Announcement Dated: 30 August 1999

Upcoming SGE and Heat Flow Programs for 1999/2000

TDI-Brooks and GeoMark Research are pleased to offer new Central/Eastern Gulf surface geochemical exploration (SGE) and heat flow (HF) programs to follow-on our very successful consortia programs in the northern Gulf in which seventeen (17) companies have subscribed to one or more of our five (5) programs in the last two years. We plan to conduct the upcoming Central/Eastern Gulf SGE and HF programs earlier in the lease cycle (starting in late October/early November) than the previous programs. Thus, this early announcement is issued to help facilitate your planning for this next program.

An approximately 200 core Central/Eastern Gulf SGE program is proposed that will follow the same design as our previous four consortium programs in the Western and Central Gulf. In our previous two Central Gulf SGE programs totally ~400 cores, approximately 35 of these locations were in the Eastern Gulf (DeSoto Canyon & Lloyd Ridge lease areas). We realize that in a number of companies there is interest in additional cores in both the Central and Eastern Gulf lease areas. However, at the moment we do not plan to offer separate Central and Eastern Gulf Programs. Companies will have the discretion to provide us locations for the upcoming program in either or both of these regions. If we receive more than seven (7) early Subscribers, we will increase the size of the proposed program. Our first two SGE programs in the Central/Eastern Gulf have identified a number of regions that delineate interesting Petroleum Systems that need further study. Thus, we anticipate strong participation in this upcoming SGE program. The price for the SGE study is $70,000 per Subscriber.

The regional heat flow (HF) program will consist of about 50 locations selected by Subscribers and will follow a similar design as our 1999 Central/Eastern Gulf HF program. It will be designed to infill and expand the 1999 Central/Eastern Gulf Heat Flow Study. The price of the upcoming heat flow program is $45,000.

Additional technical details on the design, core selection, analysis and deliverables can be provided to those companies not familiar with TDI-Brooks / GeoMark data and interpretative products.

Because of other December commitments with our research vessel, the R/V GLORITA, in the southern Caribbean, we plan to conduct the acquisition of this year's program starting in late October/early November 1999. In addition to matching our vessel scheduling needs, this schedule will allow the time necessary to enhance our interpretative product and allow the clients to better incorporate the data ahead of the expected February lease sale.

An early commitment would be appreciated. Thank you for consideration of these programs.

Jim