Bankers Petroleum announces filing of 2012 statutory filings including AIF and Statement of Reserves Data

CALGARY, March 28, 2013 /PRNewswire/ - Bankers Petroleum Ltd. ("Bankers" or the "Company") (TSX: BNK) (AIM: BNK) announces completion of its 2012 statutory filings including the Annual Information Form ("AIF") and the Statement of Reserves Data ("51-101") for the year ended December 31, 2012. The filings can be accessed on the System of Electronic Document Analysis ("SEDAR") and Bankers website.

Contingent and Prospective Resources

Bankers Petroleum announces its 2012 contingent and prospective resources attributed to the periphery extensions and increased development of the Patos-Marinza oilfield as provided by its reserves evaluator, RPS Energy Canada Ltd. Contingent resources for 2012 are 534 million barrels, compared to 994 million barrels in 2011.  Prospective resources are 254 million barrels, compared to 616 million barrels in 2011.  The resource estimates include expansion of primary recovery development as well as recognition for secondary and tertiary recovery methods.

The contingent and prospective resource adjustments reflect the reduction in the oil in place volumes in the field disclosed on February 25, 2013, from updated geologic mapping of the individual reservoir sands.  The reduced resource volumes are aligned with the Company's deferred development plans in the area and allow for further evaluation through delineation drilling and data collection.

Operational Update

The Company intends to issue the first quarter 2013 operational update and host a conference call on Friday, April 5, 2013.  Mr. David French, Bankers' newly appointed President and CEO will also be participating on the call.

Caution Regarding Forward-looking Information  

Information in this news release respecting matters such as the expected future production levels from wells, future prices and netback, work plans, anticipated total oil recovery of the Patos-Marinza and Kuçova oilfields constitute forward-looking information.  Statements containing forward-looking information express, as at the date of this news release, the Company's plans, estimates, forecasts, projections, expectations, or beliefs as to future events or results and are believed to be reasonable based on information currently available to the Company. 

Exploration for oil is a speculative business that involves a high degree of risk.  The Company's expectations for its Albanian operations and plans are subject to a number of risks in addition to those inherent in oil production operations, including: that Brent oil prices could fall resulting in reduced returns and a change in the economics of the project; availability of financing; delays associated with equipment procurement, equipment failure and the lack of suitably qualified personnel; the inherent uncertainty in the estimation of reserves; exports from Albania being disrupted due to unplanned disruptions; and changes in the political or economic environment.

Production and netback forecasts are based on a number of assumptions including that the rate and cost of well takeovers, well reactivations and well recompletions of the past will continue and success rates will be similar to those rates experienced for previous well recompletions/reactivations/development; that further wells taken over and recompleted will produce at rates similar to the average rate of production achieved from wells recompletions/reactivations/development in the past; continued availability of the necessary equipment, personnel and financial resources to sustain the Company's planned work program; continued political and economic stability in Albania;  the existence of reserves as expected; the continued release by Albpetrol of areas and wells pursuant to the Plan of Development and Addendum; the absence of unplanned disruptions; the ability of the Company to successfully drill new wells and bring production to market; and general risks inherent in oil and gas operations.

Forward-looking statements and information are based on assumptions that financing, equipment and personnel will be available when required and on reasonable terms, none of which are assured and are subject to a number of other risks and uncertainties described under "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Information Form and Management's Discussion and Analysis, which are available on SEDAR under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com.

There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate.  Actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information and forward looking statements.

Review by Qualified Person

This release was reviewed by Suneel Gupta, Executive Vice President and COO of Bankers Petroleum Ltd., who is a "qualified person" under the rules and policies of AIM in his role with the Company and due to his training as a professional petroleum engineer (member of APEGGA) with over 20 years' experience in domestic and international oil and gas operations. 

About Bankers Petroleum Ltd.

Bankers Petroleum Ltd. is a Canadian-based oil and gas exploration and production company focused on developing large oil and gas reserves.  In Albania, Bankers operates and has the full rights to develop the Patos-Marinza heavy oilfield, has a 100% interest in the Kuçova oilfield, and a 100% interest in Exploration Block "F". Bankers' shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange and the AIM Market in London, England under the stock symbol BNK.

SOURCE Bankers Petroleum Ltd.