Britain's EnQuest is looking to sell its 27% stake in the Golden Eagle oilfield in the British North Sea as it seeks to reduce debt levels, two sources told Reuters on April 16.
It was unclear how much the sale of the non-operated stake would raise. The process is being run by investment bank Jefferies, the sources said.
A spokesperson for EnQuest declined to comment. A spokesperson for Jefferies also declined to comment.
Shares in the company rose about 4.5% on April 16.
EnQuest bought the Golden Eagle stake from Suncor in 2021 for $325 million—roughly equal to EnQuest's market capitalization at the time—to boost its production capacity by 10,000 boe/d.
The company produced 43,812 boe/d last year and projects output of between 41,000 boe/d and 45,000 boe/d this year.
EnQuest has struggled in recent years with high debt levels and a drop in profits after Britain imposed a 35% windfall tax on North Sea producers after the surge in energy prices following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The company, headed by CEO Amjad Bseisu, reported a net loss of $31 million in 2023 and net debt of $481 million, compared with $717 million a year earlier. Its current market capitalisation is around 307 million pounds ($382 million).
EnQuest also announced in March its first shareholder distribution in the form of a $15 million share repurchase in 2024.
The Golden Eagle project is operated by Chinese-owned oil and gas firm CNOOC and includes the producing Golden Eagle, Peregrine and Solitaire fields.
When the purchase was announced in February 2021, CFO Jonathan Swinney had said it would earn EnQuest around $13 million a month. The company completed a $750 million debt refinancing in June 2021 to support the purchase.
EnQuest's website says Golden Eagle still has "significant development potential, including further sub-sea and platform infill drilling, with an anticipated field life extending into the early 2030s."
Recommended Reading
Quantum Capital’s View on AI: Lots of Benefits, Pain Points
2024-05-16 - The energy industry is lagging in the race to implement AI, but Sebastian Gass, CTO of Quantum Capital Group, offered a few solutions during Hart Energy’s 2024 SUPER DUG Conference & Expo.
Aramco Credits Adaptability, Collaboration for Driving Innovation
2024-05-15 - Aramco’s implementation of different approaches has led to the creation and commercialization of newer products, said Max Deffenbaugh, principal scientist for Aramco, at the 2024 Offshore Technology Conference in Houston.
OTC: E&Ps Improving Operational Safety with Digitization
2024-05-13 - Artificial intelligence and the digitization of the oilfield have allowed for several improvements in keeping operators out of harm’s way, panelists said during the 2024 Offshore Technology Conference.
Exclusive: Cost-effective Benefits of Extracting from Mature Assets
2024-05-13 - Baker Hughes' well abandonment leader Bart Joppe details the importance of extracting resources from mature assets and the company's approach to managing a well, in this Hart Energy Exclusive interview.
TGS Starts Up Multiclient Wind, Metaocean North Sea Campaign
2024-05-07 - TGS is utilizing two laser imaging and ranging buoys to receive detailed wind measurements and metaocean data, with the goal of supporting decision-making in wind lease rounds in the German Bright.