PetroTal Resumes Bretana Development Drilling, Spuds Well 25H Ahead of Schedule
Calgary, AB and Houston, TX – September 23, 2026 – PetroTal Corp. ("PetroTal" or the "Company") (TSX: TAL, AIM: PTAL and OTCQX: PTALF) is pleased to provide the following operational update. All amounts are in US dollars unless stated otherwise.
Key Highlights
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Development drilling resumes with spudding of well 25H, paving the way for expected material production growth; |
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Bretana water injection capacity increases to 190,000 barrels per day following stimulation campaign, and; |
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Total group production averaging 12,286 bopd in the month of September, an increase of approximately 600 bopd month over month. |
Manuel Pablo Zuniga-Pflucker, President and Chief Executive Officer, commented:
“I am very excited to announce that we have spud the 25H development well, our first new well at Bretana since January 2025. The resumption of development drilling at Bretana is the culmination of months of hard work from our entire team and represents the first step in restoring our production base to a sustainable plateau of approximately 20,000 bopd. With a drilling inventory of 22 locations remaining to fully exploit Bretana 2P reserves of 106 million barrels, I am confident that PetroTal is on the path to unlocking the full value of the Bretana field."
Bretana 25H Drilling Update
At 7:00pm local time on Monday September 21, PetroTal formally commenced the next phase of its development drilling program at Bretana, spudding the 25H horizontal well approximately one week ahead of schedule. This will be the 20th horizontal well that PetroTal has drilled at the Bretana field, and the first well using the higher-spec Estrella 2027 drilling rig. Consistent with horizontal development wells previously drilled at Bretana, well 25H will be drilled to a measured depth of approximately 4,300 meters, targeting the producing Vivian formation at a vertical depth of approximately 2,700 meters. Well 25H is expected to take approximately eight weeks to drill and complete, at a total cost of $15 million. PetroTal will continue to provide updates on drilling progress as necessary.
Block 95 Operations Update
As disclosed previously, PetroTal recently conducted stimulations on two water injection wells at the Bretana field. Since the operations were completed on September 3, water injection capacity at the Bretana field has averaged just over 190,000 barrels per day, an increase of 9% compared to the August 2026 monthly average. These efforts are part of a larger, ongoing initiative to increase the Bretana field’s water injection capacity to a total of 320,000 barrels per day by the end of 2028. Supported by the improvements in injection capacity, Bretana field production has averaged 11,960 bopd in September, an increase of approximately 600 bopd compared to the prior month. PetroTal’s total group production is averaging 12,286 bopd thus far in September.
ABOUT PETROTAL
PetroTal is a publicly traded, tri‐quoted (TSX: TAL, AIM: PTAL and OTCQX: PTALF) oil and gas development and production Company domiciled in Calgary, Alberta, focused on the development of oil assets in Peru. PetroTal's flagship asset is its 100% working interest in the Bretana Norte oil field in Peru's Block 95, where oil production was initiated in June 2018.In early 2022, PetroTal became the largest crude oil producer in Peru.The Company's management team has significant experience in developing and exploring for oil in Peru and is led by a Board of Directors that is focused on safely and cost effectively developing the Bretana oil field. It is actively building new initiatives to champion community sensitive energy production, benefiting all stakeholders. For further information, please see the Company's website at www.petrotal-corp.com, the Company's filed documents at www.sedarplus.ca, or below:
Camilo McAllister
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Cmcallister@PetroTal-Corp.com
T: (713) 253-4997
Manolo Zuniga
President and Chief Executive Officer
Mzuniga@PetroTal-Corp.com
T: (713) 609-9101
PetroTal Investor Relations
InvestorRelations@PetroTal-Corp.com
Celicourt Communications
Mark Antelme / Charles Denley-Myerson
petrotal@celicourt.uk
T : +44 (0) 20 7770 6424
Strand Hanson Limited (Nominated & Financial Adviser)
Ritchie Balmer / James Spinney / Edward Foulkes
T: +44 (0) 207 409 3494
Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited (Joint Broker)
Callum Stewart / Simon Mensley / Ashton Clanfield
T: +44 (0) 20 7710 7600
Peel Hunt LLP (Joint Broker)
Richard Crichton / David McKeown / Georgia Langoulant
T: +44 (0) 20 7418 8900
READER ADVISORIES
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS: This press release contains certain statements that may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Such statements relate to possible future events, including, but not limited to: oil production levels and production capacity; PetroTal’s development program for drilling, completions and other activities, including Block 131 and Bretana; plans and expectations with respect to the erosion control project; and PetroTal’s expectations with respect to dividends and share buybacks. All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "anticipate", "believe", "expect", "plan", "estimate", "potential", "will", "should", "continue", "may", "objective", "intend" and similar expressions. The forward-looking statements provided in this press release are based on management's current belief, based on currently available information, as to the outcome and timing of future events. The forward-looking statements are based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by the Company, including, but not limited to, expectations and assumptions concerning the ability of existing infrastructure to deliver production and the anticipated capital expenditures associated therewith,the ability to obtain and maintain necessary permits and licenses, the ability of government groups to effectively achieve objectives in respect of reducing social conflict and collaborating towards continued investment in the energy sector, reservoir characteristics, recovery factor, exploration upside, prevailing commodity prices and the actual prices received for PetroTal's products, including pursuant to hedging arrangements, the availability and performance of drilling rigs, facilities, pipelines, other oilfield services and skilled labour, royalty regimes and exchange rates, the impact of inflation on costs, the application of regulatory and licensing requirements, the accuracy of PetroTal's geological interpretation of its drilling and land opportunities, current legislation, receipt of required regulatory approval, the success of future drilling and development activities, the performance of new wells, future river water levels, the Company's growth strategy, general economic conditions and availability of required equipment and services. PetroTal cautions that forward-looking statements relating to PetroTal are subject to all of the risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the actual results, performance, capital expenditures or achievements of the Company to differ materially from anticipated future results, performance, capital expenditures or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to,risks associated with the oil and gas industry in general (e.g., operational risks in development, exploration and production; delays or changes in plans with respect to exploration or development projects or capital expenditures; the uncertainty of reserve estimates; the uncertainty of estimates and projections relating to production, costs and expenses; and health, safety and environmental risks),business performance, legal and legislative developments including changes in tax laws and legislation affecting the oil and gas industryand uncertainties resulting from potential delays or changes in plans with respect to exploration or development projects or capital expenditures, credit ratings and risks,fluctuations in interest rates and currency values, changes in the financial landscape both domestically and abroad, including volatility in the stock market and financial system, wars (including Russia's war in Ukraineand the Israeli-Hamas conflict), regulatory developments, commodity price volatility, price differentials and the actual prices received for products, exchange rate fluctuations, legal, political and economic instability in Peru, access to transportation routes and markets for the Company's production,changes in legislation affecting the oil and gas industry, changes in the financial landscape both domestically and abroad (including volatility in the stock market and financial system) and the occurrence of weather-related and other natural catastrophes. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. Please refer to the annual information form for the year ended December 31, 2025 and the management's discussion and analysis for the three months ended June 30, 2026 for additional risk factors relating to PetroTal, which can be accessed either on PetroTal's website at www.petrotal-corp.com or under the Company's profile on www.sedarplus.ca. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date hereof and the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws.
OIL REFERENCES: All references to "oil" or "crude oil" production, revenue or sales in this press release mean "heavy crude oil" as defined in National Instrument 51-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Oil and Gas Activities ("NI 51-101").
SHORT TERM RESULTS: References in this press release to peak rates, initial production rates, current production rates,30-day production rates and other short-term production rates are useful in confirming the presence of hydrocarbons, however such rates are not determinative of the rates at which such wells will commence production and decline thereafter and are not indicative of long-term performance or of ultimate recovery. While encouraging, readers are cautioned not to place reliance on such rates in calculating the aggregate production of PetroTal. The Company cautions that such results should be considered to be preliminary.
FOFI DISCLOSURE: This press release contains future-oriented financial information and financial outlook information (collectively, "FOFI") about PetroTal’s prospective results of operations and production results, 2026 drilling program and budget, well investment payback, water injection capacity, cash position, liquidity and components thereof, all of which are subject to the same assumptions, risk factors, limitations and qualifications as set forth in the above paragraphs. FOFI contained in this press release was approved by management as of the date of this press release and was included for the purpose of providing further information about PetroTal's anticipated future business operations. PetroTal and its management believe that FOFI has been prepared on a reasonable basis, reflecting management’s best estimates and judgments, and represent, to the best of management’s knowledge and opinion, the Company’s expected course of action. However, because this information is highly subjective, it should not be relied on as necessarily indicative of future results. PetroTal disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any FOFI contained in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless required pursuant to applicable law. Readers are cautioned that the FOFI contained in this press release should not be used for purposes other than for which it is disclosed herein. All FOFI contained in this press release complies with the requirements of Canadian securities legislation, including NI 51-101. Changes in forecast commodity prices, differences in the timing of capital expenditures, and variances in average production estimates can have a significant impact on the key performance measures included in PetroTal's guidance. The Company's actual results may differ materially from these estimates.