Creditors vote in favor of Premier’s North Sea deal despite objections

UK oil and gas company Premier Oil has gained approval from the majority of its creditors for the schemes of arrangement required for the acquisition of North Sea assets from BP and Dana. The schemes still remain subject to a court approval.

Premier Oil received a court approval to go ahead with a plan to have its creditors vote to extend debt maturities and buy UK North Sea fields from BP and Dana in mid-January and convened the creditor meeting for February 12 despite objections by its largest creditor ARCM.

Premier announced on Wednesday that the scheme meetings of the super senior scheme creditors and senior scheme creditors of Premier and Premier Oil UK Limited were held earlier today.

The scheme meetings were held for the purpose of proposing resolutions to the scheme creditors to approve the schemes of arrangement required to implement the announced UK North Sea acquisitions, related funding arrangements, and extension of Premier’s credit facilities.

According to Premier, the resolutions at each of the scheme meetings were approved by the relevant majorities of the scheme creditors in each class being a majority in number representing at least 75% in value of those present and voting (in person or by proxy).

Namely, of the super senior scheme creditors, 86.81% in value of those voting approved the schemes with 99.30% in value voting, and of the senior scheme creditors, 83.86% of those voting approved the schemes with 96.51% in value voting.

ARCM: Court hearing not a ‘rubber-stamping’ exercise

The schemes remain subject to approval by the Scottish Court of Session with the sanction hearing currently scheduled to start on March 17, 2020.

Earlier on Wednesday, before the vote, Premier’s largest creditor, which has been opposing the acquisition since the start, said it would vote against the scheme proposal “as it believes the proposed acquisitions expose the company and its stakeholders to significant incremental risks.”

ARCM, the creditor, also said that regardless of the result of the vote, the March court hearing “is not a ‘rubber-stamping’ exercise and the Court will consider issues beyond the outcome of the vote at the creditors’ meetings in determining whether or not to sanction the schemes.”

At the sanction hearing, creditors who object to the schemes may raise their opposition, ARCM said.

“Above all, the Court must be satisfied that the statutory requirements have been met, the vote is fairly representative of the creditors concerned, there is no ‘blot’ on the Schemes, and that the Schemes are fair,” ARCM stated.

ARCM reiterated it would vigorously oppose the schemes and would take all necessary steps to do so, including opposing the sanctioning of the schemes.

Offshore Energy Today Staff

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