NZOG considers exit from Tui after offer from Blackstone-backed Tamarind

New Zealand Oil & Gas says it's considering an offer to buy its 27.5% interest in the Tui oil field after Tamarind, an energy company backed by Blackstone Energy Partners, agreed to buy the 57.5% stake held by field operator AWE for $US1.5 million.

The agreement between ASX-listed AWE and Tamarind was announced yesterday, with AWE saying the bidder had the ability to "maximise value from late life assets" and experience in decommissioning offshore oil projects. With Tamarind on board and oil prices rising, Tui could potentially operate beyond 2019, AWE said.

NZOG said the Tui joint-venture partners, which include Pan Pacific Petroleum with 15%, have certain rights when the operatorship is transferred and must give consent to the deal.

"We are reviewing the announced transaction and considering the offer we have received to determine whether our interests are best served by accepting the offer or continuing to participate in the asset through its decommissioning phase," NZOG chief executive Andrew Jefferies said.

NZOG said the value of Tamarind's offer would be disclosed if it was accepted. Based on the offer to AWE, NZOG's stake could be worth $US715,000 although Tamarind is agreeing to buy AWE New Zealand, AWE Taranaki, assets, inventory, AWE's oil hedge book and a working capital cash balance of $US10.8 million. Tamarind was set up in 2014 with a $US800 million capital commitment from Blackstone to develop, operate, improve "and ultimately abandon fields across Southeast Asia and Australasia," according to its website.

Earlier this month, NZOG recommended shareholders support the proposed sale of the energy explorer and producer's stake in the Kupe oil and gas field to Genesis Energy for $168 million after an independent appraisal report deemed the offer was fair. Shareholders meet to vote on the Kupe transaction on December 16.

NZOG plans to sell its Kupe stake to partner Genesis Energy to reduce its exposure to a single asset and give it funds to diversify its investments. NZOG would use the sale proceeds to return $100 million of capital to shareholders next year and would retain about $160 million for reinvestment and for funding its remaining operations.

At the company's annual meeting in October, chairman Rodger Finlay told shareholders the company had "pulled back on exploration because, in the current environment, oil prices are considerably lower than they were two or three years ago."

"While we are taking a hard look at our costs, the drill bit looks less of a priority as oil prices remain subdued. We have been exiting our lower priority exploration acreage around New Zealand," he said at the time. He described Kupe as NZOG's most valuable asset "and a good model for the sort of asset we would like to acquire more of."

NZOG shares last traded at 60.5c and have jumped 42% this year.

(BusinessDesk)