MOL Group announced the successful completion of a deal to acquire 100% ownership of Ithaca Petroleum Norge (IPN) from Ithaca Petroleum Ltd. The deal doubles the size of MOL Group’s exploration portfolio, adding 600 million barrels of net un-risked best estimate prospective reserves. Entry into the Norwegian market also takes the company a step closer towards becoming an offshore operator in the North Sea.

Entry into Norway is a measured step for MOL Group, reflecting the company’s active approach to portfolio development. The move balances and grows MOL Group’s global upstream portfolio and includes 14 licenses in the Norwegian Continental Shelf, three of which are currently operated by IPN.

The investor-friendly nature of Norway and its political and fiscal stability were key reasons MOL Group decided to acquire IPN. Closure of the deal now extends MOL Group’s presence in the North Sea and builds on last year’s entry into the UK.

Alexander Dodds, Group Executive Vice President for Upstream added:

“Entering Norway as one of the most investor friendly countries is an important milestone in our E&P Strategy. Norway will become a key exploration hub for MOL Group in the future and will help us achieve our goal of becoming an offshore operator in the North Sea. We believe Norway has a best in class approach to exploration, and we know that the new MOL Norge has an excellent team in place.”

While MOL Group will provide additional operational resources and support where needed, MOL Norge continues as a Norwegian company, and all staff will become part of the new entity.

About MOL Group

MOL Group is an integrated, independent, international oil and gas company, headquartered in Budapest, Hungary. It has operations in over 40 countries and employs almost 28,000 people worldwide. MOL’s exploration and production activities are supported by more than 75 years’ experience in the hydrocarbon field. At the moment, there are production plants in 7 countries and exploration assets in 12 countries. The Group operates five refineries and two petrochemicals plants, under integrated supply chain management, in Hungary, Slovakia, Croatia and Italy. MOL Group also owns a network of over 1,700 filling stations across 11 countries in Central & South Eastern Europe.

About Ithaca Energy

Ithaca Energy Inc. (TSX: IAE, LSE AIM: IAE) is a North Sea oil and gas operator focused on the delivery of lower risk growth through the appraisal and development of UK undeveloped discoveries, the exploitation of its existing UK producing asset portfolio and a Norwegian exploration and appraisal business targeting the generation of discoveries capable of monetisation prior to development. Ithaca’s strategy is centred on generating sustainable long term shareholder value by building a highly profitable 25kboe/d North Sea oil and gas company.