Pan Orient Energy Corp.: Indonesia Operations Update

CALGARY, ALBERTA--(Marketwire - Aug. 2, 2011) - Pan Orient Energy Corp. (TSX VENTURE:POE)

INDONESIA OPERATIONS UPDATE

Batu Gajah PSC (Pan Orient Operator and 97% Working Interest)

South East Tiung-1 Exploration Well (SE Tiung-1)

The SE Tiung-1 well is currently being plugged and abandoned at a true vertical depth of 5,973 feet. Oil shows and good quality sands were encountered within the primary Lower Talang Akar target horizon but wire line logging indicated the zone to be water bearing. The secondary objective of the Gumai and Upper Talang Akar formation sands were also present, but interpreted as being water bearing.

SE Tiung-1 was drilled on budget, but due to the repeated down time, rig repairs and resultant delays experienced during the drilling of Tuba Obi Utara-1 and SE Tiung-1, the decision has been made to release this drilling rig and defer the drilling of Betano-1 exploration well for cost and safety considerations.

Preliminary approval has been received for three additional wells planned for the Batu Gajah PSC (Tuba Obi Utara-2, Kemala-1 and Shinta-1) later in 2011, with final approval expected this week. The company is currently focused on accelerating the commencement of the drilling of these additional wells (two exploration wells and one appraisal well) with drilling to commence perhaps as early as October 2011.

The results at SE Tiung-1 have no bearing whatsoever on the prospectivity of the upcoming three well program and we remain confident in the overall hydrocarbon potential of the Batu Gajah PSC.

Pan Orient is a Calgary, Alberta based oil and gas exploration and production company with operations currently located onshore Thailand, Indonesia and in Western Canada.

This news release contains forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is generally identifiable by the terminology used, such as "expect", "believe", "estimate", "should", "anticipate" and "potential" or other similar wording. Forward-looking information in this news release includes, but is not limited to, references to: well drilling programs and drilling plans, estimates of reserves and potentially recoverable resources, and information on future production and project start-ups. By their very nature, the forward-looking statements contained in this news release require Pan Orient and its management to make assumptions that may not materialize or that may not be accurate. The forward-looking information contained in this news release is subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors, which could cause actual results, expectations, achievements or performance to differ materially, including without limitation: imprecision of reserve estimates and estimates of recoverable quantities of oil, changes in project schedules, operating and reservoir performance, the effects of weather and climate change, the results of exploration and development drilling and related activities, demand for oil and gas, commercial negotiations, other technical and economic factors or revisions and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of Pan Orient. Although Pan Orient believes that the expectations reflected in its forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurances that the expectations of any forward-looking statements will prove to be correct.