Pre-close trading update

WOOD GROUP (JOHN) PLC - Pre-close trading update

PR Newswire

London, December 12

13 December 2012

John Wood Group PLC ("Wood Group")

Pre-close trading update

John Wood Group PLC ("Wood Group") issues the following pre-close tradingupdate for the year to 31 December 2012. Full year results will be announced on5 March 2013.

Overall, conditions in energy markets remain favourable. The Group expects todeliver good growth for the year in line with expectations.

Our Engineering division is performing well and continues to anticipate that2012 EBITA will be up over 30%. Headcount was 10,300 at the end of November. Inupstream, work is progressing on the Ichthys and Mafumeira Sul projects inAustralia and Angola respectively, and we remain active on a number of offshoreprojects in the Gulf of Mexico including Hadrian and Lucius. In the Canadianoil sands market we anticipate some reduction in activity in 2013. In subseaand pipelines, we are particularly active in the North Sea and the North WestShelf of Australia, and continue to see good activity levels in onshorepipelines in North America. In downstream, the market outlook remains generallysubdued, albeit we have seen some improvement in performance in the secondhalf.

In Wood Group PSN, growth for the year is underpinned by strong performance inthe North Sea and in North America, particularly in the US shale regions wherewe completed the acquisition of Mitchell's in North Dakota during October. InOman, we have taken steps on a number of key matters to improve performance onour contract with PDO. Losses for the year are expected to be around $20m and,subject to further progress, we anticipate significantly reduced losses on thecontract in 2013 and that 2014 will be profitable. Elsewhere, we remain activein a number of other international locations including Africa, the Caspian andAustralia.

In Wood Group GTS, performance in our Maintenance business has benefitted fromthe contribution from our oil & gas related activities. In Power Solutions, wehave recognised reduced margins on our contract with GWF which is nowsubstantially complete and continue to make good progress on the Dorad contractwhich is scheduled to complete in the fourth quarter of 2013. We have recentlycommenced work on contracts with NRG Energy and Pasadena Water & Power and aretracking further opportunities, albeit delays in awards continue.

Overall, performance for 2012 is anticipated to be in line with expectations.We anticipate further good growth in 2013 and remain confident in the longerterm prospects for the Group's market leading services in oil & gas and gasfired power generation markets.

Conference Call

A telephone conference call for analysts will be held at 9am today; participantdial-in details below:

UK : 0844 800 3850

International : +44 844 800 3850

Passcode : 389 325

(Note: Participants from a limited number of international locations whoexperience problems accessing the call using the numbers above should dial +44 207 762 6301).

Wood Group is an international energy services company with over $6bn revenues,employing over 42,000 people and operating in 50 countries. The Group has threebusinesses - Engineering, Wood Group PSN and Wood Group GTS - providing a rangeof engineering, production support, maintenance management and industrial gasturbine overhaul and repair services to the oil & gas, and power generationindustries worldwide.

Brunswick

Patrick Handley/ Rosheeka Field 020 7404 5959