Stone Energy Corporation Announces Temporary Suspension of Drilling Operations and Intention to Drill Deeper at Lighthouse

Stone Energy Corporation SGY today announced that the partnership drilling the Lighthouse Bayou prospect in southwestern Louisiana has decided to temporarily suspend drilling operations.  The well has reached a total depth of 25,500 feet and, in doing so, has reached the technical limits of the current drilling equipment.  Current plans include running protective liner to the current depth, temporarily plugging and abandoning the well, procuring drilling equipment with higher pressure ratings, and returning to drill deeper in 2012 to test the objective Wilcox section.