Total divests UK assets to Petrogas for $635 million
PARIS -- Total has signed an agreement to divest several UK non-core assets to Petrogas NEO UK Ltd, the exploration and production arm of the Oman-based conglomerate MB Holding. Petrogas has partnered with Norway-based private equity investor HitecVision.
Formerly owned by Maersk Oil, these assets are located in the Eastern North Sea and include Dumbarton, Balloch, Lochranza, Drumtochty, Flyndre, Affleck, Cawdor, GoldenEagle, Scott and Telford fields. The overall consideration for this deal amounts to $635 million with an effective date of Jan. 1, 2019. The transaction remains subject to approval from the relevant authorities and is expected to close in December 2019.
“This transaction is consistent with our portfolio management strategy, aiming at lowering our break-even point by optimizing capital allocation and divesting high technical costs assets. Our primary objective is to maintain the organic break-even before dividend below $30/bbl and high-grading our portfolio will help us achieve this,” commented Arnaud Breuillac, president of E&P at Total.
Following the Maersk Oil acquisition in 2018, Total became the second largest operator in the North Sea, which is one of its core areas. The region is home to some of the Group’s current major projects: Culzean, which started up last month in the UK, and Johan Sverdrup in Norway with first oil planned later this year.
