Exhibit (a)(1)(J)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
APRIL 23, 2002


                     SANTOS AMERICAS AND EUROPE CORPORATION
        SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETES TENDER OFFER FOR ESENJAY EXPLORATION, INC.

HOUSTON, April 23, 2002 - Santos Americas and Europe Corporation ("Santos")
announced today that it has successfully completed its cash tender offer to
acquire all outstanding shares of Esenjay Exploration, Inc. (NASDAQ: ESNJ).

The offer expired at 12:00 midnight (New York City time) on April 22, 2002.
Santos has accepted for payment all Esenjay shares validly tendered and not
withdrawn as of the expiration of the offer. Payment for those shares will be
made promptly.

The Bank of New York, the depositary for the offer, has advised Santos that, as
of the expiration of the offer, approximately 17.8 million shares of Esenjay
common stock (including approximately 552,886 shares subject to guarantees of
delivery within the next three days) were validly tendered and not withdrawn in
the offer. Those shares represent approximately 92.3% of the outstanding Esenjay
shares.

Santos will complete the acquisition of Esenjay promptly after payment for the
tendered shares, on or about April 26, 2002, through a short-form merger in
which each share of Esenjay common stock not purchased in the offer and not held
by stockholders who properly exercise dissenters' rights under Delaware law will
be converted into the right to receive $2.84 in cash. Following the second-step
merger, Esenjay will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Santos. A letter of
transmittal to be used for surrendering certificates in exchange for the cash
payment will be sent to holders who did not tender their shares in the offer.