Delta Petroleum Corporation Announces Joint Venture and Additional Leasehold Acquisition in Columbia River Basin

Delta Petroleum Corporation Announces Joint Venture and Additional Leasehold Acquisition in Columbia River Basin

Delta Petroleum Corporation, an independent oil and gas exploration and development company, announced that it has signed agreements for two separate transactions in the Columbia River Basin of Washington and Oregon. The first is a transaction with EnCana USA, Inc., through which Delta has acquired all of EnCana’s net leasehold position and interest in wells in the CRB of Washington. This transaction brings the Company’s total leasehold ownership to approximately 844,000 acres. Secondly, the Company has entered into a joint venture agreement with a major Canadian energy company to sell a 50% working interest participation in all CRB leasehold and wells. Under the terms of the agreement, Delta and its partner currently plan to drill at least three wells in the CRB, including the Gray 31-23 well. Upon closing of these two transactions, the Company’s position in the CRB will approximate 422,000 net acres, which is unchanged relative to the Company’s current position.

Roger Parker, Delta’s Chairman and CEO commented, “We are very pleased to have signed agreements for these two important transactions, which combined will serve to diversify some of our exploration risk, while preserving significant exposure to the vast upside potential that we believe exists in the CRB. With the execution of the joint venture agreement with our new partner, along with an agreement to drill three wells, we can ensure to further test the merits of the basin. Having a large partner that shares our enthusiasm of the CRB and believes in its potential is a significant step for the project.”

The Company also announced that it has lost approximately 15 days of production from its southeast Texas fields, Midway Loop and Newton. Both fields were returned to production the week of September 22, 2008. The lost production approximates 0.25 Bcfe and was caused by hurricane activity in the Gulf Coast region. Despite the lost production, the Company expects its third quarter production to be in the mid-range of its previously provided guidance of 6.4 – 6.6 Bcfe.

Delta Petroleum Corporation is an oil and gas exploration and development company based in Denver, Colorado. The Company’s core areas of operations are the Rocky Mountain and Gulf Coast Regions, which comprise the majority of its proved reserves, production and long-term growth prospects. Its common stock is listed on the NASDAQ Global Market System under the symbol “DPTR.”

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