Shares in Cluff Natural Resources (CLNR) ended 2018 above 2p though had fallen to sub 1.4p by December 2019. They have since recovered a bit, but at a 1.50p offer price - giving a £20 million market cap - there looks the potential for much more…and soon!
Making a profit on small oil and gas exploration and appraisal companies largely comes down to timing your buys and sells correctly, rather than just holding onto your shares through the ups and downs. With many of these companies the actual risk of holding for a drill often isn’t worth it, especially with exploration plays, but good money can still be made in the lead up to drilling activity, and by leaving some profit to run in the case of some of the safer appraisals. Buying when there is a general lack of interest and no immediate operational activity, and then being patient, is often the best way to get in at a good price – even if not necessarily the lowest price, as that generally comes down to a large slice of luck...
Some positive sentiment finally seems to be returning to UK offshore oil and gas companies, and Cluff Natural Resources (CLNR) could be in a position to benefit from that. Things have been pretty dire for the North Sea focused company, and although its assets revolve around gas, which has performed badly in comparison to oil of late, any renewed interest in the area should be of benefit.
The last couple of years have been a torrid time for those holding shares in small oil and gas exploration companies in general, with very few exceptions.
North Sea-focused Cluff Natural Resources (CLNR) is understood to be poised to announce encouraging gas reserve figures for its licences in the southern North Sea’s Lytham Field. Steered by seasoned resources entrepreneur and former owner of the Spectator magazine Algy Cluff, the company, whose shares have fallen from a 12-month high of 4.87p to 3p on energy price weakness and delays to its underground coal gasification (UCG) project in Scotland, is thought by observers to have established potential reserves of more than 800 billion cubic feet, which could be worth between $20 million (£13.3 million) and $40 million.
