Comment on operatorship of OML 18

RNS Number : 1299S
San Leon Energy PLC
07 March 2023
 

image1.png

 

 

7 March 2023

San Leon Energy plc

("San Leon" or the "Company")

 

Comment on operatorship of OML 18

 

San Leon, the independent oil and gas production, development and exploration company focused on Nigeria, notes the statement published in Nigeria on 6 March 2023 about the operation of the Oil Mining License (OML) 18 ("OML 18"). 

 

The Company has been made aware of a statement on the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company Ltd ("NNPC") website that indicates that the non-operating partners of OML 18, NNPC and OML 18 Energy Limited have removed Eroton Exploration & Production Company Limited ("Eroton") as operator of OML 18 on the basis of, amongst other things, zero production from the field at present.

 

San Leon has contacted Eroton who has advised the Company that this purported takeover of operatorship was done without any legal or contractual basis and, furthermore, that Eroton considers that the action is without any legal effect, through both a lack of due process and a breach of the rule of law.  Eroton is currently taking advice on its legal rights to address the matter expeditiously and considers that it remains the operator of OML 18.

 

Furthermore, as previously announced, the lack of production from OML 18 alluded to in the press has been primarily due to the unavailability of Nembe Creek Trunk Line in the last two years and not to production issues suffered by Eroton.  This is an industrywide problem due to widespread and well known crude oil theft and sabotage of pipelines in the Niger Delta.

 

San Leon currently holds an initial 10.58% indirect economic interest in OML 18 which is unaffected by the identity of the operator. Further announcements will be made as and when appropriate. 

 

Enquiries:

 

San Leon Energy plc

+353 1291 6292

Oisin Fanning, Chief Executive

Julian Tedder, Chief Financial Officer

 

Allenby Capital Limited

(Nominated adviser and joint broker to San Leon)

+44 20 3328 5656

Nick Naylor

Alex Brearley

Vivek Bhardwaj

 

Panmure Gordon & Co

(Joint broker to San Leon)

+44 20 7886 2500

James Sinclair-Ford

John Prior

 

Tavistock

(Financial Public Relations)

+44 20 7920 3150

Nick Elwes

Simon Hudson

 

Plunkett Public Relations

+353 1 230 3781

Sharon Plunkett

 

 

This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact rns@lseg.com or visit www.rns.com.

RNS may use your IP address to confirm compliance with the terms and conditions, to analyse how you engage with the information contained in this communication, and to share such analysis on an anonymised basis with others as part of our commercial services. For further information about how RNS and the London Stock Exchange use the personal data you provide us, please see our Privacy Policy.
 
END
 
 
MSCNKOBKFBKKDNK
UK 100