Independent oil and gas company with exploration and production interests in Iraq, Genel Energy's chief executive Paul Weir shared his views on a statement regarding the company's audited results for the year ended 31 December 2023
Weir said, "We have continued the journey that we commenced in 2022 to, firstly, refocus the business on areas where it can be profitable and deliver shareholder value and, secondly, optimise the organisation to create a reshaped and resilient business with the potential for transformational value accretion through several catalysts.
"We are a leaner, simplified company that retains clear objectives – generating resilient and sustainable cash flows, diversifying our income through the addition of new assets, and maintaining a strong balance sheet.
"We have reduced our workforce and cut costs significantly, exited the Sarta and Qara Dagh licences, worked with our operating partner to develop a new income stream from local sales, and spent considerable time defending our contractual rights under the Bina Bawi and Miran PSCs, where we invested over US$1.4bn before their termination in December 2021.
"These actions mean that we are now well positioned in 2024, with a reshaped and resilient business and a strong balance sheet. In the absence of value accretive M&A, we expect to maintain net cash of more than US$100mn even if the suspension of exports continues to the end of the year.
"Genel has established a sound platform from which to spring forward. The re-opening of the pipeline has the potential to more than double cash generation. We expect to recover the US$107mn of overdue receivables, and we have the capacity and intent to acquire new assets. On the Miran and Bina Bawi oil and gas assets arbitration, having now completed the evidential hearing, our views on the merits of our case are unchanged since the arbitration was launched in December 2021."
