LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM--(Marketwire - March 5, 2012) -

THIS PRESS RELEASE IS NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES.

Heritage Oil Plc ("Heritage" or the "Company") (News - Market indicators)(LSE:HOIL), an independent upstream exploration and production company, provides an update on the Miran West-3 well in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq ("Kurdistan").

Highlights

• The well is currently at a depth of 2,910 metres
• Testing and the results of wireline logging confirm the Lower Cretaceous reservoir formation is gas bearing
• High pressure gas was encountered requiring a change in well design and the well being sidetracked. This high pressure interval has been drilled and is now being logged
• Drilling will continue to the Jurassic targets below 3,000 metres

Heritage has completed well testing and wireline log evaluation of the Lower Cretaceous reservoir in the Miran West-3 well and is currently at a depth of 2,910 metres.

Testing in the Lower Cretaceous formation resulted in no measurable flow of hydrocarbons to surface due to the lack of an extensive connected fracture network at this location. The results from detailed wireline log interpretation, observations whilst drilling and gas recovered at surface confirm that the Lower Cretaceous reservoir formation is gas bearing. Detailed work is being undertaken on the recently processed 3D seismic and offset well data to establish the areas of effective reservoir for this formation.

Below the Lower Cretaceous reservoir the well encountered a high pressure interval as well as a loss of circulation which resulted in the need to sidetrack the well. This interval has now successfully been drilled and the well is currently at a depth of 2,910 metres and being logged.

Further drilling will appraise the Jurassic reservoir intervals which were discovered by the Miran West-2 well. A number of tests are planned and drilling is expected to be completed within the next couple of months.

A second rig to drill the Miran East-1 well is on location and expected to commence drilling shortly.

Tony Buckingham, CEO, commented:

"The Miran West-3 well is providing further information on this large fractured carbonate structure to enable Heritage to better understand the reserves distribution in the field and confirm volumes for development planning. The degree of fracturing and high pressure encountered in these deeper intervals have meant that the drilling programme is taking longer than expected, but nevertheless, the data being obtained is vindicating our approach in drilling this deviated well."

Heritage Energy Middle East, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Heritage, is operator and holds a 75% interest in the Miran Block and Genel Energy plc the remaining 25%, although there are third party back-in rights. The Miran Block has an area of 1,015 square kilometres and is located west of the city of Suleimaniah. The Miran Block contains two large structures, Miran West and Miran East, which have been mapped from 2D and 3D seismic programmes conducted by Heritage.

Notes to Editors

• Heritage is listed on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index. The trading symbol is HOIL. Heritage has a further listing on the Toronto Stock Exchange (News - Market indicators).

• Heritage is an independent upstream exploration and production company engaged in the exploration for, and the development, production and acquisition of, oil and gas in its core areas of Africa, the Middle East and Russia. 

• Heritage has a producing property in Russia, exploration projects in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Malta, Pakistan, Tanzania and Mali and an investment in Libya.  

• Heritage Energy Middle East, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Heritage, is operator and holds a 75% interest in the Miran Block. There are third party back-in rights which could reduce the holding to 56.25%. 

• For further information please refer to our website, www.heritageoilplc.com.

If you would prefer to receive press releases via email please contact Jeanny So (jeanny@chfir.com) and specify "Heritage press releases" in the subject line.

FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION:

Except for statements of historical fact, all statements in this news release - including, without limitation, statements regarding production estimates and future plans and objectives of Heritage - constitute forward-looking information that involve various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate; actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from anticipated results include risks and uncertainties such as: risks relating to estimates of reserves and recoveries; production and operating cost assumptions; development risks and costs; the risk of commodity price fluctuations; political and regulatory risks; and other risks and uncertainties as disclosed under the heading "Risk Factors" in its Prospectus and elsewhere in Heritage documents filed from time-to-time with the London Stock Exchange and other regulatory authorities. Further, any forward-looking information is made only as of a certain date and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking information or statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which such statement is made or reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as may be required by applicable securities laws. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for management of the Company to predict all of these factors and to assess in advance the impact of each such factor on the Company's business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking information.