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Preliminary Results

30th Sep 2008 07:00

RNS Number : 6138E
Rift Oil PLC
30 September 2008
 



For Immediate Release 30 September 2008

Rift Oil plc

("Rift" or "the Company")

Preliminary Results for the year ended 31 March 2008

Rift Oil PLC (AIM : RIFT), the oil and gas exploration company with assets in Papua New Guinea ("PNG"), is pleased to announce its preliminary results for the year ended 31 March 2008.

Operational Highlights

Puk Puk drilled and successfully completed - gas and condensates discovered. Well now testing

Currently completing 210km seismic program with encouraging early results

Agreement with JV partner Austral to assume 100% ownership of JV License areas and the Coral Sea rig for $5 million in June 2008

Heads of agreement signed with Flex LNG for gas sales to floating liquefaction plant offshore Papua New Guinea ("PNG") in June 2008

Preliminary discussions with Rio Tinto Alcan ("Alcan") on Gas Sales Agreement & Heads of Agreement following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding ("MOU") between the companies last year 

Financial Highlights 

Raised £11m in July 07 in private placing 

Additional £5m raised in private placing in June 08 for Austral Acquisition and drilling

Cash balance as at 31 March 2008 of £8.4m (2007 : £1.2m)

Ian Gowrie-Smith, Chairman of Rift, commented :

"Rift has had an exceptional year following the success of Puk Puk and continued expressions of interest to exploit our gas and condensate discoveries in PPL235 in Papua New Guinea ( PNG).

"Rift has been blessed with early success from the discovery of potentially substantial contingent resources of gas and condensate and I remain absolutely confident that we will have an exciting and successful future."

Peter Mikkelsen FGS, AAPG, as the qualified non-executive Director has reviewed this statement and authorised its release.

Further enquiries:

Rift

David Lees, Ian Gowrie-Smith

020 7340 9970

Buchanan Communications

Tim Anderson, Isabel Podda

020 7466 5000

RBC Capital Markets

Andrew Smith, Sarah Wharry

020 7653 4804

  

Chairman's Statement

 

Rift has had an exceptional year following the success of Puk Puk and continued expressions of interest to exploit our gas and condensate discoveries in PPL235 in Papua New Guinea ( PNG). It is clear that PPL235 and in all probability PPL261 are in the middle of a gas/oil fairway, rich in hydrocarbons.

Whilst the Company’s internal current mid case reserves estimate is close to 700 billion cubic feet (BCF), from 3 structures, several other undrilled structures on PPL235 are now highly prospective to be at least gas bearing, with more being delineated by our current seismic program. The current 210km seismic program is progressing well and has produced encouraging early results. Consequently, the Board is confident that PPL235 can deliver over 1 Trillion cubic feet (TCF) to a commercial partner. 

This ignores the potential of the adjoining PPL261 field. Puk Puk is currently being tested to establish commercial flow rates and the results are expected imminently. During initial clean-up flow to flare, of the combined Toro and Lower Hedinia pay intervals, a calculated gas flow rate of 29.2 million cubic feet per day was achieved on a 64/64" choke, at a surface flowing pressure in excess of 1200 psi. A separate flow on the Lower Hedinia alone was measured at 20.85 mmcf/d on 48/64” choke, with a surface flowing pressure of 1732 psi.

The focus now shifts from discovery to exploitation and Rift is extremely lucky that it has a choice of end-user, either delivering gas to Rio Tinto Alcan's Gove Alumina refinery or to FlexLNG's floating liquefaction plant to be located on the PNG coast.

Additionally, Rift is assessing the possibility of stripping the condensates at well head and taking it South to market. The advantage of this would be early cash flow which would not prejudice gas sales as the gas would be re-injected. Subject to actual test results, a preliminary plan forecasts possible production of up to 500 barrels of condensate a day from one well worth roughly US$20m per annum.

Rift is presently in preliminary discussions on a Gas Sales Agreement with Rio Tinto Alcan and a Heads of Agreement to further the prospect of supplying 40 BCF pa. to its Gove facility or approximately 800 BCF over the next 20 years. These discussions follow the signing of a MOU between the companies last year.

It is yet to be determined whether the net price Rio Tinto Alcan would pay (net of pipeline transportation costs) and the volume that they would require would result in a greater or lesser return to Rift shareholders than selling a greater volume via FlexLNG’s floating vessel compression scheme. Studies are underway about the respective appropriate pipeline routes and financial planning modelling is progressing.
 
Demand for LNG is dramatically greater than supply. Rift remains confident that in selecting FlexLNG it has found the partner most likely to be able to get our gas to market as LNG. Prospective "off taker' companies have expressed interest in helping Rift meet its exploration and development challenges over the next 24 months and these are currently being evaluated.
 
As an additional bonus, a major gas pipeline linking a number of gas fields in the Western Province is currently in the planning stage and this could provide further commercialisation opportunities.
 
Given the depressed state of the financial markets at this time, and the extraordinary liquidity of oil/gas producing companies at this time, it is clear that Rift must consider its options of a strategic alliance of some nature to fund future drilling and development requirements. Rift has begun discussions of this nature.
 
Rift has been blessed with early success with the discovery of a commercial prospectively substantial contingent resource of gas and condensate and I remain absolutely confident that we have an exciting successful future.
 

 

 

 

Ian Gowrie-Smith

Chairman

29 September 2008

  Consolidated Income Statement

For the year ended 31 March 2008

Year to

 31 March

Year to

 31 March

2008

2007

£'000

£'000

Notes

Revenue

-

-

Administration expenses

(644)

(403)

Operating loss

(644)

(403)

Finance income 

346

51

Loss before tax

(298)

(352)

Income tax

-

80

Loss for the period attributable to the equity shareholders

(298)

(272)

Loss per share - total and continuing

Basic & diluted (pence per share)

2

(0.051)p

(0.078)p

 

Consolidated Balance Sheet 

As at 31 March 2008

31 March

 31 March

2008

2007

£'000

£'000

Notes

Assets

Non-current assets

Property, plant and equipment

1,485

1,571

Intangible assets

3

12,771

9,564

Total non-current assets

14,256

11,135

Current assets

Trade and other receivables

183

32

Cash and cash equivalents

8,427

1,201

Total current assets

8,610

1,233

Current liabilities

Trade and other payables

(203)

(178)

Total current liabilities

(203)

(178)

Net current assets

8,407

1,055

Net assets

22,663

12,190

Equity

Capital and reserves

Issued capital

6,974

4,041

Share premium

16,482

8,975

Share based payment reserve

57

9

Translation reserve

121

(162)

Retained earnings

(971)

(673)

Total equity

22,663

12,190

The preliminary results were approved by the Board of Directors on 29 September 2008.

  

Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity

For the year ended 31 March 2008

Share capital

Share premium

Shares to be issued

Share based payment reserve

Translation reserve

Retained earnings

Total equity

£'000

£'000

£'000

£'000

£'000

£'000

£'000

At 1 April 2006

360

8,582

573

5

-

(401)

9,119

Exchange differences on translation of foreign operations

(162)

(162)

Net income recognised directly in equity

(162)

(162)

Loss for the period after tax

(272)

(272)

Total recognised income and expense

(162)

(272)

(434)

Issue of shares

1,050

3,249

(573)

3,726

Associated share issue costs

(225)

(225)

Bonus issue of shares

2,631

(2,631)

-

Equity settled share options

4

4

At 31 March 2007

4,041

8,975

-

9

(162)

(673)

12,190

Exchange differences on translation of foreign operations

283

283

Net income recognised directly in equity

283

283

Loss for the period after tax

(298)

(298)

Total recognised income and expense

283

(298)

(15)

Issue of shares

2,933

8,067

11,000

Associated share issue costs

(560)

(560)

Equity settled share options

48

48

At 31 March 2008

6,974

16,482

-

57

121

(971)

22,663

Consolidated Cash Flow Statement

For the year ended 31 March 2008

Year to

 31 March

Year to

 31 March

2008

2007

£'000

£'000

Cash flows from operating activities

Loss before tax

(298)

(352)

Adjustments for:

Depreciation

94

81

Share option charge

48

4

Finance income

(346)

(51)

(Increase)/decrease in trade and other receivables

(151)

28

Increase/(decrease) in trade and other payables

25

(70)

Net cash used in operating activities

(628)

(360)

Cash flows from investing activities

Interest received

346

51

Payments for property plant and equipment

(17)

(334)

Payments for intangible assets

(3,207)

(2,347)

Net cash used in investing activities

(2,878)

(2,630)

Cash flows from financing activities

Proceeds from issue of equity shares

11,000

3,726

Issue costs

(560)

(225)

Net cash generated by financing activities

10,440

3,501

Net increase in cash and cash equivalents

6,934

511

Foreign exchange movements

292

(162)

Cash and cash equivalents at the start of the period

1,201

852

Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the period

8,427

1,201

 

Notes to the Preliminary Results

Publication Of Non Statutory Accounts

The financial information set out in this preliminary announcement does not constitute statutory accounts as defined in section 240 of the Companies Act 1985.

The consolidated balance sheet at 31 March 2008 and the consolidated income statement, consolidated statement of changes in equity, consolidated cash flow statement and associated notes for the year then ended have been extracted from the Group's 2008 statutory financial statements upon which the auditors opinion is unqualified and does not include any statement under Section 237 of the Companies Act 1985.

Those financial statements have not yet been delivered to the registrar of companies.

 

1. Basis of preparation

The consolidated financial statements are for the year ended 31 March 2008, have been prepared under the historical cost convention and are presented in sterling rounded to the nearest thousand (£000). They have been prepared in compliance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and International Financial Reporting Interpretations Committee (IFRIC) interpretations as adopted by the European Union as at 31 March 2008.

In the current year, as required by AIM rules, the Group has adopted International Financial Reporting Standards for the first time. The opening IFRS balance sheet as at the date of transition on 1 April 2006 has been prepared with regard to IFRS 1 'First time adoption' and the most significant optional exemptions adopted are shown below:-

 

a) IAS 21 The effects of foreign exchange differences
Cumulative translation differences which exist at the time of the transition can be transferred into the retained earnings and the foreign exchange reserve therefore shows only differences arising after transition (IFRS 1 ‘First time adoption of IFRS’).
b) IFRS 3 Business combinations
Business combinations prior to the date of transition to IFRS need not be restated (IFRS 1 ‘First time adoption of IFRS’). Goodwill is no longer amortised and becomes subject to annual impairment review.
c) IFRS 2 Share based payments
Share based payments have been valued under IFRS 2 for share options not vested by 1 April 2006.

Please refer to note 5 for the details of the adjustments required to present the accounts under IFRS. The accounting policies used have been consistently applied from the transition balance sheet and throughout all periods presented in the first IFRS financial statements.

  

2. Loss per share

Year to

 31 March

Year to

 31 March

2008

2007

£'000

£'000

Loss for the year attributable to equity shareholders

(298)

(272)

Pence per share

Pence per share

Basic and diluted loss per share

(0.051)

(0.078)

Shares

Shares

Issued ordinary shares at start of the period

404,111,999

36,040,000

Ordinary shares issued in the period

293,333,333

368,071,999

Issued ordinary shares at end of the period

697,445,332

404,111,999

Weighted average number of shares in issue for the period.

586,042,782

349,938,000

The diluted loss per share does not differ from the basic loss per share as the exercise of share options would have the effect of reducing the loss per share and is therefore not dilutive under the terms of IAS 33.

 

3. Intangible assets

Exploration and evaluation assets

£'000

Cost

1 April 2006

7,133

Additions

2,431

Cost and net book value at 31 March 2007

9,564

1 April 2007

9,564

Additions

3,207

Cost and net book value at 31 March 2008

12,771

4. Events after the balance sheet date

Termination of joint venture

On 23 May 2008, Rift announced that it had reached an out of court settlement with Austral resulting in the termination of the joint venture agreement between the two parties and Rift assuming 100% ownership of Licenses PPL 261 and PPL 235 and the Coral Sea Drilling Rig for a total payment of US$5m. 

Issue of shares

In May 2008 the Company raised £5,165,650 by issuing 98,393,348 at an issue price of 5.25 pence per share. 

  

5. IFRS transitional adjustments

First time adoption

From 1 April 2006 the Group has adopted International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) in the preparation of its financial statements.

The main items contributing to the change in financial information compared with that reported under UK GAAP and the exemptions on transition taken as at the transition date are shown below:

 

a) IAS 21 ‘The effects of changes in foreign exchange rates' Under UK GAAP the Group reported differences in exchange rates on consolidation within retained earnings. Under IFRS the Group has claimed the exemption from retrospective application of IAS 21 and is now required to show all post transition differences on consolidation as a separate item within equity.
b) IFRS 2 Share based payments Share based payments have been adopted for share options granted after 7 November 2002 and not vested by 1 April 2006.

Rift's annual report and accounts have been posted to shareholders and are available form the Company's website http://www.riftoil.com/

This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
 
END
 
 
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