Civitas Assets (NYSE: CIVI) has introduced that it’ll enter the Permian Basin by “transformative transactions”.
In a press release posted on its web site, the enterprise revealed that it has signed two “definitive” agreements to amass oil producing belongings within the Midland and Delaware Basins of west Texas and New Mexico. The agreements had been signed with associates of Hibernia Power III LLC and Faucet Rock Assets LLC for a complete consideration of roughly $4.7 billion, topic to customary buy worth changes, Civitas famous.
The corporate stated within the assertion that the transactions will “essentially rework” Civitas right into a “stronger, extra balanced, and sustainable enterprise with a deep stock of high-return drilling alternatives within the coronary heart of the Permian and DJ basins”. Each offers are topic to customary phrases and circumstances and are anticipated to shut within the third quarter of 2023, with efficient dates of July 1, 2023, Civitas identified.
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Beneath the deal, Civitas has agreed to buy a portion of Faucet Rock’s Delaware Basin belongings for $2.45 billion, which incorporates $1.5 billion in money and roughly 13.5 million shares of Civitas widespread inventory valued at roughly $950 million, topic to customary anti-dilution and buy worth changes, the corporate outlined. The belongings embrace roughly 30,000 web acres, primarily positioned in Eddy and Lea counties, New Mexico, Civitas highlighted, including that first quarter 2023 common manufacturing was roughly 59,000 barrels of oil equal per day.
Civitas has additionally agreed to buy Hibernia’s Midland Basin belongings for $2.25 billion in money, topic to customary buy worth changes, it identified. The belongings embrace roughly 38,000 web acres in Upton and Reagan counties, Texas, and first quarter 2023 common manufacturing was roughly 41,000 barrels of oil equal per day, it revealed.
Civitas stated within the assertion that it plans to fund the 2 transactions by the incurrence of roughly $2.7 billion of unsecured senior debt, roughly 13.5 million shares of Civitas widespread inventory valued at $950 million, roughly $600 million in borrowings beneath the corporate’s undrawn credit score facility, and roughly $400 million of cash-on-hand. Financial institution of America and JP Morgan are additionally offering Civitas with $3.5 billion of dedicated financing for the transaction, Civitas famous.
Transaction Highlights
The mixed offers will add round 68,000 web acres within the Midland and Delaware basins and can add mixed proved reserves of roughly 335 million barrels of oil equal, as of year-end 2022, in response to Civitas. They may even improve Civitas’ present manufacturing by 60 p.c, the enterprise stated.
The acquisitions will add about 800 gross places with roughly two-thirds having an estimated IRR of greater than 40 p.c at $70 per barrel WTI and $3.50/MMBtu Henry Hub NYMEX pricing, Civitas acknowledged, including that the acquisitions are attractively priced at 3.0x 2024 estimated Adjusted EBITDAX.
Civitas famous that the transactions are anticipated to ship an estimated 35 p.c uplift to 2024 free money movement per share. The enterprise added that it expects to generate roughly $1.1 billion of professional forma free money movement in 2024 at $70 per barrel WTI and $3.50/MMBtu Henry Hub NYMEX pricing.
Put up shut, Civitas stated within the assertion that it’ll have a extra balanced asset portfolio with basin and commodity range. The transactions will present flexibility in future capital allocation and optimize returns, in response to Civitas.
“These accretive and transformative transactions will instantly create a stronger, extra balanced, and sustainable Civitas,” Chris Doyle, Civitas President and CEO, stated in an organization assertion.
“By buying attractively priced, scaled belongings within the coronary heart of the Permian Basin, we advance our strategic pillars by elevated free money movement and enhanced shareholder returns,” he added.
“We are going to quickly have practically a decade of price-resilient, high-return drilling stock. Our robust capital construction allowed us to seize these transformational belongings, and, importantly, behind the energy of the professional forma enterprise, we have now a transparent path to scale back leverage and keep long-term stability sheet energy,” he continued.
Formidable Growth
Relative to its market cap, which sits at a bit over $5 billion, Civitas is endeavor one of many extra bold deal-driven expansions within the current market, Enverus Intelligence Analysis Director Andrew Dittmar instructed Rigzone.
“The transaction costs much like Civitas’ personal monetary metrics at 3x EBITDA and the remaining stock on the belongings means they’ve the same life to Civitas’ present portfolio,” Dittmar stated.
“This appears principally like a play for extra scale for Civitas and expands the corporate’s operations past the DJ Basin into each sub-basins of the Permian,” he added.
“Whereas Civitas’ remaining DJ drilling places are financial at present costs, future enlargement alternatives within the play look restricted with few remaining personal corporations to roll up. That was probably a key think about why Civitas peer PDC Power determined to promote the Chevron and why Civitas is leaping into the Permian Basin,” he continued.
Whereas the Permian is a primary goal for consolidation, belongings there don’t come low cost, Dittmar famous.
“Civitas seems to have paid round $7,000 per acre for the Delaware belongings of Faucet Rock and practically $17,000 per acre for the Midland belongings operated by Hibernia,” he stated.
“That compares to prior offers in its house base within the DJ Basin which have priced at manufacturing worth alone, a pattern additionally seen in performs just like the Eagle Ford. Pricing appears like different current Permian transactions which have additionally broadly priced in that vary for acreage and across the 3x EBITDA that Civitas is paying,” he added.
“Nevertheless, a few of these belongings had been a bit much less developed than Faucet Rock and Hibernia, and Civitas might have needed to pay a little bit of a premium relative to remaining stock to safe two of the few remaining large-scale alternatives left within the play. Rising pricing for core stock has been a key theme of 2023’s M&A market, and with two extra chips off the desk that pattern doesn’t look prone to reverse any time quickly,” he continued.
Dittmar instructed Rigzone that, with these gross sales, personal fairness exits within the Permian have comfortably topped $10 billion in 2023 “as sponsors stampede for the exits amid robust demand for his or her stock from public patrons”.
“EnCap has led the cost with monetizations of over $8 billion in investments within the play, and now peer NGP is stepping into the act as nicely,” he stated.
“With just a few exceptions, personal fairness companies usually tend to be trying outdoors the Permian Basin for brand spanking new funding alternatives as they’ve been priced out of buying belongings there,” he added.
“For the general public corporations energetic within the basin, the subsequent wave of M&A may come from company consolidation as remaining personal acquisition alternatives are scarce,” Dittmar went on to notice.
To contact the creator, e mail andreas.exarheas@rigzone.com
