Joint Venture

RNS Number : 1859L

Centrica PLC

17 July 2017

 

17 July 2017   

Centrica plc

("Centrica" or 'the Company')

Centrica and Bayerngas Norge to create E&P joint venture

Centrica plc ("Centrica") and Stadtwerke München GmbH ("SWM") have reached an agreement to combine Centrica's European oil and gas exploration and production ("E&P") business with Bayerngas Norge AS ("Bayerngas Norge") to form a newly incorporated joint venture ("Joint Venture") (the "Transaction") and create a leading independent European E&P company. The Joint Venture will have two shareholding entities.  Centrica will own 69% and Bayerngas Norge's existing shareholders, led by SWM and Bayerngas GmbH, will own 31%. The effective date of the transaction is 1 January 2017 and it is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2017, subject to competition and regulatory approvals and other conditions.

The Joint Venture will create a strong and sustainable European E&P business by combining Centrica's cash-generative and relatively near-term production profile with Bayerngas Norge's more recently on-stream producing assets and development portfolio. The strategic rationale for the transaction is similar for both Centrica and SWM:

·     Like-minded shareholders with strategic alignment on the role of E&P.

·     Combines a complementary mix of producing and development assets with strong positions in the UK, Netherlands, Norway and Denmark.

·     Creates a robust, self-financing entity with an attractive financial profile, enabling organic and inorganic reinvestment and distributions.

·     £100-150 million of net present value (NPV) expected through synergies from cost savings and portfolio optimisation.

·     Provides the opportunity to strengthen the entity through further consolidation and joint ventures, including the potential for an initial public offering (IPO) in the medium term.

Iain Conn, Group Chief Executive of Centrica plc, said:

"As part of our strategy of 2015, we have been aiming to develop a more focused and stronger E&P business which will contribute to the resilience of the Group while limiting Centrica's E&P participation. Alongside the recently-announced disposals of our Canada and Trinidad & Tobago assets, this joint venture creates a larger, more sustainable and more capable European E&P business and brings together like-minded shareholders who have a shared strategic vision on the role of E&P."

"As one of the largest independent E&P companies in North-West Europe, the new entity will have the possibility to participate in further consolidation and joint ventures, and creates future optionality for Centrica's shareholders." 

Florian Bieberbach, Chief Executive of Stadtwerke München, said:

"We are convinced that by combining our E&P activities we will create an even stronger and more sustainable business. With its similar background and strategy, Centrica is an ideal partner to develop and grow this joint venture together."

Overview of the Joint Venture

The Joint Venture combines two complementary portfolios and will create one of Europe's leading independent E&P companies, with 2016 year-end 2P reserves of 409mmboe, 2016 year-end 2C resources of 216mmboe and expected combined 2017 production in the range 50-55mmboe from 27 producing fields. The Joint Venture will comprise Centrica's assets in the UK, Netherlands and Norway and Bayerngas Norge's assets in the UK, Norway and Denmark.

The portfolio of the Joint Venture will be gas weighted, with approximately 66% of total reserves and resources comprising natural gas. The Joint Venture will contain a mix of producing assets, development options and exploration licences, as well as one operated UK onshore terminal at Barrow-in-Furness, and will have the financial capacity to take advantage of investment opportunities.

There is substantial near and medium-term production from established assets including Morecambe, Greater Markham, Kvitebjørn and Statfjord, and from recently on-stream assets Valemon, Cygnus and Ivar Aasen. The Joint Venture will also own an attractive collection of development assets, including Maria, Oda, Fogelberg and Skarfjell in Norway and Hejre and Solsort in Denmark, which provide future optionality for the Joint Venture.

The Joint Venture will control a meaningful portion of the combined portfolio, with operatorship of approximately 22% of its expected 2017 production. Centrica expects to acquire and market all production from the Joint Venture's assets under marketing and sales agreements.

Financial structure of the Joint Venture

Centrica will contribute the whole of its European E&P business and make a series of deferred payments totalling approximately £340 million, post tax, to the Joint Venture between 2017 and 2022, in exchange for a 69% share in the Joint Venture. The deferred payments will be set by reference to the near-term funding requirements for specific fields where decommissioning is already in flight or is due to commence in 2017 or 2018. The existing shareholders of Bayerngas Norge, led by SWM and Bayerngas GmbH, will contribute 100% of the shares in Bayerngas Norge in exchange for a 31% share of the Joint Venture, held through Bayerngas HoldCo.

Following completion of the Transaction, Centrica will consolidate the Joint Venture in its accounts.

Financial framework of the Joint Venture

In creating the Joint Venture, the objective of the parties is to create a sustainable E&P business with a resilient capital structure, which will be capable of self-financing through operating cash flow in a range of commodity price environments including the Centrica low case of $35/barrel Brent Oil and 35p/therm UK NBP gas.

The Joint Venture expects to invest approximately 80% of its post-tax operating cash flow through the cycle in organic and inorganic growth options, in order to deliver a sustainable medium-term production profile of 45-55mmboe per annum. In the near term, it is envisaged that the Joint Venture will invest in the range of £400-600 million per annum. 

The remaining post-tax operating cash flow is intended to be distributed to shareholders in proportion to their respective interests.

Operational structure of the Joint Venture

Following completion of the transaction, it is intended that the Joint Venture will manage its day-to-day operations independently of Centrica and SWM as shareholders. The management team will be led by Chris Cox, currently Managing Director of Centrica E&P, as Chief Executive Officer.

On completion, existing Centrica E&P and Bayerngas Norge employees who are employed by entities that are contributed to the Joint Venture will continue to be employed by those entities and it is expected that they will therefore transfer to the Joint Venture with their employers. In addition, a number of Centrica plc employees that are dedicated to Centrica's E&P business will also transfer to one of the contributed entities and join the Joint Venture on the same basis.

To ensure that the Joint Venture will benefit from the scale and expertise of its shareholders, Centrica has agreed to provide a range of services to the Joint Venture post-completion. These services principally comprise support functions, including HSES, HR, Finance and IT. The annual charges to the Joint Venture will depend on the actual level of services required by the Joint Venture.

Synergies resulting from the Joint Venture

Both Centrica and Bayerngas Norge have already implemented and delivered targeted cost reduction programmes and taken a disciplined approach to capital allocation. It is envisaged that the Joint Venture will target further opportunities to reduce costs and improve cash flows and Centrica and SWM believe the formation of the Joint Venture will create opportunities to accelerate and increase existing cost saving programmes, improve efficiency and optimise the joint portfolio. This will be achieved through the sharing of technical expertise and best practice across the two portfolios, the streamlining of operations and areas of overlap, for example at Cygnus, and the delivery of corporate and administrative efficiencies.

Governance of the Joint Venture

The Board of the Joint Venture is expected to be comprised of the Chief Executive Officer plus four representatives from Centrica and two representatives from SWM Group. Certain matters will require the approval of both Centrica and SWM Group representatives. The post of Chairman will be held by a Centrica-appointed director. The Joint Venture will be incorporated and tax resident in the UK and its headquarters will be in the Greater London area.

Exit Mechanism

The parties have agreed to restrictions on transfers of interests in the Joint Venture for two years following establishment of the Joint Venture. Following such period, SWM and Centrica will have customary exit rights, including the ability to initiate an IPO of the Joint Venture.

Centrica and SWM believe that the creation of an independent Joint Venture should enable additional strengthening of the combined business through further consolidation and joint ventures, including the possibility of an IPO in the medium term, all of which provide additional optionality for both shareholders including a number of potential exit pathways, should individual shareholders wish to pursue this following an initial lock-up period.

Conditions to completion and initial timetable

Completion of the Transaction is expected in the fourth quarter of 2017 and is conditional on, amongst other things, approval by the relevant competition and regulatory authorities.

Investor and analyst call

Centrica is hosting a conference call at 08:00 BST on 17 July 2017 for analysts and investors. Please dial into this conference call using the following numbers:

United Kingdom:       020 3059 8125

International:              [phone]

An accompanying presentation is available on www.centrica.com/investors

About Centrica E&P

·  For the twelve months ended December 31, 2016, the entities that comprise Centrica's European oil and gas exploration and production business generated profit before tax of £223 million.

·  As at December 31, 2016, the entities that comprise Centrica's European E&P business reported gross assets of £4,562 million (excluding intergroup balances).

About Centrica plc

·  Centrica plc is an international energy and services company. Our purpose is to provide energy and services to satisfy the changing needs of our customers.

·  We've been serving customers for over 200 years and aim to be at the centre of their daily lives - central to helping them run their world.

·  Our two global customer-facing divisions, Centrica Consumer and Centrica Business, supply energy and energy-related services to around 27 million customer accounts in the UK, Ireland and North America, through strong brands such as British Gas, Direct Energy and Bord Gáis Energy. They do this with the support of 12,000 engineers and technicians.

·  We're also developing new and innovative products, offers and services for customers through our five growth businesses: Energy Supply, Services, Connected Home, Distributed Energy & Power (DE&P), and Energy Marketing & Trading. Our Connected Home business has developed the Hive product range, including the smart thermostat, which allows customers to control their energy usage from their phone, while DE&P offers integrated energy solutions for commercial and industrial customers, providing customers with end-to-end services - from insight to optimisation and solutions.

·  Centrica has been shifting the emphasis of its resources from its asset businesses to its customer-facing divisions. Recently, Centrica has completed the disposal of its Trinidad and Tobago E&P gas assets, and announced the sale of its Canadian E&P business and its two large gas-fired power stations in the UK. Centrica continues to own a number of smaller gas-fired power plants in the UK and a 20% interest in EDF Energy's UK nuclear fleet.

·  The role of E&P in Centrica's portfolio is to provide cash flow diversity and balance sheet strength.  Having our own production also improves the efficiency of certain aspects of our customer-facing businesses, including the cost of hedging and risk management.

·  Innovation underpins everything we do, which is why we're investing £100m in Centrica Innovations, a new venture to identify, incubate and accelerate new technologies and innovations that can help provide the right offers, products and services for our customers.

About Stadtwerke München

·  Stadtwerke München Group (SWM), Munich's municipal utilities company, is one of the largest energy and infrastructure companies in Germany. Over one million private households, SMEs and business clients benefit from the services provided by SWM on a daily basis. SWM employs over 9,000 staff and in 2016 fiscal year turnover reached around 6.3 billion euros.

·  SWM's products and services include electricity, natural gas, district heating, drinking water and broadband internet. Additionally, SWM, operate most of Munich's public transport system.

·  SWM's international investments include, in addition to its E&P business, onshore and offshore wind farms in several European countries. In the UK, SWM is a key investor in one of the largest offshore wind farms, Gwynt y Mor.

About Bayerngas Norge AS

·  Bayerngas Norge AS ("Bayerngas Norge") is the upstream Exploration and Production vehicle of SWM and two minority partners. The company was established in 2006 to safeguard supplies of gas to Bavaria.

·  Bayerngas Norge is currently partner to three producing fields in Norway and three in the UK. The Ivar Aasen field, operated by AkerBP, and the Cygnus gas field in the UK, are the two largest contributors to Bayerngas Norge's production.

·  For the twelve months ended December 31, 2016, Bayerngas Norge made a loss before tax of NOK3.2 billion.

·  As at December 31, 2016, Bayerngas Norge reported gross assets of NOK10.8 billion.

·  Bayerngas HoldCo will be 80% owned by Stadtwerke München and 20% owned by Bayerngas GmbH. Stadtwerke München also owns 56.3% of Bayerngas GmbH.

Enquiries

Centrica Investor Relations:                         [phone]

Centrica Media Relations:                           [phone]

Bayerngas Norge: Arne Westeng, CEO:   [phone]

This Announcement may contain certain forward-looking statements with respect to the Transaction, the financial condition, strategies, objectives, results of operations and businesses of Centrica, SWM and their respective groups and certain plans and objectives with respect to the Joint Venture.  These forward-looking statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate only to historical or current facts. Forward-looking statements are prospective in nature and are not based on historical facts, but rather on current expectations and projections of the management of Centrica and SWM about future events, and are therefore subject to risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from the future results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements often use words such as "anticipate", "target", "expect", "estimate", "intend", "plan", "goal", "believe", "hope", "aims", "envisage", "continue", "will", "may", "should", "would", "could", or other words of similar meaning.  These statements are based on assumptions and assessments made by Centrica and/or SWM in light of their experience and their perception of historical trends, current conditions, future developments and other factors they believe appropriate.  By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty, because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that will occur in the future and there are several factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in forward-looking statements.  Although it is believed that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, no assurance can be given that such expectations will prove to have been correct and readers are therefore cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as at the date of this Announcement.  Neither Centrica nor SWM, nor their respective groups assumes any obligation to update or correct the information contained in this Announcement (whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise), except as required by applicable law.

ENDS

Centrica plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange (CNA)
Registered Office: Millstream, Maidenhead Road, Windsor, Berkshire SL4 5GD

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ISIN number: GB00B033F229

 

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