Cobalt Announces Termination of SEC Investigation

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Cobalt International Energy, Inc. (“Cobalt”) CIE today announced that it has received a termination letter from the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) advising Cobalt that the SEC's FCPA investigation relating to Cobalt's operations in Angola has concluded and that the Staff does not intend to recommend any enforcement action by the SEC.

This formally concludes the SEC's investigation, which began in 2011 in response to allegations of a connection between senior Angolan government officials and Nazaki Oil and Gaz, S.A., an Angolan company that, until 2014, held a working interest alongside Cobalt on Blocks 9 and 21 offshore Angola. As previously disclosed, Cobalt received a formal investigative order from the SEC in November 2011 and a Wells Notice on August 4, 2014.

Joseph H. Bryant, Cobalt's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, stated, “We are of course pleased with the closure of the SEC's investigation. We have the utmost respect for the SEC and its investigative process, and cooperated fully with the SEC. Cobalt remains committed to conducting operations and creating shareholder value transparently and in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.”

Cobalt continues to cooperate with the United States Department of Justice with regard to its parallel investigation.

About Cobalt

Cobalt is an independent exploration and production company active in the deepwater U.S. Gulf of Mexico and offshore Angola and Gabon. Cobalt was formed in 2005 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 — that is, statements related to future, not past, events. Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and include any statement that does not directly relate to a current or historical fact. In this context, forward-looking statements often address Cobalt's expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “intend,” “expect,” “plan,” “will” or other similar words. These forward-looking statements involve certain risks and uncertainties that ultimately may not prove to be accurate. Actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. For further discussion of risks and uncertainties, individuals should refer to Cobalt's SEC filings. Cobalt undertakes no obligation and does not intend to update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring after this press release, other than as required by law. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement.