Petrofac Regulatory News (PFC)

10 Oct 2008 07:00

Friday, 10 October 2008

PETROFAC LIMITED

INTERIM MANAGEMENT STATEMENT

Petrofac, the international oil & gas facilities service provider, issues the following Interim Management Statement for the period 1 July 2008 to 10 October 2008.

As noted in the Interim Results announcement released on 27 August 2008, demand for the group's services remains robust with a continuing positive outlook for new project awards. Trading performance for the year to date has been in line with our expectations and cash balances at the end of September were in excess of US$650 million.

Subsequent to the Interim Results announcement, the Engineering & Construction division announced the establishment of Petrofac Emirates, a joint venture with Mubadala Petroleum Services Company LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Mubadala Development Company. Petrofac Emirates will be based in Abu Dhabi and will provide a full range of engineering, design, procurement and construction services for onshore oil & gas, refining and petrochemical projects throughout the United Arab Emirates.

Following the acquisition of Eclipse Production Technology Limited in July, the Operations Services division acquired Caltec Limited, a production technology specialist in late August. These acquisitions complement the division's well operations management business, SPD Group, acquired in January 2007, and further broaden the division's capability, which now extends from the management of surface facilities and well operations, to the ability to deliver solutions to enhance and improve production, particularly in mature fields.

The Energy Developments division continues to make good progress with the development of the West Don and Don Southwest fields in the UK North Sea, with modifications to the Northern Producer floating production facility, subsea infrastructure development and the recently commenced drilling programme progressing on budget and on schedule for first oil in the first half of 2009. The Chergui gas plant in Tunisia, which commenced commercial production of gas in early August, is now operating at close to full capacity.

The group's backlog at the end of September was approximately US$4.3 billion (30 June 2008: US$4.8 billion), comprising approximately US$2.3 billion from the Engineering & Construction division (30 June 2008: US$2.7 billion) and approximately US$2.0 billion from the Operations Services division (30 June 2008: US$2.1 billion). The group's financial position has not changed significantly from 30 June 2008, with the group's balance sheet remaining strong.

Ends

  For further information, please contact:

Petrofac Limited +44 (0) 20 7811 4900

Ayman Asfari, Group Chief Executive

Keith Roberts, Chief Financial Officer

Jonathan Low, Head of Investor Relations

Bell Pottinger Corporate & Financial +44 (0) 20 7861 3232

Charles Cook

Olly Scott

Petrofac

Petrofac is a leading international provider of facilities solutions to the oil & gas production and processing industry, with a diverse customer portfolio including many of the world's leading integrated, independent and national oil & gas companies. Petrofac is quoted on the London Stock Exchange (symbol: PFC) and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. 

Through its three divisions, Engineering & Construction, Operations Services and Energy Developments, Petrofac designs and builds oil & gas facilities; operates, maintains or manages facilities and trains personnel; and, where return criteria are met and service revenue synergies identified, co-invests with clients and partners. Petrofac's range of services allows it to help meet its customers' needs across the life cycle of oil & gas assets.

With more than 10,000 employees, Petrofac operates out of four strategically located international centres, in Aberdeen, Sharjah, Woking and Mumbai and a further 20 offices worldwide. The predominant focus of Petrofac's business is on the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS), Africa, the Middle East, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the Asia Pacific region.

For additional information, please refer to the Petrofac website at www.petrofac.com.