Varcoe: Extra M&A motion anticipated in oilpatch, however not by Crescent Level after $4B makeover
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Craig Bryksa has been serving to drive a serious M&A wave within the Canadian oilpatch this 12 months, because the CEO of Crescent Level Vitality has been quickly remaking the oil and gasoline producer.
This explicit tide, nevertheless, is about to subside.
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The pinnacle of Crescent Level Vitality says after securing two main offers this 12 months value greater than $4 billion — together with final week’s $2.6-billion takeover of Hammerhead Vitality — the Calgary-based producer will “take a great lengthy pause” on the acquisition entrance, however he thinks trade M&A motion will proceed into subsequent 12 months.
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“I do assume as (the sector) strikes into 2024 you’ll see extra. In the event you have a look at what’s been occurring in the USA on that entrance, Canada all the time appears to be a bit bit behind,” Bryksa mentioned in an interview.
“Once you look into 2024, there’ll be some exercise on that entrance. I imply, clearly not for us — with us simply having finished this right here on the again finish of the Hammerhead deal — however I do assume you’re going see extra.”
With simply seven weeks left on this 12 months, the Canadian oil and gasoline sector has seen a rising variety of mergers and acquisitions, with offers value about $15.8 billion in mixed worth, barely forward of the $15.4 billion recorded final 12 months, in line with Sayer Vitality Advisors.
In the USA, ExxonMobil made a mammoth transfer final month with the US$59.5-billion takeover of unbiased Pioneer Pure Assets. Two weeks later, rival Chevron struck a deal to purchase Hess for US$53 billion.
In Canada, the most important transaction of this 12 months to this point noticed ConocoPhillips spend $4.4 billion to accumulate oilsands belongings from TotalEnergies, however the subsequent two greatest offers have been spurred by Crescent Level as a part of its ongoing transformation.
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In only a few quick years, Crescent Level has offered off some properties in the USA and Canada, and purchased extra prolific belongings within the huge Montney and Duvernay formations in Alberta.
Bryksa, who took over the corporate’s helm in 2018 after the departure of longtime CEO Scott Saxberg, has spearheaded the overhaul, which started with Crescent Level specializing in enhancing its steadiness sheet.
On the finish of 2018, the corporate’s web debt topped $4 billion, whereas manufacturing within the fourth quarter averaged 178,000 barrels of oil equal (boe) per day. The next 12 months, it disposed of some belongings in Utah and southeast Saskatchewan.
In February 2021, Crescent Level started to shift gears, buying belongings within the Duvernay formation in Alberta from Shell Canada for $900 million, including about 30,000 boe of manufacturing in a brand new development space. Crescent Level unveiled in December 2022 that it had agreed to buy Kaybob Duvernay properties from Paramount Assets for about $370 million.
This 12 months, the M&A exercise has picked up.
Crescent Level introduced in March it will purchase the oil and liquids-rich belongings within the Montney from Spartan Delta Corp. for $1.7 billion in money. These properties added 38,000 boe per day of manufacturing and room to develop.
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Final week’s take care of Hammerhead is the most important one but.
The cash-and-shares acquisition, which incorporates $455 million in assumed debt, provides about 56,000 boe per day of manufacturing, together with infrastructure within the Montney. “It suits us hand in glove with what we’re doing,” Bryksa mentioned Friday.
As soon as closed, it is going to flip Crescent Level into the seventh-largest Canadian petroleum producer.
The corporate expects manufacturing subsequent 12 months will common about 204,000 boe per day, with capital expenditures of about $1.5 billion. About 80 per cent of its spending will likely be directed to the Montney and Kaybob Duvernay, with the remaining spent on Crescent Level’s long-cycle belongings in Saskatchewan.
“The strategic precedence for the corporate over the past three years was (to) remodel the portfolio — examine,” he mentioned.
“We’re going to concentrate on our steadiness sheet and considerably strengthen that right here over the following 24 months. After which we’re going to look to construct out our return of capital to our shareholders.”
Bryksa mentioned the corporate’s five-year plan would see it develop organically to about 260,000 boe per day by 2028.
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Nevertheless, for the reason that deal was introduced, Crescent Level’s shares have dropped by about 12 per cent.
“If you’ll have an acquisition technique, it’s important to do it (at) a measured tempo,” mentioned Michael Zuk, managing companion at Athena Capital Markets in Calgary.
“It may very well be one per 12 months or it may very well be one each 18 months. However, definitely, the dimensions and scale that Crescent Level has tried to do . . . is just too aggressive.”
Laura Lau, chief funding officer with Brompton Group, which owns a small variety of Crescent Level shares, mentioned the timing of the transaction got here as oil costs slumped, though she mentioned there may additionally be concern in regards to the earlier administration’s observe report of buying belongings.
“I believe it’s a mixture of all the things — a number of offers recently, dangerous timing, and I believe there’s most likely some ideas, ‘Is Crescent Level going again to the outdated playbook the place they might consistently be shopping for stuff?’ ” Lau mentioned.
Eric Nuttall, a senior portfolio supervisor with Ninepoint Companions, one of many bigger shareholders in Crescent Level, agreed the timing of the deal got here as benchmark oil costs fell final week, together with a $5-a-barrel drop within the following two days.
But, he’s assured in regards to the deserves of the brand new transaction.
“They’ve transitioned . . . to now sitting on stock the place they’re drilling among the most financial Montney wells which have ever been drilled in Canada,” Nuttall mentioned.
“That’s one hell of a change.”
Chris Varcoe is a Calgary Herald columnist.
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