Challenger Appoints Special Committee to Evaluate Strategic Alternatives
February 05 2009 - 10:02PM
Marketwired
Challenger Energy Corp. ("Challenger" or "Company") (TSX VENTURE:
CHQ)(NYSE Alternext US: CHQ) announces that its Board of Directors
has appointed a special committee of directors (the "Special
Committee") with a mandate to undertake a process to evaluate the
various strategic alternatives available to the Company. In this
regard, the Special Committee has retained Peters & Co. Limited
as its financial advisor to assist in the review process.
The Special Committee has been formed to examine all
alternatives available to Challenger, including the sale of the
Company, in order to ensure that shareholder value is maximized and
to address the Company's $14 million bridge facility. Operations
are nearly complete with respect to the initial exploration phase
of Block 5(c), offshore Trinidad and Tobago. Challenger is paying
one third of the costs of the initial exploration program on Block
5(c) to earn a 25% interest in the production sharing contract
covering Block 5(c).
Challenger, along with its partners, Canadian Superior Energy
Inc. ("Canadian Superior") (TSX: SNG)(NYSE Alternext US: SNG) and,
BG International Limited ("BG"), a wholly owned subsidiary of the
BG Group plc (LSE: BG.L) are continuing preparations to conduct
flow testing on the "Endeavour" well on Block 5(c). As previously
announced, the main targeted zone for this well has been
encountered and has been evaluated with a full suite of electric
wireline logs; and operations are proceeding to flow test the
well.
All operations on the Endeavour well are estimated to be
completed near the end of February, to be followed by the release
of the drilling rig. The data received to date from the "Endeavour"
well has enabled the partners to further enhance their
understanding of not only this particular well and its related
structure, but also the overall development potential of the entire
Block 5(c). Test information from the well is expected to confirm
productive characteristics of the reservoir tested and the net pay
encountered in the well.
In 2008, Challenger announced two separate natural gas
discoveries on Block 5(c); in the "Victory" well, announced on
January 14, 2008, and, in the "Bounty" well, announced on August
13, 2008. The information from the three exploration wells drilled
on Block 5(c), along with the extensive 3D seismic coverage of
Block 5(c) and nearby fields, encourages moving forward with the
further appraisal of resources discovered and development
planning.
Challenger Energy Corp. is a Calgary, Alberta, Canada based oil
and gas exploration company which is currently focusing on "high
impact" oil and gas plays offshore the Republic of Trinidad and
Tobago. See www.challenger-energy.com for information on
Challenger.
This news release contains forward-looking information,
including estimates, projections, interpretations, prognoses and
other information that may or relates to future production,
resource potential and/or reserves, project start-ups and future
capital spending. Forward-looking information contained in this
news release is as of the date of this news release. The Company
assumes no obligation to update and/or revise this forward-looking
information "except as required by law". Actual results, estimates,
projections, resource potential and/or reserves, interpretations,
prognoses and/or estimated results could differ materially due to
changes in project schedules, operating performance, demand for oil
and gas, commercial negotiations or other technical and economic
factors or revisions. This news release may contain the reference
to the term "undiscovered natural gas resources", which are those
quantities of natural gas estimated to be contained in
accumulations yet to be discovered. There is no certainty that any
portion of undiscovered resources (oil, natural gas, natural gas
liquids or other hydrocarbons) will be discovered and that, if
discovered, in this or any other discovery, the discovered resource
may not be economically viable or technically feasible to
produce.
Statements contained in this news release relating to future
results, events and expectations are forward-looking statements
within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown
risks, uncertainties, scheduling, re-scheduling and other factors
which may cause the actual results, performance, estimates,
projections, resource potential and/or reserves, interpretations,
prognoses, schedules or achievements of the Corporation, or
industry results, to be materially different from any future
results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such
statements. Such factors include, among others, those described in
the Corporations' annual reports on Form 20-F on file with the U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission.
The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept
responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Contacts: Challenger Energy Corp. Dan MacDonald (403) 503-8815
(403) 503-8811 (FAX) Challenger Energy Corp. Suite 200, 744 - 4th
Avenue S.W. Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2P 3T4 Website:
www.challenger-energy.com