Economy
Fitch Downgrades Seven Energy Int’l Ltd to ‘RD’
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Fitch Ratings has downgraded Nigeria-based Seven Energy International Limited’s Issuer Default Rating to ‘RD’ from ‘C’ following the announcement of the results of the consent solicitation for the 10.25 percent $300m senior secured notes due 2021: 95.31 percent of the noteholders voted in favour of the proposal. Simultaneously, Fitch has affirmed the senior secured rating of wholly owned subsidiary Seven Energy Finance Limited’s $300m notes at ‘C’ with a ‘RR6’ Recovery Rating.
The accepted proposal qualifies as a distressed debt exchange under Fitch’s criteria as it imposes a material reduction in terms compared with the original ones and is conducted to avoid a payment default. Under the new terms, Seven Energy may choose to pay interest on the notes in kind, ie by increasing the principal amount of the outstanding notes or by issuing additional notes for up to four coupon payments between 11 October 2016 and 11 April 2018.
Seven Energy remains under severe liquidity pressure due to a combination of factors including: the fall in oil prices, a limited ability to convert naira into dollars, and the prolonged Forcados export pipeline closure, which has resulted in no oil lifting since February 2016. In addition to the notes consent solicitation, the company has recently agreed with the Accugas IV facility bank lenders to defer the amortisation schedule for debt payments into 2018. It is also working on a new facility with Nigerian and international banks and development finance institutions for longer-term credit facilities. Therefore the ‘RD’ rating is likely to remain until we have more clarity on Seven Energy’s post-deal liquidity and financial structure.
KEY RATING DRIVERS
Developing Natural Gas Business
Seven Energy’s management views the natural gas business in Nigeria’s southeast as an important growth driver for the company. In 9M16, Seven Energy’s average deliveries of natural gas reached 80 million cubic feet per day (MMcfpd), up from 64MMcfpd in 9M15. Its gas offtakers include three power stations (Alaoji, Calabar and Ibom), the Unicem cement plant and a fertiliser factory. In November 2016, Seven Energy completed the 69km Uquo-Creek Town pipeline to supply gas to Calabar and Unicem and signed a USD112m partial risk guarantee with Nigeria’s federal government for gas supply to Calabar and other customers.
The company is now on track to ramp up gas sales to 150MMcfpd and beyond. The installation of electricity distribution infrastructure to allow the power stations to run at full capacity has now been completed and Calabar is able to generate additional electricity.
The natural gas assets are fully ring-fenced and serve as security for the Accugas IV loan. There is a risk that the lenders may decide to enforce the security, stripping the company of its main cash generating asset and effectively forcing it into liquidation.
Strategic Alliance Agreement Halted
All Seven Energy’s oil liftings from OML 4, 38 and 41 under the strategic alliance agreement with the state-owned NPDC have been stopped since February 2016, as the Forcados oil terminal remains shut due to the rise in militant attacks. Management gives no estimate on when Forcados will be restarted and we understand is considering alternative means to export crude.
Naira Convertibility Issues
Seven Energy’s natural gas revenues are US dollar pegged but are received in naira. We understand from management that there are difficulties in Nigeria regarding exchanging naira into US dollars, which are needed to service the compay’s US dollar debt at the official exchange rate. This negatively affects the company’s liquidity as long as Forcados remains shut, meaning that the company receives no US dollar revenue under the strategic alliance agreement.
KEY ASSUMPTIONS
– Brent oil price deck of USD44/bbl in 2016, USD45/bbl in 2017, USD55/bbl 2018.
– SAA’s FCF negative in 2016; turning positive in 2017-2018.
– Natural gas sales volumes ramping up to 150MMcfpd a year in 2017 and 2018.
– Proposed restructuring implemented.
RATING SENSITIVITIES
Future Developments That May, Individually or Collectively, Lead to Positive Rating Action
– The ‘RD’ rating will be reviewed following the financial restructuring once sufficient information is available to reflect the appropriate IDR for the issuer’s post-exchange capital structure, risk profile and prospects in accordance with relevant criteria.
Future Developments That May, Individually or Collectively, Lead to Negative Rating Action
– Bankruptcy filings, administration, receivership, liquidation or other formal winding-up procedure affecting Seven Energy would result in a downgrade to ‘D’.
LIQUIDITY
Limited Liquidity
At 30 September 2016, Seven Energy’s cash on hand was USD24m, well short of the USD396m in short-term debt at this date; this amount is prior to ongoing debt renegotiations. In 9M16, Seven Energy used up nearly USD92m in cash due to high capex and interest payments, before new equity raising and debt refinancing. We understand the company is negotiating to increase the limit of its existing working-capital facility.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) shared a total of N1.678 trillion in March 2025 to the three tiers of government as federation allocation from the revenue generated by the nation in February 2025.
A statement from the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) after its meeting for this month, chaired by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun, disclosed that the amount generated stood at N2.344 trillion, comprising Gross Statutory Revenue, Value Added Tax (VAT), Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL), an argumentation of N178 billion and revenues from Solid Minerals.
It was revealed that the federal government was given N569.656 billion, the states received N562.195 billion, the local government councils got N410.559 billion, while the oil-producing states shared N136.042 billion as 13 per cent derivation of mineral revenue.
The statement further disclosed that VAT for the month was N609.430 billion versus N771.886 billion in the preceding month, with the federal government receiving N91.415 billion, the states getting N304.715 billion, and the councils sharing N213.301 billion.
FAAC presented N1.653 trillion as gross statutory revenue for last month, lower than the N1.848 trillion recorded a month earlier, with N61.449 billion used for the cost of collection and N736.249 billion for transfers, intervention and refunds.
When the balance of N827.633 billion was shared, the federal government got N366.262 billion, the states received N185.773 billion, and the councils got N143.223 billion, while the oil-producing states shared N132.374 billion as 13 per cent derivation revenue.
Also, the sum of N35.171 billion from EMTL was distributed, with the federal government receiving N5.276 billion, the states sharing N17.585 billion, and the local government councils getting N12.310 billion, while N1.465 billion was for the cost of collection.
Further, N28.218 billion was generated from solid minerals and the central government got N12.933 billion, the states received N6.560 billion, the LGCs got N5.057 billion, and the oil-producing states shared N3.668 billion.
In addition, from the N178 billion augmentation, the national government received N93.770 billion, the states got N47.562 billion, and the local councils received N36.668 billion.
It was observed that revenues from VAT, Petroleum Profit Tax, Companies Income Tax, excise duty, import duty and CET Levies declined in February, while earnings from EMTL and oil and gas royalty increased significantly.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The 1.7 million barrels of jet fuel exported from the Dangote refinery in Lagos, Nigeria, have arrived at US ports, according to data from ship-tracking service, Kpler.
It was reported that another vessel, Hafnia Andromeda, is set to arrive at the Everglades terminal on March 29 with a load of about 348,000 barrels of jet fuel, the data showed.
US jet fuel imports are set to hit a two-year high in March after the refinery pushed barrels to North America and Europe.
Total US jet fuel imports so far in March stood at around 226,000 barrels per day, the most since February 2023, the data showed.
The development comes amid controversies surrounding the sale and availability of crude oil to the refinery and Premium Motor Spirit or petrol supply to the Nigerian market.
Nigeria’s decision to cancel the Naira-for-crude deal with the refinery has since created panic in the hearts of marketers and consumers alike.
The 650,000 barrels per day refinery has also suspended selling petrol in Naira to marketers.
It lamented that there was a mismatch between its sales proceeds and its crude oil purchase obligations, which it said are currently denominated in US Dollars.
“Dear valued customers, we wish to inform you that the Dangote Petroleum Refinery has temporarily halted the sale of petroleum products in naira. This decision is necessary to avoid a mismatch between our sales proceeds and our crude oil purchase obligations, which are currently denominated in US dollars.
“To date, our sales of petroleum products in naira have exceeded the value of naira-denominated crude we have received. As a result, we must temporarily adjust our sales currency to align with our crude procurement currency,” the firm announced.
The announcement has since triggered a rise in the cost of loading petrol at private depots in Lagos to about N900 per litre from below N850 per litre before.
The Dangote refinery started production last January after years of construction delays and ramped up to about 85 per cent of capacity in early February, allowing it to sell more fuel to international markets.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The NASD Over-the-Counter (OTC) Securities Exchange crumbled by 0.57 per cent on Monday, March 24 after four stocks on the trading platform closed lower.
Okitipupa Plc gave up N22.66 during the session to settle at N285.00 per unit compared with the N307.66 per unit it was sold last Friday, FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc lost 17 Kobo to trade at N37.00 per share versus N37.17 per share, Food Concepts Plc depreciated by 14 Kobo to close at N1.35 per unit compared with the preceding session’s N1.49 per unit, and Industrial and General Insurance (IGI) Plc declined by 2 Kobo to finish at 35 Kobo per share, in contrast to the preceding trading day’s 37 Kobo per share.
Conversely, Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc improved its value by 69 Kobo to sell at N23.53 per unit versus N22.84 per unit and UBN Property Plc gained 20 Kobo to quote at N2.20 per share, in contrast to the previous value of N2.00 per share.
When the bourse ended for the session, the NASD Unlisted Security Index (NSI) went down by 19.09 points to 3,339.52 points from the previous trading day’s 3,358.61 points, and the market capitalisation shrank by N11.03 billion to N1.928 trillion from N1.939 trillion.
The volume of securities traded at the NASD yesterday rose by 216.1 per cent to 961,456 units from the 304,188 units recorded last Friday, and the value of securities went up by 116.3 per cent to N22.1 million from N10.2 million, while the number of deals depreciated by 31.3 per cent to 22 deals from 32 deals.
Impresit Bakolori Plc remained the most active stock by value (year-to-date) with 533.9 million units worth N520.9 million, followed by FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria Plc with 13.3 million units valued at N513.7 million, and Afriland Properties Plc with 17.6 million units sold for N360.1 million.
Impresit Bakolori Plc was also the most active stock by volume (year-to-date) with 533.9 million units valued at N520.9 million, trailed by IGI Plc with 70.0 million units sold for N23.8 million, and Geo-Fluids Plc with 44.1 million units worth N88.9 million.
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