Oil
SEPLAT set IPO price at N576 per share
LAGOS – SEPLAT Petroleum Development Company Plc has announced the pricing of its initial public offering (the “Global Offer”).
The Offer Price has been set at NGN 576 per Ordinary Share for shares to be listed on the Official Trading List of the NSE (the “Offer Price”) and 210 pence per Ordinary Share for shares to be traded on the LSE’s main market.
Based on the Offer Price, the total market capitalisation of SEPLAT at the commencement of conditional dealings will be approximately £1.14 billion (equivalent to US$1.90 billion) (excluding the exercise of the over-allotment option)
The Global Offer comprises a base offering (the “Base Offer”) of 143,284,130 new shares issued by the Company, representing 26.4 per cent of the Company’s enlarged issued share capital (excluding the exercise of the over-allotment option)
The Base Offer will raise gross proceeds of approximately £300.9 million (equivalent to US$500 million) while the Over-allotment Option shall consist of 10,336,183 new shares representing 15 percent of the final amount allocated to investors outside of Nigeria (the “International Offering”) in the Base Offer. The Over-allotment Option can be exercised for a period of 30 calendar days from today
As the company stated in its intention to float announcement, the net proceeds of the Global Offer will primarily be used to acquire and develop new acquisitions, and/or pay down any additional debt raised in connection therewith, of both onshore and shallow offshore acreages, assets and joint venture farm-ins.
Approximately $48 million shall be used to pay down in full a shareholder loan from MPI S.A. SEPLAT’s shares began trading Wednesday (April 9) on the LSE in conditional dealings in the Ordinary Shares on the LSE today at 8 am (London time) under the ticker symbol “SEPL”
Reacting to the Development, Dr. ABC Orjiako, Chairman of SEPLAT said “We are delighted with the support shown and happy to welcome a range of blue chip investors to our share register. Despite a challenging market for oil and gas stocks, the response has been excellent and demonstrates strong demand in both London and at home for leading Nigerian indigenous E&P player” while the CEO, Austin Avuru added that “We are already a leading indigenous independent in our home market but the opportunities opening up in Nigeria for companies like ours are significant.”
The Admission of the Ordinary Shares to the Official Trading List of the NSE, under the ticker symbol “SEPLAT” and to the Official List of the FCA as well as to trading on the main market for listed securities of the LSE under the ticker symbol “SEPL” and the commencement of unconditional dealings are expected to take place on or around Monday
SEPLAT was founded in 2009 by Shebah Petroleum Development Company Limited and Platform Petroleum (Joint Ventures) Limited for the purpose of investing in Nigerian oil and gas opportunities. Maurel & Prom, a French independent oil company, subsequently acquired a 45 per cent equity interest in SEPLAT; this interest was later spun-off to form Maurel & Prom Nigeria S.A(now Maurel & Prom International).
In July 2010, SEPLAT acquired a 45 per cent participating interest in, and was appointed operator of, a portfolio of three onshore producing oil mining leases (OMLs 4, 38 and 41) located in the Niger Delta.
In June 2013, the Company entered into an agreement for the acquisition of a 40 per cent participating interest in the Umuseti/Igbuku marginal field area located within OPL 283 in the Niger Delta. SEPLAT is one of the leading indigenous oil and gas operators in Nigeria with average gross operated oil production of 51,400 barrels per day (“bpd”) as at 31 December 2013 having grown from 13,900bpd in August 2010.
The Company’s average gross gas production in 2013 was 99 million standard cubic feet per day (“MMscfd”). SEPLAT is targeting gross operated oil production from its existing assets of 85 Mbpd by the end of 2016.
– BUSINESS DAY
Oil
FG Introduces New Incentives To Revitalize Nigeria’s Oil & Gas Industry
In a strategic move to revitalize Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, the Federal Government has unveiled two key fiscal incentives aimed at attracting investment and enhancing energy security.
The announcement was made by Mr. Wale Edun, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy on Wednesday.
The first initiative, the Value Added Tax (VAT) Modification Order 2024, introduces critical exemptions for essential energy products and infrastructure, including Diesel, Feed Gas, Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), Electric Vehicles, Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) infrastructure, and Clean Cooking Equipment.
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These exemptions are designed to reduce living costs for Nigerians, promote energy security, and accelerate the transition to cleaner energy alternatives.
The second initiative, the Notice of Tax Incentives for Deep Offshore Oil & Gas Production, offers new tax relief options for deep offshore exploration projects.
This measure aims to position Nigeria’s deep offshore basin as a premier destination for international oil and gas investments, boosting the country’s appeal to foreign investors.
These reforms are part of a broader set of policy initiatives, known as Policy Directives 40-42, endorsed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The directives reflect the administration’s commitment to fostering sustainable development in the energy sector and enhancing Nigeria’s competitive edge in the global oil and gas market.
Business
Tinubu set to approve ExxonMobil-Seplat oil deal, expands CNG bus initiative
By Yemie Adeoye
NIGERIA’s President Bola Tinubu has announced that the protracted ExxonMobil-Seplat upstream oil divestment will be formally approved by the Minister of petroleum within a matter of days, just as he announced his government’s intention to expand the Compress natural Gas, CNG buses initiative.
The President who stated this during his Independence day nationwide broadcast stated that the move is in line with his administration’s commitment to free enterprise, free entry and free exit in investments which is the hallmark of his administration investment policy.
“Fellow compatriots, our administration is committed to free enterprise, free entry, and free exit in investments while maintaining the sanctity and efficacy of our regulatory processes. This principle guides the divestment transactions in our upstream petroleum sector, where we are committed to changing the fortune positively. As such, the ExxonMobil Seplat divestment will receive ministerial approval in a matter of days, having been concluded by the regulator, NUPRC, in line with the Petroleum Industry Act, PIA. This was done in the same manner as other qualified divestments approved in the sector.”
The President also seized the opportunity to plead with Nigerians to be patient with his administration’s reform policies. “As your President, I assure you that we are committed to finding sustainable solutions to alleviate the suffering of our citizens. Once again, I plead for your patience as the reforms we are implementing show positive signs, and we are beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel”.
“Our energy transition programme is on course. We are expanding the adoption of the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas for mass transit with private sector players. The Federal Government is ready to assist the thirty-six States and FCT in acquiring CNG buses for cheaper public transportation.
Fellow Nigerians, while we are working to stabilise the economy and secure the country, we also seek to foster national unity and build social harmony and cohesion. Our economy can only thrive when there is peace”. he enthused.
Oil
ExxonMobil To Invest $10bn In Nigeria’s Deep-Water Oil Operations
As part of the administration’s push to improve Ease of Doing Business (EoDB), Nigeria’s Vice President Kashim Shettima has expressed support for ExxonMobil’s plan to invest $10 billion in the country’s deep-water oil sector.
Speaking on Wednesday, September 25, 2024, during a meeting with ExxonMobil executives at the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, Shettima called the investment “a clear testament to the administration’s economic reforms and investor-friendly policies.”
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This announcement follows news that international maritime company DP World intends to develop a multibillion-dollar port project in Nigeria.
Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, shared the development in a statement on Wednesday. He quoted Shettima as saying: “ExxonMobil’s potential investment aligns with the vision of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration for a more investment-friendly Nigeria.
We are committed to fostering an environment that supports such transformative projects.”Shettima also discussed the administration’s broader efforts to improve the ease of doing business, highlighting the “Renewed Hope Agenda,” which aims to simplify bureaucratic processes, enhance transparency, and offer fiscal incentives to attract global investors.
“Our administration has taken bold steps to unify the exchange rate, remove fuel subsidies, and implement tax reforms. These measures, though challenging in the short term, are intended to create a stable and predictable business environment in the long term,” he added.
On the oil and gas sector, Shettima mentioned that the government is revising the fiscal framework for deep-water operations to attract investment while ensuring fair returns for the Nigerian people.