SeaBird Exploration Plc ("SeaBird" or the "Company") is pleased to announce two new contracts:
The Company has received a letter of award for a niche 3D survey in West Africa, with a total value of approximately USD 6.5 million. The survey is expected to commence in the 2nd quarter of 2019, with a total duration of about 80 days. The total duration includes associated vessel transit.
Due to fleet positioning and other contract opportunities, SeaBird will time-charter the Nordic Explorer for this survey and will also bid the Nordic Explorer for subsequent opportunities in the second half of 2019. In connection with the charter agreement, SeaBird will receive nine kilometers of ION DigiSTREAMER from the owners of the Nordic Explorer.
Furthermore, SeaBird has secured a source contract for an OBN survey in the Gulf of Mexico. The contract has an expected duration of three weeks and will start in early April. SeaBird's Harrier Explorer has been working on this survey since February 2019, under a previously announced contract. She will now be joined by the Osprey Explorer, which recently completed other work in the region, for a period of simultaneous source operations. Separately, SeaBird has also agreed a 21 day off-hire period for the Voyager Explorer related to a technical stop in January 2019.
SeaBird is seeing increasing demand for its services within the source vessel, 2D and niche 3D markets. In 2018, total duration on received tenders was up 52% compared to 2017, and the Company experienced a 40% increase in days on contract in the same period. Rates on new contracts across the three operating segments are as a result up 15-30% year on year.
As a consequence of increased demand in all regions, SeaBird turned down work in the first quarter of 2019 due to scheduling conflicts based on its current fleet capacity of four operating vessels. To be able to pursue a strong and diversified pipeline of contract leads in all segments, the Company is evaluating several attractive opportunities for vessel capacity expansion. This includes an option to add the BOA Galatea and BOA Thalassa to the operational fleet, which are currently owned by BOA SBL AS, a subsidiary of BOA Offshore AS. These vessels are well suited for source and 2D operations, as well as EM seabed logging, for which BOA Thalassa is currently contracted with EMGS ASA until September 2019, with options to extend for three times six months. SeaBird has received irrevocable acceptances from a majority of Boa SBL bondholders for a sale of the vessels based on an en bloc valuation of NOK 185 million.
In addition, the Company is considering entering into other negotiated charter arrangements for capacity expansion at flexible terms.
SeaBird emphasizes that no binding decisions have been made regarding any capacity expansion at the current stage and the Company is evaluating the alternatives. SeaBird will only enter into binding agreements at structuring terms accretive to current shareholders.
SeaBird is a global provider of marine acquisition for 2D/3D and 4D seismic data, and associated products and services to the oil and gas industry. SeaBird specializes in high quality operations within the high end of the source vessel and 2D market, as well as in the shallow/deep water 2D/3D and 4D market. Main focus for the company is proprietary seismic surveys (contract seismic). Main success criteria for the company are an unrelenting focus on Quality, Health, Safety and Environment (QHSE), combined with efficient collection of high quality seismic data. All statements in this press release other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict, and are based upon assumptions as to future events that may not prove accurate. These factors include SeaBird's reliance on a cyclical industry and the utilization of the company's vessels. Actual results may differ substantially from those expected or projected in the forward-looking statements.
This information is subject of the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.
For further queries contact:
Hans Petter Klohs
CEO SeaBird Exploration
Phone: +47 22402718
or
Heidar Engebret
Chairman of the Board SeaBird Exploration
Phone: +47 48219975
The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein.
Source: SeaBird Exploration Plc via Globenewswire
