Ascent Resources plc / Epic: AST / Index: AIM / Sector: Oil and Gas 16 March 2010 Ascent Resources plc (Ascent or the Company) Issue of Equity
Ascent Resources plc, the AIM-traded oil and gas exploration and production company, announces that following the passing of the resolution at the Extraordinary General Meeting on 12 March it has issued 15,529,981 ordinary shares of 0.1 pence each in Ascent (Ordinary Shares) to Director Malcolm Groom.

Following admission, Mr Groom will be interested in 17,527,686 shares of Ascent representing 3.40% of the total issued shares.


Application has been made for these shares to be admitted to trading on AIM on 19 March 2010.

Following the issue of the new shares, the Companys issued share capital will consist of 515,662,023 Ordinary Shares with voting rights.
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For further information visit www.ascentresources.co.uk or contact:
Jeremy Eng Ascent Resources plc Tel: 020 7251 4905 Simon Cunningham Ascent Resources plc Tel: 020 7251 4905 Hugo de Salis St Brides Media & Finance Ltd Tel: 020 7236 1177 Paul Youens St Brides Media & Finance Ltd Tel: 020 7236 1177 Lindsay Mair Astaire Securities Tel: 020 7448 4400 Jerry Keen Astaire Securities (Corporate Broking) Tel: 020 7448 4492 Toby Gibbs Astaire Securities Tel: 020 7448 4400 Daniel Fox-Davies Fox-Davies Capital Ltd Tel: 020 7936 5200 James Hehn Fox-Davies Capital Ltd Tel: 020 7936 5200
Notes Ascent Resources plc has a diversified portfolio of hydrocarbon exploration and development projects across five countries in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, Hungary, Slovenia and Netherlands.

Ascents portfolio contains a solid base of field redevelopment projects with selected exposure to exploration upside.

The portfolio is focussed on gas and with the exception of the shallow water Netherlands project, all of its projects are located onshore where operating and development costs are substantially lower than they would be offshore.
Paul Youens St Brides Media & Finance Ltd Chaucer House 38 Bow Lane London EC4M 9AY T: +44 (0) 207 236 1177 | M: +44 (0) 7989 384 551 | F: +44 (0) 207 236 1188 | www.sbmf.co.uk
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