Press Release

Amerada Hess (NYSE:AHC) announced today that it had completed successfully an appraisal well on the York area in the Southern North Sea. The well tested at a maximum rate of 24.7 million cubic feet of gas per day from a Rotliegend Leman Sandstone and has confirmed that York has probable reserves of up to 200 billion cubic feet of natural gas in a good quality and productive reservoir.

The well, which was drilled utilising the Glomar Adriatic VI, tested a discovery first made in 1991. York is located predominantly in Block 47/3a, approximately 40 km SE of Flamborough Head offshore the coast of Yorkshire and just 8 km north of the existing Rough gas field facilities.

Amerada Hess and its partner CalEnergy will now analyse the data acquired during the drilling and testing of the well to consider how the reserves contained in the York reservoir can be developed and brought to market.

Commenting on the successful appraisal well, Nick Fairbrother, Managing Director of Amerada Hess Limited, said,

"Amerada Hess is delighted to have confirmed potentially commercial flow rates and reserves from the York area, which hitherto has been a dormant discovery. We hope to be able to bring this gas to market swiftly."

Block 47/3a Licensees are:

Cautionary Note to United States Investors - This press release uses the term "probable reserves" which the United States Securities and Exchange Commission prohibits in filings with it.

Further information:
Andy Mitchell, Amerada Hess, London (+44) 20 7887 2621