US$ 560 MILLION BOND ISSUER SUBSTITUTION

RNS Number : 9503C

Zhaikmunai LP

23 April 2013

 

ZHAIKMUNAI L.P.:

US$ 560 MILLION BOND ISSUER SUBSTITUTION AND KASE LISTING

Amsterdam, 23 April 2013. Zhaikmunai L.P. (LSE: ZKM) ("Zhaikmunai"), the oil and gas exploration, development and production business, announces its intention to effect the substitution of Zhaikmunai LLP as the issuer, in place of Zhaikmunai International B.V., of the notes issued on 13 November 2012. This substitution was planned at the time of the original issue and was described in the offering memorandum dated 6 November 2012.

On 13 November 2012 Zhaikmunai International B.V., successfully issued a US$560 million senior bond with a 13 November 2019 maturity and a fixed coupon of 7.125% per annum (the "Notes"). The Notes were admitted to the Official List and trading on the Global Exchange Market, which is the exchange regulated market of the Irish Stock Exchange. On 2 April 2013, the Kazakhstan Stock Exchange (KASE) approved the admission of the Notes to the "rated debt securities" category of the official list of the KASE. The listing of the Notes on the KASE took place on 4 April 2013.

Following the listing of the Notes on the KASE, Zhaikmunai International B.V. and the existing guarantors of the Notes (including Zhaikmunai LLP) intend to enter into a supplemental indenture, as provided for and pursuant to Section 4.15 of the indenture governing the Notes, under which Zhaikmunai LLP will assume all of the original issuer's obligations under the Notes and Zhaikmunai International B.V. will be released from its obligations under the Notes as the issuer and will become a guarantor of the Notes. The Notes also continue to be admitted to the Official List and trading on the Global Exchange Market, which is the exchange regulated market of the Irish Stock Exchange.

The remaining notes due 2015 of Zhaikmunai LLP (which were admitted to the Official List of the Luxembourg Stock Exchange and admitted for trading on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange's Euro MTF market in 2010 and listed on the KASE in 2011) are unaffected by the substitution.

JSC "Halyk Finance" (Almaty) acted as financial advisor to Zhaikmunai LLP in connection with the substitution and the KASE listing.

Jan-Ru Muller, CFO of Zhaikmunai, commented:

"This substitution will complete an important step towards increased financial flexibility for Zhaikmunai. Thanks to the successful pricing of a US$ 560 million aggregate principal amount of senior bonds with a seven-year maturity (2019) at a fixed coupon of 7.125% per annum, Zhaikmunai could prepay US$ 357 million of its existing notes and extend 80% of its existing liabilities to 2019 while reducing its overall borrowing rate. This increased financial flexibility bodes well for the pursuit of Zhaikmunai's strategic organic and inorganic growth avenues in the years ahead."

Disclaimer

The Notes have not been and will not be registered under the United State Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act") nor the securities laws of any state of the United States. The Notes many not be offered or sold into the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration as provided in the Securities Act, and the rules and regulations thereunder. There is no intention to register any portion of any offering of the Notes in the United States or to conduct a public offering of the Notes in the United States.

Further information

For further information please visit www.zhaikmunai.com

Further enquiries

Zhaikmunai LP - Investor Relations

Bruno G. Meere

Kirsty Hamilton-Smith

[e-mail]                                      + 31 20 737 2288

Pelham Bell Pottinger

Philip Dennis

Elena Dobson                                                                          + 44 (0) 207 861 32 32 

About Zhaikmunai

Zhaikmunai is an independent oil and gas enterprise currently engaging in the production, development and exploration of oil and gas in north-western Kazakhstan. Its Global Depositary Receipts (GDRs) are listed on the London Stock Exchange (Ticker symbol: ZKM). Zhaikmunai's principal producing asset is the Chinarevskoye field, in which it holds a 100% interest and is the operator, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Zhaikmunai LLP. In addition, Zhaikmunai holds a 100% interest in and is the operator of the Rostoshinskoye, Darinskoye and Yuzhno-Gremyachenskoye oil and gas fields. Located in the pre-Caspian basin to the north-west of Uralsk, these exploration and development fields are approximately 60 and 120 kilometres respectively from the Chinarevskoye field.

Forward-Looking Statements

Some of the statements in this document are forward-looking. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding the intent, belief and current expectations of the Partnership or its officers with respect to various matters. When used in this document, the words "expects," "believes," "anticipates," "plans," "may," "will," "should" and similar expressions, and the negatives thereof, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements are not promises or guarantees, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes to differ materially from those suggested by any such statements.

 

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