Plexus Regulatory News (POS)

Plexus Holdings PLC / Index: AIM / Epic: POS / Sector: Oil equipment & services

This announcement contains inside information.

31 January 2024

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Plexus Holdings PLC

('Plexus' or 'the Company')

Partial Repayment of Convertible Loans

Plexus Holdings PLC, the AIM quoted oil and gas engineering services business and owner of the proprietary POS-GRIP® friction-grip method of wellhead engineering known for its safety, time, and cost-saving capabilities, is pleased to provide an update on the 1,550,000 convertible loan notes ("Loan Notes") that were issued in October 2022 at £1 each to raise £1,550,000 for the Company.

The issue of 1,550,000 Loan Notes to each of OFM Investment Limited (an entity connected to the van Bilderbeek family), Ben van Bilderbeek, CEO of Plexus, and Jeff Thrall, Non-executive Director of Plexus, (together, the "Noteholders"), provided the Company with additional working capital as Plexus sought to capitalise on the increasing pipeline of opportunities within its markets, in particular its re-entry into the exploration wellhead rental from Jack-up rigs market where Plexus is in a licencing partnership with SLB. The Loan Notes have a two-year term and can be either repaid in cash or converted into new ordinary shares in Plexus, subject to certain conditions. Further details of the Loan Notes are set out in the notification, which was released by the Company on 20 October 2022. 

Following discussions with Noteholders, the Company agreed to redeem loan notes with an aggregate value of £849,992, through a cash payment of the principal amount plus interest of an amount equal to 20% of the principal amount, in accordance with the terms of the Loan Notes, which resulted in a total cash payment to Noteholders of £1,019,990.40. After the redemption of these Loan Notes, there are a total of 700,008 Loan Notes outstanding.

Further to its announcement on 2 January 2024 regarding the signing of a new IP licence agreement between Plexus and SLB, the Company confirms that it has now received the associated cash payment of US$5.2 million from SLB. These funds significantly strengthen the Company's working capital position and, along with its existing cash balances, will facilitate Plexus pursuing the pipeline of opportunities for its equipment and technologies in its core oil and gas markets.

**ENDS**

For further information please visit www.plexusplc.com or contact:

NOTES

Plexus Holdings plc (AIM: POS)

Plexus is an IP led company focussed on establishing its patented leak-proof POS-GRIP® wellhead and associated equipment as the go-to technology for energy markets whilst making a genuine contribution to the oil and gas ('O&G') industry's ESG and NetZero goals by championing "through the BOP" (Blow-out Preventer) designs, and lifetime leak-proof HG® metal-to-metal sealing systems. Having protected the environment for many years through these technological innovations, the Company was awarded the London Stock Exchange's Green Economy Mark in July 2021 and continues to place emphasis on its ability to reduce harmful methane emissions and unnecessary maintenance and intervention costs.

Headquartered in Aberdeen, the Company has provided leak-free wellhead performance in over 400 wells worldwide and worked with an array of blue-chip O&G company clients. As well as generating direct revenues from securing orders for surface production wellheads in the UK and European North Sea regions, the Company has several licencing/collaboration agreements with major partners including SLB and TechnipFMC.

Notably, the agreement with SLB was expanded in December 2023 (see RNS 2.1.2024) for a cash consideration payable to Plexus of US$5.2m to enable SLB to use certain POS-GRIP technology including HG® seal technology for standard surface wellhead applications for all pressure and size ranges on a worldwide basis. The in-perpetuity royalty free licence scope includes O&G surface production and storage applications, as well as CO2 storage ('CCS') and hydrogen storage, and water and cuttings injection. The Agreement also includes a non-exclusive licence to SLB for Adjustable Surface Production Wellheads, and HG Trees with the potential to generate royalties for Plexus from such special applications of the POS-GRIP technology. Plexus may also quote customers for SLB Valves and Trees combined with Plexus wellheads on a project basis subject to SLB approval where a full package of equipment is required. Plexus retains the original IP, and the intention is that Plexus continues to operate in the surface production wellhead sector on a limited basis, as an innovative and specialised wellhead equipment supplier, whilst also pursuing opportunities in exploration rental wellheads from Jack-up rigs, subsea, connectors (such as metal sealing HP/HT Tie-Back applications), P&A, special applications, geothermal, hydrogen and all non-oil and gas applications.

The Company also has a separate exploration wellhead equipment related licensing arrangement with SLB subsidiary Cameron, which has enabled Plexus to re-enter the Jack-up Exploration (Adjustable) Rental Wellhead market, with Cameron providing manufacturing support and assisting in sales leads generation in return for a licence royalty fee.

Plexus' current suite of products include Exact-15 exploration rental wellheads, Adjustable HG surface production wellheads, which combine POS-GRIP technology with gas tight leak free metal-to-metal sealing; the Python® subsea wellhead, developed in a Joint Industry Project with several industry leaders; the POS-SET? Connector for the de-commissioning and P&A market; and Tersus-PCT, an innovative HP/HT tie back connector product.

Having proved the superior uniquely enabling qualities of POS-GRIP Technology both organically and with licencees, Plexus is now focused on establishing its technology and related equipment in other markets and sectors both in the UKCS, ECS and around the world where the directors believe it can play an important role in reducing harmful fugitive methane emission risks as operators strive to deliver on ESG commitments and NetZero goals in a safe and cost-effective way.

For more information visit: https://www.plexusplc.com/