Business
Shell sells stake in Nigerian oil block for $533m
OBINNA EZUGWU
The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) announced it has completed sale of its 30 percent interest in Oil Mining Lease (OML) 17 in the Eastern Niger Delta and associated infrastructure to TNOG Oil and Gas Limited for a consideration of $533 million.
The company which announced this in a statement on Friday, said the completion followed the receipt of all approvals from the relevant authorities of the Federal Government of Nigeria.
According to the statement, TNOG Oil and Gas is a related company of Heirs Holdings Limited and Transnational Corporation of Nigeria Plc.
“A total of $453m was paid at completion with the balance to be paid over an agreed period. SPDC will retain its interest in the Port Harcourt Industrial and Residential Areas, which fall within the lease area,” the SPDC said.
Confirming the development in a statement on Friday, Heirs Holdings, TNOG parent company, said it significantly expanded its oil and gas portfolio by acquiring 45% of OML 17 from Shell, Total and ENI with existing Production Capacity of 27,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day Estimated 2P Reserves of 1.2 billion barrels of oil equivalent
The OML, the statement added, has estimated additional 1 billion barrels of oil equivalent of further exploration potential
“Heirs Holdings (“HH”), the leading African strategic investor, in partnership with affiliated company Transnational Corporation of Nigeria Plc (“Transcorp”), Nigeria’s largest publicly listed conglomerate, announced today the unconditional acquisition of a 45% participating interest in Nigerian oil licence OML 17 and related assets, through TNOG Oil and Gas Limited (a related company of Heirs Holdings and Transcorp), from the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited, Total E&P Nigeria Limited and ENI. In addition, TNOG Oil and Gas Limited will have sole operatorship of the asset,” the statement read.
“The transaction is one of the largest oil and gas financings in Africa in more than a decade, with a financing component of US$1.1 billion, provided by a consortium of global and regional banks and investors. OML 17 has a current production capacity of 27,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day and, according to our estimates, 2P reserves of 1.2 billion barrels of oil equivalent, with an additional 1 billion barrels of oil equivalent resources of further exploration potential.
“The investment demonstrates a further important advance in the execution of Heirs Holdings’ integrated energy strategy and the Group’s commitment to Africa’s development, through long term investments that create economic prosperity and social wealth.”