Zion Appoints Carrillo President/COO

Dallas, Texas and Caesarea, Israel – October 18, 2011 – Zion Oil & Gas, Inc. (NASDAQ GM: ZN) announced today that Mr. Victor G. Carrillo has been appointed as President and Chief Operating Officer of the Company, replacing Mr. William L. Ottaviani who, by mutual agreement with the Company, left to pursue other opportunities on October 14, 2011. Mr. Ottaviani resigned from the Company’s Board of Directors, as provided for in his employment agreement with the Company.

Mr. Carrillo, age 46, has been serving as the Company’s Executive Vice President since January 2011 and as a director since September 2010. Mr. Carrillo will continue to serve on the Company’s Board of Directors.

Mr. Carrillo is a petroleum geologist and geophysicist, attorney, former city councilman, former county judge and former statewide elected official in Texas. For almost eight years, ending in January 2011, Mr. Carrillo served as a commissioner of the Railroad Commission of Texas (the State of Texas Board with regulatory jurisdiction over oil and gas exploration and production) having served as chairman of the three-member statewide elected board twice. Mr. Carrillo holds a law degree from the University of Houston Law Center, a Master of Science degree in geology from Baylor University, and a Bachelor of Science degree in geology from Hardin-Simmons University.  Mr. Carrillo also received an honorary doctorate degree from Hardin-Simmons University in May 2006. Mr. Carrillo’s background in petroleum geology and geophysics and regulatory experience as Chairman of the Railroad Commission of Texas furnishes to our board access to a greater understanding of both petroleum science and regulatory issues. Mr. Carrillo currently also serves as a director of Magnum Hunter Resources Corporation; an oil and gas company engaged in the acquisition, development and production of unconventional oil and gas resource plays in the United States and Canada. He also serves on the advisory board of the Maguire Energy Institute at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.

Zion’s Chief Executive Officer, Richard Rinberg, said today that, “I want to thank Bill Ottaviani for his contribution to Zion and wish him well in his future endeavours.

I am very pleased to announce Mr. Carrillo’s appointment as our President and Chief Operating Officer. Victor Carrillo has a wealth of experience in the petroleum industry and is an experienced petroleum industry professional. His skills as a petroleum geologist and geophysicist will serve our Company well as we strive to identify drilling prospect opportunities in our license areas, confirm our next drilling locations and implement our multi-well strategy, as we continue our pursuit to recover hydrocarbons in Israel.”

Zion’s next well planned for the Jordan Valley

In his October 7 Newsletter, Zion Oil & Gas CEO Richard Rinberg wrote. “Our schedules may change, but today, we believe that it is most likely that Zion’s next well will be drilled in our Jordan Valley License in 2012.”

Earlier this month Zion signed a seismic acquisition agreement with the Geophysical Institute of Israel (GII) to conduct a 2D field seismic survey in its Jordan Valley License area that is scheduled to commence in late 2011 or early in 2012.

Threats of War over Oil in the Mediterranean

Israel has plans to enlarge its navy as the potential of a Mediterranean war with Lebanon looms over oil.  According to an October 18 UPI report, Israel is considering adding Israeli built warships to protect the Leviathan and Tamar offshore oil and gas fields. Israel’s navy is already scheduled to receive three new German made Dolphin class submarines.

According to the UPI report, “Neighboring Lebanon, which is technically at war with Israel, claims that Leviathan, the largest field yet found, runs into its territorial waters. Israel rejects that claim. The Iranian-backed Hezbollah has threatened military action to prevent Lebanese energy reserved being ‘looted.’”

In the south, Israel also must protect its current offshore gas platforms near Gaza from potential Hamas attack.

Both Hezbollah and Hamas are reported to have acquired anti-ship missiles from Iran that could be used against Israel’s offshore drilling platforms. Additionally, terrorist groups could simply sail explosive laden boats up to the platforms and detonate their cargo.

Lebanon’s news agency, The Daily Star, reported today that, “Lebanon is gearing up for a long-term oil and gas production program although the looming diplomatic crisis with Israel over each country’s share of undersea fossil fuels threatens full-scale conflict …”

Lebanon, still technically at war with Israel, disputes the current Israeli Lebanese maritime border and claims that thousands of square kilometers of Israel’s Tamar and Leviathan gas fields are within Lebanon’s maritime ‘Exclusive Economic Zone.’ The terrorist organization Hezbollah, now an official member of Lebanon’s government and backed by Syria and Iran has vowed that it will not let Israel take possession of the offshore oil and gas fields. Hezollah leader, Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah , stated earlier this year, “Those who put a hand on the Lebanese territories that have oil assets will have their territories harmed in return.”