Operational and Corporate Update

RNS Number : 2372X

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Ltd.

09 January 2014

 



Not for release, publication or distribution in or into the United States or jurisdictions other than the United Kingdom and Bermuda where to do so would constitute a contravention of the relevant laws of such jurisdiction.

9 January 2014

Gulf Keystone Petroleum Ltd. (AIM: GKP)

("Gulf Keystone" or "the Company")

Operational and Corporate Update

Commencement of Shaikan crude oil exports

Summary

Gulf Keystone, a leading independent E&P operator in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, today provides an operational and corporate update.

Significant progress has been made since the Field Development Plan ("FDP") for the Shaikan field was approved in June 2013. In July 2013 the Company commenced commercial production, marking Gulf Keystone's transition to an operator with revenue generation. In December 2013 crude oil exports from the Shaikan field commenced.

Shaikan (75% working interest; Operator)

Shaikan Production Update

Gulf Keystone is pleased to announce the commencement of crude oil exports from the Shaikan field.

In line with the Company's marketing strategy, which is being developed in co-operation with the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Kurdistan Regional Government, the first tendered cargo of between 30,000 tonnes (198,300 barrels) and 33,000 tonnes (215,000 barrels) of Shaikan crude was trucked to Turkey in December and will be loading at the port of Dortyol this month.

A second tender is underway for two further cargoes of similar size of Shaikan crude, which are expected to be loaded later this month and during February. Sales realisations are expected to be in accordance with the terms of the Production Sharing Contract for the Shaikan Block ("Shaikan PSC") and will reflect transportation and quality adjustments.

The first Shaikan production facility ("PF-1") is in operation with two wells currently tied to the facility, namely Shaikan-1 and -3. The flowlines from Shaikan-4 to PF-1 are now complete and the well has been worked over as a Jurassic Sargelu producer prior to being tied to PF-1 in early 2014.

Work at the second Shaikan production facility ("PF-2") is nearing completion with electrical and instrumentation work ongoing. The Shaikan-2, -5, and -10 wells have been completed as Jurassic Sargelu producers and the flowlines from these wells to PF-2 are currently being laid.

Current average oil sales from PF-1 stand at between 9,000 and 10,000 barrels per day of export quality crude. The Company will provide an update on well performance and combined production capacity of PF-1 and PF-2 as the additional four wells become operational.

Shaikan Field Development Plan - Phase 1

During Phase 1 of the Shaikan development, the Company will seek to achieve 100,000 bopd of production. As set out in the FDP, the Company will be undertaking an active development drilling campaign as well as installing additional production facilities.

The Shaikan field is expected to be connected to the main export pipeline from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq to Turkey, which was finalised in late 2013. A review of the FDP will include Phase 2 Cretaceous, Triassic and, potentially, Permian development.

A key element of the FDP is the commencement of a sour gas injection project. Shaikan-8 was completed as the first sour gas reinjection well and bids have been tendered for gas compressing equipment required to increase plant production capacity, which is subject to well performance and emissions constraints, from  the near-term target of 40,000 bopd to the Phase 1 target of 100,000 bopd. The sour gas injection project is expected to be finalised in 2015.

Financing decisions in order to fund the Phase 1 activities will be made in conjunction with anticipated steady oil production and sales from PF-1 and PF-2 in 2014.

Exploration & Appraisal

Shaikan (75% working interest; Operator)

Drilling of the Shaikan-7 deep exploration well is continuing in the Jurassic formation, after the top drive of the Weatherford 319 rig had to be replaced. The well is currently drilling 17 ½" hole below 2,300 metres in the Butmah reservoir. Shaikan-7 will drill into the Triassic and is then expected to penetrate the Permian with a potential to add to already discovered resources, and first results are expected in Q2 2014.

Sheikh Adi (80% working interest; Operator)

The first well to appraise the Sheikh Adi discovery spudded in December 2013. Sheikh Adi-3 is being drilled with the Weatherford 842 rig to target the Jurassic and Triassic with an additional aim to test the potential connection between the Sheikh Adi and Shaikan fields. The well is currently operating below 1,000 metres in the Cretaceous.

Akri-Bijeel (20% working interest)

Bijell-1B is a side-track well targeting the Jurassic horizons of the Bijell discovery and currently drilling 8 ½" hole in the Jurassic below 3,820 metres.

Bijell-2 is a deep appraisal well targeting the Triassic horizons of the Bijell discovery and currently drilling and coring in the Sargelu formation below 3,900 metres.

Bijell-4 is an appraisal well targeting the Jurassic horizons of the Bijell discovery and currently in 17 ½" hole in the Upper Fars formation below 1,040 metres.

Finance

The US$50 million tap issue of convertible bonds in November 2013 confirmed investor interest to invest in the Company's evolving story. The Company's increasing production will provide a recurring revenue stream and the Company believes that this will provide an opportunity for Gulf Keystone to access the debt market under more favourable terms in due course. In order to fund the Company's ongoing capital expenditure requirements and meet its obligations under the terms of the Shaikan PSC, the Company is in discussions with a major international bank to assist with the evaluation of the Company's near term debt financing options.

Following the hearing in the English Commercial Court (the "Court") on 13 December 2013 and the resultant Court Order, the Company has now received  £17,500,000, which had been paid into Court as security for the costs of the Company, its two subsidiaries and Texas Keystone Inc. (together the "Defendants") by the funders of Excalibur Ventures LCC ("Excalibur"). Texas Keystone Inc. holds a 5% interest in the Shaikan PSC in trust for Gulf Keystone, pending transfer of its interest to the Company.

According to the Judgment handed down on 13 December 2013, the Court ordered that the Defendants should recover their costs of these legal proceedings and that these costs, if not agreed, should be assessed on an indemnity basis, and that Excalibur must pay interest on the Defendants' costs at the rate of 1.5% per annum, from the date of payment of the invoices until 13 December 2013.

On 13 December 2013, the Court further ordered Excalibur to provide an additional security for the costs of the Defendants in the total amount of £5,612,010 by 31 December 2013, failing which the Defendants were given leave to commence proceedings for recovery of such costs and to the extent necessary, to serve proceedings out of the jurisdiction against Excalibur's funders, namely Psari Holdings Limited, Mr Adonis Lemos, BlackRobe Capital Partners LLC, BlackRobe AEO Investors I, LLC, Platinum Partners Value Arbitrage Fund LP, and Hamilton Capital LLC. The Company understands that Excalibur did not pay the additional security into Court and accordingly the Defendants have made an application under Section 51 of the Senior Courts Act 1981 against Excalibur's funders to recover their costs of these legal proceedings.

The Judgment is available to view at http://www.bailii.org/cgi-bin/markup.cgi?doc=/ew/cases/EWHC/Comm/2013/2767.html&query=excalibur&method=boolean.

Move to the Main Market

Work is underway on the Company's proposed move from AIM to the Standard Segment of the Official List and we continue to work with Deutsche Bank AG, London Branch, the Company's exclusive corporate advisers in connection with the proposed move. The Company is in the advanced stages of finalising the relevant documents including the Listing Prospectus, the Competent Person's Report ("CPR"), and the required financial reports.

After the successful resolution of the litigation against Excalibur Ventures LLC, as detailed in the Company's announcement of 16 December 2013, the Board's and its corporate advisers' current expectation is for the admission to be achieved as soon as practicable in 2014.

Todd Kozel, Gulf Keystone's Chief Executive Officer commented:

"Significant progress has been made since the Shaikan Field Development Plan was approved in June 2013. We began commercial production 30 days after its approval and now the first cargo of Shaikan crude is being sold to the international market. As we are increasing Shaikan production, we are developing a flexible marketing strategy in co-operation with the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Kurdistan Regional Government to achieve the best price for our crude. Our short-term focus is on the trucking export route via Turkey, while we are working on getting access to the regional pipeline network. Ours is a constant evolution: we are growing as a company and we are proud to operate in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq."

Enquiries:

Gulf Keystone Petroleum:	[phone]
Simon Murray, Non-Executive Chairman
Todd Kozel, Chief Executive Officer
Anastasia Vvedenskaya, Investor Relations
Strand Hanson Limited	[phone]
Simon Raggett / Rory Murphy / James Harris
Mirabaud Securities LLP	[phone]
Peter Krens
Pelham Bell Pottinger	[phone]
Mark Antelme / Henry Lerwill

John Gerstenlauer, the Company's Chief Operating Officer, who has over 36 years of relevant experience within the sector and meets the criteria of a qualified person under the AIM note for mining, oil and gas companies, has reviewed and approved the technical information contained in this announcement.  Mr. Gerstenlauer is a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers.

or visit: www.gulfkeystone.com

Notes to Editors:

·           Gulf Keystone Petroleum Ltd. (AIM: GKP) is an independent oil and gas exploration and production company focused on exploration in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

·           Gulf Keystone Petroleum International (GKPI) holds Production Sharing Contracts for four exploration blocks in Kurdistan, including the Shaikan, Sheikh Adi, Ber Bahr and Akri-Bijeel blocks.

·           GKPI is the Operator of the Shaikan Block, which is a major commercial discovery, with a working interest of 75% and is partnered with Kalegran Ltd. (a 100% subsidiary of MOL Hungarian Oil and Gas plc.) and Texas Keystone Inc., which have working interests of 20% and 5% respectively.  Texas Keystone Inc. holds its interest in trust for Gulf Keystone, pending transfer of its interest to the Company.

·           Gulf Keystone is moving into the large-scale phased development of the Shaikan field targeting 100,000 barrels of oil per day of production during Phase 1, following the approval of the Shaikan Field Development Plan in June 2013.

Disclaimer

This announcement contains certain forward-looking statements.  These statements are made by the Directors in good faith based on the information available to them up to the time of their approval of this announcement but such statements should be treated with caution due to inherent uncertainties, including both economic and business factors, underlying such forward-looking information.  This announcement has been prepared solely to provide additional information to shareholders to assess the Group's strategies and the potential for those strategies to succeed.  This announcement should not be relied on by any other party or for any other purpose.

Not for release, publication or distribution, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States or jurisdictions other than the United Kingdom and Bermuda where to do so would constitute a contravention of the relevant laws of such jurisdiction.  This announcement (and the information contained herein) does not contain or constitute an offer of securities for sale, or solicitation of an offer to purchase securities, in the United States or jurisdictions other than the United Kingdom and Bermuda where to do so would constitute a contravention of the relevant laws of such jurisdiction.  The securities referred to herein have not been and will not be registered under the US Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), and may not be offered or sold in the United States unless the securities are registered under the Securities Act, or an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act is available.  No public offering of the securities will be made in the United States.

 

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