By Dipo Olowookere
The board of Seplat Petroleum Development Company Plc has announced its intention to acquire Eland Oil & Gas Plc, an energy firm listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE), for the sum of £382 million.
Business Post gathered that Seplat is intending to buy up 129,727,705 units of Eland shares, representing approximately 60.17 percent of the existing issued ordinary share capital of Eland.
Seplat, a Nigerian oil and gas company listed on both the LSE and the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), said under the deal, shareholders of Eland will receive a cash of 166 pence for each of the company’s share.
It was stated that this amount represents a premium of approximately 28.5 percent to the closing price per Eland share of 129.2 pence as at the close of business on October 14, 2019 and a premium of approximately 32.6 percent to the three-month volume weighted average price per Eland share as of October 14, 2019 of 125.2 pence; and a premium of approximately 32.7 percent to the six-month volume weighted average price per Eland share as of October 14, 2019 of 125.1 pence.
According to a disclosure by Seplat on Tuesday, October 15, 2019, in addition, Eland shareholders on the register at the close of business on October 18, 2019 will be entitled to receive and retain the interim dividend of one pence per Eland share to be paid on October 31, 2019.
While commenting on the deal, which is yet to be approved by shareholders of Eland Plc, Chairman of Seplat, Mr Bryant Orjiako, said, “Since Seplat acquired its first blocks and commenced production in 2010, we have increased oil and gas production and grown reserves in each year of operation, delivering significant growth and value for our shareholders.
“We firmly believe that Eland is a complementary fit with Seplat and that there will be enhanced scale and a wider range of capabilities made available to the enlarged group through the combination.
“This acquisition signals the next step in our journey that will underpin Seplat’s ambition to be the leading independent E&P in Nigeria.”
On his part, CEO of Seplat, Mr Austin Avuru, stated that, “We are pleased to have reached an agreement to acquire Eland and its portfolio of assets that will enhance our existing operations. Eland is an excellent fit with Seplat and the combination should achieve for us growth and increased profitability, creating value for our shareholders, employees and other stakeholders while offering an attractive upfront premium to Eland shareholders.
“The acquisition, made possible by our robust operational platform and headroom in our capital structure, is in line with a key part of our established strategy which is to pursue opportunities in the onshore and offshore areas of Nigeria that offer near term production with cash flow and reserves potential.
“The acquisition reinforces Seplat’s status as one of Nigeria’s leading indigenous, independent E&Ps and will create a Nigerian E&P champion with the footprint and technical capabilities to further grow and consolidate in Nigeria.”
In his comments, Chairman of Eland, Mr Russell Harvey, stated that, “We are pleased to announce this recommended acquisition by Seplat. Eland’s management team has done an excellent job executing our strategy.
“We have demonstrated a strong track record of operational delivery and value creation in Nigeria from our high-quality assets. This offer allows Eland shareholders to benefit from an accelerated and enhanced realisation of this value through a cash offer at a significant premium to the current market value.
“In addition, the business will benefit from the opportunity to become part of a more significant player in the Nigerian oil and gas market. For these reasons, the Eland board unanimously intends to recommend the offer to Eland shareholders.”
For Chairman of Eland, Mr George Maxwell, “This recommended offer from Seplat represents the culmination of a very successful journey by Eland, the management team and all of its stakeholders.
“Since founding Eland, we have, jointly with our partners in Elcrest, acquired our interests in OML 40, a non-producing asset, achieved an all-time record production on this asset and become a significant independent producer in Nigeria’s E&P landscape and one of the biggest oil producers on London’s AIM market.
“Eland has, in a period which has seen a significant cyclical downturn in our industry, outperformed most of its peers and the AIM Oil & Gas Index. This transaction represents a record share price for Eland and crystallises Eland’s stated goal to maximise shareholder value.”
Eland is an independent oil and gas company focused on production, development and exploration in West Africa, particularly the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.
The energy firm was established in 2009 with a strategy to deliver exceptional shareholder returns through a combination of development, production growth and exploration success.
In 2012 Eland, through its joint venture company, Elcrest, purchased a 45 percent interest in OML 40 and in 2014 acquired a 40 percent stake in a second licence, Ubima.
Led by its experienced senior management and operating team, the Eland Group took gross production on OML 40 from 3,338bopd average daily production for producing days in 2014 to a peak 2018 production rate of over 31,000bopd, an increase of over 800 percent. Eland’s headquarters are in Aberdeen, with additional offices in London, Lagos, Benin City and Abuja.
Adedapo Adesanya