Business Combination of VAALCO and TransGlobe

In This Article:

VAALCO Energy, Inc.
VAALCO Energy, Inc.

Creating a Diversified African-Focused E&P Business Supporting Sustainable Growth and Stockholder Returns

HOUSTON and CALGARY, Alberta, July 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- VAALCO Energy, Inc. (NYSE: EGY; LSE: EGY) (“VAALCO”) and TransGlobe Energy Corporation (TSX: TGL; NASDAQ: TGA; AIM: TGL) ("TransGlobe") (VAALCO and TransGlobe together, the “Combined Company”) announced today that they have entered into a definitive arrangement agreement (the “Arrangement Agreement”) pursuant to which VAALCO will acquire all of the outstanding common shares of TransGlobe in a stock-for-stock strategic business combination transaction valued at US$307 million (the “Transaction”). Under the terms of the Arrangement Agreement, VAALCO will acquire each TransGlobe share for 0.6727 of a VAALCO share of common stock, which represents a 24.9 percent(1) premium per TransGlobe common share based on the companies’ respective 30-day volume weighted average share prices as of market close on July 13, 2022. The Transaction will result in VAALCO stockholders owning approximately 54.5 percent and TransGlobe shareholders owning approximately 45.5 percent of the Combined Company.

Strategic Rationale for the Transaction

The combination of VAALCO and TransGlobe will create a world-class African-focused E&P Company supporting sustainable growth and stockholder returns, and provide a host of benefits to the Combined Company’s stockholders and other stakeholders:

  • The Transaction will bring together two complementary businesses, creating an operated, full-cycle portfolio of low-risk, high return assets under a production and development-oriented business model:

    • Assets located in prolific and established basins in Egypt, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea and Canada, with significant future growth potential;

    • Combination of two highly capable subsurface / technical, operational and business development teams enabling the pooling of operational best practices, skills and technology across the combined portfolio; and

    • A highly experienced management team with an established and multi-decade track record of value creation in the Combined Company’s areas of operation;

  • The Combined Company will have a larger, and more diversified reserves and production base, enhancing risk management, increasing portfolio optionality to high-grade and sequence investment projects towards the highest-return projects, as well as increasing access to a broader set of capital sources relative to each company on a standalone basis. The management of VAALCO and TransGlobe estimate:

    • Combined 2022 mid-point production guidance of 19,100 barrels of oil equivalent per day (“boepd”) on a net revenue interest (“NRI”) (96 percent oil & liquids) basis across Egypt, Gabon and Canada and 24,400 boepd on a working interest (“WI”) basis(2);

    • Combined proved (1P) reserves on an NRI basis of 32 million barrels of oil equivalent (“MMboe”) (92 percent oil) and 41 MMboe on a WI basis (92 percent oil) (as at January 1, 2022 in the case of VAALCO and as at December 31, 2021 in the case of TransGlobe)(2); and

    • Combined proved plus probable (2P) reserves on an NRI basis of 51 MMboe (90 percent oil) and 66 MMboe (91 percent oil) on a WI basis (as at January 1, 2022 in the case of VAALCO and as at December 31, 2021 in the case of TransGlobe)(2);

  • The Combined Company will be in a net cash(3) position, with US$53 million in combined net cash as of March 31, 2022 (prior to the receipt of US$44.6 million in April 2022 from VAALCO’s March 2022 lifting), and have operational free cash flows to underpin sustainable stockholder returns and growth while maintaining sufficient liquidity and a continued robust balance sheet;

  • The Combined Company will reinforce VAALCO’s and TransGlobe’s existing commitment to financial discipline and stockholder returns, with a target annualized dividend of US$28 million, an annualized target of approximately 25 cents per share (with payments to be made quarterly), and with a focus on further enhancing stockholder distributions through returning excess cash via share buybacks and/or dividends;

  • The Combined Company will have an attractive inventory of organic growth projects across the portfolio in all regions, and will be more favorably positioned to self-fund, optimize and generate value from these projects on account of the Combined Company’s superior operational and technical capabilities and financial resources, relative to each of VAALCO and TransGlobe on an individual basis;

  • In addition, with increased scale and broader geographical operations, it is expected that the Combined Company will be well positioned to benefit from additional targeted inorganic growth in Africa, with reference to strict strategic, financial and operational criteria;

  • Stockholders in the Combined Company should benefit from a more liquid investment, with an increased number of shares traded on the NYSE and LSE, a combined stockholder profile and increased visibility in the public capital markets, building on the strong equity performance of each of VAALCO and TransGlobe in recent years; and

  • The Boards of Directors of both companies have unanimously approved the Transaction.