Repsol Completes LNG Assets Sale to Shell and BP

Repsol said it has completed the sale of liquefied natural gas (LNG) assets with the handover to Shell of assets in Peru and Trinidad & Tobago after the relevant authorisations have been obtained.

In October 2013, Repsol sold its stake in Bahía Bizkaia Electricidad (BBE) to BP, which exercised a purchase option over the asset.

The combined transactions represent total proceeds for Repsol of $4.3 billion (of $4.1 billion from the sale of assets to Shell and $0.2 billion from the sale of BBE to BP).

The sale, which includes the minority stakes in Atlantic LNG (Trinidad & Tobago,) Peru LNG and BBE as well as the LNG sale contracts and time charters with their associated loans and debt, has generated approximately $2.9 billion for Repsol in profit and capital gains after tax, slightly higher than the guidance given when the transaction was agreed in February.

As a consequence of the transferral of assets, Repsol will adjust the book value of the North American assets with a provision of $1.5 billion after tax, in line with new fiscal regulations.

Repsol and Shell have additionally signed an LNG supply agreement by the latter to the Canaport regasification terminal in Canada of approximately 1 million tons over a 10-year period.

Following the completion of the sale, with an economic date set at 30th September 2012, Repsol reduces net debt by $3.3 billion.

With this transaction, Repsol has divested assets for more than 5 billion euros, surpassing the objectives outlined in the 2012-2016 Strategic Plan to divest between 4 and 4.5 billion euros in the period.

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Press Release, January 02, 2014; Image: Canaport LNG