AIDEA Invests in Cook Inlet Rig

AIDEA Invests in Cook Inlet Rig

Wednesday, April 06, 2011
Buccaneer Energy Ltd.

Buccaneer advised that the board of the Alaskan Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA) voted unanimously to invest up to US $30.0 million, as a joint owner, in the acquisition of a jack-up rig.

A Joint Ownership Agreement (JOA) is expected to soon be executed between the Company's subsidiary Kenai Offshore Ventures, LLC (KOV) and AIDEA. The joint project has been named Project Endeavour.

The JOA contains 15 Conditions Precedent that must be finalized prior to draw down of the AIDEA investment. The Company considers 5 of the Condition Precedents to be Material Conditions Precedent and these are listed in Schedule 1. The Company is confident that all the Condition Precedents can be met in a timely manner.

AIDEA's involvement and investment is as a Preferred Owner of the jack-up rig with an initial 85.7% interest in the Joint Project. KOV will be the sole Common Owner with a 14.3% initial interest in the Joint Project.

The following are the main features of AIDEA's Preferred Ownership interest:

• AIDEA's 85.7% Preferred Ownership interest in the Joint Project will be repurchased over a period of 6 years using cash flow generated by contracting of the rig for drilling operations. AIDEA's Preferred Ownership interest will be canceled as it is repurchased so that on conclusion of the repurchase program KOV will be the 100% owner of the jack-up rig;
• AIDEA will be paid a fixed annual dividend of 8.0%, paid semi-annually in arrears, on the Preferred Owner's outstanding balance of the Principal Repurchase;
• AIDEA's Preferred Ownership interest will be repurchased by way of an annual payment, in arrears. The repurchase schedule commences when the jack-up rig is delivered to the Cook Inlet ready for drilling operations; and
• Any dividend payment or Principal Repurchase that is not made in a 12 month period will accrue to the following 12 months.

The Company anticipates that the total cost of the acquisition, modification and mobilization of the jack-up rig to the Cook Inlet from its current location will be approximately US $85.0 million.

 

Exclusive Use Rights

Buccaneer will have the first right of refusal to utilize the rig until the conclusion of the 2013 drilling season i.e. November 2013. Under the terms of the JOA Buccaneer has committed to drilling a minimum of 4 wells in the Cook Inlet using the acquired jack-up rig.