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February 2012



 Oil & Gas AIM Initiations




Dr. Dougie Youngson                           Sam Wahab ACA
Research Analyst                              Research Analyst
+44 (0) 20 7107 8068                          +44 (0) 20 7107 8094
dougieyoungson@seymourpierce.com              samwahab@seymourpierce.com




This is a marketing communication. It has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and is
not subject to any prohibition on dealing ahead of the dissemination of investment research.
Oil & Gas AIM Initiations February 2012




Table of Contents

Introduction                                                                   3
Top picks                                                                      4
                Bayfield                                                       4
                Borders & Southern                                             5
                Gulf Keystone Petroleum                                        6
                Xcite Energy                                                   7

Top regions                                                                    8
Oil and gas price outlook for 2012                                            11
Valuation methodology                                                         12
Exploration                                                                   12
Production                                                                    12

Companies

                Aurelian Oil & Gas                                           13
                Borders & Southern Petroleum                                 27
                Chariot Oil & Gas                                            37
                Faroe Petroleum                                              51
                Frontera                                                     67
                Gulf Keystone                                                77
                Gulfsands Petroleum                                          91
                Xcite Energy                                                107
                Bayfield Energy                                             115
                Gold Oil                                                    129
                Independent Resources                                       143

Glossary of terms                                                           156




Seymour Pierce equity research                                                 1
Oil & Gas AIM Initiations |February 2012




2                                          Seymour Pierce equity research
Oil & Gas AIM Initiations February 2012




                                                  Introduction
                                                  In this oil and gas sector report we are initiating on 11 AIM listed companies. The core
                                                  of the note focuses on companies which we consider have interesting investment
                                                  cases. We believe that key criteria investors should focus on are:

                                                       •     Strong management teams

                                                       •     Assets which can be commercialised

                                                       •     A deliverable strategy which will yield shareholder value within a reasonable
                                                             timeframe

                                                  AIM suffers from a great number of companies that tick none of these boxes.
                                                  However, we believe that the companies covered in this report tick most if not all of
                                                  these boxes and should be worth your consideration.

 We have highlighted what we feel are likely to   We have highlighted what we believe are likely to be some of the best performing
be some of the best performing stocks in 2012..   stocks in 2012. We have also identified what we consider are likely to be the core
                                                  regions for oil and gas activity in the short term.




                                                  Seymour Pierce equity research                                                        3
Oil & Gas AIM Initiations |February 2012




                                           Top pick overview
                                           Bayfield
                                           Proposition
                                           Bayfield’s recent operational update provided the first opportunity post-IPO to
                                           evaluate progress across its portfolio. The company continues to make positive in
                                           Trinidad with the spudding of the East Galeota exploration well at the end of January
                                           which is expected to take 42 days to drill. A further two exploration wells will be
                                           drilled at East Galeota which could provide additional upside resource potential.
                                           At the Trintes (Trinidad) field the company successfully drilled two appraisal wells:
                                           B10 & B8. These have de-risked the management’s production projections for the field
                                           and should also increase the upside potential for the field, once production has
                                           stabilised.

                                           Catalysts
                                           The company has several near-term exploration (EG8 well) and appraisal targets
                                           which could provide share price triggers during 2012 on the assumption of positive
                                           results. Despite production being pushed back (due to operational and weather
                                           reasons) it should reach our previous production target of c.4,000boepd in 2H2012.
                                           This will enhance financial performance in the latter part of this year and provide a
                                           strong production and financial basis for the company as it moves its 2013.
                                           Valuation
                                           SOTP valuation matrix

                                                                                                               £ million                       p/share

                                           Production                                                                96.9                            45.1
                                           Reserves                                                                  90.3                            42.0
                                           Net cash*                                                                 28.1                            13.1
                                           Less: G&A                                                               (20.0)                           (9.3)
                                           Core Value                                                              195.4                             90.9
                                           Contingent resources                                                      36.8                            17.1
                                           Target Market Cap                                                       232.1                            108.0
                                           Source: Seymour Pierce Ltd
                                           *We have assumed a post placing cash balance using managements FY12E guidance of c.$55m


                                           Our core valuation comprises a revised DCF analysis of Bayfield’s producing assets,
                                           the company’s externally verified reserve estimates, and the FY12E net cash balance.
                                           We also attribute a discounted general & administrative (G&A) charge for field related
                                           expenditure in relation to the Trintes play. On this basis our revised valuation indicates
                                           that Bayfield is currently trading at c.50% below its core asset value alone. We
                                           reiterate our Buy recommendation and target price of 108p.
                                           SOTP waterfall chart
                                                         140
                                                                                                                                          45
                                                         120

                                                         100

                                                         80                                                                   42
                                               p/share




                                                         60
                                                         40                                               17

                                                         20                          13
                                                                 -9
                                                          0

                                                         -20
                                                                G&A               Net Cash            Contingent            Reserves   Production
                                                                                                      resources
                                           Source: Seymour Pierce Ltd




4                                          Seymour Pierce equity research
Oil & Gas AIM Initiations February 2012




Borders & Southern
Proposition
2011 was the turn of the northern Falkland players (RKH & DES) and in 2012 the
activity heads south with both BOR & FOGL drilling. Whilst these companies share
common issues such as regional politics, BOR stands out amongst its peers in terms of
the potential size of its drilling targets as well as the expertise of its management
team.

Catalysts
Drilling at the first prospect is underway. The company forecasts that it will take 90
days to drill both Darwin and Stebbing. The key price drivers will be the well results
from these two wells. We highlight that the two wells are testing two different types
of play. Failure (or success) at the first well does change the risk profile of the second.

Valuation
SOTP valuation matrix

NAV                                                      £m                        p/share

Darwin                                                  199                             46
Stebbing                                                227                             53
Net cash                                                116                             27
Core value                                              542                            126

Source: Seymour Pierce Ltd & Company data


We have valued Borders in terms of a risked exploration net asset appraisal of their
near term assets. The company intends to drill two wells in Q1 2012 (Darwin and
Stebbing), and we feel it is appropriate to value it on this basis.

SOTP waterfall chart


              140
                                                                          53

              120

              100

              80                                46
    p/share




              60

              40
                              27
              20

               0
                          Net Cash            Darwin                   Stebbing


Source: Seymour Pierce Ltd & Company data




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Oil & Gas AIM Initiations |February 2012




                                           Gulf Keystone Petroleum
                                           Proposition
                                           2011 saw substantial resource upgrades across its assets in Kurdistan. 2012 will see
                                           the company move into export production for the first time, resulting in the first
                                           significant cash inflows for GKP. The entrance of ExxonMobil and Total into the region
                                           has enhanced its credibility as a potential major future oil producing province. We feel
                                           that the persistent take over rumours are premature, but likely to be accurate in the
                                           longer term.

                                           Catalysts
                                           The company is in the process of drilled several wells across it acreage, the results will
                                           provide the key share price drivers in 2012. The company has now opened the data
                                           room for the sale of its Akri-Bijeel asset for which we have a risked valuation of
                                           c.$200m. We estimate that this process could take up to three months to complete.
                                           Short term share price drivers are: well testing results from the Shaikan-4 well (due
                                           imminently) and the well result at the Ber Bahr-1 exploration well (due end of
                                           February/early March).

                                           Valuation
                                           SOTP valuation matrix

                                                                                           £ million                p/share

                                           Production                                           268                   31
                                           Discovered 2C                                       2,708                 317
                                           Gross Value                                         2,975                 348
                                           Less: G&A                                            (40)                 (5)
                                           Net Value                                           2,936                 344
                                           Net Cash                                             256                   30
                                           Target Market Cap/ Price                            3,191                 374
                                           Source: Seymour Pierce Ltd


                                           We have valued Gulf Keystone in terms of its discovered resource base under the low
                                           estimate scenario stated in the most recent CPR, and have not included estimates for
                                           yet-to-find resources. In addition, we have included a discounted cash flow (DCF)
                                           valuation of GKP’s current and forecast production (2012: c.10,000bopd ramping up
                                           to 2014: c.40,000bopd) from its Shaikan field in Kurdistan.

                                           SOTP waterfall chart

                                                          400                                                           317

                                                          350
                                                          300
                                                          250
                                                p/share




                                                          200
                                                          150
                                                          100
                                                                                                          31
                                                          50                              30
                                                                        -5
                                                           0
                                                          -50           G&A            Net Cash        Production   Discovered 2C


                                           Source: Seymour Pierce Ltd & Company data
                                           .




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Oil & Gas AIM Initiations February 2012




Xcite Energy
Proposition
In 2010, a mis-communicated reserve report, delayed clarity on funding against a
backdrop of weak market conditions resulted in Xcite losing the majority of its 2010
share price gains. The rig on site awaiting delayed DECC approval and development
drilling due to start in February, are we about to see resurgence in this stock? We
think so, but it may prove to be another turbulent year for investors should initial
drilling results fail to deliver.

Catalysts
The company is awaiting overdue DECC approval for drilling to start as part of Phase
1A. Once this has been approved (which we assume in the very short term) the
company can begin drilling the first batch of development wells at Bentley. This will
provide the first significant share price driver for the company. The resultant well flow
test results will then provide guidance as to the level of production we can expect
from the field. It should also result in the conversion of contingent resources into
reserves, which should also enhance valuation.

Valuation
SOTP valuation matrix

NAV by activity                                £ million             p / share

Confirmed CPR reserves/resources                822.4                   227
Plus net (debt)/cash                            30.78                    15
Core NAV                                        853.2                   242

Source: Seymour Pierce Ltd & Company data


We have based our valuation of Xcite solely on the company's latest Reserves
Assessment Report (RAR) for the Bentley field.

SOTP waterfall chart

               300

                                                                  227
               250


               200
     p/share




               150


               100


               50
                                       15
                0
                                   Net cash                Risked resources


Source: Seymour Pierce Ltd & Company data




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Oil & Gas AIM Initiations |February 2012




                                                         Top regions

                                                         We have identified three key regions which we believe are likely to see significant
                                                         positive momentum in 2012

    We have identified three key regions which we
           feel are likely to see significant positive   Kurdistan
                               momentum in 2012.
                                                         Activity in Kurdistan has been steadily increasing in recent years with the entrance of
                                                         several small and medium independent E&Ps. However, the region finally got the “seal
                                                         of approval” following the announcement that ExxonMobil was to acquire significant
                                                         acreage in six exploration blocks in late 2011. More recently, speculation has mounted
                                                         that Total were planning a similar move, although this has yet to be formally
                                                         announced.

                                                         Many commentators have suggested that the absence of the majors was due to
                                                         fractious relationship between the Iraqi Central Government and the Kurdistan
                                                         Regional Government. The absence of resolution on the new Iraqi oil laws (which were
                                                         drafted in 2007) continues to hold back the region from making an impact on the
                                                         export market and continues to prevent major capital investment in projects other
                                                         than for licence acquisition and exploration.

                                                         Outlook
       The USGS has estimated that Kurdistan has         The USGS has estimated that Kurdistan has c.40bn bbl of oil and c.60tcf of gas with
      c.40bn bbl of oil and c.60tcf of gas with low      low geological exploration risk. However, this attractiveness is countered by the high
                        geological exploration risk.     (and some would say increasing) geopolitical risk as well as tangible commercial risk
                                                         should the issue surrounding the oil law not being resolved in the short to medium
                                                         term.

                                                         The one key benefit of operating in Kurdistan versus the rest of Iraq is security.
                                                         Kurdistan continues to be a much safer operating environment and has been one of
                                                         the key drivers for investment in the region.

                                                         We believe that the increasing influx of foreign oil companies into Kurdistan and the
                                                         increasing capital expenditure they bring is the most likely driver for resolution of the
                                                         oil law. Increases in production outside Kurdistan have been disappointing so far and if
                                                         Iraq is to see any tangible increase in production in the short to medium term we
                                                         believe that this will come from Kurdistan.

                                                         Companies on our watchlist
                                                         Gulf Keystone Petroleum has been a long term player in Kurdistan and has seen
                                                         considerable exploration success so far. It has discovered c.15bn bbl of oil in place so
                                                         far and continues to explore during 2012. The company is aiming for oil exports
                                                         starting in 2013 and is seeking to develop an oil export pipeline to Kirkuk with a
                                                         capacity of 440,000bopd. There has been considerable speculation that it is a takeover
                                                         target ahead of moving into full scale commercial development. Price drivers in 2012
                                                         are likely to come from further resource upgrades and increases in production from
                                                         Shaikan.

                                                         Heritage Oil & Gas has had a mixed experience in Kurdistan. Initially positive drilling
                                                         results at the Miran West field, which was identified as an oil discovery, changed when
                                                         follow up drilling discovered large quantities of gas instead. Heritage’s share price
                                                         collapsed at this point and it has struggled to recover since. The company is
                                                         examining options for gas export and continues to explore at Miran and positive
                                                         results from this programme could boost the share price in 2012.

                                                         A recent and unexpected entrant is Afren, who made their first investment outside
                                                         Africa last year. The company is targeting first oil from its assets in 2012 and this is
                                                         likely to provide upside from this part of the portfolio in 2012. The company also has
                                                         exploration planned in Kurdistan later this year.

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Oil & Gas AIM Initiations February 2012




                                                     East Africa
    The highly competitive operating in western      The highly competitive operating in western Africa and increasingly in central Africa
Africa and increasingly in central Africa has seen   has seen a migration of companies towards the east of the continent. As is typical for
   a migration of companies towards the east of      frontier regions, small E&Ps have made the initial exploration efforts to prove up
                                   the continent.    resources. We have now entered the phase where successful explorers are attracting
                                                     interest from larger independents as well as the majors.

                                                     Outlook
                                                     We believe that 2012 will continue to see exploration success from the minor
                                                     companies in the shallow water and hopefully in the deeper water from the new
                                                     entrant majors. M&A on a greater scale is also likely to be a prominent feature. Cove
                                                     Energy, for example has already put up the “for sale” sign and we can expect further
                                                     consolidation in the region.

                                                     Exploration has tended to yield large gas discoveries in the shallow water blocks of a
                                                     size which could potentially support a LNG development. However, given that the LNG
                                                     market is oversupplied with more capacity due to come onstream in Australia and the
                                                     Middle East, we see this a a longer term prospect than other commentators.

                                                     Companies on our watchlist
                                                     Afren entered east Africa via its acquisition of Black Marlin. During 2011 the company
                                                     has been working up these assets with a view to start exploration in 2012 and 2013.
                                                     Afren’s strategy has mainly been on developing already discovered assets. It
                                                     exploration exposure has been limited to date, but the company hopes to deliver
                                                     250mmbbl of 2P/2C resources over the next three years. East African exploration in
                                                     2012 will focus on Kenya and Tanzania.

                                                     Cove Energy recently put the for sale sign up following a very successful exploration
                                                     campaign in recent years. This company is very likely to attract interest in the majors
                                                     who are keen to potentially develop domestic and export gas projects in the region.
                                                     Share price performance will continue to be driven by its drilling campaign, resource
                                                     upgrades and potentially its acquisition.


                                                     North Sea – UK & Norway
  The UK North Sea saw a record investment of        The UK North Sea saw a record investment of £7.5bn in 2011, driven by high oil prices.
   £7.5bn in 2011, driven by high oil prices. This   This level of investment is forecast to continue until at least 2015. The emphasis of this
 level of investment is forecast to continue until   investment was skewed towards development rather than exploration and appraisal
                                    at least 2015.   which saw a decrease in activity. The sector also saw its most active period in terms of
                                                     transactions since 2005, with c.$4bn of assets switching hands during the year. This is
                                                     a trend which we expect to be a continuing theme as the region sees more
                                                     consolidation, particularly amongst the smaller players.

                                                     Following the successes of Statoil, Xcite Energy and Nautical Petroleum in heavy oil,
                                                     we would expect these types of projects to become more attractive throughout the
                                                     region. The fiscal terms for such projects will also improve project commerciality and
                                                     hopefully reduce the decline in oil production from the UK sector.

                                                     The Norway North Sea is seeing increased activity from a number of AIM listed E&P’s
                                                     as they look to exploit the attractive fiscal terms offered by the Norwegian
                                                     government. Currently, exploration companies will receive 78% of their drilling
                                                     expenditure back the following year to facilitate further growth in the region. The
                                                     state owned company, Petoro AS, is also undergoing transactions with foreign entities
                                                     operating in the region to acquire previously undeveloped licences, thus stimulating
                                                     future production from the region.




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Oil & Gas AIM Initiations |February 2012




                                           Companies on our watchlist
                                           Faroe Petroleum has a robust mix of production growth and high impact exploration,
                                           and continues to execute value accretive transactions on both sides of the Continental
                                           Shelf, most notably its recent asset swap with Petoro AS. The company has a strong
                                           balance sheet with sufficient cash reserves and debt facilities to fund its progressive
                                           drilling, appraisal and development activities.

                                           Xcite Energy moves into the development phase this year which should yield
                                           production in 2Q onwards. However, we do anticipate a volatile period during the
                                           initial drilling phase as we see the initial drilling and flow test results being announced.
                                           There is a huge amount of expectation relating to conversion of resources to reserves.




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                                                     Oil and gas price outlook for 2012
    Geopolitics were a major price driver during     Geopolitics were a major price driver during 2011, as concerns driven by the Arab
    2011, as concerns driven by the Arab Spring      Spring caused concerns as to the stability of the Middle East and what this could mean
                                                     for security of supply, particularly for Saudi Arabia and Iran. Despite not being a
                                                     significant oil producer, Syria continues to cause instability in the region. Similarly,
                                                     despite making progress Egypt has still not fully resolved its many issues and is likely
                                                     to remain unstable until after the elections are concluded.

                                                     Iran’s commitment to its nuclear programme will continue to antagonise the West and
                                                     remains a cause for concern. The recent sabre-rattling on the potential closure of the
                                                     Straits of Hormuz seems to have just been posturing. However, the reality is that this
                                                     major (a fifth if all traded oil passes through here) oil transit route for the region could
                                                     be closed within a matter of hours. Although unlikely, an escalation like this would not
                                                     only result in a major increase in the oil price, but could quickly escalate to another
                                                     war in the Middle East.

                                                     Brent averaged $110/bbl in 2011 and we forecast the price to average $100/bbl in
                                                     2012.

                                                     Now that winter has finally arrived in Europe, we have seen the spot gas price increase
                                                     by 30%, driven in part by Gazprom’s inability to increase supplies. Gazprom currently
                                                     supplies c.25% of the European market, but its pricing is the highest at c.$410/mcm.
                                                     Consequently it is seeing more competition from LNG and domestic sources of gas in
                                                     some countries. Such an aggressive pricing structure has resulted in demands from
                                                     gas users for Gazprom to move away from long-term contracts and increase the spot
                                                     market contribution to such contracts.

The success of the shale gas industry in the US is   The success of the shale gas industry in the US is has driven the gas price to a new low
         has driven the gas price to a new low of    of c.$2.50/mcf. The success has been so large that the US may move back into gas
                                    c.$2.50/mcf.     exports rather than being a net importer. We are now seeing an increase in shale gas
                                                     activity throughout Europe, particularly in Poland, and so far the results have been
                                                     mixed. We are therefore comfortable that the gas price will remain high and that shale
                                                     gas will have little impact on the supply/demand situation in the medium term.




                                                     Seymour Pierce equity research                                                           11
Oil & Gas AIM Initiations |February 2012




                                                    Valuation methodology

                                                    Petroleum companies are valued in terms of their portfolio of exploration and
                                                    production assets. Our overall target price comprises a core valuation for the
                                                    producing and near term production assets and a risked net asset value (RENAV) for
                                                    the exploration assets.


                                                    Exploration
                                                    Prior to drilling, a huge amount of work has been done to de-risk a prospect. We
                                                    apply a simple arithmetic approach to attempt to value such prospects ahead of
                                                    drilling. The calculation is:

                                                    RENAV = Gross resource estimate x Company Interest x Chance of Success x NPV/bbl

                                                    The company provides most of this data, the chance of success (CoS) is probably the
                                                    most important factor and is very company and country specific. Some companies are
                                                    better at exploration than others. Also, some countries have more hydrocarbons than
                                                    others. The CoS tends to be higher in mature exploration than in frontier regions. The
                                                    NPV per barrel varies from country to country and reflects the prevailing fiscal terms
                                                    and transaction values on a per barrel basis.


                                                    Production
          We write an operational model for the     We write an operational model for the company’s producing assets. This reflects
      company’s producing assets. This reflects     historic data and our assumptions for the future. We model production, prices and
historic data and our assumptions for the future.   costs and overlay the fiscal terms of the country where the asset is located. From this
                                                    model we derive a DCF which is then used to value the asset. See the valuation
                                                    section for the assumptions used for this company.

                                                    Resource Classification Framework




                                                    Source: SPE



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Oil & Gas AIM Initiations February 2012




10 February 12 | Initiation of coverage | Oil & Gas exploration and production




Aurelian Oil & Gas
                                                             (AIM:AUL)F



                                                         Let it flow
BUY                                                      2011 was a disappointing year for Aurelian, with its key asset Siekierki
Share price                                       17p    representing a much larger and complex challenge than initially
Target price                                      31p    anticipated. Following a comprehensive review, the company has
84% Upside                                               provided the market with a clear strategy to develop its entire portfolio,
                                                         which we feel represents a strong buying opportunity for investors, given
Market cap (£m)                                  82.8
                                                         current trading levels.
Net cash (£m)                                    80.0
Enterprise value^ (£m)                           82.8
                                                         Strategy shift
No. of shares (m)                               494.3    Aurelian has now concluded a comprehensive review of its assets following the
Average daily vol ('000, -3m)                   3,488    disappointing multi-fracced horizontal appraisal wells drilled in 2011. The data
                                                         acquired during the appraisal phase has improved the company’s understanding of
Dividend yield (%)                                 0.0   Siekierki, and as such, a revised development plan has been designed comprising 32
PER at Target price (Y1)                        147.2    wells recovering 296bcf of gas (previously 348bcf) to commence in 4Q 2012.

12 month high/low (p)                           92/16    Near-term exploration programme
                                                         Aurelian plans to take advantage of the flexibility in its work programme and preserve
(%)                          1m          3m      12m
                                                         capital by prioritising its exploration targets. In line with the strategic review, the
Absolute                     -2.9    -27.2       -79.3
                                                         company has deferred several exploration targets, to focus instead on near-term value
FTA relative                 -6.9    -31.9       -78.9
                                                         play unlocking wells. The programme is budgeted to cost €25.6m net to Aurelian
                                                         targeting 67.3mmboe of net unrisked prospective resources, which, while less than
Price & price relative (-2yr)
                                                         previously indicated, potentially offers material upside.
 100
  80                                                     Unlocking Siekierki
  60                                                     The company intends to enter into negotiations for a potential farm-in to its 90%
  40                                                     interest in Siekierki. The asset is surrounded by IOC operated acreage, most notably
  20                                                     Connoco Phillips, Exxon Mobil, Total and Chevron, all of which have the technological
    0                                                    knowledge base and financial backing that is required to fully develop the project. We
     Feb May Aug Nov Feb May Aug Nov Feb                 feel that a farm-in partner of sufficient expertise and financial resource base will act as
                     Price    Relative                   a positive share price trigger for investors in Aurelian.
Source: Datastream
                                                         Valuation and recommendation
Share price as at close:                 9 February 12
                                                         Our core valuation comprises exploration and development activities, and cash; which
Next news                                                yields a base value of 20p. Our exploration upside assessment contributes a further
Operational updates                                      10.8p. On this basis we initiate coverage with a BUY recommendation and set a price
                                                         target of 31p.
Business
Exploration in Central Europe with licences in           1 Please see regulatory disclosure notes at the end of this document
Poland, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria                   A draft of this research has been shown to the company following which minor factual amendments have been made.


www.aurelianoil.com
                                                         Year end Revenue                   EBIT*           PBT*            Tax Adj. EPS*          PER EV/EBIT* Div yield
                                                         December    (€m)                   (€m)            (€m)            (%)       (c)           (x)     (x)       (%)

Dr. Dougie Youngson                                      2009A                   0.0         (1.9)          (2.3)           0.0         (0.2)   (88.1)       (51.8)        0.0
Research Analyst                                         2010A                   0.0         (9.0)          (9.7)           0.0         (4.9)     (4.0)      (11.0)        0.0
+44 (0) 20 7107 8068                                     2011E                   0.0           1.3            2.5           0.0           0.2      80.1        76.4        0.0
dougieyoungson@seymourpierce.com                         2012E                   0.0         (5.3)          (4.5)           0.0         (0.9)   (21.7)       (18.7)        0.0
                                                         2013E                   0.0         (0.1)            0.4           0.0           0.1    261.4      (985.9)        0.0
Sam Wahab ACA
Research Analyst                                         * excludes exceptional items and amortisation of acquired intangibles.
+44 (0) 20 7107 8094                                     ^ EV calculation adjusted for core cash, investments etc.
samwahab@seymourpierce.com                               Source: Seymour Pierce Ltd




                                                         Seymour Pierce equity research                                                                                    13
Oil & Gas AIM Initiations |February 2012




                                                     Valuation and recommendation

     We value Aurelian on its core exploration and   We value Aurelian on its core exploration and development assets in Poland, Slovakia,
          development assets in Poland, Slovakia,    Romania and Bulgaria. The company has a clear development plan to bring their key
                             Romania and Bulgaria.   asset, Siekierki, to first stage production in 2016 (delayed by three years due to
                                                     technical issues experienced during flow testing in March and September 2011).
                                                     However, this development plan will require additional financial and technological
                                                     resources through a potential farm-out down. On this basis, we do not currently
                                                     provide a valuation of future discounted cash flows arising from Siekierki in 2016, until
                                                     the company has adequate resources in place to fulfil their strategy.

                                                     Our valuation incorporates the following assumptions:

                                                     Valuation assumptions

                                                     Metric                                                          Assumption

                                                     NPV/boe - Oil                                                     $5/boe
                                                     NPV/boe - Gas                                                     $3/boe
                                                     Realised gas price                                               $7.5/mcf
                                                     Long-term $/£                                                       1.65
                                                     Long-term $/€                                                       1.39
                                                     Long-term £/€                                                       1.16
                                                     Discount rate                                                       10%
                                                     Shares outstanding (million)                                       500.8

                                                     Source: Seymour Pierce Ltd


                                                     These assumptions have been implemented into our risked exploration net asset
                                                     valuation as follows:

Risked net asset valuation

     Status       Country       Project     Interest CoS/CoD        Resources         NPV 10% Unrisked   Risked   Unrisked   Risked Net Risked
                                                                    (mmboe)          US$ / boe NPV $m    NPV $m   NPV £m     NPV £m  p/share

                                                                 Gross        Net
 Development Poland      Siekierki    90.00%          25%        49.30       44.37      3      133.11     33.28      81      20.17      4.0
  Exploration  Poland Siekierki NW 90.00%             20%         11.5       10.35      3       31.05      6.21    18.82      3.76      0.8
  Exploration  Poland  Siekierki SW 90.00%            20%         3.3         2.97      3        8.91      1.78     5.40      1.08      0.2
  Exploration  Poland      Kalisz    50.00%           10%         5.3        2.65       3        7.95     0.80     4.82       0.48      0.1
  Exploration  Poland   Cyb. & Ty.    45.00%          10%          97        43.65      5      218.25     21.83   132.27     13.23      2.6
  Exploration  Poland   Bieszczady    25.00%          10%        272.8        68.2      5      341.00     34.10   206.67     20.67      4.1
  Exploration  Poland Karpaty East 80.00%             10%          28         22.4      3       67.20      6.72    40.73      4.07      0.8
  Exploration  Poland Karpaty West 60.00%             10%          19         11.4      3       34.20      3.42    20.73      2.07      0.4
  Exploration  Poland    Wetlina     100.00%          10%         31.6        31.6      5      158.00     15.80    95.76      9.58      1.9
  Exploration Slovakia    Svidnik     50.00%          10%        180.2        90.1      3      270.30     27.03   163.82     16.38      3.3
  Exploration Romania    Brodina      33.75%          10%          50       16.875      5       84.38      8.44    51.14      5.11      1.0
  Exploration Romania     Cuejdiu     45.00%          10%          16          7.2      5       36.00      3.60    21.82      2.18      0.4
  Exploration Romania    Brodina      33.75%          10%           8          2.7      3        8.10      0.81     4.91      0.49      0.1
  Exploration Bulgaria Golitza Block 30.00%           10%          12         3.6       3       10.80      1.08    6.55       0.65      0.1
                                                                784.00      358.07            1,409.25   164.89   854.09     99.93     20.0

Source: Seymour Pierce Ltd




14                                                   Seymour Pierce equity research
Oil & Gas AIM Initiations February 2012




                                                      SOTP valuation matrix

                                                                                                                  £ million                                   p/share

                                                      Siekierki (Development)                                       20.2                                        4.0
                                                      Siekierki (Exploration)                                        4.8                                        1.0
                                                      Other Polish exploration                                      50.1                                       10.0
                                                      Slovakia exploration                                          16.4                                        3.3
                                                      Romania exploration                                            8.4                                        1.7
                                                      Gross Value                                                   99.9                                       20.0
                                                      Net Cash                                                      54.2                                       10.8
                                                      Target Market Cap                                            154.1                                       30.8

                                                      Source: Seymour Pierce Ltd




                                                      SOTP waterfall chart

                                                                   35                                                                                                   11


                                                                   30


                                                                   25

                                                                                                                                                10
                                                                   20
                                                         p/share




                                                                   15
                                                                                                                           5
                                                                   10

                                                                                                      3
                                                                    5
                                                                                2


                                                                    0
                                                                        Romania & Bulgaria Slovakia exploration Siekierki (Exp & Dev.)   Polish exploration        Net Cash
                                                                           exploration                                                        upside


                                                      Source: Seymour Pierce Ltd



                                                      Recommendation and target price
                                                      Our gross valuation comprising exploration and development activities yields a base
                                                      value of 20p, whilst net cash adds a further 10.8p/share. In our view, Aurelian is
                                                      severely undervalued and is currently trading well below its core value.

In our view, Aurelian is severely undervalued and     On this basis we initiate coverage with a Buy recommendation and set a price target
    is currently trading well below its core value.   of 31p.




                                                      Seymour Pierce equity research                                                                                          15
Oil & Gas AIM Initiations |February 2012




                                           Strategic overview

                                           Aurelian has now concluded a comprehensive review of its assets following the
                                           disappointing multi-fracced horizontal appraisal wells drilled in 2011. The company
                                           arrived at three key conclusions which we have analysed in detail to support our
                                           investment case:

                                                      Siekierki is an attractive project and initial problems are now well understood
                                                      and a clear plan forward has been developed.
                                                      The cash position at the year-end 2011 was €63m which allows the company
                                                      to carry out its planned exploration and appraisal activities for the next 18
                                                      months.
                                                      Unlocking the full upside within the company is likely to require additional
                                                      technical and financial resources.

                                           We feel that it is important to analyse these three conclusions in detail to address
                                           existing shareholder concerns, as well as to illustrate to potential shareholders the
                                           possible upside arising on successful development of Aurelian’s acreage in central
                                           Europe.


                                           How attractive is Siekierki now?
The well tests on Siekierki have been       The well tests on Siekierki have been completed and incorporated in a comprehensive
completed and incorporated in a            technical and commercial review led by a group of independent consultants (AGR-
comprehensive technical and commercial     TRACS). From this, gas initially in place of 1.1tcf is now estimated in Block 207
review led by a group of independent       (company guidance prior to appraisal was 1.6tcf). However, we do highlight that this
consultants                                does not include gas potentially in Blocks 206 and 208 or the Krzesinki discovery.

                                           Siekierki location map




                                           Source: Company


                                           Following the strategy update and conference call, we feel it is clear that the data
                                           acquired during the appraisal phase has improved the company’s understanding of
                                           Siekierki, and the company has now constructed a new reservoir model. The new
                                           model now illustrates that the layered Rotliegendes sandstone sequence in Siekierki
                                           has a wide range of ambient porosity and permeability properties spanning 6-18%,
                                           with higher permeability layers dominating well performance.

                                           The company also maintains that the Krzesinki-1 well test result supports Aurelian’s
                                           new reservoir model, in terms of the presence of higher porosity zones within the gas

16                                         Seymour Pierce equity research
Oil & Gas AIM Initiations February 2012




                                                            legs of the Krzesinki and Siekierki fields, with an un-fracced well test producing
                                                            0.2mmscf/d. This represents the first successful un-stimulated gas well flow test on
                                                            Block 207 to date.

                                                            As such, a revised development plan (see forward plan section) has been designed,
                                                            comprising 32 wells recovering 296bcf of gas (previously 348bcf), indicating an
                                                            average recovery of 9.25bcf/well. To support these estimates, the company intends to
                                                            release an updated CPR covering both appraisal and exploration assets in March/April
                                                            2012.

                                                            Nevertheless, following the comprehensive technical and commercial review
                                                            supported by AGR-TRACS and the new reservoir model, the company maintains that
                                                            Siekierki is an attractive project which offers material upside to investors.


                                                            Funded exploration programme
Aurelian plans to take advantage of the flexibility         Aurelian plans to take advantage of the flexibility in its work programme and preserve
   in its work programme and preserve capital by            capital by prioritising its exploration targets. In line with the strategic review, the
                  prioritising its exploration targets.     company has deferred several exploration targets, to focus instead on near-term value
                                                            play unlocking wells.

                                                            Aurelian will initially drill the Sosna-1 well within the Torzym reef oil play in March
                                                            2012 targeting up to 35mmbbls gross. In addition, the company intends to undertake
                                                            further geological and geophysical surveys to de-risk the prospects identified in their
                                                            2011 seismic data including Cybinka-Torzym , Slovakia and Romania (Brodina).

                                                            The high impact Carpathian well drilling campaign will now be deferred to Q4 of this
                                                            year. This will include Kaparty East, which the company now believe to be gas rather
                                                            than oil with internal estimates suggesting a recoverable resource of 170bcf,
                                                            representing an additional 1p/share of our risked target valuation.

2012 drilling programme
      Well           Jan      Feb       Mar     Apr   May    Jun     Jul     Aug     Sep     Oct   Nov   Dec      WI   Max Cap (€m) Target mmboe   p/share
Krzesinki-1                                                                                                      90%        n/a           n/a        n/a
Niebieszczany-1                                                                                                  25%        n/a           n/a        n/a
Sosna-1                                                                                                          45%        2.6           3.1        0.4
Cierne-1                                                                                                         50%        6.4          19.4        1.4
Bieszczady-2                                                                                                     25%        3.7          23.1        2.8
Kaparty E-1                                                                                                      80%       10.2          14.5        1.1
Cuejdiu-1                                                                                                        45%       2.7            7.2        0.9
                  Rotliegendes
                  Zechstein Reef Oil Play
                  Carpathian Thrust fold Belt
Source: Seymour Pierce Ltd, Company


                                                            In addition to the above five wells, four contingent wells are also being considered for
                                                            Aurelian’s 2013 drilling schedule.

                                                            The programme is budgeted to cost €25.6m net to Aurelian although it aims to reduce
                                                            this by bringing in partners to the Romanian, Slovakian and Karpaty East & West
                                                            licences. In aggregate, the five wells are targeting 67.3mmboe of net unrisked
                                                            prospective resources, which while less than previously indicated, offers material
                                                            upside potential.


                                                            Unlocking the full value of the company
                                                            Analysis of Trzek-2 and Trzek-3
                                                            Aurelian’s share price has been severely impacted by the two multi-fracced horizontal
                                                            wells drilled in 2011. The company has reviewed the data from these wells to
                                                            implement a comprehensive plan to develop the asset using cost efficient and
                                                            technologically advantageous methods.

                                                            Seymour Pierce equity research                                                              17
Oil & Gas AIM Initiations |February 2012




                                           Aurelian has confirmed that the Trzek-2 horizontal well had mechanical issues with the
                                           completion which reduced fracture effectiveness; whilst the Trzek-3 well was
                                           mechanically well executed with better completion. However, the hydraulic fractures
                                           were not fully effective and the well bore did not make contact with the high
                                           permeability zone encountered in the pilot hole. As such, the combination of the
                                           reservoir’s permeability to gas and water, and the poor frac effectiveness explains why
                                           the Trzek-2 and Trzek-3 flow rates of 3mmscfd and 3.2mmscfd were significantly
                                           lower than expectations.

                                           Subsequent geological and geophysical analysis of the wells have provided Aurelian
                                           with a comprehensive understanding of the geology of Siekierki. This is best illustrated
                                           through their pre and post drill knowledge conceptual knowledge of the basin.

                                           Pre and post drill understanding
                                           Aurelian’s pre-drill strategy understood that the multi-frac horizontal well would
                                           produce dry gas when fracced above the free water level.

                                           Pre-drill concept




                                           Source: Company


                                           This was supported by the belief that Siekierki was a tight reservoir with moderate
                                           variation porosity. However, subsequent analysis has confirmed that the tight
                                           reservoir contains zones of significantly higher permeability and a much larger
                                           variation in porosity. In addition, gas is produced with water as relative permeability
                                           effects are important.

                                           Post-drill concept




                                           Source: Company




18                                         Seymour Pierce equity research
Oil & Gas AIM Initiations February 2012




                                                     From the above illustrations, we note that Siekierki is very different geologically from
                                                     the company’s original assumption. That assumption had only moderate variation in
                                                     porosity and permeability in the tight aeolian sandstone matrix Aurelian now
                                                     understands that the reservoir has streaks of higher permeability (yellow in the
                                                     diagram) within that tight matrix, which will dominate well performance On this basis,
                                                     management’s expectations of GIIP has been reduced by c.31% to 1.1tcf (previously
                                                     1.6tcf), however, the company re-iterates that the multi-fracced horizontal wells
                                                     implemented continues to be the correct technology application for the field and
                                                     significant operational lessons and insights have been learnt.

                                                     Forward development plan
    Aurelian will now seek to implement the next     Aurelian will now seek to implement the next stage of its development plan to achieve
stage of its development plan to achieve first gas   first gas sales in 2016This will initially involve the continuation of long-term testing of
                                    sales in 2016.   Trzek-2 and Trzek-3 and commercialising gas from these two wells using a low
                                                     pressure and low methane tie-in, as well as a gas to wire option as a smaller pilot
                                                     development. First gas arising from this is expected to be achieve in 4Q 2013 costing
                                                     in the region of €12m net to Aurelian.
Development plan to 2016




Source: Company
                                                     The above development plan will also incorporate a potential farm-in partner to the
                                                     Siekierki license. The company currently holds a 90% working interest in the block,
                                                     which is surrounded by IOC operated acreage, most notably Connoco Phillips, Exxon
                                                     Mobil, Total and Chevron, whom all have the technological knowledge base and
                                                     financial backing that is required to fully develop the Siekierki project.

                                                     In our view, a substantial farm-down of Siekierki would have always been an attractive
                                                     proposition for Aurelian even if the company had successfully flowed commercial
                                                     volumes of gas in 2011. The key difference in undertaking one now is that the
                                                     company has not proved up as much value of the asset as it would have liked and in
                                                     effect, its hand is being forced through a lack of financial resources.

                                                     Nevertheless, we feel that the introduction of an experienced farm-in partner in the
                                                     near term would be a strong share price trigger for investors, given the improved
                                                     technological understanding of the asset achieved through extensive data analysis.




                                                     Seymour Pierce equity research                                                          19
Oil & Gas AIM Initiations |February 2012




                                           Key assets

                                           Core area 1
                                           Poznan
                                           The Siekierki field was originally discovered over 40 years ago close to the city of
                                           Poznan, but the tight reservoir was found to exhibit low porosity and permeability,
                                           which meant commercial flow rates could not be achieved with the technology
                                           available at the time. Aurelian was awarded the Poznan East licence in 2003 and
                                           drilled the Trzek-1 well in 2007 to appraise the field, confirming the original findings
                                           but providing improved quality reservoir data using modern technologies.
                                           Significantly, the well flowed at an initial 7.5mmcfd before being choked back to a
                                           stable 2.5mmcfd. Aurelian’s latest CPR estimates 640bcf net to the company on a mid-
                                           case scenario (including Siekierki SW and Siekierki NW) representing this largest
                                           asset, by confirmed resources, in the company’s portfolio.

                                           Poznan blocks




                                           Source: Company


                                           Cybinka and Torzym
                                           These fields are located nearby to the German border and were acquired in 2008. They
                                           link to recent oil discoveries in the north, and the basin extends from the prolific UK
                                           North Sea. Existing data is being evaluated and has been followed by 3D seismic. The
                                           combined volume of hydrocarbons net to Aurelian is 34mmbbls and the company
                                           anticipates starting drilling in Q4 2011.

                                           Cybinka & Torzym




                                           Source: Company



20                                         Seymour Pierce equity research
Oil & Gas AIM Initiations February 2012




Core area 2
Aurelian has continued to develop its second Core Area and has executed its strategy
of applying modern 2D seismic to explore thrust fold areas. During 2010, the company
successfully acquired 776km of 2D seismic across its acreage here.


Bieszczady

In the Polish Carpathians, the first of a three well programme in the company’s
Bieszczady concession, Niebieszczany-1, was spudded in October 2010. The well is
being drilled to target depth of 4,800 metres targeting an oil prospect of up to
100mmbbls (gross). A number of reservoirs, all of which are proven producers in the
region, are being targeted by this well and there are several other similar-sized
prospects on trend, which would be de-risked in the event of a successful outcome.
Using existing 2D seismic data covering approximately 20% of the concession area,
prospects totaling up to 680m barrels of un-risked prospective resources have been
mapped. The acquisition phase of a second 300km 2D survey covering a further 20% of
the concession size was completed in March 2011. The future work programme for the
concession is to complete the processing and interpretation of this second 2D survey,
and then, following the drilling and testing of Niebieszczany-1 and the reprocessing of
the first 2D survey, prepare a revised prospect inventory and drill two further wells.


Kaparty

At East Karpaty, the acquisition of 136km of 2D seismic has been completed. This
survey will cover approximately 25% of the concession and the results of the survey
are expected later this year. A two well, fully-funded programme is planned for the
concession, with the wells being targeted for late 2011 and 2012. It is also anticipated
that the company will seek further farm-outs on this acreage, after the drilling of the
first or second well in the programme. Also, in the Polish Carpathians Aurelian has
been awarded a 100% interest in the Poreba concession which is adjacent to the West
Karpaty concession. This new concession gives the company additional scale and
prospectivity to launch a new Carpathian Conventional Gas business covering
2,562km2, which will target shallow gas to potentially commercialise quickly. In
addition, Aurelian’s Lachowice Gas project on the West Karpaty concession is its first
project in this new business where it will carry out a relatively low cost “work over”
process targeting a prospect of 20bcf (gross) and target first gas by the end of 2012.




Seymour Pierce equity research                                                       21
Oil & Gas AIM Initiations |February 2012




                                                                         Financial model

Income Statement

Year end                                                                                                  2009A    2010A    2011E
December (€m)

Group revenue                                                                                                0.0      0.0      0.0
Cost of sales                                                                                                0.0      0.0      0.0
Gross profit                                                                                                 0.0      0.0      0.0
Total operating expenses                                                                                   (1.9)    (9.0)    (5.6)
EBIT                                                                                                       (1.9)    (9.0)    (5.6)
Net interest/financial income/(cost)                                                                       (2.3)    (9.7)      2.5
Associate and Other non-op. income/(cost)                                                                  (0.4)    (0.7)      1.2
PBT                                                                                                        (2.3)    (9.7)      2.5
Tax                                                                                                          0.0      0.0      0.0
Effective tax rate (%)                                                                                       0.0      0.0      0.0
Minorities                                                                                                   0.0      0.0      0.0
Earnings                                                                                                   (0.4)   (16.9)      1.2

EBITDA                                                                                                     (0.4)    (8.1)    (4.1)
Adjusted EBITDA*                                                                                           (0.4)    (8.1)      2.7
Adjusted EBIT*                                                                                             (1.9)    (9.0)      1.3
Adjusted PBT*                                                                                              (2.3)    (9.7)      2.5
Adjusted earnings*                                                                                         (0.4)   (16.9)      1.2

DPS (c)                                                                                                      0.0      0.0     0.0
EPS (c)                                                                                                    (0.2)    (4.9)     0.2
EPS [F. Dil.] (c)                                                                                          (0.2)    (4.9)     0.2
EPS [Adj.]* (c)                                                                                            (0.2)    (4.9)     0.2
EPS [Adj. F. Dil.]* (c)                                                                                    (0.2)    (4.9)     0.2
Weighted average no. shares (m)                                                                           189.5    341.7    490.2
Fully dil. w. ave. no. shares (m)                                                                         189.5    341.7    500.8
Year end no. shares (m)                                                                                   189.5    341.7    490.2

* excludes exceptional items and amortisation of acquired intangibles.
Source: Company data, Seymour Pierce Ltd




22                                                                       Seymour Pierce equity research
Oil & Gas AIM Initiations February 2012




Cashflow Statement

Year end                                                                     2009A           2010A           2011E
December (€m)

Operating income                                                              (1.9)           (9.0)           (5.6)
Amortisation of acquired intangibles                                            0.0             0.0             0.0
Amortisation of other intangibles                                               0.0             0.0             0.0
Depreciation                                                                    1.5             0.9             1.5
Net change in working capital                                                   1.2           (5.7)           (0.6)
Other                                                                           0.0             7.8             0.2
Operating cash flow                                                             0.8           (6.0)           (4.5)

Capital expenditure                                                           (8.5)          (20.3)          (62.3)
Investment in Other intangibles                                                 0.0             0.0             0.0
Net interest/financial income/(cost)                                            0.4             0.7           (1.2)
Tax paid                                                                      (0.0)           (0.0)             0.0
Net acqns./disposals                                                            0.0             0.0             0.0
Dividend paid                                                                   0.0             0.0             0.0
Other                                                                         (0.0)             0.2             0.1
Cash flow before financing                                                    (7.3)          (25.4)          (67.9)

Proceeds from shares issued                                                   12.8            132.4             2.5
Investments                                                                    0.0              0.0             0.0
Other                                                                          0.0              0.0             0.0
Net movement in cash/(debt)                                                    5.5            107.0          (65.4)

Opening net cash/(debt)                                                        6.0             14.0           114.7
Adjustments (Forex, etc.)                                                      0.0              0.0             0.0
Closing net cash/(debt)                                                       14.0            114.7            63.3

Source: Company data, Seymour Pierce Ltd




Balance Sheet

Year end                                                                     2009A           2010A           2011E
December (€m)

Property plant and equipment                                                   5.0              0.2             0.0
Goodwill and Acquired intangibles                                              0.0              0.0             0.0
Other intangibles                                                              0.0              0.0             0.0
Other fixed assets                                                            40.2             56.5           117.0
Non current assets                                                            45.2             56.7           117.0

Stocks & WIP                                                                   0.0             0.0              0.0
Trade receivables                                                              4.7            11.0             10.1
Cash                                                                          14.0           114.7             63.3
Other current assets                                                           0.0             9.0              0.0
Current assets                                                                18.6           134.7             73.5

Total assets                                                                  63.9           191.4            190.5

Trade creditors                                                                 3.4            13.2            11.9
Short term borrowings                                                           0.6             1.2             0.0
Long term borrowings                                                            1.6             0.0             0.0
Other liabilities                                                               0.0             2.0             0.0
Total liabilities                                                               5.7            16.4            11.9

Net assets                                                                    58.2           175.1            178.6

Issued share capital                                                           15.5             30.4            30.7
Share premium account                                                          65.9           183.4           185.2
Retained earnings                                                            (15.8)          (32.7)          (31.4)
Other reserves                                                                (7.4)            (6.0)           (5.9)
Minority interests                                                              0.0              0.0             0.0
Total equity                                                                   58.2           175.1           178.6

Source: Company data, Seymour Pierce Ltd



                                           Seymour Pierce equity research                                       23
Oil & Gas AIM Initiations |February 2012




Target Price & Recommendation History




     100


     90

     80


     70


     60


     50


     40


     30


     20


      10


      0
      Feb 10        A pr 10        Jun 10   A ug 10      Oct 10         Dec 10         Feb 11        A pr 11    Jun 11   A ug 11   Oct 11   Dec 11   Feb 12

                                                 Share P rice          Target P rice            Reco mmendatio ns


Source: Datastream, Seymour Pierce Ltd




24                                                              Seymour Pierce equity research
10 February 12 | Initiation of coverage | Oil & Gas exploration and production




Borders & Southern Petroleum
                                                                                                                       (LSE:BOR)5



                                                           A natural selection
BUY
                                                           2011 was the turn of the northern players (RKH & DES) and in 2012 the
Share price                                        67p
                                                           activity heads south with both BOR & FOGL drilling. Whilst these
Target price                                      126p
88% Upside
                                                           companies share common issues such as regional politics, BOR stands out
                                                           amongst its peers in terms of the potential size of its drilling targets as
Market cap (£m)                                  288.4     well as the expertise of its management team.
Net cash (£m)                                    102.3
Enterprise value^ (£m)                           186.1     Drilling is underway – high risk, but potentially high reward
                                                           The Leiv Eiriksson rig started drilling at the beginning of February and will drill the
No. of shares (m)                                428.8
                                                           Darwin and Stebbing prospects before moving on two drill two wells for FOGL. Darwin
Average daily vol ('000, -3m)                    2,060
                                                           and Stebbing will test two different play types, therefore success or failure at Darwin
                                                           means nothing for Stebbing. Darwin and Stebbing have 15% and 10% chances of
12 month high/low (p)                            73/44     success respectively and each have billion barrel potential. Assets of this sort of size
                                                           drive development and attract buyers.
(%)                          1m           3m      12m
Absolute                     -5.9     +18.5       +3.5
                                                           Drilling success does not equal commerciality – a long way to go
FTA relative                 -9.8     +10.9       +5.2
                                                           Rockhopper's success at Sea Lion has led the company and some commentators to
                                                           discuss the field’s commerciality. We acknowledge that it is a large field, which if
Price & price relative (-2yr)
                                                           located in many locations would be easy to develop. However, the geopolitics and
 100                                                       absence of infrastructure may yet prove too much to overcome. Argentina’s escalating
  90
  80                                                       use of regional and international politics has been a smart move and should not be
  70                                                       underestimated when investors are thinking about development options and potential
  60
  50                                                       asset sales.
  40
  30                                                       Valuation and recommendation
     Feb May Aug Nov Feb May Aug Nov Feb                   Our core valuation comprises three elements – near term exploration at Darwin 46p;
                     Price     Relative                    and at Stebbing 53p; and the pre-drill cash (c.$192m on 31/12/11) per share which
Source: Datastream                                         contributes 27p. This cash component will obviously decrease significantly post
Share price as at close:                  9 February 12    drilling which we estimate will cost c.$150m. We initiate coverage with a Buy
                                                           recommendation and set a pre-drill target price of 126p.
Next news
FY Results                                                 However, given the market’s reactions to both Rockhopper and Desire’s news flow last
                                                           year, Borders looks likely to have a very volatile ride during drilling. We would
Business                                                   therefore advise investors to have a pro-active response to their position rather than
Oil exploration focusing on frontier or emerging           riding out the inevitable peaks and troughs.
basins where there is potential to identify and
commercialise high value prospects.
                                                           A draft of this research has been shown to the company following which minor factual amendments have been made.




www.bordersandsouthern.com/

                                                           Year end Revenue                   EBIT*           PBT*            Tax Adj. EPS*          PER EV/EBIT* Div yield
Dr. Dougie Youngson                                        December    ($m)                   ($m)            ($m)            (%)       (c)           (x)     (x)       (%)
Research Analyst
+44 (0) 20 7107 8068                                       2009A                   0.0          (1.2)           3.2           0.0       1.5      69.1         (243.2)        0.0
dougieyoungson@seymourpierce.com                           2010A                   0.0          (1.5)         (0.2)           0.0     (0.0) (2,755.4)         (195.6)        0.0
                                                           2011E                   0.0          (1.9)           1.3          36.4       0.2     563.9         (152.3)        0.0
Sam Wahab ACA
Research Analyst                                           * excludes exceptional items and amortisation of acquired intangibles.
+44 (0) 20 7107 8094                                       ^ EV calculation adjusted for core cash, investments etc.
samwahab@seymourpierce.com                                 Source: Seymour Pierce Ltd




This is a marketing communication. It has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and is
not subject to any prohibition on dealing ahead of the dissemination of investment research.
Seymour Pierce Oil & Gas February 2012
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Seymour Pierce Oil & Gas February 2012

  • 1. February 2012 Oil & Gas AIM Initiations Dr. Dougie Youngson Sam Wahab ACA Research Analyst Research Analyst +44 (0) 20 7107 8068 +44 (0) 20 7107 8094 dougieyoungson@seymourpierce.com samwahab@seymourpierce.com This is a marketing communication. It has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and is not subject to any prohibition on dealing ahead of the dissemination of investment research.
  • 2. Oil & Gas AIM Initiations February 2012 Table of Contents Introduction 3 Top picks 4 Bayfield 4 Borders & Southern 5 Gulf Keystone Petroleum 6 Xcite Energy 7 Top regions 8 Oil and gas price outlook for 2012 11 Valuation methodology 12 Exploration 12 Production 12 Companies Aurelian Oil & Gas 13 Borders & Southern Petroleum 27 Chariot Oil & Gas 37 Faroe Petroleum 51 Frontera 67 Gulf Keystone 77 Gulfsands Petroleum 91 Xcite Energy 107 Bayfield Energy 115 Gold Oil 129 Independent Resources 143 Glossary of terms 156 Seymour Pierce equity research 1
  • 3. Oil & Gas AIM Initiations |February 2012 2 Seymour Pierce equity research
  • 4. Oil & Gas AIM Initiations February 2012 Introduction In this oil and gas sector report we are initiating on 11 AIM listed companies. The core of the note focuses on companies which we consider have interesting investment cases. We believe that key criteria investors should focus on are: • Strong management teams • Assets which can be commercialised • A deliverable strategy which will yield shareholder value within a reasonable timeframe AIM suffers from a great number of companies that tick none of these boxes. However, we believe that the companies covered in this report tick most if not all of these boxes and should be worth your consideration. We have highlighted what we feel are likely to We have highlighted what we believe are likely to be some of the best performing be some of the best performing stocks in 2012.. stocks in 2012. We have also identified what we consider are likely to be the core regions for oil and gas activity in the short term. Seymour Pierce equity research 3
  • 5. Oil & Gas AIM Initiations |February 2012 Top pick overview Bayfield Proposition Bayfield’s recent operational update provided the first opportunity post-IPO to evaluate progress across its portfolio. The company continues to make positive in Trinidad with the spudding of the East Galeota exploration well at the end of January which is expected to take 42 days to drill. A further two exploration wells will be drilled at East Galeota which could provide additional upside resource potential. At the Trintes (Trinidad) field the company successfully drilled two appraisal wells: B10 & B8. These have de-risked the management’s production projections for the field and should also increase the upside potential for the field, once production has stabilised. Catalysts The company has several near-term exploration (EG8 well) and appraisal targets which could provide share price triggers during 2012 on the assumption of positive results. Despite production being pushed back (due to operational and weather reasons) it should reach our previous production target of c.4,000boepd in 2H2012. This will enhance financial performance in the latter part of this year and provide a strong production and financial basis for the company as it moves its 2013. Valuation SOTP valuation matrix £ million p/share Production 96.9 45.1 Reserves 90.3 42.0 Net cash* 28.1 13.1 Less: G&A (20.0) (9.3) Core Value 195.4 90.9 Contingent resources 36.8 17.1 Target Market Cap 232.1 108.0 Source: Seymour Pierce Ltd *We have assumed a post placing cash balance using managements FY12E guidance of c.$55m Our core valuation comprises a revised DCF analysis of Bayfield’s producing assets, the company’s externally verified reserve estimates, and the FY12E net cash balance. We also attribute a discounted general & administrative (G&A) charge for field related expenditure in relation to the Trintes play. On this basis our revised valuation indicates that Bayfield is currently trading at c.50% below its core asset value alone. We reiterate our Buy recommendation and target price of 108p. SOTP waterfall chart 140 45 120 100 80 42 p/share 60 40 17 20 13 -9 0 -20 G&A Net Cash Contingent Reserves Production resources Source: Seymour Pierce Ltd 4 Seymour Pierce equity research
  • 6. Oil & Gas AIM Initiations February 2012 Borders & Southern Proposition 2011 was the turn of the northern Falkland players (RKH & DES) and in 2012 the activity heads south with both BOR & FOGL drilling. Whilst these companies share common issues such as regional politics, BOR stands out amongst its peers in terms of the potential size of its drilling targets as well as the expertise of its management team. Catalysts Drilling at the first prospect is underway. The company forecasts that it will take 90 days to drill both Darwin and Stebbing. The key price drivers will be the well results from these two wells. We highlight that the two wells are testing two different types of play. Failure (or success) at the first well does change the risk profile of the second. Valuation SOTP valuation matrix NAV £m p/share Darwin 199 46 Stebbing 227 53 Net cash 116 27 Core value 542 126 Source: Seymour Pierce Ltd & Company data We have valued Borders in terms of a risked exploration net asset appraisal of their near term assets. The company intends to drill two wells in Q1 2012 (Darwin and Stebbing), and we feel it is appropriate to value it on this basis. SOTP waterfall chart 140 53 120 100 80 46 p/share 60 40 27 20 0 Net Cash Darwin Stebbing Source: Seymour Pierce Ltd & Company data Seymour Pierce equity research 5
  • 7. Oil & Gas AIM Initiations |February 2012 Gulf Keystone Petroleum Proposition 2011 saw substantial resource upgrades across its assets in Kurdistan. 2012 will see the company move into export production for the first time, resulting in the first significant cash inflows for GKP. The entrance of ExxonMobil and Total into the region has enhanced its credibility as a potential major future oil producing province. We feel that the persistent take over rumours are premature, but likely to be accurate in the longer term. Catalysts The company is in the process of drilled several wells across it acreage, the results will provide the key share price drivers in 2012. The company has now opened the data room for the sale of its Akri-Bijeel asset for which we have a risked valuation of c.$200m. We estimate that this process could take up to three months to complete. Short term share price drivers are: well testing results from the Shaikan-4 well (due imminently) and the well result at the Ber Bahr-1 exploration well (due end of February/early March). Valuation SOTP valuation matrix £ million p/share Production 268 31 Discovered 2C 2,708 317 Gross Value 2,975 348 Less: G&A (40) (5) Net Value 2,936 344 Net Cash 256 30 Target Market Cap/ Price 3,191 374 Source: Seymour Pierce Ltd We have valued Gulf Keystone in terms of its discovered resource base under the low estimate scenario stated in the most recent CPR, and have not included estimates for yet-to-find resources. In addition, we have included a discounted cash flow (DCF) valuation of GKP’s current and forecast production (2012: c.10,000bopd ramping up to 2014: c.40,000bopd) from its Shaikan field in Kurdistan. SOTP waterfall chart 400 317 350 300 250 p/share 200 150 100 31 50 30 -5 0 -50 G&A Net Cash Production Discovered 2C Source: Seymour Pierce Ltd & Company data . 6 Seymour Pierce equity research
  • 8. Oil & Gas AIM Initiations February 2012 Xcite Energy Proposition In 2010, a mis-communicated reserve report, delayed clarity on funding against a backdrop of weak market conditions resulted in Xcite losing the majority of its 2010 share price gains. The rig on site awaiting delayed DECC approval and development drilling due to start in February, are we about to see resurgence in this stock? We think so, but it may prove to be another turbulent year for investors should initial drilling results fail to deliver. Catalysts The company is awaiting overdue DECC approval for drilling to start as part of Phase 1A. Once this has been approved (which we assume in the very short term) the company can begin drilling the first batch of development wells at Bentley. This will provide the first significant share price driver for the company. The resultant well flow test results will then provide guidance as to the level of production we can expect from the field. It should also result in the conversion of contingent resources into reserves, which should also enhance valuation. Valuation SOTP valuation matrix NAV by activity £ million p / share Confirmed CPR reserves/resources 822.4 227 Plus net (debt)/cash 30.78 15 Core NAV 853.2 242 Source: Seymour Pierce Ltd & Company data We have based our valuation of Xcite solely on the company's latest Reserves Assessment Report (RAR) for the Bentley field. SOTP waterfall chart 300 227 250 200 p/share 150 100 50 15 0 Net cash Risked resources Source: Seymour Pierce Ltd & Company data Seymour Pierce equity research 7
  • 9. Oil & Gas AIM Initiations |February 2012 Top regions We have identified three key regions which we believe are likely to see significant positive momentum in 2012 We have identified three key regions which we feel are likely to see significant positive Kurdistan momentum in 2012. Activity in Kurdistan has been steadily increasing in recent years with the entrance of several small and medium independent E&Ps. However, the region finally got the “seal of approval” following the announcement that ExxonMobil was to acquire significant acreage in six exploration blocks in late 2011. More recently, speculation has mounted that Total were planning a similar move, although this has yet to be formally announced. Many commentators have suggested that the absence of the majors was due to fractious relationship between the Iraqi Central Government and the Kurdistan Regional Government. The absence of resolution on the new Iraqi oil laws (which were drafted in 2007) continues to hold back the region from making an impact on the export market and continues to prevent major capital investment in projects other than for licence acquisition and exploration. Outlook The USGS has estimated that Kurdistan has The USGS has estimated that Kurdistan has c.40bn bbl of oil and c.60tcf of gas with c.40bn bbl of oil and c.60tcf of gas with low low geological exploration risk. However, this attractiveness is countered by the high geological exploration risk. (and some would say increasing) geopolitical risk as well as tangible commercial risk should the issue surrounding the oil law not being resolved in the short to medium term. The one key benefit of operating in Kurdistan versus the rest of Iraq is security. Kurdistan continues to be a much safer operating environment and has been one of the key drivers for investment in the region. We believe that the increasing influx of foreign oil companies into Kurdistan and the increasing capital expenditure they bring is the most likely driver for resolution of the oil law. Increases in production outside Kurdistan have been disappointing so far and if Iraq is to see any tangible increase in production in the short to medium term we believe that this will come from Kurdistan. Companies on our watchlist Gulf Keystone Petroleum has been a long term player in Kurdistan and has seen considerable exploration success so far. It has discovered c.15bn bbl of oil in place so far and continues to explore during 2012. The company is aiming for oil exports starting in 2013 and is seeking to develop an oil export pipeline to Kirkuk with a capacity of 440,000bopd. There has been considerable speculation that it is a takeover target ahead of moving into full scale commercial development. Price drivers in 2012 are likely to come from further resource upgrades and increases in production from Shaikan. Heritage Oil & Gas has had a mixed experience in Kurdistan. Initially positive drilling results at the Miran West field, which was identified as an oil discovery, changed when follow up drilling discovered large quantities of gas instead. Heritage’s share price collapsed at this point and it has struggled to recover since. The company is examining options for gas export and continues to explore at Miran and positive results from this programme could boost the share price in 2012. A recent and unexpected entrant is Afren, who made their first investment outside Africa last year. The company is targeting first oil from its assets in 2012 and this is likely to provide upside from this part of the portfolio in 2012. The company also has exploration planned in Kurdistan later this year. 8 Seymour Pierce equity research
  • 10. Oil & Gas AIM Initiations February 2012 East Africa The highly competitive operating in western The highly competitive operating in western Africa and increasingly in central Africa Africa and increasingly in central Africa has seen has seen a migration of companies towards the east of the continent. As is typical for a migration of companies towards the east of frontier regions, small E&Ps have made the initial exploration efforts to prove up the continent. resources. We have now entered the phase where successful explorers are attracting interest from larger independents as well as the majors. Outlook We believe that 2012 will continue to see exploration success from the minor companies in the shallow water and hopefully in the deeper water from the new entrant majors. M&A on a greater scale is also likely to be a prominent feature. Cove Energy, for example has already put up the “for sale” sign and we can expect further consolidation in the region. Exploration has tended to yield large gas discoveries in the shallow water blocks of a size which could potentially support a LNG development. However, given that the LNG market is oversupplied with more capacity due to come onstream in Australia and the Middle East, we see this a a longer term prospect than other commentators. Companies on our watchlist Afren entered east Africa via its acquisition of Black Marlin. During 2011 the company has been working up these assets with a view to start exploration in 2012 and 2013. Afren’s strategy has mainly been on developing already discovered assets. It exploration exposure has been limited to date, but the company hopes to deliver 250mmbbl of 2P/2C resources over the next three years. East African exploration in 2012 will focus on Kenya and Tanzania. Cove Energy recently put the for sale sign up following a very successful exploration campaign in recent years. This company is very likely to attract interest in the majors who are keen to potentially develop domestic and export gas projects in the region. Share price performance will continue to be driven by its drilling campaign, resource upgrades and potentially its acquisition. North Sea – UK & Norway The UK North Sea saw a record investment of The UK North Sea saw a record investment of £7.5bn in 2011, driven by high oil prices. £7.5bn in 2011, driven by high oil prices. This This level of investment is forecast to continue until at least 2015. The emphasis of this level of investment is forecast to continue until investment was skewed towards development rather than exploration and appraisal at least 2015. which saw a decrease in activity. The sector also saw its most active period in terms of transactions since 2005, with c.$4bn of assets switching hands during the year. This is a trend which we expect to be a continuing theme as the region sees more consolidation, particularly amongst the smaller players. Following the successes of Statoil, Xcite Energy and Nautical Petroleum in heavy oil, we would expect these types of projects to become more attractive throughout the region. The fiscal terms for such projects will also improve project commerciality and hopefully reduce the decline in oil production from the UK sector. The Norway North Sea is seeing increased activity from a number of AIM listed E&P’s as they look to exploit the attractive fiscal terms offered by the Norwegian government. Currently, exploration companies will receive 78% of their drilling expenditure back the following year to facilitate further growth in the region. The state owned company, Petoro AS, is also undergoing transactions with foreign entities operating in the region to acquire previously undeveloped licences, thus stimulating future production from the region. Seymour Pierce equity research 9
  • 11. Oil & Gas AIM Initiations |February 2012 Companies on our watchlist Faroe Petroleum has a robust mix of production growth and high impact exploration, and continues to execute value accretive transactions on both sides of the Continental Shelf, most notably its recent asset swap with Petoro AS. The company has a strong balance sheet with sufficient cash reserves and debt facilities to fund its progressive drilling, appraisal and development activities. Xcite Energy moves into the development phase this year which should yield production in 2Q onwards. However, we do anticipate a volatile period during the initial drilling phase as we see the initial drilling and flow test results being announced. There is a huge amount of expectation relating to conversion of resources to reserves. 10 Seymour Pierce equity research
  • 12. Oil & Gas AIM Initiations February 2012 Oil and gas price outlook for 2012 Geopolitics were a major price driver during Geopolitics were a major price driver during 2011, as concerns driven by the Arab 2011, as concerns driven by the Arab Spring Spring caused concerns as to the stability of the Middle East and what this could mean for security of supply, particularly for Saudi Arabia and Iran. Despite not being a significant oil producer, Syria continues to cause instability in the region. Similarly, despite making progress Egypt has still not fully resolved its many issues and is likely to remain unstable until after the elections are concluded. Iran’s commitment to its nuclear programme will continue to antagonise the West and remains a cause for concern. The recent sabre-rattling on the potential closure of the Straits of Hormuz seems to have just been posturing. However, the reality is that this major (a fifth if all traded oil passes through here) oil transit route for the region could be closed within a matter of hours. Although unlikely, an escalation like this would not only result in a major increase in the oil price, but could quickly escalate to another war in the Middle East. Brent averaged $110/bbl in 2011 and we forecast the price to average $100/bbl in 2012. Now that winter has finally arrived in Europe, we have seen the spot gas price increase by 30%, driven in part by Gazprom’s inability to increase supplies. Gazprom currently supplies c.25% of the European market, but its pricing is the highest at c.$410/mcm. Consequently it is seeing more competition from LNG and domestic sources of gas in some countries. Such an aggressive pricing structure has resulted in demands from gas users for Gazprom to move away from long-term contracts and increase the spot market contribution to such contracts. The success of the shale gas industry in the US is The success of the shale gas industry in the US is has driven the gas price to a new low has driven the gas price to a new low of of c.$2.50/mcf. The success has been so large that the US may move back into gas c.$2.50/mcf. exports rather than being a net importer. We are now seeing an increase in shale gas activity throughout Europe, particularly in Poland, and so far the results have been mixed. We are therefore comfortable that the gas price will remain high and that shale gas will have little impact on the supply/demand situation in the medium term. Seymour Pierce equity research 11
  • 13. Oil & Gas AIM Initiations |February 2012 Valuation methodology Petroleum companies are valued in terms of their portfolio of exploration and production assets. Our overall target price comprises a core valuation for the producing and near term production assets and a risked net asset value (RENAV) for the exploration assets. Exploration Prior to drilling, a huge amount of work has been done to de-risk a prospect. We apply a simple arithmetic approach to attempt to value such prospects ahead of drilling. The calculation is: RENAV = Gross resource estimate x Company Interest x Chance of Success x NPV/bbl The company provides most of this data, the chance of success (CoS) is probably the most important factor and is very company and country specific. Some companies are better at exploration than others. Also, some countries have more hydrocarbons than others. The CoS tends to be higher in mature exploration than in frontier regions. The NPV per barrel varies from country to country and reflects the prevailing fiscal terms and transaction values on a per barrel basis. Production We write an operational model for the We write an operational model for the company’s producing assets. This reflects company’s producing assets. This reflects historic data and our assumptions for the future. We model production, prices and historic data and our assumptions for the future. costs and overlay the fiscal terms of the country where the asset is located. From this model we derive a DCF which is then used to value the asset. See the valuation section for the assumptions used for this company. Resource Classification Framework Source: SPE 12 Seymour Pierce equity research
  • 14. Oil & Gas AIM Initiations February 2012 10 February 12 | Initiation of coverage | Oil & Gas exploration and production Aurelian Oil & Gas (AIM:AUL)F Let it flow BUY 2011 was a disappointing year for Aurelian, with its key asset Siekierki Share price 17p representing a much larger and complex challenge than initially Target price 31p anticipated. Following a comprehensive review, the company has 84% Upside provided the market with a clear strategy to develop its entire portfolio, which we feel represents a strong buying opportunity for investors, given Market cap (£m) 82.8 current trading levels. Net cash (£m) 80.0 Enterprise value^ (£m) 82.8 Strategy shift No. of shares (m) 494.3 Aurelian has now concluded a comprehensive review of its assets following the Average daily vol ('000, -3m) 3,488 disappointing multi-fracced horizontal appraisal wells drilled in 2011. The data acquired during the appraisal phase has improved the company’s understanding of Dividend yield (%) 0.0 Siekierki, and as such, a revised development plan has been designed comprising 32 PER at Target price (Y1) 147.2 wells recovering 296bcf of gas (previously 348bcf) to commence in 4Q 2012. 12 month high/low (p) 92/16 Near-term exploration programme Aurelian plans to take advantage of the flexibility in its work programme and preserve (%) 1m 3m 12m capital by prioritising its exploration targets. In line with the strategic review, the Absolute -2.9 -27.2 -79.3 company has deferred several exploration targets, to focus instead on near-term value FTA relative -6.9 -31.9 -78.9 play unlocking wells. The programme is budgeted to cost €25.6m net to Aurelian targeting 67.3mmboe of net unrisked prospective resources, which, while less than Price & price relative (-2yr) previously indicated, potentially offers material upside. 100 80 Unlocking Siekierki 60 The company intends to enter into negotiations for a potential farm-in to its 90% 40 interest in Siekierki. The asset is surrounded by IOC operated acreage, most notably 20 Connoco Phillips, Exxon Mobil, Total and Chevron, all of which have the technological 0 knowledge base and financial backing that is required to fully develop the project. We Feb May Aug Nov Feb May Aug Nov Feb feel that a farm-in partner of sufficient expertise and financial resource base will act as Price Relative a positive share price trigger for investors in Aurelian. Source: Datastream Valuation and recommendation Share price as at close: 9 February 12 Our core valuation comprises exploration and development activities, and cash; which Next news yields a base value of 20p. Our exploration upside assessment contributes a further Operational updates 10.8p. On this basis we initiate coverage with a BUY recommendation and set a price target of 31p. Business Exploration in Central Europe with licences in 1 Please see regulatory disclosure notes at the end of this document Poland, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria A draft of this research has been shown to the company following which minor factual amendments have been made. www.aurelianoil.com Year end Revenue EBIT* PBT* Tax Adj. EPS* PER EV/EBIT* Div yield December (€m) (€m) (€m) (%) (c) (x) (x) (%) Dr. Dougie Youngson 2009A 0.0 (1.9) (2.3) 0.0 (0.2) (88.1) (51.8) 0.0 Research Analyst 2010A 0.0 (9.0) (9.7) 0.0 (4.9) (4.0) (11.0) 0.0 +44 (0) 20 7107 8068 2011E 0.0 1.3 2.5 0.0 0.2 80.1 76.4 0.0 dougieyoungson@seymourpierce.com 2012E 0.0 (5.3) (4.5) 0.0 (0.9) (21.7) (18.7) 0.0 2013E 0.0 (0.1) 0.4 0.0 0.1 261.4 (985.9) 0.0 Sam Wahab ACA Research Analyst * excludes exceptional items and amortisation of acquired intangibles. +44 (0) 20 7107 8094 ^ EV calculation adjusted for core cash, investments etc. samwahab@seymourpierce.com Source: Seymour Pierce Ltd Seymour Pierce equity research 13
  • 15. Oil & Gas AIM Initiations |February 2012 Valuation and recommendation We value Aurelian on its core exploration and We value Aurelian on its core exploration and development assets in Poland, Slovakia, development assets in Poland, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria. The company has a clear development plan to bring their key Romania and Bulgaria. asset, Siekierki, to first stage production in 2016 (delayed by three years due to technical issues experienced during flow testing in March and September 2011). However, this development plan will require additional financial and technological resources through a potential farm-out down. On this basis, we do not currently provide a valuation of future discounted cash flows arising from Siekierki in 2016, until the company has adequate resources in place to fulfil their strategy. Our valuation incorporates the following assumptions: Valuation assumptions Metric Assumption NPV/boe - Oil $5/boe NPV/boe - Gas $3/boe Realised gas price $7.5/mcf Long-term $/£ 1.65 Long-term $/€ 1.39 Long-term £/€ 1.16 Discount rate 10% Shares outstanding (million) 500.8 Source: Seymour Pierce Ltd These assumptions have been implemented into our risked exploration net asset valuation as follows: Risked net asset valuation Status Country Project Interest CoS/CoD Resources NPV 10% Unrisked Risked Unrisked Risked Net Risked (mmboe) US$ / boe NPV $m NPV $m NPV £m NPV £m p/share Gross Net Development Poland Siekierki 90.00% 25% 49.30 44.37 3 133.11 33.28 81 20.17 4.0 Exploration Poland Siekierki NW 90.00% 20% 11.5 10.35 3 31.05 6.21 18.82 3.76 0.8 Exploration Poland Siekierki SW 90.00% 20% 3.3 2.97 3 8.91 1.78 5.40 1.08 0.2 Exploration Poland Kalisz 50.00% 10% 5.3 2.65 3 7.95 0.80 4.82 0.48 0.1 Exploration Poland Cyb. & Ty. 45.00% 10% 97 43.65 5 218.25 21.83 132.27 13.23 2.6 Exploration Poland Bieszczady 25.00% 10% 272.8 68.2 5 341.00 34.10 206.67 20.67 4.1 Exploration Poland Karpaty East 80.00% 10% 28 22.4 3 67.20 6.72 40.73 4.07 0.8 Exploration Poland Karpaty West 60.00% 10% 19 11.4 3 34.20 3.42 20.73 2.07 0.4 Exploration Poland Wetlina 100.00% 10% 31.6 31.6 5 158.00 15.80 95.76 9.58 1.9 Exploration Slovakia Svidnik 50.00% 10% 180.2 90.1 3 270.30 27.03 163.82 16.38 3.3 Exploration Romania Brodina 33.75% 10% 50 16.875 5 84.38 8.44 51.14 5.11 1.0 Exploration Romania Cuejdiu 45.00% 10% 16 7.2 5 36.00 3.60 21.82 2.18 0.4 Exploration Romania Brodina 33.75% 10% 8 2.7 3 8.10 0.81 4.91 0.49 0.1 Exploration Bulgaria Golitza Block 30.00% 10% 12 3.6 3 10.80 1.08 6.55 0.65 0.1 784.00 358.07 1,409.25 164.89 854.09 99.93 20.0 Source: Seymour Pierce Ltd 14 Seymour Pierce equity research
  • 16. Oil & Gas AIM Initiations February 2012 SOTP valuation matrix £ million p/share Siekierki (Development) 20.2 4.0 Siekierki (Exploration) 4.8 1.0 Other Polish exploration 50.1 10.0 Slovakia exploration 16.4 3.3 Romania exploration 8.4 1.7 Gross Value 99.9 20.0 Net Cash 54.2 10.8 Target Market Cap 154.1 30.8 Source: Seymour Pierce Ltd SOTP waterfall chart 35 11 30 25 10 20 p/share 15 5 10 3 5 2 0 Romania & Bulgaria Slovakia exploration Siekierki (Exp & Dev.) Polish exploration Net Cash exploration upside Source: Seymour Pierce Ltd Recommendation and target price Our gross valuation comprising exploration and development activities yields a base value of 20p, whilst net cash adds a further 10.8p/share. In our view, Aurelian is severely undervalued and is currently trading well below its core value. In our view, Aurelian is severely undervalued and On this basis we initiate coverage with a Buy recommendation and set a price target is currently trading well below its core value. of 31p. Seymour Pierce equity research 15
  • 17. Oil & Gas AIM Initiations |February 2012 Strategic overview Aurelian has now concluded a comprehensive review of its assets following the disappointing multi-fracced horizontal appraisal wells drilled in 2011. The company arrived at three key conclusions which we have analysed in detail to support our investment case: Siekierki is an attractive project and initial problems are now well understood and a clear plan forward has been developed. The cash position at the year-end 2011 was €63m which allows the company to carry out its planned exploration and appraisal activities for the next 18 months. Unlocking the full upside within the company is likely to require additional technical and financial resources. We feel that it is important to analyse these three conclusions in detail to address existing shareholder concerns, as well as to illustrate to potential shareholders the possible upside arising on successful development of Aurelian’s acreage in central Europe. How attractive is Siekierki now? The well tests on Siekierki have been The well tests on Siekierki have been completed and incorporated in a comprehensive completed and incorporated in a technical and commercial review led by a group of independent consultants (AGR- comprehensive technical and commercial TRACS). From this, gas initially in place of 1.1tcf is now estimated in Block 207 review led by a group of independent (company guidance prior to appraisal was 1.6tcf). However, we do highlight that this consultants does not include gas potentially in Blocks 206 and 208 or the Krzesinki discovery. Siekierki location map Source: Company Following the strategy update and conference call, we feel it is clear that the data acquired during the appraisal phase has improved the company’s understanding of Siekierki, and the company has now constructed a new reservoir model. The new model now illustrates that the layered Rotliegendes sandstone sequence in Siekierki has a wide range of ambient porosity and permeability properties spanning 6-18%, with higher permeability layers dominating well performance. The company also maintains that the Krzesinki-1 well test result supports Aurelian’s new reservoir model, in terms of the presence of higher porosity zones within the gas 16 Seymour Pierce equity research
  • 18. Oil & Gas AIM Initiations February 2012 legs of the Krzesinki and Siekierki fields, with an un-fracced well test producing 0.2mmscf/d. This represents the first successful un-stimulated gas well flow test on Block 207 to date. As such, a revised development plan (see forward plan section) has been designed, comprising 32 wells recovering 296bcf of gas (previously 348bcf), indicating an average recovery of 9.25bcf/well. To support these estimates, the company intends to release an updated CPR covering both appraisal and exploration assets in March/April 2012. Nevertheless, following the comprehensive technical and commercial review supported by AGR-TRACS and the new reservoir model, the company maintains that Siekierki is an attractive project which offers material upside to investors. Funded exploration programme Aurelian plans to take advantage of the flexibility Aurelian plans to take advantage of the flexibility in its work programme and preserve in its work programme and preserve capital by capital by prioritising its exploration targets. In line with the strategic review, the prioritising its exploration targets. company has deferred several exploration targets, to focus instead on near-term value play unlocking wells. Aurelian will initially drill the Sosna-1 well within the Torzym reef oil play in March 2012 targeting up to 35mmbbls gross. In addition, the company intends to undertake further geological and geophysical surveys to de-risk the prospects identified in their 2011 seismic data including Cybinka-Torzym , Slovakia and Romania (Brodina). The high impact Carpathian well drilling campaign will now be deferred to Q4 of this year. This will include Kaparty East, which the company now believe to be gas rather than oil with internal estimates suggesting a recoverable resource of 170bcf, representing an additional 1p/share of our risked target valuation. 2012 drilling programme Well Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec WI Max Cap (€m) Target mmboe p/share Krzesinki-1 90% n/a n/a n/a Niebieszczany-1 25% n/a n/a n/a Sosna-1 45% 2.6 3.1 0.4 Cierne-1 50% 6.4 19.4 1.4 Bieszczady-2 25% 3.7 23.1 2.8 Kaparty E-1 80% 10.2 14.5 1.1 Cuejdiu-1 45% 2.7 7.2 0.9 Rotliegendes Zechstein Reef Oil Play Carpathian Thrust fold Belt Source: Seymour Pierce Ltd, Company In addition to the above five wells, four contingent wells are also being considered for Aurelian’s 2013 drilling schedule. The programme is budgeted to cost €25.6m net to Aurelian although it aims to reduce this by bringing in partners to the Romanian, Slovakian and Karpaty East & West licences. In aggregate, the five wells are targeting 67.3mmboe of net unrisked prospective resources, which while less than previously indicated, offers material upside potential. Unlocking the full value of the company Analysis of Trzek-2 and Trzek-3 Aurelian’s share price has been severely impacted by the two multi-fracced horizontal wells drilled in 2011. The company has reviewed the data from these wells to implement a comprehensive plan to develop the asset using cost efficient and technologically advantageous methods. Seymour Pierce equity research 17
  • 19. Oil & Gas AIM Initiations |February 2012 Aurelian has confirmed that the Trzek-2 horizontal well had mechanical issues with the completion which reduced fracture effectiveness; whilst the Trzek-3 well was mechanically well executed with better completion. However, the hydraulic fractures were not fully effective and the well bore did not make contact with the high permeability zone encountered in the pilot hole. As such, the combination of the reservoir’s permeability to gas and water, and the poor frac effectiveness explains why the Trzek-2 and Trzek-3 flow rates of 3mmscfd and 3.2mmscfd were significantly lower than expectations. Subsequent geological and geophysical analysis of the wells have provided Aurelian with a comprehensive understanding of the geology of Siekierki. This is best illustrated through their pre and post drill knowledge conceptual knowledge of the basin. Pre and post drill understanding Aurelian’s pre-drill strategy understood that the multi-frac horizontal well would produce dry gas when fracced above the free water level. Pre-drill concept Source: Company This was supported by the belief that Siekierki was a tight reservoir with moderate variation porosity. However, subsequent analysis has confirmed that the tight reservoir contains zones of significantly higher permeability and a much larger variation in porosity. In addition, gas is produced with water as relative permeability effects are important. Post-drill concept Source: Company 18 Seymour Pierce equity research
  • 20. Oil & Gas AIM Initiations February 2012 From the above illustrations, we note that Siekierki is very different geologically from the company’s original assumption. That assumption had only moderate variation in porosity and permeability in the tight aeolian sandstone matrix Aurelian now understands that the reservoir has streaks of higher permeability (yellow in the diagram) within that tight matrix, which will dominate well performance On this basis, management’s expectations of GIIP has been reduced by c.31% to 1.1tcf (previously 1.6tcf), however, the company re-iterates that the multi-fracced horizontal wells implemented continues to be the correct technology application for the field and significant operational lessons and insights have been learnt. Forward development plan Aurelian will now seek to implement the next Aurelian will now seek to implement the next stage of its development plan to achieve stage of its development plan to achieve first gas first gas sales in 2016This will initially involve the continuation of long-term testing of sales in 2016. Trzek-2 and Trzek-3 and commercialising gas from these two wells using a low pressure and low methane tie-in, as well as a gas to wire option as a smaller pilot development. First gas arising from this is expected to be achieve in 4Q 2013 costing in the region of €12m net to Aurelian. Development plan to 2016 Source: Company The above development plan will also incorporate a potential farm-in partner to the Siekierki license. The company currently holds a 90% working interest in the block, which is surrounded by IOC operated acreage, most notably Connoco Phillips, Exxon Mobil, Total and Chevron, whom all have the technological knowledge base and financial backing that is required to fully develop the Siekierki project. In our view, a substantial farm-down of Siekierki would have always been an attractive proposition for Aurelian even if the company had successfully flowed commercial volumes of gas in 2011. The key difference in undertaking one now is that the company has not proved up as much value of the asset as it would have liked and in effect, its hand is being forced through a lack of financial resources. Nevertheless, we feel that the introduction of an experienced farm-in partner in the near term would be a strong share price trigger for investors, given the improved technological understanding of the asset achieved through extensive data analysis. Seymour Pierce equity research 19
  • 21. Oil & Gas AIM Initiations |February 2012 Key assets Core area 1 Poznan The Siekierki field was originally discovered over 40 years ago close to the city of Poznan, but the tight reservoir was found to exhibit low porosity and permeability, which meant commercial flow rates could not be achieved with the technology available at the time. Aurelian was awarded the Poznan East licence in 2003 and drilled the Trzek-1 well in 2007 to appraise the field, confirming the original findings but providing improved quality reservoir data using modern technologies. Significantly, the well flowed at an initial 7.5mmcfd before being choked back to a stable 2.5mmcfd. Aurelian’s latest CPR estimates 640bcf net to the company on a mid- case scenario (including Siekierki SW and Siekierki NW) representing this largest asset, by confirmed resources, in the company’s portfolio. Poznan blocks Source: Company Cybinka and Torzym These fields are located nearby to the German border and were acquired in 2008. They link to recent oil discoveries in the north, and the basin extends from the prolific UK North Sea. Existing data is being evaluated and has been followed by 3D seismic. The combined volume of hydrocarbons net to Aurelian is 34mmbbls and the company anticipates starting drilling in Q4 2011. Cybinka & Torzym Source: Company 20 Seymour Pierce equity research
  • 22. Oil & Gas AIM Initiations February 2012 Core area 2 Aurelian has continued to develop its second Core Area and has executed its strategy of applying modern 2D seismic to explore thrust fold areas. During 2010, the company successfully acquired 776km of 2D seismic across its acreage here. Bieszczady In the Polish Carpathians, the first of a three well programme in the company’s Bieszczady concession, Niebieszczany-1, was spudded in October 2010. The well is being drilled to target depth of 4,800 metres targeting an oil prospect of up to 100mmbbls (gross). A number of reservoirs, all of which are proven producers in the region, are being targeted by this well and there are several other similar-sized prospects on trend, which would be de-risked in the event of a successful outcome. Using existing 2D seismic data covering approximately 20% of the concession area, prospects totaling up to 680m barrels of un-risked prospective resources have been mapped. The acquisition phase of a second 300km 2D survey covering a further 20% of the concession size was completed in March 2011. The future work programme for the concession is to complete the processing and interpretation of this second 2D survey, and then, following the drilling and testing of Niebieszczany-1 and the reprocessing of the first 2D survey, prepare a revised prospect inventory and drill two further wells. Kaparty At East Karpaty, the acquisition of 136km of 2D seismic has been completed. This survey will cover approximately 25% of the concession and the results of the survey are expected later this year. A two well, fully-funded programme is planned for the concession, with the wells being targeted for late 2011 and 2012. It is also anticipated that the company will seek further farm-outs on this acreage, after the drilling of the first or second well in the programme. Also, in the Polish Carpathians Aurelian has been awarded a 100% interest in the Poreba concession which is adjacent to the West Karpaty concession. This new concession gives the company additional scale and prospectivity to launch a new Carpathian Conventional Gas business covering 2,562km2, which will target shallow gas to potentially commercialise quickly. In addition, Aurelian’s Lachowice Gas project on the West Karpaty concession is its first project in this new business where it will carry out a relatively low cost “work over” process targeting a prospect of 20bcf (gross) and target first gas by the end of 2012. Seymour Pierce equity research 21
  • 23. Oil & Gas AIM Initiations |February 2012 Financial model Income Statement Year end 2009A 2010A 2011E December (€m) Group revenue 0.0 0.0 0.0 Cost of sales 0.0 0.0 0.0 Gross profit 0.0 0.0 0.0 Total operating expenses (1.9) (9.0) (5.6) EBIT (1.9) (9.0) (5.6) Net interest/financial income/(cost) (2.3) (9.7) 2.5 Associate and Other non-op. income/(cost) (0.4) (0.7) 1.2 PBT (2.3) (9.7) 2.5 Tax 0.0 0.0 0.0 Effective tax rate (%) 0.0 0.0 0.0 Minorities 0.0 0.0 0.0 Earnings (0.4) (16.9) 1.2 EBITDA (0.4) (8.1) (4.1) Adjusted EBITDA* (0.4) (8.1) 2.7 Adjusted EBIT* (1.9) (9.0) 1.3 Adjusted PBT* (2.3) (9.7) 2.5 Adjusted earnings* (0.4) (16.9) 1.2 DPS (c) 0.0 0.0 0.0 EPS (c) (0.2) (4.9) 0.2 EPS [F. Dil.] (c) (0.2) (4.9) 0.2 EPS [Adj.]* (c) (0.2) (4.9) 0.2 EPS [Adj. F. Dil.]* (c) (0.2) (4.9) 0.2 Weighted average no. shares (m) 189.5 341.7 490.2 Fully dil. w. ave. no. shares (m) 189.5 341.7 500.8 Year end no. shares (m) 189.5 341.7 490.2 * excludes exceptional items and amortisation of acquired intangibles. Source: Company data, Seymour Pierce Ltd 22 Seymour Pierce equity research
  • 24. Oil & Gas AIM Initiations February 2012 Cashflow Statement Year end 2009A 2010A 2011E December (€m) Operating income (1.9) (9.0) (5.6) Amortisation of acquired intangibles 0.0 0.0 0.0 Amortisation of other intangibles 0.0 0.0 0.0 Depreciation 1.5 0.9 1.5 Net change in working capital 1.2 (5.7) (0.6) Other 0.0 7.8 0.2 Operating cash flow 0.8 (6.0) (4.5) Capital expenditure (8.5) (20.3) (62.3) Investment in Other intangibles 0.0 0.0 0.0 Net interest/financial income/(cost) 0.4 0.7 (1.2) Tax paid (0.0) (0.0) 0.0 Net acqns./disposals 0.0 0.0 0.0 Dividend paid 0.0 0.0 0.0 Other (0.0) 0.2 0.1 Cash flow before financing (7.3) (25.4) (67.9) Proceeds from shares issued 12.8 132.4 2.5 Investments 0.0 0.0 0.0 Other 0.0 0.0 0.0 Net movement in cash/(debt) 5.5 107.0 (65.4) Opening net cash/(debt) 6.0 14.0 114.7 Adjustments (Forex, etc.) 0.0 0.0 0.0 Closing net cash/(debt) 14.0 114.7 63.3 Source: Company data, Seymour Pierce Ltd Balance Sheet Year end 2009A 2010A 2011E December (€m) Property plant and equipment 5.0 0.2 0.0 Goodwill and Acquired intangibles 0.0 0.0 0.0 Other intangibles 0.0 0.0 0.0 Other fixed assets 40.2 56.5 117.0 Non current assets 45.2 56.7 117.0 Stocks & WIP 0.0 0.0 0.0 Trade receivables 4.7 11.0 10.1 Cash 14.0 114.7 63.3 Other current assets 0.0 9.0 0.0 Current assets 18.6 134.7 73.5 Total assets 63.9 191.4 190.5 Trade creditors 3.4 13.2 11.9 Short term borrowings 0.6 1.2 0.0 Long term borrowings 1.6 0.0 0.0 Other liabilities 0.0 2.0 0.0 Total liabilities 5.7 16.4 11.9 Net assets 58.2 175.1 178.6 Issued share capital 15.5 30.4 30.7 Share premium account 65.9 183.4 185.2 Retained earnings (15.8) (32.7) (31.4) Other reserves (7.4) (6.0) (5.9) Minority interests 0.0 0.0 0.0 Total equity 58.2 175.1 178.6 Source: Company data, Seymour Pierce Ltd Seymour Pierce equity research 23
  • 25. Oil & Gas AIM Initiations |February 2012 Target Price & Recommendation History 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Feb 10 A pr 10 Jun 10 A ug 10 Oct 10 Dec 10 Feb 11 A pr 11 Jun 11 A ug 11 Oct 11 Dec 11 Feb 12 Share P rice Target P rice Reco mmendatio ns Source: Datastream, Seymour Pierce Ltd 24 Seymour Pierce equity research
  • 26. 10 February 12 | Initiation of coverage | Oil & Gas exploration and production Borders & Southern Petroleum (LSE:BOR)5 A natural selection BUY 2011 was the turn of the northern players (RKH & DES) and in 2012 the Share price 67p activity heads south with both BOR & FOGL drilling. Whilst these Target price 126p 88% Upside companies share common issues such as regional politics, BOR stands out amongst its peers in terms of the potential size of its drilling targets as Market cap (£m) 288.4 well as the expertise of its management team. Net cash (£m) 102.3 Enterprise value^ (£m) 186.1 Drilling is underway – high risk, but potentially high reward The Leiv Eiriksson rig started drilling at the beginning of February and will drill the No. of shares (m) 428.8 Darwin and Stebbing prospects before moving on two drill two wells for FOGL. Darwin Average daily vol ('000, -3m) 2,060 and Stebbing will test two different play types, therefore success or failure at Darwin means nothing for Stebbing. Darwin and Stebbing have 15% and 10% chances of 12 month high/low (p) 73/44 success respectively and each have billion barrel potential. Assets of this sort of size drive development and attract buyers. (%) 1m 3m 12m Absolute -5.9 +18.5 +3.5 Drilling success does not equal commerciality – a long way to go FTA relative -9.8 +10.9 +5.2 Rockhopper's success at Sea Lion has led the company and some commentators to discuss the field’s commerciality. We acknowledge that it is a large field, which if Price & price relative (-2yr) located in many locations would be easy to develop. However, the geopolitics and 100 absence of infrastructure may yet prove too much to overcome. Argentina’s escalating 90 80 use of regional and international politics has been a smart move and should not be 70 underestimated when investors are thinking about development options and potential 60 50 asset sales. 40 30 Valuation and recommendation Feb May Aug Nov Feb May Aug Nov Feb Our core valuation comprises three elements – near term exploration at Darwin 46p; Price Relative and at Stebbing 53p; and the pre-drill cash (c.$192m on 31/12/11) per share which Source: Datastream contributes 27p. This cash component will obviously decrease significantly post Share price as at close: 9 February 12 drilling which we estimate will cost c.$150m. We initiate coverage with a Buy recommendation and set a pre-drill target price of 126p. Next news FY Results However, given the market’s reactions to both Rockhopper and Desire’s news flow last year, Borders looks likely to have a very volatile ride during drilling. We would Business therefore advise investors to have a pro-active response to their position rather than Oil exploration focusing on frontier or emerging riding out the inevitable peaks and troughs. basins where there is potential to identify and commercialise high value prospects. A draft of this research has been shown to the company following which minor factual amendments have been made. www.bordersandsouthern.com/ Year end Revenue EBIT* PBT* Tax Adj. EPS* PER EV/EBIT* Div yield Dr. Dougie Youngson December ($m) ($m) ($m) (%) (c) (x) (x) (%) Research Analyst +44 (0) 20 7107 8068 2009A 0.0 (1.2) 3.2 0.0 1.5 69.1 (243.2) 0.0 dougieyoungson@seymourpierce.com 2010A 0.0 (1.5) (0.2) 0.0 (0.0) (2,755.4) (195.6) 0.0 2011E 0.0 (1.9) 1.3 36.4 0.2 563.9 (152.3) 0.0 Sam Wahab ACA Research Analyst * excludes exceptional items and amortisation of acquired intangibles. +44 (0) 20 7107 8094 ^ EV calculation adjusted for core cash, investments etc. samwahab@seymourpierce.com Source: Seymour Pierce Ltd This is a marketing communication. It has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and is not subject to any prohibition on dealing ahead of the dissemination of investment research.