Genel Energy PLC: Full-Year Results

26 March 2024

Genel Energy plc

Audited results for the year ended 31 December 2023

Genel Energy plc (‘Genel’ or ‘the Company’) announces its audited results for the year ended 31 December 2023.

Paul Weir, Chief Executive of Genel, said:

“We have continued the journey that we commenced in 2022 to, firstly, refocus the business on areas where it can be profitable and deliver shareholder value and, secondly, optimise the organisation to create a reshaped and resilient business with the potential for transformational value accretion through several catalysts.

We are a leaner, simplified company that retains clear objectives – generating resilient and sustainable cash flows, diversifying our income through the addition of new assets, and maintaining a strong balance sheet.

We have reduced our workforce and cut costs significantly, exited the Sarta and Qara Dagh licences, worked with our operating partner to develop a new income stream from local sales, and spent considerable time defending our contractual rights under the Bina Bawi and Miran PSCs, where we invested over $1.4 billion before their termination in December 2021.

These actions mean that we are now well positioned in 2024, with a reshaped and resilient business and a strong balance sheet. In the absence of value accretive M&A, we expect to maintain net cash of more than $100 million even if the suspension of exports continues to the end of the year.

Genel has established a sound platform from which to spring forward. The re-opening of the pipeline has the potential to more than double cash generation. We expect to recover the $107 million of overdue receivables, and we have the capacity and intent to acquire new assets. On the Miran and Bina Bawi oil and gas assets arbitration, having now completed the evidential hearing, our views on the merits of our case are unchanged since the arbitration was launched in December 2021.”

Results summary ($ million unless stated)

1. EBITDAX is operating profit / (loss) adjusted for the add back of depreciation and amortisation, net write-off/impairment of oil and gas assets and net ECL/reversal of ECL receivables
2. Free cash flow is reconciled on page 11
3. Reported cash less IFRS debt (page 11)

Highlights

• The Iraq-Türkiye pipeline (‘ITP’) has been suspended since March 2023, with talks ongoing but no clear timing on when exports will restart
• Reshaped business resilient and well positioned to maximise upside
  • Local sales consistent since end of January, with the Tawke PSC currently generating sufficient funding to cover organisational spend
  • Increase to Tawke PSC 2P reserves replacing production in 2023 and retaining 2P reserves of 79 MMbbls net to Genel at the licence
  • Organisational spend outside the cash generative Tawke PSC reduced by 40% to around $3 million per month
  • Reduced workforce by 70% and cut costs significantly across all areas of the business
  • Sarta and Qara Dagh exited, resulting in a write off relating to Sarta of $19 million
  • Somaliland licence extended until 2026
• Strong balance sheet provides opportunity to acquire and develop new assets
  • Net cash of $120 million at 31 December 2023 ($228 million at 31 December 2022)
  • Total debt of $248 million reduced by $26 million through repurchase of bonds at below 95 cents ($274 million at 31 December 2022)
  • Genel expects to maintain net cash well above $100 million throughout 2024
• Ongoing focus on being a socially responsible contributor to the global energy mix
  • Zero lost time incidents in 2023, with over four million hours now worked since the last incident
  • Carbon intensity of 14 kgCO2e/bbl for Scope 1 and 2 emissions in 2023 (2022: 17.6 kgCO2e/bbl), below the global oil and gas industry average of 19 kgCO2e/boe
  • Genel continues to invest in the host communities in which we operate, aiming to invest in those areas in which we can make a material difference to society
• The London-seated international arbitration two-week hearing which included Genel’s claim for substantial compensation from the Kurdistan Regional Government (‘KRG’) following the termination of the Miran and Bina Bawi PSCs finished as scheduled. Parties will make written closing submissions in April, subsequent to which written reply submissions will be made in May. The timing of the result is uncertain, but continues to be expected by the end of 2024

Potential catalysts for significant shareholder value creation in 2024

• Reopening of the ITP has the potential to materially increase cash generation
• $107 million overdue from the KRG for oil sales from October 2022 to March 2023 inclusive
• The Company continues to seek to acquire new assets to increase and diversify our income streams

Enquiries:

Genel will host a live presentation on the Investor Meet Company platform on Tuesday 26 March at 1000 GMT. The presentation is open to all existing and potential shareholders. Questions can be submitted at any time during the live presentation. Investors can sign up to Investor Meet Company for free and add to meet Genel Energy PLC via:

https://www.investormeetcompany.com/genel-energy-plc/register-investor. 

This announcement includes inside information.

Disclaimer

This announcement contains certain forward-looking statements that are subject to the usual risk factors and uncertainties associated with the oil & gas exploration and production business. Whilst the Company believes the expectations reflected herein to be reasonable in light of the information available to them at this time, the actual outcome may be materially different owing to factors beyond the Company’s control or within the Company’s control where, for example, the Company decides on a change of plan or strategy. Accordingly, no reliance may be placed on the figures contained in such forward looking statements.

CEO STATEMENT

It is difficult to look at 2023 without it being dominated by the closure of the Iraq-Türkiye pipeline. The suspension of our route to export resulted in a material reduction in production and cash flow. In a year in which we were buffeted by factors beyond our control, it was a reminder of the inherent resilience of our business model, a resilience that means we retain a strong position from which we view the future with confidence.

Going in to 2023, one of our key aims was to continue the simplification of the business, focusing on optimisation and cost control and investment in business improvement. With the ITP suspended, we accelerated this journey, significantly changing the size and shape of the organisation, materially reducing our cost base. We are now in a position where our income from strong local sales in January and February 2024 has covered our outflows, we have over $100 million in net cash, and significant opportunities lie ahead.  

A reshaped business

The closure of the pipeline prompted us to move quickly to reduce our capital expenditure, with $50 million cut from our original budget. We have more than halved our workforce, and we have shed non-profitable assets. We allowed the Qara Dagh licence to lapse, and Sarta has been terminated. We are a significantly leaner vehicle than we were even six months ago, having efficiently closed out our activity at Sarta and having minimised our footprint and cost base in Kurdistan. And we are getting leaner still, encouraging a constant state of awareness in the business about how we can drive further cost efficiencies.

As we have cut costs we have ensured that we have kept the right personnel to grow the business in the better times that certainly lie ahead. It is important that a reshaped business does not mean a business that lacks skills, and we must ensure that we have the correct balance between being right sized in the current environment and having the right people to drive Genel forward and take advantage of upcoming opportunities.

All of the changes that we have made to the business have been done with our shareholders in mind, protecting shareholder funds and ensuring that we remain resilient with a robust balance sheet, with a business that is set up to maximise shareholder value going forward.

Robustly positioned

Our focus on resilience is bolstered by income from the Tawke licence, which remains the engine room of the business. Working with the operator, DNO, a great job has been done to build a new income stream from local sales, while cutting operational costs by 65%. Production ramped up through the second half of the year, and local sales have been material and robust so far this year.

Going forward we expect cash generation from these local sales to match our total business expenditure, should income remain at levels seen in Q1 2024. Should the ITP reopen, our cash generation has the potential to more than double overnight. Along with our industry peers, we continue to work hard to facilitate the resumption of exports with appropriate commercial terms. Positive comments are regularly being made by politicians from both the Federal Government of Iraq and the KRG, although these are not being supported by movement on key issues so far. The timing of export resumption is therefore not something that we can suggest with any certainty.

Opportunities ahead

The reopening of the export route, with a stable and predictable payment environment, is one of the numerous catalysts that we can see ahead in 2024. We are reviewing all options relating to the $107 million that is still owed for past exports, the repayment of which would help to further strengthen our balance sheet and boost cash generation.

As we work to unlock the significant value from Kurdistan, we continue our search to add new income streams elsewhere. Our criteria for new assets have not changed – we are focused on cash generation, seeking a value accretive deal in a stable jurisdiction. We remain laser focused and disciplined as we seek the right deal for our shareholders, and are comfortable looking beyond the MENA region to get a deal that ticks all of our boxes. As we reshaped our business in 2023, we have continued our search for the right opportunity to integrate within Genel. There remain opportunities out there that fit our criteria, and we are confident that we will find the correct deal.

Miran and Bina Bawi arbitration progressing

The Company has committed significant senior management time to the arbitration relating to the Miran and Bina Bawi PSCs. As a reminder, our position is that the KRG’s termination of the Bina Bawi and Miran licences in December 2021 was repudiatory and caused us significant losses. By way of reference, we have spent over $1.4 billion acquiring and attempting development of these assets, both as operator and non-operator up to the termination of both PSCs in December 2021.

The two-week hearing (including factual and expert evidence) was held in London as scheduled and ended on 1 March 2024. The timing of the result is uncertain, but is expected by the end of 2024 following the Parties making closing written submissions in April 2024 and reply written submissions in May 2024. Our views on the merits of the case are unchanged since the dispute process under the PSCs was commenced in Q3 2021.

Outlook

Genel retains a robust cash position, a resilient business model, and a focus on taking advantage of the material catalysts ahead.

OPERATING REVIEW

Reserves and resources development

Genel's proven plus probable (2P) net working interest reserves totalled 89 MMbbls (31 December 2022: 92 MMbbls) at the end of 2023. A positive 4 MMbbls revision of 2P reserves at the Tawke PSC offset the removal of 2.7 MMbbls of 2P reserves from the terminated Sarta PSC, with 4.5 MMbbls of production in 2023.