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the back of acquisitions and a record drilling campaign.
In the Kurdistan region of Iraq, production from the two fields in the Tawke
license climbed from 113,100 barrels of oil per day (bopd) in 2018 (79,700 bopd
CWI) to 124,000 bopd in 2019 (87,400 bopd CWI). Production of 122,800 bopd in
the fourth quarter of 2019 was up 3,000 bopd from the previous quarter. The
Company is operator of the Tawke license with a 75 percent interest.
With the acquisition of Faroe Petroleum plc, which gave the Company a foothold
offshore Norway and the United Kingdom, production from the North Sea added
another 17,400 boepd in 2019 (19,000 boepd in the fourth quarter was up from
14,900 boepd in the previous quarter). DNO currently holds 87 licenses in Norway
and 15 in the United Kingdom, The Netherlands and Ireland; of these 28 are on
production (13 fields) and the balance in various stages of evaluation,
exploration and development.
Last year, the Company delivered the largest annual drilling program in its 48-
year history with 36 wells drilled or spudded across its portfolio, including
24 development/infill and 12 exploration/appraisal wells. The level of drilling
activity is expected to remain high in 2020.
At Tawke, 2019 production stood at 68,800 bopd, with wells drilled last year
contributing 13 percent of field production at yearend. At Peshkabir, 2019
production stood at 55,200 bopd, with wells drilled in 2019 contributing 40
percent of field production at yearend.
“Even though Tawke is now a mature field, we are continuously finding ways to
slow its decline while teasing additional production from the newer Peshkabir
field, all the while probing for other opportunities in Kurdistan,” said DNO’s
Executive Chairman Bijan Mossavar-Rahmani.
Elsewhere in Kurdistan, DNO reported a discovery in the Baeshiqa-2 exploration
well last November after flowing variable rates of light oil and sour gas to
surface from the upper part of Triassic Kurra Chine B reservoir following acid
stimulation. Further testing of this and several other Jurassic and Triassic
zones will determine the next steps towards appraisal and assessment of
commerciality. DNO holds a 32 percent interest and operatorship of the Baeshiqa
license.
Meanwhile, the Peshkabir-to-Tawke gas injection project designed to increase oil
recovery rates at Tawke while eliminating flaring at Peshkabir will be completed
in March 2020. Once completed, CO(2) emissions from DNO’s operated fields will
average 7 kilograms per barrel of oil equivalent (boe) produced, compared to an
average of 9 kilograms per boe on the Norwegian Continental Shelf and a global
average of 18 kilograms per boe.
DNO retained a strong cash balance of USD 480 million at yearend 2019 plus USD
144 million in marketable securities. Following a delay in export payments last
month from the Kurdistan Regional Government to oil operators, DNO has since
yearend received payment for its August oil sales totaling USD 52 million net to
the Company.
The Company has drawn on its cash balances to buy back outstanding bonds and to
return money to shareholders through a combination of share buybacks and
dividend distributions.
During 2019, DNO bought back USD 64.6 million in nominal value of FAPE01 bonds
originally issued by Faroe Petroleum. The bonds were purchased at a weighted
average price of 107.41. Following the buybacks and USD 14.2 million in
cancellations due to put option exercises, USD 21.2 million in nominal value of
the FAPE01 bonds remain outstanding.
In August 2018, DNO announced its first dividend distribution to shareholders in
13 years. Since then, DNO has paid three semi-annual dividends of NOK 0.20 per
share (total dividend distribution to date of NOK 620.5 million or USD 72
million). The next semi-annual distribution is expected to be made in the spring
following approval by the Board of Directors.
At the 2019 Annual General Meeting shareholders authorized a share buyback
program which was completed on 10 January 2020 and increased the number of own
shares held by the Company from 35 million to 108,381,415 shares to reach the
total authorized level of 10 percent. Altogether DNO has spent NOK 1.15 billion
(USD 129 million) on this share buyback program since 2015. The weighted average
price for the 10 percent own shares acquired by the Company is NOK 10.61 per
share.
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For further information, please contact:
Media: media@dno.no
Investors: investor.relations@dno.no
Tel: +47 23 23 84 80
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DNO ASA is a Norwegian oil and gas operator focused on the Middle East and the
North Sea. Founded in 1971 and listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange, the Company
holds stakes in onshore and offshore licenses at various stages of exploration,
development and production in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, Norway, the United
Kingdom, Netherlands, Ireland and Yemen.
This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section
5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.
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