NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR
DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN, INTO OR FROM ANY
JURISDICTION WHERE TO DO SO WOULD CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF THE
RELEVANT LAWS OF THAT JURISDICTION
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
London, 19 November 2024
Financial Results for the
third quarter and nine months ended 30 September
2024
Nostrum Oil & Gas PLC (LSE: NOG)
("Nostrum", or the
"Company" and together with its
subsidiaries, the "Group"), an independent
mixed-asset energy company with world-class gas processing
facilities and export hub in north-west Kazakhstan, today announces
its financial results for the third quarter and nine months
ended 30 September 2024 (the "Results").
Arfan Khan, Chief Executive Officer of Nostrum Oil & Gas,
commented:
"I am pleased with the Results,
which show a meaningful improvement in revenue and EBITDA compared
to the same period last year, and US$23.3 million of net positive
operating cash flows. These achievements are particularly notable
given the ongoing production decline at our mature Chinarevskoye
field and highlight the success of the Company's strategy to
improve the utilisation of its world-class facilities by processing
third-party hydrocarbons.
We continue to advance our upstream
activities at the Stepnoy Leopard Fields and are completing the
drilling of the second well at the Chinarevskoye field.
As always, health and safety remain
our priority, as we focus on operational excellence and continue
managing our liquidity to maximise value for all our investors and
stakeholders."
9M
2024 Highlights:
Financial
· 14%
increase in revenue: US$101.4 million for 9M 2024 (9M 2023 US$88.8
million), resulting from increased processing, production and sales
volumes. Brent crude oil price increased to an average of
US$82.6/bbl for 9M 2024 (9M 2023 average of
US$81.9/bbl).
· 5%
increase in EBITDA1: US$34.7 million for 9M 2024 (9M
2023 US$33.0 million) and an EBITDA margin of 34.2% (9M 2023
37.1%). EBITDA improved despite the continuing decline of the
mature Chinarevskoye field.
· US$12.7 million increase in
unrestricted cash balance during the third quarter
(including current investments in liquid money market funds):
US$155.2 million at 30 September 2024 (30 June 2024 US$142.5
million; 31 December 2023 US$161.7 million). The Group's restricted
cash balance (DSRA and asset liquidation fund) was US$25.6 million
at 30 September 2024 (30 June 2024 US$25.5 million; 31 December
2023 US$25.2 million).
· US$23.3 million net positive operating cashflows for 9M 2024.
However, capital expenditures on the Chinarevskoye drilling
programme and Stepnoy Leopard appraisal works, as well as the
semi-annual bond coupon payment in June 2024, led to a US$6.5
million reduction in the Group's unrestricted cash balance during
9M 2024.
· The
Group continues to focus on maximising facility uptime, controlling
costs and improving efficiencies across all facets of our business,
while allocating and efficiently leveraging existing resources on
growth projects.
Operational
· Production and
sales
·
Average daily production increased by 34% to
13,758 boepd (9M 2023 10,288 boepd), and the total processed
volumes (including condensate tolling volumes) increased by over
70% compared to 9M 2023. The increases in processed and production
volumes were mainly due to:
o Additional product volumes from processing raw gas received
from Ural O&G;
o Production from well No.301 commencing the end of May
2024;
o Gas-lift system expansion continues to perform above
management expectations. It was successfully launched in July
2023 doubling its capacity and continues to help to slow down the
production decline from the maturing Chinarevskoye
field;
o Continuing operation of GTU-3 yielding additional 20% LPG
owing to its cutting-edge turbo- expander technology.
· The
title production volume split for 9M 2024 was as
follows:
Products
|
9M
2024
volumes
(boepd)
|
9M
2023
volumes
(boepd)
|
Y-on-Y
change
(%)
|
|
9M
2024
product
mix
(%)
|
9M
2023
product
mix
(%)
|
Crude Oil
|
2,500
|
2,727
|
(8.3)%
|
|
18.2%
|
30.0%
|
Stabilised Condensate*
|
1,824
|
1,982
|
(8.0)%
|
|
13.3%
|
21.6%
|
LPG (Liquid Petroleum
Gas)
|
2,335
|
1,293
|
80.6%
|
|
17.0%
|
14.6%
|
Dry Gas
|
7,099
|
4,286
|
65.6%
|
|
51.5%
|
33.8%
|
Total
|
13,758
|
10,288
|
33.7%
|
|
100.0%
|
100.0%
|
*Stabilised condensate volumes
exclude Ural O&G processed volumes for which Nostrum receives a
condensate tolling fee
·
Daily sales volumes averaged 11,956 boepd for 9M
2024 (9M 2023 9,096 boepd). The difference between production
and sales volumes is primarily due to the internal consumption of
dry gas produced and may also include inventory increases or
decreases at period end.
· Chinarevskoye drilling
programme
Well No.301 was drilled on time and
within budget, and put into production in May 2024 with
initial flow rates in line with the management's expectations. The
well targeted multiple in-fill zones across the Carboniferous and
Devonian reservoirs and encountered hydrocarbons (oil,
gas-condensate) in all three key intervals reaching a total depth
of 4,980 meters. The well was perforated in the lowest of these
reservoirs with the plan to perforate the
Tournasian reservoir in early 2025.
Well No.41 appraisal sidetrack work,
which carried a significant level of uncertainty and risk as the
subsurface targets contained multiple exploration, appraisal, and
development objectives, was completed in September 2024. It did not
encounter the primary Devonian target horizon. However, it
discovered a new Devonian hydrocarbon-bearing horizon which is
planned to be perforated in Q4 2024.
· Stepnoy Leopard
Fields
Following the final investment
decision for the initial development phase of the Stepnoy Leopard
Fields in early 2024, in July 2024 Nostrum released
the Competent Person's Report on Stepnoy Leopard Fields, an
independent evaluation of reserves and resources as of 1
January 2024 prepared by Xodus Group Limited, confirming 138
mmboe (including approximately 25% liquids) proved plus probable
(2P) gross reserves. The Company continues to refine the field
development project schedule and progress the design and
engineering works.
· Ural O&G
volumes
Throughout 9M 2024 the Company
continued processing Ural O&G raw gas, initially from one
well in their Rozhkovskoye field. According to Ural O&G,
with the tie-back of additional wells the total production volumes
are expected to reach 1.5 Mm3/day of raw gas by the end of 2024.
Sustainability and HSE
· Zero fatalities among employees and contractors during
operations in 9M 2024 (9M 2023: zero).
· Total
Recordable Incidents Rate (incidents per million man-hours) of 0.84
for 9M 2024 (9M 2023:1.0).
· Zero
Lost Time Injury Rate (incidents per million man-hours) for 9M 2024
(9M 2023: zero).
· 3,222
tonnes of air emissions emitted in 9M 2024 against 5,983 tonnes
permitted for 2024 under the Kazakhstan Environmental
Code.
· Improved independent ESG Risk Rating of 29.2 (end of 2023:
30.1), moving Nostrum to the medium risk category.
Notes to press release
1 EBITDA is a non-IFRS measure and is
defined as profit before tax net of depreciation, depletion and
amortisation, share-based compensation, foreign exchange losses,
finance costs, finance income, non-core income or expenses and
taxes.
The Company's results materials are
available to download from Nostrum's website:
Download: 9M 2024 Interim Condensed Consolidated Financial
Statements
LEI: 2138007VWEP4MM3J8B29
Further information
For further information please
visit www.nog.co.uk
Further enquiries
Nostrum Oil & Gas PLC
Petro Mychalkiw
Chief Financial Officer
ir@nog.co.uk
Instinctif Partners -
UK
Galyna Kulachek
Amelia Thorn
+ 44 (0) 207 457 2020
nostrum@instinctif.com
Notifying person
Thomas Hartnett
Company Secretary
About Nostrum Oil &
Gas
Nostrum Oil & Gas PLC is an
independent mixed-asset energy company with world-class gas
processing facilities and export hub in north-west Kazakhstan. Its
shares are listed on the London Stock Exchange (ticker symbol:
NOG). The principal producing asset of Nostrum Oil & Gas PLC is
the Chinarevskoye field which is operated by its wholly-owned
subsidiary Zhaikmunai LLP, which is the sole holder of the subsoil
use rights with respect to the development of the Chinarevskoye
field. The Company also owns an 80% interest in Positive Invest
LLP, which holds the subsoil use rights for the "Kamenskoe" and
"Kamensko-Teplovsko-Tokarevskoe" areas in the West Kazakhstan
region (the Stepnoy Leopard Fields).
Forward-Looking
Statements
Some of the statements in this
document are forward-looking. Forward-looking statements include
statements regarding the intent, belief and current expectations of
the Company or its officers with respect to various matters. When
used in this document, the words "expects", "believes",
"anticipates", "plans", "may", "will", "should" and similar
expressions, and the negatives thereof, are intended to identify
forward-looking statements. Such statements are not promises nor
guarantees and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could
cause actual outcomes to differ materially from those suggested by
any such statements.
No part of this announcement
constitutes, or shall be taken to constitute, an invitation or
inducement to invest in the Company or any other entity, and
shareholders of the Company are cautioned not to place undue
reliance on the forward-looking statements. Save as required by the
relevant listing rules and applicable law, the Company does not
undertake to update or change any forward-looking statements to
reflect events occurring after the date of this
announcement.