Harvest Natural Resources Announces Pre-Salt Ruche Oil Discovery Offshore Gabon

HOUSTON, July 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Harvest Natural Resources, Inc. (NYSE: HNR) today announced an update to its drilling operations in the Dussafu Ruche Marin-1 (DRM-1) well drilled in the Dussafu Marin PSC, offshore Gabon, West Africa.  Harvest operates the Dussafu PSC, holding a 66.667% interest.

The DRM-1 well was initially drilled in 380 feet of water.  On June 10, 2011, Harvest announced an oil discovery in the pre-salt Gamba reservoir with plans to deepen the well to test Middle and Lower Dentale exploration potential and sidetrack to appraise the extent of the Gamba oil discovery.

Subsequently the DRM-1 well has been deepened to reach a true vertical depth subsea (TVDSS) of 11,355 feet to test the prospectivity of the Middle and Lower Dentale Formations. Log evaluation, pressure data and a fluid sample indicate that Harvest has discovered a second oil accumulation with approximately 35 feet of oil pay within the secondary objective of the Middle Dentale Formation.

The Gamba discovery has been appraised by drilling a sidetrack (DRM-1ST1) 0.75 miles to the southwest to test the lateral extent and structural elevation of the Gamba reservoir. The sidetrack was drilled to a TD in the Upper Dentale of 11,562 feet, (9,428 feet TVDSS) and found 19 feet of oil pay in the Gamba reservoir.

Harvest will now sidetrack the DRM-1 well to the northwest of the original DRM-1 wellbore to further appraise the extent and structural elevation of the Gamba and the commerciality of the Ruche discovery.

About Harvest Natural Resources:

Harvest Natural Resources, Inc., headquartered in Houston, Texas, is an independent energy company with principal operations in Venezuela, exploration assets in the United States, Indonesia, Gabon, China and Oman and business development offices in Singapore and the United Kingdom. For more information visit the Company's website at www.harvestnr.com.

CONTACT:
Stephen C. Haynes
Vice President, Chief Financial Officer
(281) 899-5716

This press release may contain projections and other forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. They include estimates and timing of expected oil and gas production, oil and gas reserve projections of future oil pricing, future expenses, planned capital expenditures, anticipated cash flow and our business strategy. All statements other than statements of historical facts may constitute forward-looking statements. Although Harvest believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to have been correct. Actual results may differ materially from Harvest's expectations as a result of factors discussed in Harvest's 2010 Annual Report on Form 10-K and other public filings.

SOURCE Harvest Natural Resources, Inc.