Leading Nigerian independent energy company, Seplat Energy Plc, on Friday presented its unaudited results for the six months ended June 30, 2023, showing a revenue growth of 3.8% to N278.3bn from N219.2bn year-on-year. Gross profit stood at N140.6bn from N114.1bn year-on-year.
The directors declared an interim dividend of US 3 cents per share, in line with higher core annual dividend of US 12 cents.
A statement by the company described the operating performance for the period as solid, judging by the 2 per cent growth in production, helped by reduced losses on its Western Asset, which is benefitting from the availability of the Amukpe-Escravos Pipeline and increased output from OML40.
Seplat Energy extended the Share Sale and Purchase Agreement (SSPA) for the acquisition of ExxonMobil’s share capital of Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited (MPNU) to preserve the transaction, pending the resolution of certain legal proceedings and receipt of applicable regulatory approvals; and will continue to work with all parties to achieve a successful outcome.
The full-year production guidance was retained at 45-55 kboepd whilst Capex guidance range at $160 – $190 million (previously $160 m) to support the Group’s objectives for the year.
Following the Company’s previously announced Board succession plan (25 April 2023), it announced that Eleanor Adaralegbe, currently Vice-President Finance, has been appointed CFO-designate to succeed Emeka Onwuka in 2024.
Commenting on the performance, Roger Brown, the Chief Executive Officer, said the company’s “continuing strong performance puts us on track for an excellent year that will support the increased quarterly dividends we announced in April, and our balance sheet remains strong despite the impact of the recent Naira devaluation.
“We are benefiting greatly from use of the new Amukpe-Escravos Pipeline, which has supported our robust cash generation this year, and remain focused on improving operations, reducing costs where possible and further derisking the business. We continue to strengthen our Company in the knowledge that our efforts to improve governance and sustainability are widely supported by Nigerian and international investors.”
Continuing, he noted that “the distraction of frivolous legal actions is receding, and we are focused on developing our assets and launching our joint venture ANOH Gas Processing Plant, which will significantly boost our cash generation in the coming years. We expect that this will enable us to fund additional investment in Nigeria’s energy infrastructure and return higher dividends to shareholders.
“We remain confident that our proposed and transformational acquisition of MPNU will be approved, enabling us to scale into a significant energy supplier with diverse and productive assets that have potential to generate substantial benefits for Nigeria. We wholly align and support the recent government efforts to make Nigeria a more attractive place to invest and continue to focus on delivering affordable and reliable energy for Nigeria’s young, entrepreneurial and rapidly growing population.”