Vanco Adds Country Representatives; Manager of New Ventures.

Business & Energy Editors

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 15, 2001

As Vanco Energy Company steps up its activity offshore West Africa, the oil & gas independent has added representatives in Cote d'Ivoire and Morocco, and a Manager of New Ventures:

Gilbert Yougoubare has been retained by Vanco to represent its oil and gas activity offshore Cote d'Ivoire. Mr. Yougoubare is the immediate past Director General of Petroci, Cote d'Ivoire's state-affiliated oil and gas company. He began his career in 1982 with two years at Phillips Petroleum Company in Odessa, Texas and Houston. Since 1984, Mr. Yougoubare served Petroci in various capacities, managing special projects in exploration and production. He became Petroci's Director General in 1996. Mr. Yougoubare received a Bachelor's in Chemical Engineering, a Master's in Petroleum Engineering and a Master's in Mathematics from the University of Pittsburgh. Vanco operates two licenses offshore Cote d'Ivoire, CI-109 and CI-112, and began a 1,200 square kilometer 3D survey of CI-112 this week.

Mohammed Douieb has been retained by Vanco to represent its oil and gas activity offshore Morocco. In 1981, Mr. Douieb led the organization of Morocco's first state-affiliated oil and gas company, ONAREP, serving as General Manager until 2000. From 1974 to 1981, Mr. Douieb was General Manager of the National Company for Petroleum Products, a state-affiliated company involved in the management, sale and distribution of petroleum products in Morocco. With an education in math and physics, and having attended the Paris School of Mines, Mr. Douieb began his career in Morocco's mining industry. He served as Morocco's Director of Mines and Geology from 1970-1973, and then became General Manager for Zellidja Company, a mining and holding company. Mr. Douieb will facilitate the operations of Vanco's Safi Haute Mer and Ras Tafelney permits offshore Morocco. A 3,000-square-kilometer 3D seismic survey over the two permits began on January 26th.

John Craven joins Vanco as Manager of New Ventures, replacing Dr. Bill St. John. Mr. Craven comes to Vanco with 28 years of experience as a geologist, explorationist, and oil and gas analyst. From 1994 till his appointment at Vanco, Mr. Craven was Managing Director and Head of Exploration for Dana Petroleum, with projects in Indonesia, the North Sea and West Africa. He was involved in the formation of Ardmore Petroleum in 1986, and served as Exploration Director for three years, acquiring properties in Ireland, Celtic Sea, Turkey and Columbia. Mr. Craven received his Bachelor's of Science in Geology and his Post Graduate Diploma in Business Administration from Queens University, Belfast, and a Master's in Petroleum Geology from Imperial College, Royal School of Mines.

Vanco is a privately-held oil and gas exploration and production company based in Houston with licenses in deepwater Cote d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Morocco, Namibia and Senegal.

This announcement appears at www.businesswire.com and at www.vancoenergy.com