Monday, September 27, 2010

Regal Petroleum fined £600,000 by the LSE

Oil explorer Regal Petroleum has been fined £600,000 by the London Stock Exchange for releasing misleading information to investors four years ago.

The LSE said statements which Regal released between 2003 and 2005 claiming oil reserves of up to 227 million barrels at a Greek prospect were poorly founded and that the company was slow in telling investors when drilling revealed an absence of oil.

The news of the dry Greek wells prompted an 80 per cent drop in Regal's share price and led investors to force founder and major shareholder Frank Timis to resign as chairman.

Regal Petroleum was 'slow in telling investors' when drilling at a Greek prospect

revealed an absence of oil

'The number, nature and duration of the breaches demonstrate a systematic pattern of conduct evidencing a reckless disregard for the AIM Rules by Regal,' said the disciplinary authority for London's AIM junior market on which Regal is listed.

Regal said it was disappointed at the outcome of the LSE probe but added it was pleased to put the matter behind it.


'At no point has it been suggested that any of the current management team have conducted their responsibilities in anything other than a proper and professional manner,' the company said.


Most of Regal's management and directors have changed since 2005.

Current Chief Executive David Greer said, at the time he was appointed in 2007, that Timis, who is still Regal's second-largest investor with 8.8 per cent of the shares, had signed an agreement which precluded him from interfering with the operations of the company.

The UK's financial regulator, the Financial Services Authority, which launched a much-publicised drive against market abuse in recent years, decided last year not to proceed with an investigation into Regal.

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