M&A Activity • Dec 9, 2019
M&A Activity
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Zenith Energy Ltd., ("Zenith" or the "Company"), (LSE: ZEN; TSX.V: ZEE; OSE: ZENA-ME), the international oil & gas production company, provide the following update in compliance with Norwegian regulatory requirements .
NOTE: this is a detailed notification in accordance with section 3.4.1 and 3.4.2 of the continuing obligations for companies listed on Merkur Market.
Reference is made to the stock exchange notice on 3 December 2019, where the Zenith Energy Ltd. (the "Company" or "Zenith") announced that it had signed a share purchase agreement ("SPA") with Coro Energy Holdings Cell A Limited ("Coro") for the acquisition of Coro's entire natural gas production and exploration portfolio in Italy ("Acquisition").
The purchase will be related to the entire issued share capital of Coro Europe Group ("Coro Europe Limited") the fully owned English Company of Coro, and Apennine Energy S.p.A., the fully owned Italian subsidiary of Coro Europe Limited. The consideration for the Acquisition is described under the heading "Consideration" below.
Apennine Energy S.p.A is the legal and beneficial owner of each of the following licences ("Licences"), in which it holds a percentage of the participating interests as set out below:
| Licence | Status | Name | Type | Percentage Interest (%) |
Area (km2 ) |
Operator |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sillaro | Concession | Sillaro | Production | 100 (Apennine) | 7.37 | Apennine |
| Cascina Castello | Concession | Bezzecca | Production | 100 (Apennine) (90% legal interest held pending registration of transfer of 10% legal interest acquired on 1 May 2019 from Petrorep). |
38.59 | Apennine |
| Sant'Alberto | Concession | Sant'Alberto | Development | 100 (Apennine) | 19.51 | Apennine |
| Rapagnano | Concession | Rapagnano | Gas Production | 100 (Apennine) | 8.49 | Apennine |
| San Lorenzo | Concession | Casa Tiberi | Gas Production | 100 (Apennine) | 4.92 | Apennine |
| Casa Tonetto | Concession | Sant'Andrea | To be abandoned |
100 (Apennine) | 4.25 | Apennine |
| Badile | Permit | Badile | To be abandoned |
100 (Apennine)(1) | 154.5 | Apennine |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Maria Goretti |
Permit | T.Tesino | Appraisal | 100 (Apennine) | 101.3 | Apennine |
| Carita | Permit | Carita | Appraisal | 100 (Apennine) | 525.3 | Apennine |
| D.R74.AP | Permit | Laura | Gas Discovery | 100 (Apennine) | 63.13 | Apennine |
Note:
In consideration for the Acquisition, Zenith shall (inter alia) allot and issue consideration shares to Coro in accordance with the terms of the SPA (and described below) in settlement of its obligation to pay the consideration to Coro (the "Consideration Shares").
The completion date will occur once the application, which will be submitted by Zenith to the Italian Ministry of Economic Development for the takeover of the Licences, has been approved and all the other conditions, described in the "conditions" paragraph below, has been met (the "Completion Date"). At this stage Zenith cannot give any opinion on when the conditions for completion will be met.
On the Completion Date:
Starting on the date falling one month after the Completion Date, if Zenith's production from the Licenses under the Acquisition is at a minimum of 100,000 standard cubic meters/day for a consecutive period of four months (the "Production Condition"), then Zenith shall (inter alia) on the first Business Day following fulfilment of the Production Condition pay the remaining £3,500,000.00 of the Consideration to Coro. Zenith shall satisfy its obligation to pay such amount through the allotment and issue of such number of dematerialised depositary interests denominated in pounds sterling in respect of new Zenith Shares as shall be calculated by dividing £3,500,000.00 by the London Stock Exchange plc closing price of the Zenith Shares on the Tranche Two Consideration Shares Issue Date plus 40 per cent of such closing price (the "Tranche Two Consideration Shares").
Completion of the Acquisition is subject to the satisfaction or waiver of each of the following Conditions:
(a) Coro Europe Material Adverse Change: no breach of the warranties issued by Coro shall occur that would result in or constitute a material adverse change, or any such breach being discovered, announced or disclosed or otherwise becoming known to the Zenith or the Coro Group, between the date of the SPA and the Completion Date;
§ Zenith's significantly enhanced natural gas production activities in Italy are expected to give the Company increased relevance in the context of Italy-Azerbaijan natural gas industry cooperation in view of the imminent activation of the TAP (Trans Adriatic Pipeline).
As of the SPA date, Coro's number of full time employees was 6.
The management of Coro consists of the following: Leonardo Salvadori, CEO Silvia Esposito, CFO
Zenith expects to maintain the same structure following completion of the Acquisition.
Key figures from the balance sheet and profit and loss account (all the values are in Euro):
| Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continuing operations | 31/12/2016 | 31/12/2017 | 31/12/2018 | 31/10/2019 | ||||
| Revenue | € | 7,559,106 | € | 4,064,569 | € | 1,212,215 | € | 2,111,567 |
| Cost of sales | ||||||||
| Production costs | (€ | 2,122,461) | (€ | 1,719,028) | (€ 1,728,709) | (€ 1,453,482) | ||
| Depletion and depreciation | (€ | 9,274,983) | (€ | 20,087,922) | (€ | 481,080) | (€ | 695,020) |
| Gross (loss)/profit | (€ | 3,838,338) | (€ | 17,742,381) | (€ | 997,574) | (€ | 36,935) |
| Administrative expenses | (€ | 6,221,235) | (€ | 5,730,085) | (€ | 788,559) | (€ 1,814,345) | |
| Operating (loss) / profit | (€ | 10,059,573) | (€ 23,472,466) | (€ 1,786,133) | (€ 1,851,280) | |||
| Finance income Finance expense Loss for the period before |
€ (€ |
34 193,991) |
€ 22,391 (€ 54) |
€ (€ |
18,473 241) |
€ (€ |
61,366 41,577) |
|
| taxation | (€ | 10,253,530) | (€ | 23,450,129) | (€ 1,767,901) | (€ 1,831,491) | ||
| Taxation | € | 996,366 | € | - | € | - | € | - |
| Income (Loss) for the period | (€ | 9,257,164) | (€ | 23,450,129) | (€ 1,767,901) | (€ 1,831,491) | ||
| Other comprehensive income Items that may be subsequently reclassified to profit or loss: Exchange differences on translating foreign operations, net of tax |
€ | - | € | - | € | - | € | - |
| Total comprehensive income for the period attributable to owners of the parent |
(€ | 9,257,164) | (€ | 23,450,129) | (€ 1,767,901) | (€ 1,831,491) |
| Consolidated Statement of Financial Position | 31/12/2016 | 31/12/2017 | 31/12/2018 | 31/10/2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASSETS | ||||
| Non-current assets | € 9,653,049 | € 5,308,701 | € 5,973,210 | € 17,400,533 |
| Property, plant and equipment | € 8,800,151 | € 4,555,803 | € 4,054,312 | € 16,927,634 |
| Other financial assets | € 852,898 | € 752,898 | € 1,918,898 | € 472,898 |
| Current assets | € 5,091,478 | € 4,536,968 | € 2,011,105 | € 3,830,101 |
| Inventories | € - | € 150,000 | € 150,000 | € 283,069 |
| Trade and other receivables | € 4,466,073 | € 4,095,946 | € 1,589,820 | € 3,062,042 |
| Prepaid expenses | € 261,690 | € 75,802 | € 86,778 | € 133,432 |
| Cash and cash equivalents | € 363,715 | € 215,220 | € 184,507 | € 351,558 |
| TOTAL ASSETS | € 14,744,527 | € 9,845,669 | € 7,984,315 | € 21,230,634 |
| EQUITY AND LIABILITIES | ||||
| Equity attributable to equity holders of the | ||||
| parent | ||||
| Share capital | € 10,000,000 | € 10,000,000 | € 10,000,000 | € 10,000,000 |
| Share warrants & option reserve | € 11,716,243 | € 24,108,894 | € 658,764 | € 9,308,361 |
| Contributed surplus | € - |
€ - | € - | € - |
| Retained earnings | (€14,925,116) | (€29,118,081) | (€ 7,435,853) | (€ 7,435,854) |
| Total equity | € 6,791,127 | € 4,990,813 | € 3,222,911 | € 11,872,507 |
| Non-current liabilities | ||||
| Intercompany payables | € 1,032,138 | € - |
€ - | € - |
| Decommissioning provision | € 2,402,761 | € 2,912,072 | € 3,357,506 | € 7,690,583 |
| Deferred tax liabilities | € 60,725 | € - |
€ - | € - |
| Total non-current liabilities | € 3,495,624 | € 2,912,072 | € 3,357,506 | € 7,690,583 |
| Current Liabilities | ||||
| Trade and other payables | € 1,719,475 | € 1,942,784 | € 1,403,898 | € 1,667,544 |
| Intercompany payables | € 2,738,301 | € - | € - | € - |
| Total current liabilities | € 4,457,776 | € 1,942,784 | € 1,403,898 | € 1,667,544 |
| TOTAL EQUITY AND LIABILITIES | € 14,744,527 | € 9,845,669 | € 7,984,315 | € 21,230,634 |
There are no significant assets or liabilities that are not shown in the balance sheet of the business.
| Zenith Energy Ltd | |
|---|---|
| Andrea Cattaneo, Chief Executive Officer | Tel: +1 (587) 315 9031 |
| E-mail: [email protected] |
|
| Peterhouse Capital - Joint Broker |
Tel: + 44 (0) 207 469 0930 |
|---|---|
| Lucy Williams | |
| Charles Goodfellow | |
| Novum Securities Limited - Joint Broker |
Tel: + 44 (0) 207 399 9400 |
| Charlie Brook-Partridge | |
| Hugh McAlister | |
| IFC Advisory Limited - Financial PR & IR |
Tel: + 44 (0) 203 934 6630 |
| Graham Herring | |
| Zach Cohen |
Zenith Energy Ltd. is an international oil and gas production company, listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSX.V:ZEE) and London Stock Exchange (LSE:ZEN). In addition, the Company's common share capital was admitted to trading on the Merkur Market of the Oslo Børs (ZENA:ME) on November 8, 2018. The Merkur Market is a multilateral trading facility owned and operated by the Oslo Børs.
The Company was assigned a medium to long-term issuer credit rating of "B+ with Positive Outlook" on October 9, 2019 by Arc Ratings, S.A. On November 18, 2019, the Company was assigned a "B+" with Stable Outlook debt issuer credit rating by Rating-Agentur Expert RA.
The Company operates the largest onshore oilfield in Azerbaijan following the signing of a 25-year REDPSA, (Rehabilitation, Exploration, Development and Production Sharing Agreement), with SOCAR, State Oil Company of the Republic of Azerbaijan, in 2016.
The Company's primary focus is the development of its Azerbaijan operations by leveraging its technical expertise and financial resources to maximise low-cost oil production via a systematic field rehabilitation programme intended to achieve significantly increased revenue. Zenith also operates, or has working interests in, a number of natural gas production concessions in Italy. The Company's Italian operations produce natural gas, condensate and electricity.
Zenith's development strategy is to identify and rapidly seize value-accretive hydrocarbon production opportunities in the onshore oil & gas sector. The Company's Board of Directors and senior management team have the experience and technical expertise to develop the Company successfully.
This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. The use of any of the words "expect", "anticipate", "continue", "estimate", "objective", "ongoing", "may", "will", "project", "should", "believe", "plans", "intends" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking information or statements. More particularly and without limitation, this press release contains forward-looking statements about the potential natural gas production increases to be achieved as a result of possible well intervention activities to be performed in certain concessions of the Acquisition.
The forward-looking statements and information are based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by Zenith based on information it has received from Coro in relation to the production potential of certain concessions within the Acquisition.
Although Zenith believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking statements and information are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements and information because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. All timing given in this announcement, unless stated otherwise is indicative and while the Company endeavours to provide accurate timing to the market, it cautions that due to the nature of its operations and reliance on third parties this is subject to change often at little or no notice. By its nature, such forward-looking information is subject to certain risks and uncertainties (both general and specific) that could cause actual events or outcomes to differ materially from those anticipated or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, Zenith being unable to finance or realise growth opportunities. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on this forward-looking information, which is given as of the date hereof, and to not use such forward-looking information for anything other than its intended purpose. Zenith undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. The forward-looking information contained herein is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.
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