New Index to Include Benton Oil and Gas

Benton Oil and Gas Co., an Oxnard-based petroleum exploration and production firm, said it has been chosen for inclusion in the S&P; SmallCap 600, a new stock index compiled by Standard & Poor’s to follow the stock performance of 600 small-capitalization companies.

Alex E. Benton, chief executive of the company, said inclusion in the new index should bring the company “increased visibility, wider coverage by securities analysts and increased liquidity in its stock, as institutional investors create investment portfolios which mirror the index.”

The index will be disseminated by Standard & Poor’s starting Oct. 31, Benton said.

The median market capitalization of the 600 stocks is about $267 million. Benton said its current market capitalization is about $190 million.

Benton has domestic operations in the Gulf Coast region of Louisiana, and international operations in Venezuela and Siberia.