RE: QUESTIONS FOR MONDAY24 Sep 2019 17:24
Torreaguas
The Abandonment isn't a "deposit" - the procedure is that when Angus apply to take over operatorship the OGA will ask them how much they estimate and how will they carry out eventual abandonment. Angus will provide the info and the OGA will run it through their experts (some of whom may well have already worked on Saltfleetby). They will to and fro until the OGA is happy.
At that point they will ask how will Angus ensure the cash is there on the day its needed. Now if its BP saying "don't worry - we're good for a few million in 2, 10, 20 years" it;s OK. If you are a small outfit producer 20 barrels a day the answer is going to be different,
If they go down the escrow road Angus will open (or their lawyers will do so) an account and the agreed sum will be paid into a bank account. The money still belongs to Angus and can be counted on the balance sheet as an asset but NOT as working capital as the money can only be used for abandonment with the OGA;s approval