RNS Number:2206U
Premier Oil PLC
14 January 2004



                                 PREMIER OIL PLC
                                  ("Premier")


          Premier Signs Up New Exploration Licence in the Philippines


Premier is pleased to announce that it has agreed the terms of a petroleum
licence agreement with the Philippines Department of Energy for a 10,800 square
kilometre area in the Ragay Gulf, Luzon, Philippines. The licence agreement was
signed earlier today.


Upon signing the licence Premier will assign 42.5% to PEARL Energy and 15% to
Philippines National Oil Company (PNOC-EC).


Premier believes that the Ragay Gulf is highly prospective for oil with numerous
leads in a variety of play types which have already been identified. The initial
work commitment is for technical studies and a seismic survey. Subject to the
results of this work, Premier plans to define specific drilling targets and
commence exploration drilling.


Charles Jamieson, Chief Executive of Premier, said:


"The Philippines is a new country for Premier but it fits well with our strategy
of finding new exploration opportunities within our core areas. We believe this
area has been overlooked despite the existence of oil seeps, and recent seismic
data supports its prospectivity."


                                                                 14 January 2004


ENQUIRIES:

Premier Oil plc                                      Tel: 020 7730 1111

Charles Jamieson

John van der Welle


College Hill                                         Tel: 020 7457 2020
James Henderson


Background For Editors:


Premier Oil plc is a leading independent oil and gas company with producing
interests in the UK, Indonesia, and Pakistan. Exploration and appraisal is
ongoing in the UK, West Africa (Mauritania, Guinea Bissau and Gabon), and South
and South East Asia (Pakistan, India, Indonesia and the Philippines).



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