Exhibit 99.1

Rex Energy Corporation Announces Appointment of Interim CEO and Identification of

Permanent Leader

STATE COLLEGE, Pa., Oct 4, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) – Rex Energy Corporation (NASDAQ: REXX) announced today that Lance T. Shaner, currently chairman of the board of Rex Energy, has been appointed interim president and chief executive officer to replace Benjamin W. Hulburt, who is leaving the company to pursue other interests.

Shaner commented, “We have identified a candidate for the CEO position who can lead Rex Energy in its next stage of growth as a young public company and expect to make an announcement in the near future. To assure a smooth transition, I will step in as CEO on an interim basis.”

“The board of directors would like to thank Mr. Hulburt for his contributions to the company and its predecessors and wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors.”

The company also announced that it has entered into employment agreements with Patrick M. McKinney, chief operating officer of the company, and Thomas C. Stabley, chief financial officer of the company.

About Rex Energy Corporation

Rex Energy is an independent oil and gas company operating in the Illinois, Appalachian and Denver-Julesburg Basins in the United States. The company has pursued a balanced growth strategy of exploiting its sizable inventory of lower risk developmental drilling locations, pursuing its higher potential exploration drilling prospects and actively seeking to acquire complementary oil and natural gas properties.

Forward-Looking Statements

Except for historical information, statements made in this release about the proposed offering are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These statements are based on assumptions and estimates that management believes are reasonable based on currently available information; however, management’s assumptions and the company’s future performance are subject to a wide range of business risks and uncertainties, and there is no assurance that these goals and projections can or will be met. Any number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, uncertainties regarding economic conditions in the United States and globally; domestic and global demand for oil and natural gas; volatility in the prices the company receives for oil and natural gas; the effects of government regulation, permitting and other legal requirements; the quality of the company’s properties with regard to, among other things, the existence of reserves in economic quantities; uncertainties about the estimates of the company’s oil and natural gas reserves; the company’s ability to increase production and oil and natural gas income through exploration and development; the company’s ability to successfully apply horizontal drilling techniques and tertiary recovery methods; the number of well locations to be drilled, the cost to drill and the time frame within which they will be drilled; drilling and operating risks; the availability of equipment, such as drilling rigs and transportation pipelines; changes in the company’s drilling plans and related budgets; the adequacy of capital resources and liquidity including, but not limited to, access to additional borrowing capacity; and uncertainties associated with the company’s legal proceedings and their outcome. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. Further information on the company’s risks and uncertainties is available in the company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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The company’s internal estimates of reserves may be subject to revision and may be different from estimates by the company’s external reservoir engineers at year end. Although the company believes the expectations and forecasts reflected in these and other forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance they will prove to have been correct. They can be affected by inaccurate assumptions or by known or unknown risks and uncertainties.

For more information, contact:

Julia Williams, Manager, Investor Relations

(814) 278-7130

jwilliams@rexenergycorp.com

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