UK: BG Says Makes Progress on QCLNG

BG Group today issued its Annual Strategy update after posting its 2011 results.

BG Group’s Chief Executive Sir Frank Chapman said: “The outlook for global gas and LNG demand is strong. BG Group is well set to capitalise on these opportunities and is making good progress with delivering its plans.”

Sir Frank continued, “not only is our LNG supply set to exceed our 2015 target of 20 million tonnes per annum (mtpa), but we believe that a BG Group supply portfolio of 30 mtpa by 2020 is now within reach. The near-term picture is also very positive and we are raising our LNG profit guidance for 2012 by over 30% to between $2.6 and $2.8 billion. Our LNG business is set fair with the prospect of excellent profit momentum for many years.”

Sir Frank added, “in exploration, independent analysis continues to show BG Group as one of the industry’s leading explorers over the last decade. In 2011, exploration and appraisal activity added another billion barrels of oil equivalent (boe) to our resource base. We made discoveries in Norway, Tanzania, and the UK, and our reserves and resources now stand at 17.1 billion boe – that’s 73 years production at 2011 levels. In 2012, we’ll invest $1.5 billion in our exploration programme, targeting prospects in seven countries including new frontier plays in Australia, Egypt and Tanzania.”

On production, Sir Frank gave an outlook on expectations saying, “in 2012, our base assets will continue to make a material contribution bolstered by new production due onstream in Bolivia, Egypt, Norway, Thailand and the UK. In terms of production for this year, we start the year with a production run rate of some 650 000 boe per day (boepd) and we expect to exit the year with a rate of some 750 000. Key factors will be improved production from the UK, alongside six new projects coming onstream progressively through the year.”

Sir Frank continued, “combining our solid base with the contributions from Australia and Brazil is expected to deliver production of more than one million boepd by 2015 and around 1.4 million boepd by 2020 – a production profile, underpinned by already discovered resources and named projects, which will deliver the mid-point of our long term 6-8% growth range established in 2005. Further, we expect risked resources from our exploration portfolio to allow the top end of the range also to be achieved in 2020.”

Sir Frank also highlighted the progress being made on key projects adding, “In Brazil, we upgraded our estimates on Santos Basin resources to some 6 billion boe net to BG Group with an upside potential of 8 billion boe net*. Drilling performance has continued to improve, results from the first permanent FPSO and from other extended wells tests have exceeded our expectations, and we now expect production, from the big five Santos Basin fields, to be over 600 000 boepd net to BG Group by 2020*.”

In line with this, he added, “the proximity and similarity of these fields allows a flexible modular development approach and the sharing of infrastructure, a combination that yields exceptional capital efficiency and robust economics. Moreover, unit costs are competitive and falling.”

“In Australia, we made significant progress on the Queensland Curtis LNG project – a project underpinned by 10 mtpa of LNG sales already secured to high-value Asia-Pacific markets and a resource base that has increased five-fold from around 5 trillion cubic feet (tcf) in 2008 to more than 25 tcf today.”

On funding and investment plans Sir Frank said, “in actively supporting and managing the progress of our growth programme, we raised $5.6 billion from the bond markets last year, increased our undrawn committed facilities to $4.5 billion and signed a memorandum of understanding with the Bank of China for up to $1.5 billion of potential funding support. In addition to this, we are planning to release some $5 billion over the next one to two years with the continuing execution of our portfolio rationalisation programme. Over 2012-13, capital expenditure – on a cash basis – is expected to be $22 billion with non-cash items amounting to $2.3 billion.”

Sir Frank concluded his remarks stating that, “our proven and distinct capabilities – grounded in market knowledge, commercial agility, exploration performance and fast-track project development – position us to realise the opportunities within our growth portfolio. We are well set to continue the trend of value creation based on already discovered resources and named projects”.

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LNG World News Staff, February 9, 2012; Image: BG