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HOUSTON, Dec. 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Marathon Oil Corporation (NYSE: MRO) today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with Star Energy Group, a wholly owned subsidiary of Petroliam Nasional Berhad (Petronas), under which Star Energy Group will purchase Marathon's wholly owned subsidiary, Marathon Oil Ireland Limited for $180 million, excluding any purchase price adjustments at closing. The companies expect to close the transaction, subject to completion of the necessary administrative processes with Irish authorities, early in the first quarter of 2009. This agreement does not include Marathon's 18.5 percent interest in the Corrib natural gas development.

"With the sale of Marathon Oil Ireland Limited, our global asset portfolio review and the resulting sale of non-core assets has generated nearly $1.2 billion in cash pretax. We anticipate that this program will generate $2 to 4 billion in cash pretax by mid-year 2009," said David E. Roberts, Jr., Marathon executive vice president, Upstream. "The objective of this global review is to ensure our assets are fully aligned with our business strategy and that we are well positioned to continue generating sustainable value growth."

Marathon Oil Ireland Limited's assets include a 100 percent operated interest in the Kinsale Head Area comprising Kinsale Head, South West Kinsale and the Ballycotton gas fields, as well as an 86.5 percent interest in the gas producing Seven Heads field which is tied back to Kinsale, and a 100 percent interest in the Company's gas storage business with current capacity of 7 billion cubic feet. Current net production from these operations is approximately 36 million cubic feet of natural gas per day.

Marathon's total net risked resource associated with these assets as of year-end 2007 was 62 billion cubic feet (bcf) of which 46.2 bcf (7.7 million barrels of oil equivalent) were net proved reserves. As part of this transaction, Star Energy will retain the 61 Marathon Oil Ireland Limited employees in Ireland.

Marathon is an integrated international energy company engaged in exploration and production; oil sands mining; integrated gas; and refining, marketing and transportation operations. Marathon, which is based in Houston, has principal operations in the United States, Angola, Canada, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Indonesia, Ireland, Libya, Norway and the United Kingdom. Marathon is the fourth largest United States-based integrated oil company and the nation's fifth largest refiner.

This release contains forward-looking statements with respect to the sale of Marathon Oil Ireland Limited and the goal of achieving $2 - $4 billion in gross proceeds from asset dispositions by mid-year 2009. Some factors that could potentially affect the sale of Marathon Oil Ireland Limited are customary closing conditions. The projected asset dispositions could be affected by changes in prices of and demand for crude oil, natural gas and refined products, actions of competitors, future financial condition and operating results, and economic, business, competitive and/or regulatory factors affecting Marathon's businesses. In accordance with the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Marathon Oil Corporation has included in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007, and subsequent Forms 10-Q and 8-K, cautionary language identifying other important factors, though not necessarily all such factors, that could cause future outcomes to differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.

Cautionary Note to U.S. Investors - The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) permits oil and gas companies, in their filings with the SEC, to disclose only proved reserves that a company has demonstrated by actual production or conclusive formation tests to be economically and legally producible under existing economic and operating conditions. Marathon Oil Corporation uses certain terms in this release, such as total risked resource, that the SEC's guidelines strictly prohibit us from including in filings with the SEC. U.S. Investors are urged to consider closely the disclosures in Marathon's periodic filings with the SEC, available from us at 5555 San Felipe Street, Houston, TX 77056 and the Company's website at www.marathon.com. You can also obtain this information from the SEC by calling 1-800-SEC-0330.

    Media Relations Contacts:    Lee Warren         713-296-4103
                                 Leslie Hiltabrand  713-296-4102

    Investor Relations Contacts: Howard Thill       713-296-4140
                                 Chris Phillips     713-296-3213