PARIS: Total confirmed its commitment to completing the sale of its UK North Sea non-core assets, first announced1 in July 2019. Reflecting recent significant market volatility, Total and Norway-based private equity investor HitecVision have successfully renegotiated the financial terms of the deal to respond to the current environment, while Petrogas is no longer part of the transaction.
“We have worked closely with HitecVision and its portfolio company NEO Energy to reconfirm our mutual commitment to completing the deal. The agreed revisions respond to current market conditions while retaining the majority of the value of the transaction. The structure of the consideration and phasing of payments has been modified, including interest-bearing vendor financing and earnout arrangements,” declared Jean-Pierre Sbraire, Chief Financial Officer at Total.
“We look forward to progressing swiftly to completion and for NEO Energy to take over operations. We are confident that this sale is the right thing for both parties and for the business and its employees.”
Total and NEO Energy have developed detailed transition plans to deliver a smooth handover of operations upon completion, while allowing NEO to focus on embedding planned operating efficiencies and growth plans as rapidly as possible.
Subject to regulatory approvals, the parties expect to complete the transaction by the third quarter 2020.