BG Says Still Happy With Shell Bid As Oil Price Rise Boosts LNG
LONDON, May 8 (Reuters) – BG Group said on Friday it was still happy with Shell's $70 billion takeover bid despite a recent upturn in oil prices that led the company to increase the profit outlook for its liquefied natural gas (LNG) business.
A near 20 percent rise in oil prices since Shell made its agreed bid for BG on April 8, when the cash and shares price valued BG at 47 billion pounds ($72.6 billion), has raised concerns that investors might question that valuation and put pressure on Shell to conclude the deal as quickly as possible.
"There is no change to our view on the offer," BG's new chief executive, Helge Lund, said on his first results conference call since taking the reins in early February.
The recent oil price rise has improved BG's outlook for LNG prices and led the company to raise its LNG earnings forecast for 2015 to $1.3-1.5 billion from a previous guidance of $0.7-1 billion.
BG's LNG unit, one of the main pillars of the business which Shell said justified its takeover offer, significantly ramped up volumes in the first quarter, selling 21 more cargoes than the same time last year thanks to the newly opened QCLNG facility in Australia.
Analysts at Jefferies, who recommend buying the stock, estimated that BG's first-quarter average LNG price was $11.15 per mmbtu (million British thermal units), compared with average Asian spot cargo prices of $7.40 per mmBtu last week.
BG last year agreed the sale of the QCLNG pipeline to APA Group for $5 billion, but a reduction in the pipeline tariff meant the sale would now conclude at $4.5-5 billion instead, BG said on Friday.
12
View Full Article
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Generated by readers, the comments included herein do not reflect the views and opinions of Rigzone. All comments are subject to editorial review. Off-topic, inappropriate or insulting comments will be removed.
- Weatherford CEO's Rebound Plan Relies On Getting Smaller
- Iran Says Oil Market Is Too Tight For US Zero Exports Target
- China's Squeezed 'Teapots' Eye Petchem Path To Riches
- Baker Hughes: US Drillers Add Oil Rigs For Second Week In Three
- Venezuela Hands China More Oil Presence, But No Mention Of New Funds
- Falcon Oil Declares Commercial Flow Test Results for Shenandoah Well
- Macquarie Strategists Expect Brent Oil Price to Grind Higher
- Japan Failing to Meet Corporate Demand for Clean Power: Amazon
- Pennsylvania County Joins List of Local Govts Suing Big Oil over Climate
- UK Oil Regulator Publishes New Emissions Reduction Plan
- PetroChina Posts Higher Annual Profit on Higher Production
- US, SKorea Launch Task Force to Stop Illicit Refined Oil Flows into NKorea
- McDermott Settles Reficar Dispute
- Russian Navy Enters Warship-Crowded Red Sea Amid Houthi Attacks
- USA Commercial Crude Oil Inventories Increase
- New China Climate Chief Says Fossil Fuels Must Keep a Role
- Oil Demand Outpaces Expectations, Testing Calculus on Peak Crude
- House Passes Protecting American Energy Production Act
- TotalEnergies Restarts Production in Denmark's Biggest Gas Field
- USA Oil and Gas Job Figures Jump
- Republican Lawmakers Say IEA Has Abandoned Energy Security Mission
- Blockchain Demands Attention in Oil and Gas
- Houthis Warn Saudi Arabia of Retaliation If It Backs USA Attacks
- Macquarie Sees USA Oil Production Exiting 2024 at 14MM Barrels Per Day
- Summer Pump Prices Set to Hit $4 a Gallon Just as Americans Hit the Road
- New China Climate Chief Says Fossil Fuels Must Keep a Role
- Chinese Mega Company Makes Major Oilfield Discovery
- VIDEO: Missile Attack Kills Crew Transiting Gulf of Aden
- Norway Regulator Blasts Proposal to Halt New Oil and Gas Permits
- Chinese Mega Company Makes Another Major Oilfield Discovery
- What Is the Biggest Risk to Offshore Oil and Gas Personnel in 2024?
- Vessel Sinks in Red Sea After Missile Strike
- Exxon Rights in Stabroek Do Not Apply to Hess Merger with Chevron: Hess
- Equinor Makes Discovery in North Sea
- Analysts Reveal Latest Oil Price Outlook Following OPEC+ Cut Extension