OREANDA-NEWS. December 29, 2011. HRT Participacoes em Petroleo S.A. (“Company” or “HRT”) (BM&FBOVESPA: HRTP3, TSX-V: HRP), announces that, on December 27 at 08:00 p.m., its subsidiary HRT O&G Exploracao e Producao de Petroleo Ltda (“HRT O&G”), spudded its fifth exploration well, in the prospect named Sandalo (1-HRT-192/01-AM), located in the Solimoes Sedimentary Basin, in the Municipality of Tefe-AM, in the Block SOL-T-192.

The objective of this well is to test a structure, located around 20 km southern of the Jurua Province. It has as main targets the Jurua Formation reservoirs (Carboniferous age), expected to be reached from 2,700m depth, as well as the Uere Formation (Devonian age). The well has been drilled by the rig QG-IX, and is forecast to reach a final depth at around 3,000m.

HRT Participates holds one of the largest independent oil and gas exploration and production companies in Brazil. The HRT Group comprises eight main subsidiaries: IPEX (Integrated Petroleum Expertise Company Servigos em Petroleo Ltda.), HRT O&G Exploragao e Produgao de Petroleo Ltda., HRT Netherlands B.V., HRT Africa Petroleo S.A., HRT America Inc., Air Amazonia Servigos Aereos Ltda. and HRT Canada Inc.. The Company retains a 100% interest in 21 exploratory blocks in the Solimoes Basin. HRT also operates ten exploratory blocks off the Namibian coast: eight blocks in the Orange Sub-basin and two blocks in the Walvis Sub-basin. HRT's team includes PHDs and masters in geochemistry, geophysics, biology and engineering, most of them former employees of Petrobras and ANP (Brazil petroleum agency). HRT is committed to minimizing any possible environmental impacts in the sites where it acts. Our commitment to the local communities is towards health conditions, security and quality of life. For more information, please visit the Company's website: www.hrt.com.br/ir