or management's plans and objectives for future operations. In some cases you can identify forward-looking statements by the use of terminology such as "may", "should", "anticipates", "believes", "expects", "intends", "forecasts", "plans", "future", "strategy", or words of similar meaning. Forward-looking statements in this press release include statements about the company's belief that blocks 13 and 14 show great potential for exploration, that it will begin a $1.6 million exploration program during the summer of 2009 that should include reconnaissance and geological mapping, gravimetric profiling and lithographic and paleontologic stratigraphic work and reprocessing of seismic. These statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, including the risks inherent in our industry, the poor capital markets and other risks identified by us in our periodic filings on EDGAR (which can be viewed at www.sec.gov). Any of these risks could cause our or our industry's actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements.
While these forward-looking statements and any assumptions upon which they are based are made in good faith and reflect our current judgment regarding the direction of its business, actual results will almost always vary, sometimes materially, from any estimates, predictions, projections, assumptions or other future performance suggested in this press release. Except as required by applicable law, including the securities laws of the United States and Canada, we do not intend to update any of the forward-looking statements to conform these statements to actual results.
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