Falklands : Hydrocarbons Daily Record (29/11/06)
Submitted by Falkland Islands News Network (Juanita Brock) 29.11.2006 (Article Archived on 13.12.2006)
An unhappy inventory report as well as predictions for cold weather in the United States added to the price of crude today.
HYDROCARBONS DAILY RECORD: WEDNESDAY, 29 NOVEMBER 2006
By J. Brock (FINN)
At 1800 LMT on Wednesday, 29 November 2006 Light Sweet Crude gained $1.49 Cents on the New York Mercantile Exchange to stand at $62.48 and Brent Crude gained $1.51 Cents to stand at $62.72 on London’s ICE Futures Exchange.
TRENDS
An unhappy inventory report as well as predictions for colder weather added to the increase in crude prices today.
THE MARKETS
FTSE
At the close of play today, the FTSE 100 was up 58.49 points to settle at 6,084.40 and the FTSE 250 gained 168.86 points to end at 10,666.10. FTSE Small Cap gained 12.15 points to settle at 3,647.80.
DOW JONES AND NASDAQ
The Dow Jones Index gained 90.00 points or 0.74% to settle at 12,226.73 and the NASDAQ gained 19.62 points or 0.81% to settle at 2.432.23. The S&P 500 gained 12.76 points or 0.92% to settle at 1339.48 and the NYSE gained 95.53 points or 1.08% to settle at 8,947.17.
DEVELOPING REGIONAL FACTORS
(Venezuela)
As part of an effrt to establish nationalisation in the energy sector, Venezuela's government has encouraged joint ventures in accordance with its Organis Hydrocarbons Law. According an announcement by Venezuela's Ministry of Energy and Oil, a total of 17 Companies have applied to develop these projects. Eight companies has been listed in the Venezuela's Official Gazette but only after they complied with the Hydrocarbons Law. Petrocabimas, Petronado, Petrokariña, Petroperija, Boqueron, Petrocuragua, Petrocumarebo and Petroguarico have signed up to the stipulations. Venezuela's state oil enterprise Petroleos de Venezuela S.A. (PDVSA) organised operating agreements since January 2006 and started implementing joint ventures, using the new legal parameters to "re-establish sovereignty and give majority shares to the government." PDVSA hopes for compliance in between 60 and 70 percent of the actions in the above companies. According to the announcement, Venezuela's Executive transfers the right to develop primary exploration activities to the listed companies, including oilfield exploration, extraction, recollection, transport, and initial storage.
(100X Translation Service)
(Brazil)
The Government of Brazil has cancelled its 8th hydrocarbons licensing round resulting in possible hurt to efforts to reduce the country's dependence on imported Bolivian gas. Brazil consumes 42Mm3/d, of which some 26Mm3/d is imported from Bolivia. Located in areas with a high likelihood of natural gas reserves, the 284 blocks on offer have been withdrawn.
(Falkland Islands)
Share prices at the close of play on wEDNESDAY, 29 November 2006
Desire Petroleum Plc ended down 0.75 point or 2.22% on the day to settle at 33.00.
Falkland Oil and Gas Limited (FOGL) ended UP 8.00 or 11.85% on the day to stand at 75.50.
Rockhopper Exploration ended unchanged on the day to settle at 40.25.
Borders & Southern ended unchanged on the day to stand at 37.75
Tullow Oil ended up 6.50 points or 1.64% on the day to stand at 403.00
Falkland Oil and Gas (FOGL) Wednesday 29 November, 2006
Falkland Oil and Gas Limited
29 November 2006
Falkland Oil and Gas Limited
Falkland Oil and Gas Limited announces reaching agreement on the terms of an £8 million convertible loan note issue
The Board of Directors of Falkland Oil and Gas (FOGL, the Company) is pleased to announce that the Company has agreed terms with RAB Special Situations (Master) Fund Limited ('RAB SSMF') for RAB SSMF to invest £8 million by way of convertible loan notes ('Notes') in the Company ('Transaction').
The issue of these Notes, which is dependant principally on the entry into definitive documentation, will provide the Company with additional cash resources for the funding of ongoing exploration in its licences located to the South and East of the Falklands. In particular it will be used to fund the costs of the Controlled Source Electro Magnetic Survey ('CSEM') to be conducted by OHM Limited and a seabed coring programme. The OHM vessel, the CS Teneo is due to commence the CSEM survey in January 2007. In addition, The Wavefield Bergen Surveyor is already en route to the Falkland Islands and is expected to commence the 2D seismic infill programme in Mid December 2006.
Proposed terms of the Notes
The Notes are for a term of 5 years and bear interest at 6 per cent per annum, they carry the right to be converted at any time at the discretion of RAB SSMF in whole or in part into ordinary shares of 0.002 pence each in the Company ('Shares') at a price of 80 pence per Share (subject to adjustment). Interest can be paid in cash or securities at the option of the Company and the securities convert into Shares in the Company on the same basis as the Notes Full conversion would lead to the issue of 10,000,000 Shares of the Company. The Notes are not redeemable/repayable by the Company until the expiry of the term. On issue of the Notes RAB SSMF will receive 6,000,000 warrants, exercisable in whole or in part over a 6 year term, to acquire one Company Share per warrant at a price of 100 pence per Share (subject to adjustment) ('Warrants').
It is intended that RAB SSMF will subscribe £2 million on completion of the final documentation, £2 million on 23 February 2007, £2 million on 30 April 2007 and £2 million on 24 September 2007.
The conversion price for the Notes will, in the event that the Company issues Shares or securities convertible into Shares at a price lower than 80 pence per Share, be adjusted to the lower of 80 pence and a 10 per cent. premium to the price at which such Shares are issued. The exercise price for the Warrants will, in the event that the Company issues Shares or securities convertible into Shares at a price lower than 100 pence per Share, be adjusted to the lower of 100 pence and a 30 per cent. premium to the price at which such Shares are issued.
RAB SSMF
As at the date of this announcement, the Company has been informed by RAB SSMF that it has an interest in 28,322,778 Shares, representing 30 per cent. of the current issued share capital.
As the Company is incorporated in the Falkland Islands, the City Code on Takeovers and Mergers (the 'Code') does not apply to the Company. Despite the fact that the Code does not apply, as set out in the Company's AIM Admission Document, the Articles of Association of the Company contain provisions which (in summary) entitle the Company's board (the 'Board') at its discretion inter alia to suspend the voting rights of a shareholder if it (and those acting in concert with it) would be required to make an offer to acquire all of the shares of other shareholders of the Company under Rule 9 of the Code, if the Code applied to the Company (a 'Mandatory Offer'), and has failed to do so within 21 days of when such obligation would have arisen (the 'Suspension Right').
In the event that RAB SSMF converts the Notes and exercises the Warrants, an additional 16,000,000 Shares will fall to be issued to RAB SSMF. Additional Shares will also fall to be issued in the event that the conversion price of the Notes or exercise price of the Warrants is altered (as set out above) or that the interest due under the Notes is settled in securities into which the Notes convert on the same basis of the agreement.
The Board, after due consideration of what it considers to be in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders, has agreed not to invoke the Suspension Right (if applicable) in respect of all new Shares now held or to be acquired by RAB SSMF pursuant to the Transaction. This waiver does not apply to any issue of such Shares to, or their acquisition, by any other persons.
The Transaction is a related party transaction for the purpose of AIM rule 13, as RAB SSMF is a related party within the meaning of the AIM rules. The Directors of the Company consider, having consulted with the Company's nominated adviser KBC Peel Hunt, that the terms of the Transaction are fair and reasonable insofar as the shareholders are concerned.
Tim Bushell, Chief Executive of FOGL commented :'I am delighted that we have been able to agree on this financing, which willprovide FOGL with funding for the Company's fast track exploration plans in our licences. We are embarking on a very exciting programme over the next few months which will enable us to select the best prospects for drilling.
TRACS International ('TRACS') has also recently completed an independent review of what they believe are our top 10 prospects. In their opinion these 10 prospects have an un-risked prospective resource potential of 10 billion barrels and net (to FOGL) risked prospective resources of 863 million barrels. TRACS commented that 'the planned 2006-2007 work programme (CSEM & 2D seismic) is a logical strategy and shows efficient use of resources'.
I am also pleased to report that our work programme is progressing well, with CSEM, infill 2D Seismic and seabed cores all being acquired over the coming Austral summer. The results of these surveys will allow us to focus on the best prospects for drilling. I also, remain confident that we can achieve our objectives of securing suitable partners and contracting a rig to commence exploration drilling in 2008.'
The un-risked prospective resource potential and net risked prospective resources referred to above have been reviewed independently in a recent competent persons report ('CPR') prepared by TRACS. This CPR has been prepared in accordance with the guidance in AIM notice 16 (AIM Rules - Guidance for Mining and Oil & Gas Companies) issued in March 2006. This resource update isprepared in accordance with the definitions used by The Society of Petroleum Engineers. The numbers quoted are those of TRACS.
Enquiries:
FOGL 020 7563 1260
Tim Bushell, Chief Executive
KBC Peel Hunt 020 7418 8900
Jonathan Marren
College Hill 020 7457 2020
Nick Elwes / Paddy Blewer
ROCKHOPPER EXPLORATION VISITOR
Keith Williams, Exploration Director for Rockhopper Exploration is visiting the Falkland Islands for an annual visit. He is interested in clubbing together with Desire Petroleum and others to share the cost of bringing an exploratory rig to the area. He has mentioned that rigs, if you can get them, are on offer for $350,000.00 per day. The market is still very tight because when the prices for crude were high order books were filled. Now that they are lower, the books are still full and companies must wait for exploratory rigs to become available. While here Mr. Williams will meet with shareholders as well as industry agents and the media.
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