Archives

Home   >   Archives   

Weatherford clawing back cash with sale of 31 rigs to ADES | OutPut by Rig Lynx

Rig Lynx
  • By Rig Lynx
  • Jul 12, 2018
  • Category : Archives
  • Views : 737

Financially struggling oilfield services firm Weatherford International finally has found a buyer to acquire its Middle East onshore drilling rig business for $287.5 million as part of its long-term divestiture plans.

Weatherford, which is based largely out of Houston, has aimed to sell the business since early 2017. ADES International Holding, a company in the United Arab Emirates, will buy the Weatherford unit. ADES operates in the Middle East and northern Africa.

Weatherford recently sold its North American hydraulic fracturing business to industry leader Schlumberger,  and unloading its land rig business was the next step in its downsizing effort to reduce its debt and stablize  the company financially.

Weatherford hired  Mark McCollum as its CEO more than a year ago to turn things around. McCollum previously was the chief financial officer of the Houston oilfield services company Halliburton.

The deal will double the size of ADES. It includes the sale of 31 land drilling rigs and related contracts, as well as the transfer of about 2,300 Weatherford employees and contractors.

This includes operations in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq and Algeria. The sale is expected to close before the end of the year. Weatherford still has a few rigs remaining in the region that it will sell through smaller deals.

Weatherford was considered part of the Big Four energy services giants with Schlumberger, Halliburton and Baker Hughes. But the company has struggled for years, running into problems even before the 2014 oil bust that devastated the sector.

Weatherford, for instance, now holds a Wall Street value of about $3.5 billion versus well more than $35 billion for Baker Hughes and Halliburton. Industry leader Schlumberger is valued at almost $95 billion.

Weatherford has shrunk to fewer than 29,000 workers worldwide from 67,000 in early 2014. This sale will bring the headcount down to about 27,000.

Still, energy analysts saw the ADES sale as welcome news that eliminates a question mark that had been hovering over Weatherford. James West, an analyst with Evercore ISI in New York, said the sale exceeds expectations somewhat because the anticipated sales price was closer to $250 million.

“Mark McCollum’s vision is finally starting to take shape, and we believe Weatherford may be hitting its stride on the path to becoming a sustainable, focused powerhouse within the industry,” West added.

Check out our other current stories, we dare you…

New community just for oil and gas…

Download the app free right here!

 

Comments (0)

Leave Comment


Check out our other stories

Rig Lynx
Mar 09, 2023

  Valaris Limited announced new contracts awarded subsequent to issuing the Company’s most recent fleet status report on February 21, 2023.   Three-year contract with Petrobras for drillship VALARIS DS-8. The rig will be reactivated for this contract. The total contract value is approximately $500 million, including a $30 million mobilization fee. 100-day contract with a TotalEnergies affiliate for drillship VALARIS DS-12. The contract is expected to commence in second quarter 2023. 70-day contract with Beach Energy offshore New Zealand for heavy duty modern jackup VALARIS 107. The contract is expected to commence in third quarter 2023. The total contract value is approximately $26 million. President and Chief Executive Officer Anton Dibowitz said, “We are particularly pleased to have secured the award for preservation stacked drillship VALARIS DS-8, for a contract that is expected to generate a meaningful return over the firm contract term, and we remain focused on exercising our operational leverage in a disciplined manner. This most recent award represents the sixth contract awarded to one of our high-quality stacked floaters since mid-2021, and speaks volumes about our demonstrated track record of project execution when reactivating rigs.”   Dibowitz added, “Following the reactivation of VALARIS DS-17 and DS-8, we will have ten floaters working across the golden triangle, including four drillships in Brazil, a market where we expect to see continued growth over the next several years.”   Updated Guidance   As a result of the contract awarded to VALARIS DS-8, which will require the rig to be reactivated from preservation stack, we are updating our first quarter 2023 and full-year 2023 guidance provided on our fourth quarter 2022 conference call on February 21, 2023.   First Quarter 2023   Contract drilling expense is expected to increase by approximately $5 million to $385 million to $395 million. Adjusted EBITDA is expected to decrease by approximately $5 million to negative $5 million to breakeven. Adjusted EBITDAR, which adds back one-time reactivation expense, is expected to be $25 million to $30 million, unchanged from the guidance provided on our fourth quarter 2022 conference call. Full-Year 2023   Revenues are anticipated to be $1.8 billion to $1.9 billion, unchanged from the guidance provided on our fourth quarter 2022 conference call. Contract drilling expense is expected to increase by approximately $60 million to $1.49 billion to $1.59 billion. Adjusted EBITDA is expected to decrease by approximately $60 million to $180 million to $220 million. Adjusted EBITDAR, which adds back one-time reactivation expense, is expected to be $280 million to $320 million, unchanged from the guidance provided on our fourth quarter 2022 conference call. Capital expenditures are expected to increase by $60 million to $320 million to $360 million. Source: Valaris Join our mailing list here We are #1 on Google and Bing for the "Largest Mobile Energy Network" Come join our community! Download the Rig Lynx app here  

Rig Lynx
Mar 09, 2023

  Seadrill Limited announced that the West Neptune has executed approximately six months of term extensions with LLOG Exploration Offshore, L.L.C in the US Gulf of Mexico.   The extensions will commence in direct continuation of the existing term, and will keep the rig busy until Q3 2024, furthering Seadrill and LLOG’s long-term association. Total contract value for the extension is approximately $79 million. Source: Seadrill   Join our mailing list here We are #1 on Google and Bing for the "Largest Mobile Energy Network" Come join our community! Download the Rig Lynx app here  

Rig Lynx
Mar 09, 2023

  Semisub rig owner Dolphin Drilling has inked a new contract with Peak Petroleum in Nigeria for its 1974-built Blackford Dolphin.   The firm contract, which follows the letter of award in January, gives the Euronext Growth-listed owner of three rigs the potential to extend the unit’s backlog by a minimum of 120 days and up to 485 days. The deal adds to and will be a direct continuation of the previously announced 12-month contract with General Hydrocarbon Limited (GHL).   Øystein Stray Spetalen-backed company said the effective dayrate associated with the minimum firm period of the contract is $325,000, including the mobilisation fee.   “The final award of the contract for Blackford Dolphin shows the opportunities in Nigeria at a strong dayrate, in addition to building on the backlog for the rig. It also underlines the attractiveness of our assets, and we look forward to returning to revenue-generating operations in 2023,” noted Bjørnar Iversen, CEO of Dolphin Drilling.   Source: Dolphin   Join our mailing list here We are #1 on Google and Bing for the "Largest Mobile Energy Network" Come join our community! Download the Rig Lynx app here