National Fuel Completes Acquisition of Shell’s Integrated Upstream and Midstream Assets in Pennsylvania

/EIN News/ -- WILLIAMSVILLE, N.Y., July 31, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- National Fuel Gas Company (NYSE: NFG) (the “Company”) announced today that it has completed the purchase of integrated upstream and midstream gathering assets in Pennsylvania from SWEPI LP, a subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell plc (NYSE: RDS.A) (“Shell”), in an all cash transaction of approximately $504 million, after customary purchase price adjustments.

“The closing of the largest acquisition in our 118-year history marks an exciting time for the Company, and leaves us well-positioned for the long-term, said David P. Bauer, the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Bauer added, “With the integration of these high-quality, contiguous assets in one of the most prolific areas of Appalachia into our existing operations, we expect to generate meaningful free cash flow in our upstream and midstream businesses. Additionally, we have executed a financing strategy which further strengthens our balance sheet and maintains our investment grade ratings, reinforcing the strong foundation of our business as we move into the future.”   

National Fuel plans to provide preliminary fiscal 2021 guidance in connection with its third quarter earnings release on August 6, 2020. However, the Company expects this acquisition to be highly accretive to its earnings per share in fiscal 2021, driven by significant acquired flowing production and related gathering throughput, further unit cost reductions, and its strong hedge position.

National Fuel is an integrated energy company reporting financial results for four operating segments: Exploration and Production, Pipeline and Storage, Gathering, and Utility. Additional information about National Fuel is available at www.nationalfuel.com.

Certain statements contained herein, including statements identified by the use of the words “anticipates,” “estimates,” “expects,” “forecasts,” “intends,” “plans,” “predicts,” “projects,” “believes,” “seeks,” “will,” “may” and similar expressions, and statements which are other than statements of historical facts, are “forward-looking statements” as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements. The Company’s expectations, beliefs and projections contained herein are expressed in good faith and are believed to have a reasonable basis, but there can be no assurance that such expectations, beliefs or projections will result or be achieved or accomplished. In addition to other factors, the following are important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements: the Company’s ability to successfully integrate acquired assets, including Shell’s upstream and midstream gathering assets in Pennsylvania, and achieve expected cost synergies; impairments under the SEC’s full cost ceiling test for natural gas and oil reserves; changes in the price of natural gas or oil; the length and severity of the COVID-19 pandemic, including its impacts across our businesses on demand, operations, global supply chains and liquidity; changes in economic conditions, including global, national or regional recessions, and their effect on the demand for, and customers’ ability to pay for, the Company’s products and services; the creditworthiness or performance of the Company’s key suppliers, customers and counterparties; financial and economic conditions, including the availability of credit, and occurrences affecting the Company’s ability to obtain financing on acceptable terms for working capital, capital expenditures and other investments, including any downgrades in the Company’s credit ratings and changes in interest rates and other capital market conditions; changes in laws, regulations or judicial interpretations to which the Company is subject, including those involving derivatives, taxes, safety, employment, climate change, other environmental matters, real property, and exploration and production activities such as hydraulic fracturing; delays or changes in costs or plans with respect to Company projects or related projects of other companies, including disruptions due to COVID-19, as well as difficulties or delays in obtaining necessary governmental approvals, permits or orders or in obtaining the cooperation of interconnecting facility operators; the Company’s ability to complete planned strategic transactions; governmental/regulatory actions, initiatives and proceedings, including those involving rate cases (which address, among other things, target rates of return, rate design and retained natural gas), environmental/safety requirements, affiliate relationships, industry structure, and franchise renewal; changes in price differentials between similar quantities of natural gas or oil sold at different geographic locations, and the effect of such changes on commodity production, revenues and demand for pipeline transportation capacity to or from such locations; the impact of  information technology disruptions, cybersecurity or data security breaches; factors affecting the Company’s ability to successfully identify, drill for and produce economically viable natural gas and oil reserves, including among others geology, lease availability, title disputes, weather conditions, shortages, delays or unavailability of equipment and services required in drilling operations, insufficient gathering, processing and transportation capacity, the need to obtain governmental approvals and permits, and compliance with environmental laws and regulations; increasing health care costs and the resulting effect on health insurance premiums and on the obligation to provide other post-retirement benefits; other changes in price differentials between similar quantities of natural gas or oil having different quality, heating value, hydrocarbon mix or delivery date; the cost and effects of legal and administrative claims against the Company or activist shareholder campaigns to effect changes at the Company; uncertainty of oil and gas reserve estimates; significant differences between the Company’s projected and actual production levels for natural gas or oil; changes in demographic patterns and weather conditions; changes in the availability, price or accounting treatment of derivative financial instruments; changes in laws, actuarial assumptions, the interest rate environment and the return on plan/trust assets related to the Company’s pension and other post-retirement benefits, which can affect future funding obligations and costs and plan liabilities; economic disruptions or uninsured losses resulting from major accidents, fires, severe weather, natural disasters, terrorist activities or acts of war; significant differences between the Company’s projected and actual capital expenditures and operating expenses; increasing costs of insurance, changes in coverage and the ability to obtain insurance. The Company disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date thereof.

Analyst Contact:
                    Kenneth E. Webster
                    716-857-7067
                    
                    Media Contact:
                    Karen L. Merkel        
                    716-857-7654