Interesting how others see it28 Dec 2023 08:35
(AIM:RBD) has sharpened its focus this year on exploration, appraisal and development projects onshore UK and Italy.
RBD has an aggregate 56pc economic interest in the West Newton-PEDL183 licence north of Hull operated by Rathlin, potentially one of the largest hydrocarbon fields discovered onshore UK. The JV partnership is planning to drill and test the WN B-2 by next June, envisaging a multi-well development programme served by a 50 Mscf/d gas facility. The licence’s Crawberry Hill prospect has been identified as another significant potential discovery.
RBD has built a significant interest in LNEnergy Limited this year, taking a 26.1pc stake in a company focused on the Colle Santo gas field in Abruzzo, Italy, a gas resource with an estimated 65 Bcf of 2P reserves, with two production wells already drilled. The field, which RBD says ‘could be the largest onshore proven undeveloped gas field in mainland Western Europe’, is development ready, subject to approvals and permits. A small-scale LNG facility is planned, producing at an initial at 10 MMcf/d from two existing wells. LNEnergy believes that the field has the potential to generate an estimated €11-12m of gross post-tax free cash flow per year.
RBD has interests in several other assets. The company retains four North Sea licences including the key Dunrobin prospect on licence P2478, which an April 2023 CPR estimated to have 201 MMboe aggregate gross unrisked Pmean Prospective Resources. It has a 42pc shareholding in Daybreak Oil and Gas Inc, an OTC traded oil and gas company engaged in the exploration, development and production of onshore crude oil and natural gas, primarily in California. And it continues to engage with Romanian authorities regarding an exploration licence for the country’s Parta and Iecea Mare licences.
RBD’s results for H1 2023 stated net cash of £2.6m at 30 June 2023, but the company has since confirmed continued payment from Shell for the sale of the Victory gas field last year, a project in which RBD had an interest. Following an initial payment of £3.2m last November, this month the hydrocarbons giant confirmed payment of another £5.2m, with a final consideration of £4.4m due upon the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) granting development approval for the Victory gas field, ‘which is anticipated to occur within the coming months’. The receipts, which RBD offer as vindication of its strategy of investing in projects with significant valuation potential, will fund ongoing development work and a £4m share buyback programme, initiated in April.
The Shell repayments have, however, triggered disputes regarding the company’s direction. Both have been accompanied by requisition notices requesting General Meetings to vote in new directors: the next will take place on 10 January. RBD’s management describes the efforts as ‘opportunistic’, noting that both have coincided with tranche payments from Shell.