Message #1 From:
Stock News Bot Date: January 14, 2009 06:24:16 AM
ESGLY Eastern Star Gas Limited Joins International OTCQX
NEW YORK, NY -- (Marketwire) -- 01/13/09 -- Pink OTC Markets Inc., the leading electronic
inter-dealer quotation system, trading technology and financial information
provider for over-the-counter (OTC) securities, today announced that
Eastern Star Gas (PINKSHEETS: ESGLY) (OTCQX: ESGLY stock news) (ASX: ESG), an
Australian company focused on the exploration, development and production
of coal seam gas, has chosen to list its American Depositary Receipts
(ADRs) on International OTCQX.
Eastern Star's ADRs began trading today on the OTC market's prestigious
tier, International PrimeQX. Investors can find current disclosure and
financial information for the company on www.otcqx.com and
www.pinksheets.com.
"We are pleased to welcome Eastern Star Gas to the International OTCQX
market tier," said R. Cromwell Coulson, Chairman and CEO of Pink OTC
Markets Inc. "As an International OTCQX-listed company, Eastern Star Gas
distinguishes itself as one of the most prestigious companies trading
over-the-counter, and provides U.S. investors with access to their latest
news and disclosure information, which can increase U.S. investor awareness
and participation."
Eastern Star's Managing Director, Mr David Casey, said: "The listing of
Eastern Star on OTCQX will provide the company with significant ability to
access the U.S. capital markets via a local U.S. market. We are very
pleased to be listing on OTCQX."
U.S. investment bank Merriman Curhan Ford will serve as Eastern Star Gas
Company's Principal American Liaison ("PAL") on the International OTCQX,
responsible for providing guidance on listing requirements.
"We are pleased to sponsor Eastern Star Gas and help them gain U.S.
institutional investor visibility from our capital markets leadership in
the advanced hydrocarbon technology subsector," said Stephen Nash, managing
director and head of Merriman Curhan Ford's OTCQX Advisory Group. "Eastern
Star Gas represents Merriman's seventh Australian company to list on OTCQX
-- the most out of any investment bank PAL. OTCQX is a highly visible
platform that has attracted nearly 50 global companies from more than 13
countries since early 2007 with a consolidated market capitalization of
$300 billion."
Eastern Star's ADRs will trade in the United States on International OTCQX
under the ticker "ESGLY" where each ADR will represent twenty ordinary
shares. Eastern Star's shares are also listed on the Australian Securities
Exchange (ASX). The company's headquarters are in Sydney, Australia.
About Eastern Star Gas Limited
Eastern Star Gas Limited (ASX: ESG) (PINKSHEETS: ESGLY) (OTCQX: ESGLY) is
focused on exploration, development and production of coal seam gas in
Australia.
The company's main activity, the Narrabri Coal Seam Gas Project, is located
in Petroleum Exploration Licence 238 adjacent to the township of Narrabri
in the state of New South Wales Australia. ESG holds a 65.0% interest in
the PEL 238 and is the operator. The remaining 35% interest is held by
Gastar Exploration Limited (AMEX: GST) (TSX: YGA). PEL 238 covers 9,100
kmsē (2.25 million acres) of the Gunnedah Basin, the most lightly explored
portion of the Bowen-Gunnedah-Sydney Basin complex which presently supplies
the dominant proportion of Australia's coal seam gas production. Production
testing is underway at two locations (Bibblewindi and Bohena) and, on the
basis of the production pilots and the first four coreholes drilled in the
Dewhurst area, 2P gas reserves of 336 Petajoules (316 BCF) and 3P gas
reserves of 1,300 Petajoules (1225 BCF) were independently certified as at
on 30 September 2008.
Further reserves will be generated in 2008/09 in PEL238 through the current
corehole programme and the completion of 4 multi-lateral production pilot
wells at Bibblewindi and Dewhurst. The in-seam, or horizontal, section of
the multi-lateral wells will have a notional length of around 1 km (3,300
feet), and will be drilled perpendicular to the fracture system within the
target coal seams to maximise connectivity resulting in many times greater
flow rates than can be achieved from vertical, fracture-stimulated wells.
Test gas from the production pilots will be connected into ESG's Wilga Park
Power Station which will, be expanded to take production test gas in
addition to gas currently supplied from ESG's Coonarah gas field. MOU's for
the supply of gas from PEL 238 have been signed with Macquarie Generation
(up to 500 PJ / 471 BCF) and Babcock & Brown (up to 40 PJ/a / 38 BCF/a).
For more information, please go to www.easternstar.com.au.
About Merriman Curhan Ford
Merriman Curhan Ford (NASDAQ: MERR) is a financial services firm focused on
fast-growing companies and the institutions who invest in them. The company
offers high-quality investment banking, equity research, institutional
services, primary market research, corporate & executive services, asset
management and venture services, and specializes in three growth industry
sectors: CleanTech, Consumer/Internet/Media and Health Care. For more
information, please go to www.mcfco.com.
About International OTCQX
International OTCQX provides a gateway to U.S. securities markets for
international companies that are listed on a qualified non-U.S. exchange
and provide ongoing disclosure in English to U.S. investors. More
importantly, International OTCQX distinguishes the reputable international
issuers from the 8,000 over-the-counter (OTC) securities traded in the U.S.
Only leading companies that have substantial operating businesses and
provide credible disclosure to the public are eligible for inclusion on the
premium-tier International OTCQX, which commenced trading on March 5, 2007.
For more about International OTCQX, visit www.otcqx.com.
About Pink OTC Markets Inc.
Pink OTC Markets Inc. provides the leading inter-dealer electronic
quotation and trading system in the over-the-counter (OTC) securities
market. We create innovative technology and data solutions to efficiently
connect market participants, improve price discovery, increase issuer
disclosure, and better inform investors. Pink OTC Markets operates the
third largest U.S. equity trading venue which includes both the elite OTCQX
market tiers for strong OTC-traded companies that can satisfy financial and
disclosure listing standards and Pink Sheets for all other OTC quoted
securities.
Over 230 financial service firms, including the ten largest U.S. investment
banks, actively make markets in OTCQX and Pink Sheets quoted securities and
in 2007 these firms traded over $160 billion of OTCQX and Pink Sheets
securities. Pink OTC Markets offers widespread access to all U.S.
broker-dealers, enabling investors to seamlessly trade these securities
through their institutional, online, or full service brokers.
Pink OTC Markets is headquartered in New York City.
To learn more about how Pink OTC Markets' products and services make OTC
markets more transparent, informed, and efficient, please visit our
websites at www.pinksheets.com and www.otcqx.com or contact us at
info@pinkotc.com.