Coastal Energy Announces Signing of Small Field Risk Service Contract With PETRONAS

7/5/2012 4:47 PM EST

Coastal Energy Company
Press release

Coastal Energy Announces Signing of Small Field Risk Service Contract With
PETRONAS

HOUSTON, 2012-07-05 22:47 CEST (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Coastal Energy Company (the
"Company" or "Coastal") (TSX:CEN) (AIM:CEO) has entered into a Small Field Risk
Service Contract ("RSC") with Petroliam Nasional Berhad ("PETRONAS") for the
development and production of petroleum from the Kapal, Banang and Meranti
cluster of small fields (the "KBM Cluster") offshore Peninsular Malaysia. 

Coastal (with 100% equity interest under the Small Field RSC) will be the
operator of the KBM Cluster fields. In accordance with the Small Field RSC,
Coastal is currently finalising an arrangement for a Malaysian company to
participate in the Small Field RSC for 30-40% equity interest. 

Coastal will provide the upfront development capital, undertaking the
development drilling and production of the KBM Cluster. PETRONAS will remain
the owner of the project. Subject to its performance, Coastal will recover its
capital and operating expenditures and will be paid a remuneration fee, which
will be adjusted by key performance indicators ("KPIs") based on the timely
implementation of the agreed field development plan and budget. 

Planned Development

First oil from the Kapal field is scheduled within one year followed by
production from the Banang field a year later. Coastal will develop the fields
using Mobile Offshore Production Units (MOPUs) and Floating Storage and
Offloading Tankers (FSOs) similar to the method used to develop its assets
offshore Thailand. A total of seventeen wells will be drilled with ten planned
at Kapal, four at Banang and three at Meranti. 

The KBM Cluster

The KBM Cluster fields are located within 20 kilometers of each other in a
water depth of 60 meters. The main oil reservoirs are Miocene aged sandstones
ranging in depths from 3800 feet to 7800 feet. 

Randy Bartley, President & Chief Executive Officer, commented:

"We are proud to announce this new contract with PETRONAS. The KBM Cluster has
similar characteristics to our existing fields offshore Thailand and we are
confident that our experience and expertise in developing smaller fields
quickly and efficiently will prove valuable. There is also appraisal and
step-out drilling potential at the KBM Cluster which we plan to exploit during
the development program. We expect that this project will generate a rate of
return approaching that of our existing assets." 

"This is a significant step for Coastal as we begin to utilize the cash flow
from our existing production to diversify our portfolio. We are happy to have
PETRONAS as a partner and are looking forward to working with them on this and
potential future projects" 

Randy Bartley, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company and a
member of the Society of Petroleum Engineering and Jerry Moon, Vice President,
Technical & Business Development, a member of the American Association of
Petroleum Geologists, a Certified Petroleum Geologist and a Licensed
Professional Geoscientist in the state of Texas, have reviewed the contents of
this announcement. 

Additional information, including the Company's complete competent person's
report may be found on the Company's website at www.CoastalEnergy.com or may be
found in documents filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. 

This statement contains 'forward-looking statements' as defined by the
applicable securities legislation. Statements relating to current and future
drilling results, existence and recoverability of potential hydrocarbon
reserves, production amounts or revenues, forward capital expenditures,
operation costs, oil and gas price forecasts and similar matters are based on
current data and information and should be viewed as forward-looking
statements. Such statements are not guarantees of future results and are
subject to risks and uncertainties beyond Coastal Energy's control. Actual
results may differ substantially from the forward-looking statements. 

The Coastal Energy Company logo is available at
http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=10062 

These securities have not been registered under United States Securities Act of
1933 (the "US Securities Act") or the securities laws of any state and may not
be offered or sold in the United States or to US persons (as defined in
Regulation S under the US Securities Act) unless an exemption from registration
is available. 


         CONTACT: Coastal Energy Company
         +1 (713) 877-6793
         Email:  
         
         Strand Hanson Limited (Nominated Adviser)
         Rory Murphy / Paul Cocker
         +44 (0) 20 7409 3494
         
         Macquarie Capital (Europe) Limited (Broker)
         Paul Connolly / Jeffrey Auld
         +44 (0) 20 3037 2000
         
         FirstEnergy Capital LLP (Broker)
         Hugh Sanderson / Travis Inlow
         +44 (0) 20 7448 0200
         
         Buchanan Communications
         Tim Thompson / Ben Romney
         +44 (0) 20 7466 5000