8-K

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported):  June 1, 2009 (June 1, 2009)

GASTAR EXPLORATION LTD.

 (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

ALBERTA, CANADA	001-32714	98-0570897
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)	(Commission File Number)	(IRS Employer  Identification No.)

1331 LAMAR STREET, SUITE 1080

HOUSTON, TEXAS 77010

(Address of principal executive offices)

(713) 739-1800

(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)

N/A

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

¨ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

¨ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

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SECTION 7 – REGULATION FD

Item 7.01  Regulation FD Disclosure

On June 1, 2009, Gastar Exploration Ltd. announced that it has completed the Wildman Trust #5 well in one lower Bossier zone at a restricted gross sales rate of approximately 15 MMcfd with over 12,000 psi of flowing casing pressure.

This press release is attached as Exhibit 99.1 and is being furnished solely pursuant to Item 7.01 of this report.

SECTION 9 – FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS

Item 9.01  Financial Statements and Exhibits

(d)           Exhibits

The following is a list of exhibits furnished as part of this Form 8-K:

Exhibit No.	Description of Document
99.1	Press release dated June 1, 2009.

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

	GASTAR EXPLORATION LTD.
Date: June 1, 2009	By:	/s/   J. RUSSELL PORTER
		J. Russell Porter
		President and Chief Executive Officer

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EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit No.	Description of Document
99.1	Press release dated June 1, 2009.

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EX-99.1

Exhibit 99.1

NEWS RELEASE

Company Contact:

Gastar Exploration Ltd

J. Russell Porter, Chief Executive Officer

713-739-1800 / rporter@gastar.com

Investor Relations Counsel:

Lisa Elliott / Anne Pearson

DRG&E  : 713-529-6600

lelliott@drg-e.com / apearson@drg-e.com

GASTAR EXPLORATION ANNOUNCES INITIAL PRODUCTION RATE FROM RECENT WELL COMPLETION

HOUSTON, June 1, 2009 - Gastar Exploration Ltd. (NYSE Amex: GST and TSX: YGA) today announced that it has completed the Wildman Trust #5 well in one lower Bossier zone at a restricted gross sales rate of approximately 15 MMcfd with over 12,000 psi of flowing casing pressure.  Gastar successfully drilled the Wildman Trust #5 well, a lower Bossier test, to a total depth of 19,000 feet and has logged approximately 60 net feet of pay in five lower Bossier and one middle Bossier zones.  Gastar owns a 66.7% working interest before payout (54.5% net revenue interest before payout) in the Wildman Trust #5.

 “The Wildman Trust #5 well is completed in only the deepest lower Bossier zone and the sales rate is being restricted,” commented J. Russell Porter, Gastar’s President and Chief Executive Officer.   “The zone currently completed has tested at over 25 MMcfd and is capable of higher rates.  As a result of the high rate capable from this zone, we have decided to delay any further completions on the well and will reserve the deliverability available from the behind pipe zones to be produced when natural gas prices are more attractive.  The Wildman Trust #5 was drilled and completed for approximately $9.5 million.”

About Gastar Exploration

Gastar Exploration Ltd. is an exploration and production company focused on finding and developing natural gas assets in North America and Australia.  The Company pursues a strategy combining deep natural gas exploration and development with lower risk CBM and shale resource development.  The Company owns and operates exploration and development acreage in the deep Bossier gas play of East Texas and Marcellus Shale play in West Virginia and Pennsylvania.  Gastar’s CBM activities are conducted within the Powder River Basin of Wyoming and concentrated on more than 6 million gross acres controlled by Gastar and its joint development partner in Australia’s Gunnedah Basin (PEL 238, PEL 433 and PEL 434) located in New South Wales.  For more information, visit our web site at www.gastar.com.

Safe Harbor Statement and Disclaimer

This news release includes “forward looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Act of 1934.  A statement identified by the words “expects”, “projects”, “plans”, and certain of the other foregoing statements may be deemed forward-looking statements.  Although Gastar believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, these statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual future activities and results to be materially different from those suggested or described in this news release.  These include risks inherent in the drilling of natural gas and oil wells, including risks of fire, explosion, blowouts, pipe failure, casing collapse, unusual or unexpected formation pressures, environmental hazards, and other operating and production risks inherent in the natural gas and oil drilling and production activities, which may temporarily or permanently reduce production or cause initial production or test results to not be indicative of future well performance or delay the timing of sales or completion of drilling operations, risks with respect to natural gas and oil prices, a material decline in which could cause Gastar to delay or suspend planned drilling operations or reduce production levels, and risks relating to the availability of capital to fund drilling operations that can be adversely affected by adverse drilling results, production declines and declines in natural gas and oil prices and other risk factors described in Gastar’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other filings with the SEC at www.sec.gov and on the System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR) at www.sedar.com.

The NYSE Amex and Toronto Stock Exchange have not reviewed and do not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

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