RE: Next RNS25 Aug 2020 18:34
I respect and understand your point of view Rovers. I don't agree with it, but I'll be happy either way. I'm well in the black.
The fact they raised so much to progress West Newton suggests to me that they intend to prove up the licence further. Perhaps it will be achieved after Rathlin is taken public, by either IPO or reverse into a company like Egdon, but I believe to wash your hands of this opportunity completely after successful testing of West Newton B would be a mistake.
I understand this to be a £1bn asset, IGNORING the hype. Fully proved up it would be worth £500m as a sale value - potentially £280m to RBD. I would say a further 4 wells would be needed and a bit of seismic, with a cost to RBD of around £20m. If it is sold after only WNB drilling and testing it would be worth half that?
For sure it would take a couple of years to prove the licence up, but before Rathlin sat on the licence for a couple of years looking for funding. It doesn't mean because it took a long time before that it will take a long time from here.
I agree that they are looking at proving up the asset and selling on. But drilling WNB-1 and testing WNB-1 and WNA-2 in my book is NOT proving up the asset.
Time will tell. As I say, I'm happy either way.