Freehold Royalties Announces Closing of Equity Financing, Exercise of Over-Allotment Option, and Purchase of Additional Interest in the Acquisition
14 December 2024 - 12:15AM
Freehold Royalties Ltd. (Freehold or the Company) (TSX:FRU) is
pleased to announce that it has completed its previously announced
upsized bought-deal equity financing (the Equity Financing) of
common shares, conducted by a syndicate of underwriters co-led by
RBC Capital Markets, CIBC Capital Markets and TD Securities Inc. as
joint bookrunners, including the full exercise of the
over-allotment option granted to the underwriters.
Pursuant to the Equity Financing and the
over-allotment option, Freehold issued approximately 13.3 million
common shares at a price of $13.00 per common share for total gross
proceeds of approximately $172.5 million.
On December 9, 2024, Freehold entered into a
definitive agreement with a private seller to acquire mineral title
and royalty interests in the core of the Midland Basin in Texas
(the Acquisition and the Acquired Assets) for approximately $216
million, net of estimates for exchange rate, expenses and customary
closing adjustments. As a result of the upsizing of the Equity
Financing and exercise of the over-allotment option, Freehold has
exercised its option with the seller and will acquire approximately
$43 million of additional interest in the Acquired Assets, such
that the total purchase price will be approximately $259 million,
net of estimates for exchange rate, expenses and customary closing
adjustments. Closing of the Acquisition is expected to occur later
today (December 13, 2024).
As a result of the increased interest to be
acquired in the Acquisition, Freehold estimates 2025E production
from the Acquired Assets to be 1,500 – 1,600 boe/d (approximately
61% light oil, 20% natural gas liquids and 19% natural gas)
representing approximately $37 million in 2025E net royalty revenue
(net of production and ad valorem taxes) based on US$70/bbl WTI,
with limited tax burden in the near term.
Freehold is uniquely positioned as a leading
North American energy royalty company with approximately 6.1
million gross acres in Canada and approximately 1.1 million gross
drilling acres in the United States. Freehold’s common shares trade
on the Toronto Stock Exchange in Canada under the symbol FRU.
For further information contact
Freehold Royalties Ltd. |
|
Todd McBride, CPA, CMA |
Nick Thomson, CFA |
Investor Relations |
Investor Relations |
t. 403.221.0833 |
t. 403.221.0874 |
e.
tmcbride@freeholdroyalties.com |
e.
nthomson@freeholdroyalties.com |
w. www.freeholdroyalties.com |
w. www.freeholdroyalties.com |
|
|
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release offers our assessment of
Freehold’s future plans and operations as at December 13, 2024 and
contains forward-looking information including, without limitation,
forward-looking information with regards to the anticipated
purchase price for the Acquisition; the expected timing of closing
the Acquisition; Freehold's estimates for 2025 production for the
Acquired Assets and net royalty revenue (net of production and ad
valorem taxes) for 2025; the anticipated tax burden associated in
the near future; the expected attributes and benefits to be derived
by Freehold pursuant to the Acquisition; and the future performance
of the Acquired Assets following the completion of the
Acquisition.
This forward-looking information is provided to
allow readers to better understand our business and prospects and
may not be suitable for other purposes. By its nature,
forward-looking information is subject to numerous risks and
uncertainties, some of which are beyond our control, including the
demand for oil and natural gas, general economic conditions,
industry conditions, the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war and the
Israel-Hamas-Hezbollah conflict on the global economy and commodity
prices, volatility of commodity prices, currency fluctuations,
imprecision of reserve estimates, royalties, environmental risks,
taxation, regulation, changes in tax or other legislation,
competition from other industry participants, the lack of
availability of qualified personnel or management, stock market
volatility, our ability to access sufficient capital from internal
and external sources. The closing of the Acquisition could be
delayed if Freehold or the other parties are not able to satisfy
the closing conditions and deliverables on the timelines
anticipated. The Acquisition may not be completed if the conditions
to the closing of the Acquisition are not satisfied. Accordingly,
there is a risk that the Acquisition will not be completed within
the anticipated time or at all. Risks are described in more detail
in Freehold’s annual information form for the year ended December
31, 2023 which is available under Freehold’s profile on SEDAR+ at
www.sedarplus.ca.
With respect to forward looking information
contained in this press release including relating to the 2025
forecast production and 2025 royalty revenue from the Acquired
Assets, we have made assumptions regarding, among other things;
future oil and natural gas prices (for the purposes of the
estimates in this press release we have assumed a West Texas
Intermediate price of US$70/barrel of oil and a NYMEX natural gas
price of US$3.30/MMbtu); future exchange rates (for the purposes of
the estimates in this press release we have assumed an exchange
rate of US$1.00 for every CDN$1.40); that drilled uncompleted wells
will be completed in the short term and brought on production; that
wells that have been permitted will be drilled and completed within
a customary timeframe; expectations as to additional wells to be
permitted, drilled, completed and brought on production in 2024 and
2025 based on Freehold's review of the geology and economics of the
plays associated with the Acquired Assets; expected production
performance of wells to be drilled and/or brought on production in
2024 and 2025; the ability of our royalty payors to obtain
equipment in a timely manner to carry out development activities;
the ability and willingness of royalty payors to fund development
activities relating to the Acquired Assets; and such other
assumptions as are identified herein. You are cautioned that the
assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although
considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be
imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on
forward looking information. We can give no assurance that any of
the events anticipated will transpire or occur, or if any of them
do, what benefits we will derive from them. The forward-looking
information contained herein is expressly qualified by this
cautionary statement. To the extent any guidance or forward-looking
statements herein constitute a financial outlook, they are included
herein to provide readers with an understanding of management's
plans and assumptions for budgeting purposes and readers are
cautioned that the information may not be appropriate for other
purposes. Our policy for updating forward-looking statements is to
update our key operating assumptions quarterly and, except as
required by law, we do not undertake to update any other
forward-looking statements. You are further cautioned that the
preparation of financial statements in accordance with
International Financial Reporting Standards requires management to
make certain judgments and estimates that affect the reported
amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues, and expenses. These
estimates may change, having either a positive or negative effect
on net income, as further information becomes available and as the
economic environment changes.
Currency
All references in this press release to dollar
amounts are to Canadian dollars unless otherwise indicated.
Conversion of Natural Gas to Barrels of
Oil Equivalent (BOE)
To provide a single unit of production for
analytical purposes, natural gas production and reserves volumes
are converted mathematically to equivalent barrels of oil (boe). We
use the industry-accepted standard conversion of six thousand cubic
feet of natural gas to one barrel of oil (6 Mcf = 1 bbl). The 6:1
boe ratio is based on an energy equivalency conversion method
primarily applicable at the burner tip. It does not represent a
value equivalency at the wellhead and is not based on either energy
content or current prices. While the boe ratio is useful for
comparative measures and observing trends, it does not accurately
reflect individual product values and might be misleading,
particularly if used in isolation. As well, given that the value
ratio, based on the current price of crude oil to natural gas, is
significantly different from the 6:1 energy equivalency ratio,
using a 6:1 conversion ratio may be misleading as an indication of
value.
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