•As 2019 Profit Up By 89.5%, Offers $0.05 Dividend
Despite the gloomy outlook being painted by the twin effects of decline prices at the international oil markets and the ravaging Coronavirus pandemics, the management of Seplat Petroleum Development Company Plc says its shareholders will reap bountifully from the strategic decision to tilt towards gas production which currently accounts for the bulk of its revenue.
In a summary of its operations and financials for the year ended December 31, 2019, the company said its business is hedged against low oil prices and that gas offers further protection from oil price volatility.
Even at that, the company said it “has low production costs and can remain profitable even at lower oil prices.”
The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in the first quarter of 2020, as well as pressure on oil prices in March, it explained, has “placed a premium on solid financial management that focuses upon low-cost production, robust cash management, a strong balance sheet and focused investment in high-return projects for sustainable future growth.”
Seplat said it significant cash resources available, just as it will manage available finances prudently in 2020, expecting to invest US$100m of capital expenditure (compared to US$50m spent in Q1 2020), “with a target of three new wells across our portfolio.
“We will also continue to focus on our investments in gas and the completion of the ANOH project remains a major priority,” it added, even as the integration of Eland Oil & Gas Plc is expected to “position the group strongly when the market recovers and we are pleased to report that on 17 March 2020, OML 40 produced a record 17 kbopd as recorded by its LACT.”
According to financials for the year, Seplat recorded a marginal decline in revenue, but net profit soared by 89.48%, while the board have recommended a dividend per share of five cents ($0.05) for distribution for approval at the next annual general meeting.
Highlights of the financials submitted to the Nigerian Stock Exchange showed that there was a 14.67% drop in cost of sales, which was better than the 6.23% decline in income for the period from N228.391bn to N214.157bn. This resulted in gross profit of N121.459bn, 1.43% up from N119.75bn reported in the corresponding period of 2018.
Other income for the period rose by 100% from N4.585bn in the prior year to N9.17bn; general and administrative expenses was down by 11.17%, from N21.675bn to N24.4bn; while impairment losses on financial assets soared from N4.483bn to N14.911bn, representing an increase by 232.61%.
Fair value gain stood at N1.706bn, an improvement of 387.69% when compared to the previous loss of N593m; resulting in operating profit of N95.749bn, as against the previous N94.859bn. Finance income improved by 36.35% from N3.032bn to N4.134bn; which was minute compared to the N16454bn finance cost, an improvement by 47.85% when compared to the previously reported N31.552bn.
Profit before tax, therefore, stood at N89.914bn, 11.56% better than the previously reported N80.599bn; while a 74.99% decline in income tax expense from N35.748bn in 2018 to N8.939bn, left profit for the period at N85.016bn, as against the N44.867bn in the previous year-end. This translated to Earnings Per Share of N149.35, compared to N78.89 in the preceding year.
Commenting, Austin Avuru, its chief executive said although this is a challenging phase for the global economy, Seplat is poised to benefit, “being a resilient company built on the solid foundations of prudent financial management and the careful mitigation of risk.
“We have previously been tested by crisis. We successfully navigated the twin challenges of the 2014/2015 oil price shock, which was immediately followed by the 16-month Trans Forcados shut-in, which drastically reduced our liquids production. Thanks to our flexibility in managing cash flows we emerged a stronger and better-funded company, ready to take advantage of new opportunities.
“Compared to those difficult periods, today’s Seplat has more cash on its balance sheet and is even more robust and diversified thanks to our continuing investments in gas, with its long-term contracts and independence from oil price volatility. We are a low-cost producer and will continue to manage our finances prudently.
‘With the recent addition of Eland and the availability of new pipelines, our oil business is broadening and de-risking its production fields and routes to market to assure even greater security of revenues in the future. In the coming year, we will focus our investment only on the highest-returning projects, whilst carefully balancing our future needs with prevailing market realities.
“The challenges before us may be significant, but we are confident that the resilience and discipline of our business will help us consolidate our position as Nigeria’s leading independent oil and gas producer,” he stressed.