FORM 3

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 INITIAL STATEMENT OF BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

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(Print or Type Responses)

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person *   United Energy Group LTD 2. Date of Event Requiring Statement (Month/Day/Year) 06/11/2008 3. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol TRANSMERIDIAN EXPLORATION INC [TMY] (Last) (First) (Middle) UNIT 2112, 21F, TWO PACIFIC PLACE, 88 QUEENSWAY 4. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) _____ Director __X__ 10% Owner _____ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below) 5. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year) (Street) HONG KONG, F4 00000 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line) ___ Form filed by One Reporting Person _X_ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person (City) (State) (Zip) Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned

1.Title of Security (Instr. 4) 2. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned (Instr. 4) 3. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 5) 4. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 5)

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.			SEC 1473 (7-02)
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Table II - Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)

1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 4)	2. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)		3. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 4)		4. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	5. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 5)	6. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 5)
	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares
15% senior convertible preferred stock	  (1)	12/01/2011	Common Stock	10,667,739	$ 3.76	I (2)	See footnote (3)
20% junior convertible preferred stock	  (1)	03/15/2012	Common Stock	35,006,773	$ 1.5	I (2)	See footnote (3)

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
United Energy Group LTD UNIT 2112, 21F TWO PACIFIC PLACE, 88 QUEENSWAY HONG KONG, F4 00000	Â	  X	Â	Â
Zhang Hongwei UNIT 2112, 21F, TWO PACIFIC PLACE 88 QUEENSWAY HONG KONG, F4 00000	Â	  X	Â	Â

Signatures

/s/ Zhang Hongwei, Chairman and Executive Director, on behalf of United Energy Group Limited		06/23/2008
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date
/s/ Zhang Hongwei		06/23/2008
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date

Explanation of Responses:

*	If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 5(b)(v).
**	Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1)	Both the 15% senior convertible preferred stock and the 20% junior convertible preferred stock are convertible to common stock at any time at the holder's election.
(2)	Neither the filing of this Form 3 nor any of its contents will be deemed to constitute an admission that Mr. Zhang Hongwei is the beneficial owner of any of the common stock referred to herein for the purposes of Section 13(D) or Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or for any other purpose, and such beneficial ownership is expressly disclaimed.
(3)	On June 11, 2008, United Energy Group Limited ("United") entered into (i) three stock purchase agreements with certain 15% senior convertible preferred stock holders, pursuant to which one of the holders of such 15% senior convertible preferred stock entered into a voting arrangement with United and the other two have granted United an irrevocable proxy with respect to their shares of such 15% senior convertible preferred stock; and (ii) a stock purchase agreement with certain 20% junior convertible preferred stock holders, pursuant to which they entered into a voting arrangement with United with respect to their shares of such 20% junior convertible preferred stock, upon satisfaction of certain conditions.

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