International:
Santos emerges as buyer for ConocoPhillip’s northern Australian interests
Santos ((STO)) is now in the driver’s seat at Darwin LNG, emerging as the buyer for ConocoPhillip’s northern Australian interests, comprising the Darwin LNG, Bayu-Undan, Barossa and Poseidon projects.
The transaction will give Santos a majority share and it will become operator of these key upstream and infrastructure assets. Santos will pay US$1.44bn, comprising US$1.39bn up front and a contingent US$75m subject to a final investment decision on the Barossa-Caldita project.
The purchase will be funded from existing cash resources and a new debt facility of US$750m. This will mean pro forma gearing rises to 35% at completion of the transaction, declining to 30% by the end of 2020.
Santos expects the transaction to be 16% accretive to earnings per share and 19% accretive to operating earnings (EBITDAX) in 2020 at a US$65/bbl oil price. However, UBS points out this accretion calculation does not include an equity sell-down of Darwin LNG to SK E&S and, hence, overestimates the outcome.
Santos expects the transaction to reduce the company’s break-even cash flow by -$4/bbl in the next 2-3 years but UBS also notes a higher equity interest in Darwin LNG will result in higher abandonment liabilities as Bayu-Undan approaches the end of life in 2022.
With the benefit of the expected synergies, Citi calculates the acquisition is accretive by 4% to valuation at a US$55/bbl oil price, increasing to 8% at US$65/bbl.
Macquarie considers the acquisition a significant positive step for the company as it provides more direction for the development of Barossa. Moreover, Santos appears not to be paying a premium for operating control of the portfolio.
On deal completion, Santos will subsequently have a 68.4% interest in Darwin LNG and Bayu-Undan and 62.5% interest in Barossa. A sell-down of 25% of Bayu-Undan and Darwin LNG to SK E&S is envisaged, as per an agreement, to align interests across the NT assets.
The acquisition should provide a path for a final investment decision on Barossa, and the operating status will allow Santos to pursue further growth through brownfield expansion and commercialise its gas resource in the region. Hence, UBS is increasingly confident management can deliver on its growth production target of over 100mmboe by 2025.
Citi highlights a quirk of the Darwin LNG agreement, in that the operator has the right to dictate which gas enters the plant. Santos now has an ability to monetise its gas resources over competing fields. However, whether the joint operating agreement would extend to expansions is unclear.
Morgan Stanley accepts this is an asset Santos understands and there will be synergies, but it will consume a lot of cash for expansion, particular from 2021. The broker calculates Santos will generate very little free cash from 2020 to 2022 at US$60/bbl. This means gearing will stay in a relatively tight range.
https://www.fnarena.com/index.php/2019/10/15/santos-takes-the-helm-at-darwin-lng/
