UK based deepwater drilling service provider Ensco and Houston based fellow drilling operator, Pride International jointly announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement under which Ensco will combine with Pride in a cash and stock transaction valued at about US$7 billion. The definitive merger agreement was unanimously approved by each company’s board of directors.
The transaction will create the second largest offshore driller in the world with 74 rigs spanning all of the strategic, high-growth markets around the globe. The combined company will have 21 ultra-deepwater and deepwater rigs, forming the second largest/youngest fleet able to drill in water depths of 4,500 feet or greater. In addition, the combined company will have more active jackup rigs than any other driller. Mid-water rigs will represent 8% of the combined fleet.
Based on the closing price of each company’s shares on 4 February 2011, the estimated enterprise value of the combined company is $16 billion. The total estimated revenue backlog for the combined company is approximately $10 billion.
Strategic Fit
Ensco’s chairman, president and chief executive officer Dan Rabun stated: “The combination is an ideal strategic fit, as our rig types, markets, customers and expertise complement each other with minimal overlap. Pride has gained valuable expertise building and operating ultra-deepwater semisubmersibles and drillships and has strong relationships with leading customers in Brazil and West Africa, two of the fastest-growing deepwater markets in the world. Ensco is a leading provider of premium jackups and ultra-deepwater semisubmersible rigs with a major presence in the North Sea, Southeast Asia, North America and the Middle East. Together, we will form an even stronger company that is ideally positioned to capitalise on growth opportunities within our industry.”
Rabun added, “We share the same core values through our dedication to safety, ethics, operational excellence, employee development, customer satisfaction and disciplined risk management. These values form the foundation of our future growth.”
Pride International’s president and chief executive officer Louis Raspino added: “The combination of Pride and Ensco creates an offshore contract driller with many of the attributes needed to ensure long-term success in our business. I have always been an advocate of scale, believing that a company with critical mass is afforded numerous benefits, including operational efficiencies, marketing advantages and the ability to attract and retain talented individuals that will help to secure a strong future for our company.
“The diverse composition of the fleet, with significant exposure to high-specification capabilities in both the floating and jackup rig segments, a solid and conservative approach to managing through the complexities of our business, aided by one of the industry’s strongest balance sheets and proven leadership that has demonstrated consistent execution and commitment to growth, makes the combination of Pride International and Ensco plc a premier alternative for investors and the driller of choice for our clients.
“Pride stockholders will receive newly-issued Ensco shares that provide them an ongoing interest in a world-class offshore driller with significant growth potential, as well as a cash component, that combined, represents a substantial premium for Pride’s shareholders.”
Combined Company Highlights
The merger will combine two of the offshore drilling industry’s premier companies, combining long and established histories of operational, engineering and technical expertise along with quality assets and infrastructure in a number of the world’s prolific offshore drilling basins.
The combined company’s fleet will be among the most technologically advanced in the industry and meet the deep- and shallow-water drilling requirements of an expanded base of clients around the world. Within the fleet of 27 floating rigs (semisubmersibles and drillships) are 21 deepwater drilling rigs, including seven rigs delivered since 2008 and another five rigs expected to be delivered between now and 2013, establishing this fleet as among the youngest and most capable in the industry. Thirteen of the rigs are rated for operations in water depths of 7,500 feet and greater.
Also, the combined company’s jackup rig fleet, composed of 47 rigs, all with independent leg design, includes 27 units with water depth ratings of 300 feet and greater, with nine units delivered since 2000 and equipped with many of the advanced features requested by clients with shallow water drilling programs, such as increased leg length, expanded cantilever reach and greater hoisting capacity.
The combined company will be among the most geographically diverse drillers with current operations and drilling contracts spanning more than 25 different countries on six continents in nearly every major deep- and shallow-water basin around the world. Regions will include major markets in Southeast Asia, the North Sea, Mediterranean, U.S. Gulf of Mexico, Mexico, Middle East and Australia, as well as the fastest-growing deepwater markets, Brazil and West Africa, where Pride has operated continuously for over 15 years and where some of the world’s most prolific geology resides.
Customers will include most of the leading national and international oil companies, plus many independent operators. In total, the combined company will have the second largest number of current customers of any offshore driller and will benefit from enhanced diversification given the minimal overlap between the two companies.
Dan Rabun will remain Chairman, President and CEO and James W. Swent will continue as Senior Vice President and CFO. The remaining executive management team for the combined company will be named at a later date and is expected to be composed of executives from both Ensco and Pride.
Ensco’s eight board members will continue to serve as directors of the combined company and two Pride directors will be appointed to an expanded board effective at closing.
The combined company, which will retain the name Ensco plc, will remain domiciled in the UK. Virtually all of the senior executive officers will be located in London. The combined company is anticipated to realise significant benefits similar to those already achieved by Ensco since its redomestication to the UK in 2009. These benefits include greater access to major customers, enhanced oversight of global operations due to improved time zone overlap, increased access to European institutional investors and a more competitive tax position.
Ensco plc American Depositary Shares (ADS) will continue to trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “ESV”.
Financial Highlights
Future revenue growth is anticipated as new opportunities are identified within the expanded customer base. As customers continue to invest in many of the largest and fastest-growing offshore basins, such as Brazil and numerous other emerging locations, new discoveries and development projects are expected to generate substantial additional demand for offshore drilling.
Annual expense savings of at least $50 million are estimated to be realised in full year 2012 and beyond. Expense savings are anticipated from the consolidation of offices that include corporate staff departments, as well as the standardisation of systems, policies and procedures across the combined organisation.
The transaction will be financed through a combination of existing cash on the balance sheet and newly-issued Ensco shares and debt. Total cash paid to Pride shareholders will be approximately $2.8 billion. Ensco has received commitments from Deutsche Bank AG Cayman Islands Branch and Citibank N.A. to finance the incremental debt required for the transaction. Given the number of rigs under construction, it is contemplated that cash flows initially will be dedicated to finance newbuild rigs; however, future cash flows also are expected to be used to pay down debt.
The combined company is expected to have investment-grade ratings and approximately $10 billion in revenue backlog that are expected to support further strategic growth. Long-term debt as a percentage of total capital is anticipated to be approximately 30% following the closing, which is comparable to other investment-grade offshore drillers, the company said in a statement. The combined company’s credit profile will benefit from increased scale and significantly enhanced diversification across markets, rig types, customers and expertise due to the complementary makeup of the respective businesses, the statement added.
