Big potential — but with risk to match

Article Excerpt

TETHYS PETROLEUM $1.85 (Toronto symbol TPL; SI Rating: Speculative) (416-572-2065; www.tethyspetroleum.com; Shares outstanding: 188 million; Market cap: $347.7 million; No dividends paid) is producing and exploring for oil and natural gas in the Central Asian countries of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. Tethys’ properties in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan produce about 5 million cubic feet of gas and 1,670 barrels of oil per day. In the three months ended June 30, 2010, Tethys’ revenue jumped 115.6%, to $6 million from $2.8 million. (All figures except share price and market cap in U.S. dollars.) Cash flow per share was negative $0.01, an improvement over negative $0.03 a year earlier. In February, Tethys announced that tests at its AKD-01 well in Kazakhstan produced 6,800 barrels of oil per day. The news pushed up the shares from $1 to as high as $2.04. The company took advantage of the price rise to raise $46.5 million in a share issue. Tethys has drilled two more wells near AKD-01, and…