Monday, November 17, 2008

Montney Shale: Progress and ProEx announce Business Combination

Progress ann ProEx, two companies that trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange, announce they will combine businesses to focus their assets, including the Montney Shale in British Columbia.

Key attributes of the merger for ProEx shareholders: - Consolidates working interests in the Foothills of northeast British Columbia with the majority of land controlled 100 percent; - Provides ProEx with exposure to a high quality asset with a large low risk exploration and development drilling inventory in the northwest Alberta Deep Basin; - Ensures that an expanded capital program can be funded internally; - Ensures continuity of senior management and technical personnel expertise; and, - Introduces another element of financial discipline through the payment of a quarterly dividend. Key attributes of the merger for Progress Trust security holders: - Establishes a clear go-forward strategy in response to the taxation of trusts in 2011; - Continues to pay cash back to security holders in the form of a tax-effective dividend; - Provides a strong low-risk growth profile through an expanded capital budget; and, - Provides expanded participation in emerging resource-play opportunities.

Progress will focus its capital investment and growth opportunities in four key plays: the Halfway tight gas formation in the Foothills; the multi-zone Gold Creek project area in the Deep Basin; Montney shale gas fairway through northwest Alberta and northeast British Columbia; and Progress' conventional, high impact opportunities across its land base.

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