Aurelian Oil & Gas discovers gas in Romania's Suceava block

LONDON (Thomson Financial) - Aurelian Oil & Gas PLC said it has encountered gas at the Suceava block in Romania.

It found a 17-metre gas column in the Dornesti Sud-1 well which flowed at a rate of 880,000 standard cubic feet gas per day. Flow rates could potentially rise to about 2.8 mln standard cubic feet a day, it said in a drilling statement. The well has been completed as a production well and efforts will be directed to tieing it in during 2008 to the Bilca Gas Plant, operated by Aurelian on its adjacent Brodina Block EIII-1 concession,' it said.

Aurealian is the operator of the field with a 50 pct stake, while Regal Petroleum PLC holds the remaining 50 pct.