LONDON, May 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Gulfsands Petroleum plc (AIM: GPX) ("Gulfsands", "the Group" or "the Company"), the oil and gas production, exploration and development company with activities in Syria, Iraq and the USA, is delighted to announce the appointment of Mr. Andrew Rose as Chief Financial Officer and Director.

Andrew Benedict Rose, 51, was the former Chief Financial Officer of Burren Energy ("Burren"), the UK independent oil and gas company which was acquired by ENI S.p.A. ("ENI"), the Italian oil major, for US$3.6 billion in January 2008. Mr. Rose, who holds a BSc in Engineering from Cambridge University, joined Burren Energy as Chief Financial Officer in 2001, when it was a private company. He was a key Director in developing and building Burren from a small private company, through to its listing on the London Stock Exchange in December 2003 and into one of the UK's most successful mid tier independent oil companies, culminating in its sale to ENI late last year.

Mr. Rose spent the greater part of his early career in investment banking, working in advisory, capital markets and structured finance roles, and prior to joining Burren was head of Corporate Finance for Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa at Societe Generale.

It is expected that Mr Rose will begin to take up his responsibilities from the beginning of June 2008 and will join the Company on a full-time basis on 1 August.

Gulfsands' Chairman, Andrew West, said: "The appointment of Andrew Rose as CFO and Director marks a milestone in the continued development of Gulfsands into a leading independent oil and gas company. Andrew brings to us an exceptional track record as a successful oil and gas company CFO and has outstanding credentials in the City of London. The Board is delighted to welcome Andrew and we very much look forward to working with him".

For more information please contact: Gulfsands Petroleum (London) +44-207-182-4016 Kenneth Judge, Director of Corporate +44-7733-001-002 Development Buchanan Communications Limited (London) +44-207-466-5000 Bobby Morse Nick Melson RBC Capital Markets (London) +44-207-653-4804 Andrew K. Smith Sarah Wharry

For more information please contact: Gulfsands Petroleum (London), Kenneth Judge, Director of Corporate Development, +44-207-182-4016, +44-7733-001-002. Buchanan Communications Limited (London), Bobby Morse, Nick Melson, +44-207-466-5000. RBC Capital Markets (London), Andrew K. Smith, Sarah Wharry, +44-207-653-4804