Continental Southern Resources, Inc. Announces Interim Project and Operations Update.

Energy Editors/Business Editors

BALA CYNWYD, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 21, 2003

Continental Southern Resources, Inc. (OTC:CSOR) ("Continental" or "the Company") today provided an interim project and operations update.

A summary of the Company's projects and their respective updates follow:

Offshore Louisiana, Cameron Parish-Louisiana Shelf Partners

Continental has a 25% interest in Louisiana Shelf Partners, L.P., a partnership which owns a shallow and deep gas prospect located in Cameron Parish, Louisiana, consisting of four recently acquired blocks on approximately 3,500 acres.

This project is being undertaken in conjunction with Louisiana Coastal Exploration, Inc., a company whose principal has over 35 years of experience with Gulf Oil, Shell and L,L &E in the exploration and development of onshore and offshore fields in Louisiana.

The partnership has initially targeted potential reserves of approximately 450 billion cubic feet ("bcf") of gas in its initial exploration block. In this area, Shell discovered over 150 bcf of shallow reserves in the 50's and 60's. The partnership was the successful bidder on three lease blocks offered in the March Louisiana State Lease sale.

The three lease blocks, located off-shore of Louisiana in the Gulf of Mexico, are comprised of 600 acres in East Cameron Block 4, 1,171 acres in East Cameron Block 18 and 688 acres in East Cameron Block 22. These three lease blocks, when included with the previously acquired 1,130 acres in East Cameron Block 17, give Louisiana Shelf Partners a total lease position of 3,590 acres.

The process of obtaining drilling permits is expected by month end and drilling contracts are now being reviewed. A target spud date of May 15 is now projected with an anticipated 40 day drill program.

North East Thailand - Phu Horm

Phu Horm is a gas development project located in North Eastern Thailand, resting on a geographic feature known as the Khorat Plateau close to the borders of Laos and Cambodia. The project is operated by Amerada Hess on an Esso farm-in. The project is the result of the drilling and completion in 1984 by Esso of the Phu Horm #1 in the Permian aged Pha Nok Khao dolomites and limestones.

These same reservoirs produce 64 kilometers to the south in Esso's Nam Phong gas field. The Nam Phong field produces from nine wells. Production in Nam Phong through June 2000 was approximately 239 bcf with ultimate production estimated at approximately 500 bcf.

Continental has the right to earn into an approximate 9% interest in the project. Drilling of a development well is currently underway with results expected by the end of May 2003.

Black Warrior Basin, Mississippi-Knox Miss Project

Continental owns a 99% limited partnership interest in Knox Miss Partners, L.P. ("Knox Miss") a limited partnership which owns a 50% interest in 125,000 acres in the Black Warrior Basin in Mississippi and Alabama.

In February 2003, Continental executed an agreement to sell up to 20% of its partnership interest in Knox Miss to an unrelated exploration company in exchange for up to $11,000,000 in payments, of which up to $4,000,000 will be allocated to the drilling of the first two exploration wells in the Knox Miss Project.

Continental expects the initial closing on the sale of 10% of its partnership interest in Knox Miss to occur by May 1, 2003.

Vermillion Parish, Louisiana- Hell Hole Bayou 

Continental owns an approximate 37% interest in Hell Hole Bayou, a deep gas exploration project located in Louisiana. Continental had previously announced a potential new field discovery in Hell Hole Bayou on February 27, 2003.

Unfortunately, although numerous pay sands were encountered and reported by the operator of the Hell Hole project in the SL 16141 no. 2 well and Continental was advised that 79 feet of pay sands in the N and O sands was encountered, the operator was not able to put the well into production.

Continental is currently exploring its options with regard to future drilling on the Hell Hole project, and will decide whether future exploration activities on the project are warranted.

Stephen Harrington, President of Continental, stated "although we are disappointed by the latest information of our exploration activities at Hell Hole reported to us by the operator, we remain very optimistic with regard to our other exploration and development activities. We should hopefully be in a position over the next sixty days to have three exploration projects operating, each with very strong prospects for adding significant potential reserves to the Company. If other transactions which we have put in place come to fruition over the next month, all of the short and medium term capital needs of the company will be taken care of without any further dilution to the shareholders of Continental".

This release contains certain forward-looking statements regarding potential future events and developments affecting the business of the Company.

These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties or other factors not under the Company's control which may cause actual results, performance or achievements of the company to be materially different from the future results, performance, achievements or other expectations expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements.