Seadrill Enters Agreement to Sell its Qatar Jack-Up Fleet and Expands Share Repurchase Program

Rhea-AI Summary

Seadrill announced it will sell its Qatar Jack-Up Fleet, including three rigs and a 50% stake in a joint venture, to Gulf Drilling International for $338 million. The deal is expected to close in Q3 2024, pending approvals. CEO Simon Johnson stated this divestiture aligns with Seadrill's focus on deepwater rigs and enhances liquidity. Concurrently, Seadrill's Board has expanded the share repurchase program, authorizing up to $500 million in additional buybacks over two years. Repurchases can occur in various forms and are subject to market conditions and the company's financial status.

Positive

• Seadrill will receive $338 million in cash proceeds from the sale.
• Divestiture aligns with a strategic focus on deepwater rigs.
• Enhanced liquidity position upon completion of the sale.
• Expansion of share repurchase program by up to $500 million.
• Repurchases to be conducted at the company's discretion, providing flexibility.

Negative

• Sale subject to several conditions, including regulatory and shareholder approvals.
• Potential risks if approvals are delayed or denied.
• Uncertainty around the timing, pricing, and amount of share repurchases.

Insights

Financial Analyst

The sale of Seadrill's Qatar Jack-Up Fleet for $338 million is a significant event. This divestiture will improve the company’s liquidity position, allowing it to focus on its core business areas, such as operating deepwater rigs across the Golden Triangle. From a financial perspective, the extra liquidity enhances Seadrill’s ability to expand its share repurchase program by an additional $500 million. Share repurchases can be a way to return value to shareholders and potentially boost the stock price by reducing the number of shares outstanding. However, it’s important to note that Seadrill is under no obligation to repurchase shares and the program’s execution will depend on market conditions and the company’s financial health at the time. Investors should keep an eye on changes in the company’s liquidity and debt levels as these factors will influence the success and impact of the repurchase program.

Rating: 1

Energy Sector Expert

The strategic sale of the jack-up rigs and the focus on deepwater rigs reflect Seadrill's decision to align with more profitable and growth-oriented segments within the energy sector. Deepwater projects, especially in regions like the Golden Triangle, often yield higher returns but come with greater risks and higher operational costs compared to shallow water projects like those involving jack-up rigs. This move can be seen as Seadrill doubling down on its strengths and competitive positioning in deepwater drilling. However, the success of such a strategy heavily depends on oil prices and future demand for deepwater drilling services. Investors should consider the volatility and long-term trends in the oil and gas markets when assessing the potential impacts on Seadrill’s business.

Rating: 1

HAMILTON, Bermuda--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Seadrill Limited (“Seadrill” or the “Company”) (NYSE & OSE: SDRL) today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell three jack-up rigs—the West Castor, the West Telesto and the West Tucana (the “Qatar Jack-Up Fleet”)—and its 50% equity interest in the joint venture that operates these rigs offshore Qatar to Seadrill’s joint venture partner Gulf Drilling International (“GDI”) for cash proceeds of $338 million (the “Transaction”).

The Transaction is subject to certain conditions, including approval or non-objection of the Qatar Financial Centre Authority and approval of the shareholders of GDI’s parent company, and is expected to close early in the third quarter of 2024.

“Our divestiture of the Qatar Jack-Up Fleet and exit from the joint venture are consistent with our ongoing efforts to strengthen and simplify our business and will allow us to focus on Seadrill’s core business: operating deepwater rigs across the Golden Triangle and similarly advantaged geographies,” remarked Simon Johnson, President and Chief Executive Officer. “We believe that our strengthened liquidity position upon completion of the jack-up sale, coupled with our conviction in the deepwater floater market outlook and Seadrill’s competitive positioning within it, supports the expansion of our share repurchase program.”

Concurrent with the announcement of the Transaction, Seadrill announced its Board of Directors has increased the Company’s aggregate share repurchase authorization, allowing the Company to repurchase up to an additional $500 million of its outstanding common shares over a two-year period commencing after the current share repurchase program is completed.

Unlike the Company’s prior repurchase programs, the Company may choose not to initiate a non-discretionary repurchase program (e.g., under Rule 10b5-1 under the U.S. Securities Exchange Act) when the incremental authorization becomes effective. The incremental authorization may be modified, suspended or discontinued at any time. The Company is under no obligation to purchase any shares under the program. Shares may be repurchased at any time and from time to time under the program in open market purchases, privately negotiated purchases, block trades, tender offers, accelerated share repurchase transactions or other derivative transactions, through the purchase of call options or the sale of put options, or otherwise, or by any combination of the foregoing. The manner, timing, pricing and amount (if any) of any repurchases will be subject to the discretion of the Company and may be based upon a number of factors, including completion of the Transaction, market conditions, the Company’s financial position and capital requirements, financial conditions, competing uses for cash (as informed by the Company’s stated capital allocation principles), the restrictions in the Company’s credit agreements and other factors.

About Seadrill

Seadrill is a leading offshore drilling contractor utilizing advanced technology to unlock oil and gas resources for clients across harsh and benign locations around the globe. Seadrill’s high-quality, technologically-advanced fleet spans all asset classes allowing its experienced crews to conduct operations across geographies, from shallow to ultra-deepwater environments.

This information is considered to be inside information pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation and is subject to disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. This stock exchange announcement was published by Lydia Brantley Mabry of Seadrill, at the date and time set out in this announcement.

Forward-Looking Statements

This communication includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this communication, including the completion of the Transaction, repurchases of our shares under the incremental share repurchase authorization and focus of the business, are forward-looking statements. These statements may include such words as “assumes”, “projects”, “forecasts”, “estimates”, “expects”, “anticipates”, “believes”, “plans”, “intends”, “may”, “might”, “will”, “would”, “can”, “could”, “should” or, in each case, their negative, or other variations or comparable terminology in connection with any discussion of the timing or nature of future operating or financial performance or other events. These statements are based on management’s current plans, expectations, assumptions and beliefs concerning future events impacting the Company and therefore involve a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, those described under Item 3D, “Risk Factors,” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2023, filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on March 27, 2024, offshore drilling market conditions including supply and demand, day rates, customer drilling programs and effects of new or reactivated rigs on the market, contract awards and rig mobilizations, contract backlog, dry-docking and other costs of maintenance, special periodic surveys, upgrades and regulatory work for the drilling rigs in the Company’s fleet, the cost and timing of shipyard and other capital projects, the performance of the drilling rigs in the Company’s fleet, delay in payment or disputes with customers, Seadrill’s ability to successfully employ its drilling units, procure or have access to financing, ability to comply with loan covenants, fluctuations in the international price of oil, international financial market conditions, inflation, changes in governmental regulations that affect the Company or the operations of the Company’s fleet, increased competition in the offshore drilling industry, the review of competition authorities, the impact of global economic conditions and global health threats, pandemics and epidemics, our ability to maintain relationships with suppliers, customers, employees and other third parties, our ability to maintain adequate financing to support our business plans, our ability to successfully complete and realize the intended benefits of any mergers, acquisitions and divestitures, and the impact of other strategic transactions, our liquidity and the adequacy of cash flows to satisfy our obligations, future activity under and in respect of the Company’s share repurchase program, our ability to satisfy (or timely cure any noncompliance with) the continued listing requirements of the New York Stock Exchange and the Oslo Stock Exchange, or other exchanges where our common shares may be listed, the cancellation of drilling contracts currently included in reported contract backlog, losses on impairment of long-lived fixed assets, shipyard, construction and other delays, the results of meetings of our shareholders, political and other uncertainties, including those related to the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, and any related sanctions, the effect and results of litigation, regulatory matters, settlements, audits, assessments and contingencies, including any litigation related to acquisitions or dispositions, our ability to successfully integrate with Aquadrill following its merger with the Company, the concentration of our revenues in certain geographical jurisdictions, limitations on insurance coverage, our ability to attract and retain skilled personnel on commercially reasonable terms, the level of expected capital expenditures, our expected financing of such capital expenditures and the timing and cost of completion of capital projects, fluctuations in interest rates or exchange rates and currency devaluations relating to foreign or U.S. monetary policy, tax matters, changes in tax laws, treaties and regulations, tax assessments and liabilities for tax issues, legal and regulatory matters in the jurisdictions in which we operate, customs and environmental matters, the potential impacts on our business resulting from decarbonization and emissions legislation and regulations, the impact on our business from climate-change generally, the occurrence of cybersecurity incidents, attacks or other breaches to our information technology systems, including our rig operating systems, and other important factors described from time to time in the reports filed or furnished by us with the SEC.

The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which such statement is made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of these factors. Further, the Company cannot assess the impact of each such factor on its business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to be materially different from those contained in any forward-looking statement.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240515508159/en/

Lydia Brantley Mabry

Director of Investor Relations

ir@seadrill.com

Source: Seadrill Limited

FAQ

What is Seadrill's recent business move involving its Qatar Jack-Up Fleet?

Seadrill has agreed to sell its Qatar Jack-Up Fleet to Gulf Drilling International for $338 million.

When is Seadrill's Qatar Jack-Up Fleet sale expected to close?

The sale is expected to close early in the third quarter of 2024.

How much is Seadrill's expanded share repurchase program authorized for?

Seadrill's Board has authorized an additional $500 million for the share repurchase program.

What conditions need to be met for Seadrill's sale of its Qatar Jack-Up Fleet?

The sale requires approval from the Qatar Financial Centre Authority and GDI's parent company shareholders.

What will Seadrill focus on after selling its Qatar Jack-Up Fleet?

Seadrill will focus on operating deepwater rigs across advantageous geographies.