SNV Sonoro Energy Ltd

TSX Venture Exchange Symbol: SNV

CALGARY, Oct. 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - Sonoro Energy Ltd. ("Sonoro" or "the Company") (TSXV: SNV) is pleased to announce that its wholly owned subsidiary, Sonoro Energy Iraq B.V. ("Sonoro Iraq"), and its partner, Berkeley Petroleum Mesopotamia Asphalts Limited (together, the "Licensee"), have signed an Asphalt License Agreement (the "Agreement") with the Al-Salah ad Din Provincial Government in the Republic of Iraq.

The Salah ad Din Province lies just to the North of Baghdad and lies within the trend of mega oilfields including production of roughly 300,000 barrels oil equivalent per day. It is estimated that Iraq may hold the world's fourth largest heavy oil resources behind Canada, Venezuela and Russia. The key terms of the Agreement are the following:

    -  Sonoro Iraq will have a 70% working interest and will be the operator
       and Berkeley will have a 30% working interest.
    -  Licensee has the exclusive rights to explore, develop and produce
       asphalts and related organics within the entire Al-Salah ad Din
       Province and to sell the asphalts and its related organics produced
       (and/or the by-products after processing) domestically and/or
       internationally.
    -  The Agreement provides for an initial exploration period of 5 years
       and is followed by a 30 year exploitation period with extensions for
       any carved out exploitation areas to develop asphalts and related
       organics.
    -  Licensee has the right to construct and operate asphalt-heavy oil
       topping facilities within the Al-Salah ad Din Province, with certain
       processing capacity commitments.
    -  Licensee is entitled to 50% of the revenues from the sales of asphalts
       and related organics (and its by-products after processing), after tax
       and after cost recovery.
    -  80% of the revenues are available for cost recovery. Licensee is
       committed to a minimum initial investment commitment of US$1.5
       million.

The Al-Salah ad Din Provincial Government has obtained the necessary Provincial and Central Government Ministry approvals to grant these rights under the Agreement.

Sonoro Iraq and Berkeley entered into an agreement whereby Sonoro Iraq has a 70% working interest and operatorship, while Berkeley retains a 30% working interest which is carried by Sonoro Iraq for the initial facility and exploration operations.

Sonoro Iraq obtained its interest in the License through Berkeley, and accordingly is paying Berkeley a US$250,000 signing bonus and issuing 23.75 million shares in Sonoro Energy Ltd. at a deemed price of $0.38 per share. Berkeley will also have a carried interest on exploration expenses, while Sonoro Iraq will have a preferential entitlement to recover its expenses before Berkeley can receive income on their equity interests in the project. In addition, Sonoro Iraq obtained further preferential rights from Berkeley and its affiliates to pursue similar asphalt opportunities in the Republic of Iraq as well as preferential rights to participate in at least one other conventional petroleum exploration and or development project Berkeley is currently pursuing within the petroleum sector in Iraq.

Richard Wadsworth commented, "This is a remarkable opportunity for our Company to take its technical experience and process into one of the largest known petroleum areas in the world. We are now aligned with the Province of Al-Salah ad Din to process and develop certain hydrocarbon resources and facilities." Mr. Wadsworth further stated "I would like to thank Berkeley for utilizing its knowledge of Iraq and its extensive relationships to secure these assets and allow Sonoro Iraq to become its operating partner. I would also like to thank our Chairman, Mr. Adam Ranjit Sumel, for his contributions in assisting me in closing this transaction and being in Baghdad for the official signing."

The Company has also established its international structure and subsidiaries to efficiently operate Middle Eastern projects. Mr. Haithem Al-Sindy will lead Sonoro's efforts in Iraq as Country Manager at its newly established offices in Baghdad and Tikrit, the Provincial capital city of Al-Salah ad Din. With the signing of the Agreement, Sonoro will rapidly continue to expand its teams and further strategic alliances.

Sonoro Iraq will seek to identify its first exploration area and facility location over the next 3 months. The Company is planning to have a topping facility operational within 18 months.

Sonoro will continue to pursue additional oil and gas development opportunities in the Middle East and internationally with an initial focus on heavy oil, bitumen and asphalt resources in Iraq. The Company's proprietary technology and operational experience provides a strategic competitive advantage in capturing and developing such resources.

The terms and conditions of the grant of shares in association with the above are subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.

The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Statements in this release that are forward-looking statements, including the exploration success and development plans in Iraq, are subject to risks and uncertainties, including those specific factors disclosed under the heading "Risk Factors" and elsewhere in the Company's periodic filings with Canadian securities regulators. Such information contained herein represents management's best judgment as of the date hereof based on information currently available. The Company does not assume the obligation to update any forward-looking statement except in compliance with applicable securities laws.

SOURCE Sonoro Energy Ltd.