Result of Equity Issue

RNS Number : 8556F

Soco International PLC

20 January 2010

 

20 January 2010

SOCO INTERNATIONAL PLC ANNOUNCES THE SUCCESSFUL PLACING OF 7,234,347 NEW ORDINARY SHARES AT A PLACING PRICE OF 1410 PENCE PER SHARE

NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY

OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES, CANADA, AUSTRALIA OR JAPAN OR ANY OTHER STATE OR JURISDICTION IN WHICH IT WOULD BE UNLAWFUL TO DO SO

SOCO International plc ("SOCO" or the "Company") announces the completion of the placing announced earlier today (the "Placing").  A total of 7,234,347 new ordinary shares of 20 pence each in the capital of SOCO (the "Placing Shares") have been placed with institutions at a price of 1410 pence per Placing Share (the "Placing Price").  Based on the Placing Price, the gross proceeds of the Placing will be approximately £102 million.  The Placing Shares being issued represent an increase of approximately 9.6% in SOCO's existing issued ordinary share capital.

The Placing Shares will, when issued, be credited as fully paid and will rank pari passu in all respects with the existing ordinary shares of 20 pence each in the capital of the Company, including the right to receive all dividends and other distributions declared, made or paid on or in respect of such shares after the date of issue of the Placing Shares.

Applications have been made for the Placing Shares to be admitted to the Official List of the Financial Services Authority ("FSA") and for admission to trading by London Stock Exchange 
plc on its main market for listed securities.  Admission is expected to take place, settlement to occur and dealing in the Placing Shares to commence at 8.00 am on 25 January 2010.

Bank of America Merrill Lynch ("BAML") and J.P. Morgan Cazenove Limited ("JPMC") are acting as joint bookrunners to the Placing.  The Placing is conditional upon, inter alia, Admission 
becoming effective.

Enquiries

SOCO International plc

Roger Cagle, Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Financial Officer 

Tel: [phone]

BofA Merrill Lynch

Andrew Osborne

Tel: [phone]

J.P. Morgan Cazenove Limited
Colin Carscadden
Tel: [phone] 

Pelham Public Relations

James Henderson Tel: [phone]

Mark Antelme Tel: [phone]

This announcement is not an offer of securities for sale in the United States. Securities may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration under the Securities Act, or in accordance with an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act.  The Company has not registered and does not intend to register any of the Placing Shares under the US Securities Act. The Placing Shares will not be offered or sold to the public in the United States.

The Placing Shares referred to in this announcement are being offered and sold outside the United States in accordance with Regulation S under the Securities Act and in the United States to "qualified institutional buyers" in accordance with an exemption from registration under the Securities Act.

This announcement contains (or may contain) certain forward-looking statements with respect to certain plans of the Company and its current goals and expectations relating to its future financial condition and performance and which involve a number of risks and uncertainties.  The Company cautions readers that no forward-looking statement is a guarantee of future performance and that actual results could differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements.  These forward-looking statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate only to historical or current facts.  Forward-looking statements sometimes use words such as "aim", "anticipate", "target", "expect", "estimate", "intend", "plan", "goal", "believe", or other words of similar meaning.  Examples of forward-looking statements include, amongst others, statements regarding the Company's oil and gas contingent reserves, future financial position, income growth, impairment charges, business strategy, projected levels of growth in the banking and financial markets, projected costs, estimates of capital expenditure, and plans, dividend growth and objectives for future operations of the Company and other statements that are not historical fact.  By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to future events and circumstances, including, but not limited to, UK domestic and global economic and business conditions, the effects of continued volatility in credit markets, market-related risks such as changes in interest rates and exchange rates, the policies and actions of governmental and regulatory authorities, changes in legislation, the further development of standards and interpretations under International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS") applicable to past, current and future periods, evolving practices with regard to the interpretation and application of standards under IFRS, the outcome of pending and future litigation or regulatory investigations, the success of future explorations, acquisitions and other strategic transactions and the impact of competition - a number of which factors are beyond the Company's control.  As a result, the Company's actual future results may differ materially from the plans, goals, and expectations set forth in the Company's forward-looking statements.  Any forward-looking statements made herein by or on behalf of the Company speak only as of the date they are made.  Except as required by the Financial Services Authority (the "FSA"), London Stock Exchange plc, or applicable law, the Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained in this announcement to reflect any changes in the Company's expectations with regard thereto or any changes in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.

This announcement is for information purposes only and shall not constitute an offer to buy, sell, issue, or subscribe for, or the solicitation of an offer to buy, sell, issue, or subscribe for any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.  This announcement has been issued by and is the sole responsibility of the Company.

No representation or warranty, express or implied, is or will be made as to, or in relation to, and no responsibility or liability is or will be accepted by JPMC, Merrill Lynch International ("Merrill Lynch"), (together, the "Joint Bookrunners"), J.P. Morgan Securities Ltd. ("JPMSL") or by any of their respective affiliates or agents as to, or in relation to, the accuracy or completeness of this announcement or any other written or oral information made available to or publicly available to any interested party or its advisers, and any liability therefore is expressly disclaimed.

Merrill Lynch, which is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the FSA, is acting for the Company and for no-one else in connection with the Placing, and will not be responsible to anyone other than the Company for providing the protections afforded to customers of Merrill Lynch or for providing advice to any other person in relation to the Placing or any other matter referred to herein.

JPMC, which is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the FSA, is acting for the Company and for no-one else in connection with the Placing, and will not be responsible to anyone other than the Company for providing the protections afforded to customers of JPMC nor for providing advice to any other person in relation to the Placing or any other matter referred to herein.

JPMSL, which is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the FSA, is acting for the Company and for no-one else in connection with the Placing, and will not be responsible to anyone other than the Company for providing the protections afforded to customers of JPMSL nor for providing advice to any other person in relation to the Placing or any other matter referred to herein.

The distribution of this announcement and the offering of the Placing Shares in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law.  No action has been taken by the Company, the Joint Bookrunners or any of their respective affiliates that would permit an offering of the Placing Shares or possession or distribution of this announcement or any other offering or publicity material relating to such Placing Shares in any jurisdiction where action for that purpose is required.  Persons into whose possession this announcement comes are required by the Company and the Joint Bookrunners to inform themselves about, and to observe such restrictions.

The price of shares and the income from them may go down as well as up and investors may not get back the full amount invested on disposal of the shares. No statement in this announcement is intended to be a profit forecast or profit estimate.

 

END

 

 

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