Petrofac Acquires Interest in

RNS Number : 3058X

Petrofac Limited

06 December 2010

 



Press Release

6 DECEMBER 2010

PETROFAC LIMITED

PETROFAC ACQUIRES INTEREST IN UK GAS STORAGE COMPANY

Petrofac, the international oil & gas facilities service provider, announces that it has acquired a 20% interest in Gateway Storage Company Limited (Gateway), to progress and develop the Gateway Gas Storage project in the East Irish Sea. The cash consideration could be up to £33 million over time, funded from cash resources. This is split into a fixed upfront payment and additional contingent payments subject to key project development milestones being achieved, including the outcome of a further successful equity sales process.

Petrofac will join Gateway as the technical project operator, jointly responsible for developing the project, and will be represented on Gateway's Board. The front end engineering and design (FEED) phase of the project is nearing completion and the focus is now turning to project execution and finalisation of the consortium of storage capacity holders and investors to develop the project towards the final investment decision in 2011.

The Gateway Storage project, which would add nearly 30% to the current gas storage capacity in the UK market, secured the first Gas Storage Licence from the UK Department of Energy & Climate Change in February 2010 after receiving the main planning and environmental consents and permits in late 2008.   Gateway is targeting 2016 for the commencement of storage services to the UK energy markets.

Rob Jewkes, managing director, Petrofac Energy Developments commented: "Petrofac is pleased to join with Gateway to progress this strategically important and well advanced storage project.  With FEED activities largely complete, we are entering the project at this stage to bring confidence to the investor group that execution and delivery objectives for the complete facilities can be met, and will utilise the full capabilities of our group to optimise the facility design and deliver the project."

George Grant, chairman of Gateway Storage Company Limited said: "Gateway is the most advanced gas storage project in the UK that has not yet committed to construction, so we are delighted to have an organisation with the execution and operational track record of Petrofac to take the project forward through to financing and into construction. As one of the world's leading service providers to the oil & gas industries, Petrofac's experience will be invaluable in realising the project's significant and strategic benefits to the UK and Irish energy markets."

As at 31 March 2010, Gateway had gross assets of approximately £19 million and reported a loss after tax for the year ended 31 March 2010 of approximately £3 million. Gateway's directors are led by George Grant and Andrew Stacey of Stag Energy Development Company Limited, which manages the project on behalf of the shareholders. The development and operation of the Gateway Gas Storage project is the principal activity of Gateway.

Ends

For further information contact:

Tulchan Communications Group Ltd                                  [phone]

James Bradley

David Allchurch

[e-mail]

Notes to Editors

The Gateway Project 

Gateway Storage Company Limited plans to build an underground natural gas storage facility in the East Irish Sea, approximately 25 km (15 miles) offshore, south west of Barrow-in-Furness. Storage caverns will be developed in a natural salt structure below the seabed and will enable gas to be delivered, stored and then returned to the UK's national transmission system.

The offshore facility will provide a significant boost to the security of energy supply in the UK gas market and will help to meet the strategic energy policy objectives of the UK government. When completed, the caverns will have a working capacity of 1.5 billion standard cubic metres (~560 million therms), adding nearly 30% to the current gas storage capacity in the UK market.

Petrofac

Petrofac is a leading international provider of facilities solutions to the oil & gas production and processing industry, with a diverse customer portfolio including many of the world's leading integrated, independent and national oil & gas companies. Petrofac is quoted on the London Stock Exchange (symbol: PFC) and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. 

The group delivers services through seven business units: Engineering & Construction, Engineering & Construction Ventures, Engineering Services, Offshore Engineering & Operations, Training Services, Production Solutions and Energy Developments.

Through these businesses Petrofac designs and builds oil & gas facilities; operates, maintains and manages facilities and trains personnel; enhances production; and, where it can leverage its service capability, develops and co-invests in upstream and infrastructure projects. Petrofac's range of services meets its customers' needs across the full life cycle of oil & gas assets.

With around 12,500 employees, Petrofac operates out of six strategically located operational centres, in Aberdeen, Sharjah, Woking, Chennai, Mumbai and Abu Dhabi and a further 19 offices worldwide. The predominant focus of Petrofac's business is on the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS), the Middle East and Africa, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the Asia Pacific region.

For additional information, please refer to the Petrofac website at www.petrofac.com.

 

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