“MOU signed with PetroChina”
GRAND CAYMAN, CAYMAN ISLANDS–(Marketwired – March 2, 2015) – Tethys Petroleum Limited (“Tethys” or the “Company”) (TSX:TPL) (LSE:TPL) is pleased to announce that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) with PetroChina International Kazakhstan Ltd (“PetroChina”) and also provide a corporate update to our shareholders.
Highlights:
-- Updated vision and strategy announced focussed on capital discipline,
the generation of cash flow from existing reserves and maturing
exploration acreage
-- MOU signed with PetroChina to explore the feasibility of a long-term and
mutually beneficial cooperation in natural gas and crude oil deliveries
-- Tajikistan 2015 exploration budget reduced by nearly a third
-- Proceeds of US$6 million loan facility received
-- Restructuring agreement with Georgian Oil and Gas completed, removing
current funding obligations of approximately US$4million
-- In Kazakhstan work is about to commence on the AKK14 and AKK05 workovers
which are anticipated to be brought on stream in Q2 2015 and increase
production to a planned level above 570 mcm/day
-- Sales oil price agreed at the well head of US$13/barrel for January and
February 2015
-- An updated corporate presentation is now available on the Company's
website www.tethyspetroleum.com
John Bell, Executive Chairman of Tethys, said: “I am happy to present the strategy and vision of Tethys under the new direction of myself and the Board. The signing of the MOU with PetroChina is another key step toward selling gas into the growing Chinese market and follows on from our recently published new independent reserve report stating an increase in our reserves in all categories. The current oil price environment continues to deliver new challenges for Tethys, as it does for the whole oil and gas industry. We have made a number of positive changes, extensively reducing our costs and also diversifying our revenue stream through our increase in production and pricing for gas. This provides some flexibility in these difficult times but the oil price environment remains volatile. The receipt of the loan funds provides important working capital for the Company until the expected completion of the Sinohan transaction which will recapitalize the Company. We look forward to updating our shareholders on our ongoing progress.”
Strategy and Vision
Tethys Petroleum’s vision is to become the leading independent E&P Company in Central Asia, by exercising capital discipline, by generating cash flow from existing discoveries and by maturing large exploration prospects within our highly-attractive frontier acreage.
Tethys’ strategy is to:
-- Be recognized as an ethically-responsible, transparent company,
delivering safe, reliable, operations through a culture of safety &
performance related delivery.
-- Focus on cost structures and capital efficiency - actively manage our
portfolio by farming down / reducing our capital commitment whilst
retaining materiality
-- Increase production, revenue and cash flow from existing discovered
reserves and monetize low risk gas and oil prospects
-- Explore for 'elephant' prospects with 'company making' potential within
existing acreage
-- Ultimately look to supply the growing energy demand of China
-- Combine international technical and management expertise with a strong
local team
MOU signed with PetroChina
Tethys Kazakhstan SA, a subsidiary of Tethys Petroleum Ltd, has signed an MOU with PetroChina International Kazakhstan Ltd to explore the feasibility of a long-term and mutually beneficial cooperation in natural gas and crude oil deliveries. The main collaboration area to be explored by the parties is the proposed delivery of gas and crude oil for export to The People’s Republic of China, and also for the internal market of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Tethys has the right to export gas to China already and can sell oil on the domestic market currently, obtaining the right to export oil upon conversion of the Akkulka Exploration Contract to a Production Contract.
Tajikistan Costs Reductions
The Company and its Joint Venture partners CNPC and Total in the Tajik Bokhtar PSC, have recently agreed to reduce this year’s exploration budget by nearly a third through overhead cost reductions, a well-balanced selection of seismic acquisition parameters, and optimized timing of pre drilling costs in the current drilling contractor market. The previously agreed 2015 budget included a commitment for Kulob Petroleum Limited (the Contractor party of Tethys) to fund a total of up to US$24 million in 2015. This number has now been reduced to c. US$15 million with two-thirds of this total forecast to be due in H2 2015.
These cost reductions have not affected the progress towards completion of the seismic survey aimed at locating the first deep exploration well planned for this acreage. As well as the reduction in the CAPEX program the joint venture partners have agreed to reduce the running costs of the Bokhtar Operating Company to reflect the lower oil price environment. Initial reductions have been formally agreed and Tethys believes there is room for additional cuts going forward.
US$6 million Loan Financing Closed
The Company confirms that it received funds on time for the recently announced US$6 million loan facility. The warrants associated with this financing have also been issued.
Georgia
The Company has now signed an agreement with its partner, Georgian Oil and Gas (“GOG”), to remove its current funding obligations of approximately US$4 million under the farm-out agreement signed in July 2013, through reducing its interest in these projects. Under the terms of the new agreement Tethys will reduce its interest to 49% (from 56%) and GOG will become Operator on the licences on Blocks XIA, XIM and XIN. In tandem with this, the partners have begun to renegotiate a more efficient new work program with the State in place of the existing work obligations and deadlines.
Kazakhstan
Gas production levels remain on target with the production level recently doubling from 2014 levels to 520mcm/day (18.4 mmcf/day or 3,060 boe/day). Work is about to commence on the AKK14 well, followed by the AKK05 well, with these being planned to be brought on stream in Q2. These additional wells along with compressor optimization are anticipated to further increase the production level above 570 mcm/day.
Following on from the expected fall in realized oil prices for Q1 2015 the Company confirms that it has agreed a sales oil price at the well head of US$13/barrel for January and February 2015. This is in line with similar recently reported realized prices by other Kazakh oil and gas companies. It is expected that these lower prices will continue to the end of the first quarter. These reduced price levels have less impact in the first quarter than other months due to lower forecast production levels as a result of winter weather. The forecast oil production for February and March is 1,130 bopd and 740 bopd respectively. The Company expects production to go back to over 2,000 bopd in May. Also, the Company is currently less reliant on oil sales than in the past due to the increase in gas volumes and pricing in early 2015, a trend the Company expects to continue in the short-term.
New Corporate Presentation
Tethys is pleased to announce that an updated corporate presentation is available on the Tethys website in the Investor Relations section. This is the first published presentation since the recent Board changes.
Website www.tethyspetroleum.com
About Tethys Petroleum:
Tethys Petroleum’s aim is to become the leading Independent E&P Company in Central Asia, by exercising capital discipline, by generating cash flow from existing discoveries and by maturing large exploration prospects within our highly-attractive frontier acreage.
This press release contains “forward-looking information” which may include, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the reduction of operating and capital expenditures, the proposed delivery of gas and crude oil to The People’s Republic of China, the continued increase in gas volumes as well as plans for 2015 and the expected completion of the Sinohan transaction. Such forward-looking statements reflect our current views with respect to future events, including the farm-down of the Company’s Georgian asset, the impact of the recent severe fall in world-oil prices on the Company, and the significant potential of exploration and discovered deposits. The forward looking statements are based on the following assumptions; that the Company will be able to successfully reduce its operating and capital expenditures, that in the short-term the Company will be less reliant on oil sales than in the past due to the recent increase in gas volumes, that gas volumes produced by the Company will continue to grow and that the Sinohan transaction will complete as expected. These forward looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including the risk that negotiations over a new work program with the Georgian State are unsuccessful, that the Company will be more reliant on oil sales in the near term and that the severe fall in world oil prices will have a greater impact on the Company than anticipated, that gas production will not increase as anticipated, that the cost cutting program will be delayed or that it will not result in the reductions to our costs, that the Company will not be successful in negotiating binding terms for the export of gas and oil to The People’s Republic of China and that the Sinohan transaction will not complete as expected. See our Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2013 for a description of risks and uncertainties relevant to our business, including our exploration activities. The “forward looking statements” contained herein speak only as of the date of this press release and, unless required by applicable law, the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise such information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Tethys Investor Relations
Sabin Rossi
Vice President Investor Relations
Tethys Petroleum
srossi@tethyspetroleum.com
Tethys Petroleum
info@tethyspetroleum.com
Web: http://www.tethyspetroleum.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/tethyspetroleum
CAMARCO (Financial PR)
Billy Clegg / Georgia Mann
+44(0)203 757 4983
Source: Tethys Petroleum Limited