Offshore staff
IRVING, Texas– ExxonMobil has signed a sale and purchase agreement to acquire a 25% indirect interest from Eni in the natural gas-rich Area 4 block offshore Mozambique.
Eni currently holds a 50% indirect share in the block through a 71.4% stake in Eni East Africa, which owns 70% of the Area 4 concession.
The agreed terms include a cash price of approximately $2.8 billion. The acquisition will be completed following satisfaction of a number of conditions precedent, including clearance from Mozambican and other regulatory authorities.
Eni CEO Claudio Descalzi said: “This deal represents material evidence of our exploration strategy based on the early monetization of our exploration discoveries, as a part of our ‘dual-exploration’ model. Through this strategy, Eni has been able to cash in more than $9 billion in the last four years. Moreover, the agreement confirms the world class quality, production potential, technical and financial robustness of the entire project.”
Darren W. Woods, chairman and CEO of ExxonMobil, said the asset is a major addition to the company’s global development portfolio.
“This strategic investment will enable ExxonMobil’s LNG leadership and experience to support development of Mozambique’s abundant natural gas resources,” said Woods. “Our industry-leading project execution, advanced technologies, financial strength and marketing capabilities will help deliver reliable, affordable energy to customers and create long-term economic value for the people of Mozambique, project partners and ExxonMobil shareholders.”
Eni will continue to lead theCoral floating LNG projectand all upstream operations in Area 4, while ExxonMobil will lead the construction and operation of natural gas liquefaction facilities onshore.
Following completion of the transaction, Eni East Africa S.p.A. will be co-owned by Eni (35.7%), ExxonMobil (35.7%) andCNPC (28.6%). The remaining interests in Area 4 are held by Empresa Nacional de Hidrocarbonetos de Mozambique E.P. (ENH, 10%), Kogas (10%), and Galp Energia (10%).
The deepwater Area 4 block is said to contain an estimated 85 tcf of natural gas.
03/09/2017
