Africa Oil Announces Spud of Shabeel North Well in Puntland, Somalia

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, Jun 05, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) — Africa Oil Corp. (“Africa Oil” or the “Company”) CA:AOI +0.30% (omx:AOI) is pleased to announce the commencement of drilling operations on the Shabeel North well in Puntland, Somalia, the second well in the current drilling campaign. The well is being operated by Horn Petroleum Corp. (“Horn”) in which Africa Oil holds an interest of approximately 51%. Horn holds a 60% working interest in the Dharoor and Nugaal Valley Production Sharing Agreements (“PSA’s”) along with working interest partners Range Resources (20%) and Red Emperor (20%).

The Shabeel North well is targeting Upper Cretaceous Jesomma sands which had good oil and gas shows in the Shabeel well 3.5 kilometers to the south. Petrophysical analysis of downhole electrical logs in the Shabeel well indicated a potential pay zone in the Jesomma of up to 12 to 20 meters with an average porosity of 18 to 20%. It is planned to bring the rig back to the Shabeel location to test these sands to confirm their ability to flow oil once the drilling of the Shabeel North well is completed. The planned TD of the Shabeel North well is 2400 meters and drilling is expected to take 45 to 60 days to complete.

Horn President and CEO David Grellman stated, “The Shabeel North well will test the same reservoirs that appear to be oil bearing in the nearby Shabeel well. We would expect similar or better reservoir thickness and quality as we move deeper into the basin. The results of this well should help us confirm the extent of the petroleum system in the basin and, if successful, would be another step towards proving the economic potential of the basin.”

Africa Oil Corp. is a Canadian oil and gas company with assets in Kenya, Ethiopia and Mali as well as Puntland (Somalia) through its 51% equity interest in Horn Petroleum Corporation. Africa Oil’s East African holdings are in within a world-class exploration play fairway with a total gross land package in this prolific region in excess of 300,000 square kilometers. The East African Rift Basin system is one of the last of the great rift basins to be explored. New discoveries have been announced on all sides of Africa Oil’s virtually unexplored land position including the major Albert Graben oil discovery in neighbouring Uganda. The Company is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange and on First North at NASDAQ OMX-Stockholm under the symbol “AOI”.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Keith C. Hill, President and CEO