Company Raises 5.5 Million Pounds Sterling to Accelerate Production of
Revolutionary Survey Technology
CAMBRIDGE, England, Dec. 14 -ARKeX, developer of proprietary gravity gradiometry technology, has clinched a deal with Chesapeake Energy, one of the largest independent gas producers in the United States, to use its pioneering full tensor gravity gradiometer, FTGeX, to identify promising geological structures in the U.S. Mid-continent area.
"Since our first commercial survey in May of this year, we have had an overwhelmingly enthusiastic reception in the market to our technology," said ARKeX Managing Director Kitty Hall. "We have a very strong order book already for the FTGeX with about 75 percent of 2006's capacity already sold. We are confident that our proprietary Exploration Gravity Gradiometer (EGG) system will be recognized as an even more ground-breaking development when launched later next year."
Chesapeake is one of a growing number of major energy clients which have conducted successful field trials of the FTGeX technology in North America. Following a successful initial survey, Chesapeake has committed to a three- month program to use the technology in early 2006.
"The gravity gradiometry data has significantly improved our geological understanding of the initial survey area and encouraged us to use it on a larger area in 2006," commented Chesapeake chief geophysicist Larry Lunardi.
ARKeX also announced it had secured a second-round funding of 5.5 million pounds from a consortium led by Norwegian investors Energy Ventures and backed by existing investors, including Scottish Equity Partners, Dynamics and Eurovestech.
"The new funds will enable us to meet pent-up demand for our services," Hall said. "These funds will be used to accelerate our expansion of capacity as well as the opening of a U.S. office. With this revolutionary technology and the success we've had in such a short period, we expect to play an increasingly important role in the North American oil and gas exploration market."
The funding round follows the successful commercial launch earlier this year of ARKeX's FTGeX gravity gradiometer. ARKeX, which was formed in Cambridge, England as a spinout from both Oxford Instruments Superconductivity Ltd and ARK Geophysics Ltd, raised initial venture capital funding of 4 million pounds in 2004.
David Sneddon, Director of Scottish Equity Partners' Energy-Related Technologies group said, "In a short time ARKeX has gone from launch to having field crew out generating revenue with a product that is in high demand by major energy companies. The FTGeX has impressed clients this year, and in 2006 ARKeX will launch an even more sophisticated product into a global market hungry for this kind of breakthrough technology."
Leif Andre Skare, Investment Manager of Energy Ventures in Stavanger, Norway, commented, "ARKeX represents the combination of unique technology, competent management and high growth potential Energy Ventures is looking for in its investments."
The funding consortium was advised by DLA Piper, Technical Investment Services Ltd and by Deloitte Statsautoriserte Revisorer DA.
ARKeX, which has a world-class management team with vast experience in instrumentation, exploration geology and signal processing, is also making major strides in the development of its next generation proprietary technology, the EGG, which will be the world's first commercial superconducting gravity gradiometer. The EGG is currently undergoing lab testing at ARKeX's headquarters and is expected to go into commercial service in late 2006.
About ARKeX technology
Oil companies typically use seismic reflection surveys to determine subsurface structure and locate potential reservoirs of oil and gas, but with certain technical and practical limitations. In particular, there are limitations in geographic regions where terrain, safety, logistics or legislation puts either unacceptable cost of planning or execution on the surveyors. ARKeX is able to solve this by carrying out airborne surveys that can cover vast areas of land in a short period of time, thus pinpointing the areas worth further work (seismics or drilling) by the oil companies. The airborne surveys use gravity gradiometry in combination with magnetics and laser altimetry. The technology can be applied both onshore and offshore. The main marketing efforts are currently for the onshore domain, as this is where the advantages of airborne surveys are the greatest.
For further information, see the company's website -- http://www.arkex.co.uk .
About Scottish Equity Partners
Scottish Equity Partners (SEP) is one of the largest independent private equity groups in the UK and is currently investing from a venture capital fund in excess of 100 million pounds, which is backed by leading UK and European institutional investors. Typically, SEP invests between 500,000 pounds and 5 million pounds in early stage and growing companies, principally in the information technology, healthcare & life sciences and energy related technology sectors. With offices in Glasgow and London, SEP is one of the most active venture capital investors in the UK and has a strong investment track record. The company also has an excellent track record of identifying companies with high potential at an early stage and working with them to realize that potential as they face the challenges of building a successful business.
Current SEP investments in the oilfield sector include MTEM, which has pioneering technology in the field of transient electromagnetic surveying for direct hydrocarbon indication on land and in shallow water. Previous investments include Core Technical Services, Petroleum Engineering Services, British Bits and RST Projects.
For further information, see the company's website -- http://www.sep.co.uk .
About Energy Ventures
Energy Ventures manages two oil & gas sector venture funds with a combined capital base of $140 million. It is based in Stavanger, Norway. The funds specialize their investment activities in high growth technology companies within the upstream oil and gas sector.
Target companies are located in the North Sea region and the US, and will preferably have international potential. The funds invest in high growth technology companies that successfully market and sell proprietary or unique technology products or solutions to the international E&P market. More information can be found on: http://www.energyventures.no .
For further information contact:
For Scottish Equity Partners For ARKeX
Lara Bayley Kitty Hall
Head of Marketing Managing Director
Tel: +44 (0)141 273 4000 Tel: +44 (0)1223 427404
Email: lara.bayley@sep.co.uk Email: kitty.hall@arkex.co.uk
For Energy Ventures US & Canadian Media Inquiries
Leif Andre Skare Karen Litzler or Jennifer Tweeton
Investment Manager Vollmer Public Relations
Tel: +47 51 84 12 92 713-970-2100
leif.andre.skare@energyventures.no Email: karenl@vollmerpr.com
jennifert@vollmerpr.com
