The transaction gives Lundin Energy a 10 percent working interest in the major Wisting oil discovery (licences PL537 and PL537B) with estimated gross resources of 500 million barrels of oil (MMbo), scheduled to be one of the next Barents Sea production hubs. Equinor, the operator of Wisting in the development phase, is targeting a PDO by end 2022, to benefit from the temporary tax incentives established by the Norwegian Government in June 2020.
The transaction also provides Lundin Energy with a further 15 percent working interest in licences PL609, PL609B and PL609D, increasing the Company’s working interest in the operated Alta oil discovery, from 40 percent to 55 percent. The potential to accelerate the development of Alta is being assessed, with the aim to benefit from the temporary tax incentives.
Additionally, Lundin Energy increases its working interests in licences PL609C and PL851, raising the Company’s working interest in the operated Polmak exploration well from 40 percent to 47.5 percent. Polmak is the first of three high impact exploration prospects to be drilled by the Company in the Barents Sea during the fourth quarter of 2020, which are targeting gross unrisked prospective resources of over 800 MMbo. Polmak will be drilled by the West Bollsta semi-submersible drilling rig, with spud expected in early October 2020.
This strategic transaction builds on the Company’s already substantial acreage position in the Barents Sea core exploration area and provides a material interest in the major Wisting oil discovery, expected to contribute to sustaining the Company’s production in the long-term.
The transaction, which is effective from January 2020, adds estimated net contingent resources of approximately 70 MMboe for a cash consideration of MUSD 125, and is subject to approval of the Board of Directors of Idemitsu Kosan Co.,Ltd. (the parent company of IPN) and usual Norwegian regulatory approvals.
