Aker BP ASA Offer to Purchase For Cash Any and All of the Outstanding 2025 Notes and Offer to Purchase for Cash an Amount Subject to the Capped Maximum Amount of the Outstanding January 2026 Notes and July 2026 Notes
NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, TO ANY PERSON LOCATED OR RESIDENT IN ANY JURISDICTION WHERE TO DO SO WOULD CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF THE RELEVANT LAWS OF SUCH JURISDICTION.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS FOR INFORMATION ONLY AND IS NOT AN OFFER TO PURCHASE OR A SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO SELL ANY SECURITIES.
LYSAKER, Norway, June 7, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Aker BP ASA (the "Company") incorporated as public limited liability company (Nw. allmennaksjeselskap) under the laws of Norway, is offering to purchase for cash any and all of its outstanding 3.000% Senior Notes due 2025 (the "2025 Notes") validly tendered on or before the Any and All Expiration Date (the "Any and All Tender Offer").
In addition, the Company is offering to purchase for cash Capped Tender Offer Notes (as defined below) up to an amount corresponding to a combined aggregate Total Consideration and/or Late Tender Offer Consideration, as applicable, (each as defined below) (in each case excluding Accrued Interest payable in respect of Capped Tender Offer Notes validly tendered equal to U.S.$500 million less the aggregate Total Consideration (excluding Accrued Interest) applied in connection with the Any and All Tender Offer (the "Capped Maximum Amount") in the following order of priority:
- in the first instance, to the extent the Capped Maximum Amount has not been exceeded, 2.875% Senior Notes due 2026 issued by the Company (the "January 2026 Notes") which are validly tendered on or before the Early Tender Date (as defined below);
- in the second instance, to the extent the Capped Maximum Amount has not been exceeded, 2.000% Senior Notes due 2026 issued by the Company (with Lundin Energy Finance B.V. as original issuer) (the "July 2026 Notes", together with the January 2026 Notes, the "Capped Tender Offer Notes") which are validly tendered on or before the Early Tender Date;
- in the third instance, to the extent the Capped Maximum Amount has not been exceeded, January 2026 Notes which are validly tendered after the Early Tender Date but on or before the Capped Tender Offers Expiration Date; and
- finally, to the extent the Capped Maximum Amount has not been exceeded, July 2026 Notes which are validly tendered after the Early Tender Date but on or before the Capped Tender Offers Expiration Date.
As set out above, and for the avoidance of doubt, all Capped Tender Offer Notes validly tendered on or before the Early Tender Date shall be accepted in priority to Capped Tender Offer Notes validly tendered after the Early Tender Date but on or before the Capped Tender Offers Expiration Date. To the extent Capped Tender Offer Notes validly tendered on or before the Early Tender Date would cause the Capped Maximum Amount to be exceeded, then no Capped Tender Offer Notes tendered after the Early Tender Date shall be accepted.
The 2025 Notes and the Capped Tender Offer Notes are herein referred to as the "Notes". The offers to purchase the Capped Tender Offer Notes are herein referred to as the "Capped Tender Offers" and each a "Capped Tender Offer". The Capped Tender Offers together with the Any and All Tender Offer are herein referred to as the "Offers" and each an "Offer".
The purpose of the Offers, together with the proposed offering of the Senior Notes by the Company announced on the date hereof (the "Proposed New Notes Offering"), is to proactively manage the Company's debt portfolio and to extend the average maturity profile of the Company's existing debt. There can be no assurance that the Proposed New Notes Offering will be consummated, nor that the Proposed New Notes Offering will be consummated on the terms and amount stated herein or in the offering memorandum thereto. Consummation of each Offer is subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions, including, without limitation, the pricing of no less than $1,000 million in aggregate principal amount of the Proposed New Notes Offering (the "New Financing Condition") and the conditions set out in the Offer to Purchase dated June 7, 2023 relating to the Offers (the "Offer to Purchase"). Subject to applicable law, the Company reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to waive any and all conditions to any or all of the Offers, including to increase the Capped Maximum Amount. Capitalized terms used in this announcement but not defined herein have the meanings given to them in the Offer to Purchase.
Allocations in the Proposed New Notes Offering will be determined by the Company and the Dealer Managers in their sole discretion based on a number of different factors, which may include an assessment of an investor's long-term interest in owning the Company's debt securities and the size and timing of such investor's indication of interest in the concurrent offering and in the Offers. However, neither the Company nor the Dealer Managers are obligated to consider participation in the Offers in making an allocation determination with respect to any particular investor.
The following tables summarize certain information regarding the Offers:
Any and All Tender Offer by the Company for Notes Listed Below |
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Title of |
CUSIP/ISIN |
Maturity Date |
Principal Amount |
U.S. |
Bloomberg |
Fixed Spread |
Aker BP ASA |
00973RAE3 /
R0139KAA8 / |
January 15, 2025 |
U.S.$500,000,000 |
4.250% U.S. |
FIT1 |
105 bps |
Capped Tender Offer by the Company for Capped Tender Offer Notes |
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Title of |
CUSIP/ISIN |
Principal Amount |
Maturity |
U.S. |
Bloomberg |
Fixed |
Early |
Acceptance |
Aker BP ASA |
00973RAG8 / US00973RAG83
R0139KAC4/ USR0139KAC47 |
U.S.$500,000,000 |
January 15, |
3.625% |
FIT1 |
110 bps |
U.S.$50.00 |
1st Priority if |
Aker BP ASA |
55037AAA6 /US55037AAA60
N5369RAA7 /USN5369RAA79 |
U.S.$1,000,000,000 |
July 15, |
3.625% |
FIT1 |
115 bps |
U.S.$50.00 |
2nd Priority if |
__________________________
Notes:
(1) |
As at the date of the Offer to Purchase. |
(2) |
The Total Consideration (as defined below) for Capped Tender Offer Notes validly tendered prior to or at the Early Tender Date (as defined below) and accepted for purchase is calculated using the applicable Fixed Spread (as defined below) and when calculated in such manner is already inclusive of the Early Tender Payment equal to the applicable amount set forth in the second table above. Capped Tender Offer Notes validly tendered after the Early Tender Date but prior to or at the Capped Tender Offers Expiration Date will be eligible to receive the Late Tender Offer Consideration, which is equal to the Total Consideration minus the Early Tender Payment. |
(3) |
The Company is offering to purchase Capped Tender Offer Notes for an aggregate Total Consideration and/or Late Tender Offer Consideration, as applicable, (in each case excluding Accrued Interest) up to and including the Capped Maximum Amount. If the aggregate Total Consideration and/or Late Tender Offer Consideration, as applicable, (in each case excluding Accrued Interest) required for Capped Tender Offer Notes validly tendered in the Offers exceeds the Capped Maximum Amount, the Company will accept such Notes in accordance with the acceptance priority levels set forth above (the "Acceptance Priority Levels"). |
The Any and All Tender Offer will expire at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on June 13, 2023 unless the Company extends the Any and All Tender Offer (such date and time, the "Any and All Expiration Date"). The withdrawal deadline for the Any and All Tender Offer will be 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on June 13, 2023 (the "Any and All Withdrawal Deadline"), unless extended by the Company. Following the Any and All Expiration Date, the Company will accept 2025 Notes validly tendered at or prior to the Any and All Expiration Date (including those validly tendered by the guaranteed delivery procedures set forth in the Offer to Purchase) provided that all conditions set forth in the Offer to Purchase have been satisfied or waived by the Company and such accepted 2025 Notes will be settled promptly thereafter (the "Any and All Settlement Date"). It is anticipated that the Any and All Settlement Date for the 2025 Notes will be June 16, 2023, the third business day after the Any and All Expiration Date.
Concurrent with and in the same announcement of the results of the Any and All Tender Offer by the Company, the Company will announce the Capped Maximum Amount.
Holders of Capped Tender Offer Notes that are validly tendered and not validly withdrawn at or prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on June 21, 2023 (the "Early Tender Date") and accepted for purchase will be eligible to receive the applicable Total Consideration. The Company will accept such Capped Tender Offer Notes validly tendered up to the Capped Maximum Amount, subject to the Acceptance Priority Level and proration, at or prior to the Early Tender Date provided that all conditions set forth in the Offer to Purchase have been satisfied or waived by the Company and such accepted Capped Tender Offer Notes will be settled promptly thereafter (the "Capped Tender Offers Early Settlement Date"). It is anticipated that the Capped Tender Offers Early Settlement Date will be June 23, 2023, the second business day after the Early Tender Date.
Each Capped Tender Offer will expire at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on July 7, 2023, or any other date and time to which the Company extends such Capped Tender Offer (such date and time, as it may be extended with respect to a Capped Tender Offer, the "Capped Tender Offers Expiration Date"). The withdrawal deadline for the Capped Tender Offer will be 5:00 p.m., New York City time, June 21, 2023 (the "Capped Tender Offer Withdrawal Deadline"), unless extended by the Company. Holders of any Capped Tender Offer Notes that are validly tendered after the Early Tender Date but prior to or at the Capped Tender Offers Expiration Date and that are accepted for purchase will receive the applicable Late Tender Offer Consideration (as defined below). The Company will accept such Capped Tender Offer Notes validly tendered up to the Capped Maximum Amount, subject to the Acceptance Priority Level and proration, at or prior to the Capped Tender Offers Expiration Date provided that all conditions set forth in the Offer to Purchase have been satisfied or waived by the Company and such accepted Capped Tender Offer Notes will be settled promptly thereafter (the "Capped Tender Offers Final Settlement Date"). It is anticipated that the Capped Tender Offers Final Settlement Date for the Capped Tender Offer Notes will be July 11, 2023, the second business day after the Capped Tender Offers Expiration Date.
Such acceptance for the relevant series of Capped Tender Offer Notes subject to proration will be calculated by multiplying the principal amount of the relevant Capped Tender Offer Notes, represented by each tender instruction in respect of such series of Capped Tender Offer Notes requiring proration by a Scaling Factor. The Company will make any such calculations on or about the Early Tender Date and on or about the Capped Tender Offers Expiration Date, as applicable. Accordingly, Capped Tender Offer Notes will be prorated separately at each of the Early Tender Date and Capped Tender Offers Expiration Date, as applicable. For further details and conditions of proration, please see the section titled "The Offers – Acceptance Priority; Proration" in the Offer to Purchase.
The "Total Consideration" payable for each series of Notes will be a price per U.S.$1,000 principal amount of such series of Notes equal to an amount (rounded to the nearest cent, with half a cent rounded upwards), calculated in accordance with Appendix B of the Offer to Purchase and with reference to the Any and All Settlement Date or Capped Tender Offers Early Settlement Date, as applicable, that would reflect a yield to the applicable maturity date or par call date, as applicable, of such series of Notes equal to the sum of (i) the Reference Yield (as defined below) for such series, determined at 11:00 a.m. (New York City time), on the Any and All Expiration Date in the case of the Any and All Tender Offer and 11:00 a.m. (New York City time) on the business day following the Early Tender Date in the case of the Capped Tender Offers plus (ii) the fixed spread applicable to such series, as set forth in the tables above (the "Fixed Spread"). The "Reference Yield" means the bid side yield to maturity (rounded to the nearest 0.001% with 0.0005% rounded upwards), determined in accordance with market convention, of the applicable U.S. Treasury reference security listed in the tables above (the "Reference Security") for such series, based on the bid side price for the relevant Reference Securities as reporting on the relevant Bloomberg Reference Page (that appears in the two tables above) at the applicable price determination date, as the case may be. The sum of the Fixed Spread and the Reference Yield is referred to as the "Repurchase Yield". The Total Consideration, as calculated using the Fixed Spread for each series of Capped Tender Offer Notes set forth in the second table above, includes the Early Tender Payment. Holders of any Capped Tender Offer Notes that are validly tendered after the Early Tender Date but prior to or at the Capped Tender Offers Expiration Date and that are accepted for purchase will receive the applicable Total Consideration minus an amount in cash equal to the applicable amount set forth in the second table above under the heading "Early Tender Payment" (the "Early Tender Payment"). The Total Consideration minus the Early Tender Payment is referred to as the "Late Tender Offer Consideration."
In addition to the Total Consideration or the Late Tender Offer Consideration, as applicable, all Holders of Notes validly tendered and accepted for purchase will also receive accrued and unpaid interest on such Notes from, and including, the applicable last interest payment date up to, but not including, the Any and All Settlement Date, the Capped Tender Offers Early Settlement Date or the Capped Tender Offers Final Settlement Date (each as defined below), as applicable ("Accrued Interest"), payable on the Any and All Settlement Date, the Capped Tender Offers Early Settlement Date or the Capped Tender Offers Final Settlement Date (each, a "Settlement Date"), as applicable.
The Offer to Purchase sets out the full terms of the Offers. Copies of the Offer to Purchase are available from the Information and Tender Agents at the telephone number or e- mail address set out below. Holders may also contact the Dealer Managers at the telephone numbers or addresses set out below for information concerning the Offers. Holders may also contact their broker, dealer, commercial bank or trust company or other nominee for assistance concerning the Offers.
DEALER MANAGERS |
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Citigroup Global Markets Limited Citigroup Center Canada Square, Canary Wharf London, E14 5LB United Kingdom Attention: Liability Management Group Europe: +44 20 7986 8969 U.S. Toll-Free: +1 (800) 558 3745 U.S.: +1 (212) 723 6106 Email: [email protected] |
Credit Agricole Securities (USA) Inc. 1301 Avenue of the Americas, 8th Floor New York, New York 10019, United States of America Attention: Liability Management Tel (U.S. Toll Free): +1 (866) 807-6030 Email: [email protected] |
DNB Markets, Inc. 30 Hudson Yards, 81st Floor, New York, New York, 10001 United States of America Attention: Bond Sales Desk Tel: +1 212 681 3800 |
ING Financial Markets LLC 1133 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10036 United States of America Attention: Liability Management Europe: +44 20 7767 6784 U.S.: + 1 (646) 424 8972 Email: [email protected] |
J.P. Morgan Securities LLC 383 Madison Avenue New York, New York 10179 Attention: Liability Management Group Collect: +1 (212) 834-4045 Toll-Free: +1 (866) 834-4666 |
MUFG Securities Americas Inc. 1221 Avenue of the Americas, 6th Floor New York, New York 10020 Attention: Liability Management U.S.: +1 (212) 405-7481 Toll-Free: +1 (877) 744-4532 Europe: +44 207 628 5555 / +33 1 70 91 42 55 Email: [email protected] |
THE INFORMATION AND TENDER AGENT |
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D.F. King & Co., Inc. 48 Wall Street, 22nd Floor New York, New York 10005 Banks and brokers call: (212) 269-5550 All others call toll free: (800) 549-6864 Email: [email protected] |
The Offer to Purchase and any other relevant notice and documents with respect to the Offers will be available at www.dfking.com/aker, operated by the Information and Tender Agent for the purpose of the Offers.
OFFER RESTRICTIONS
General
This announcement is not an Offer to Purchase any Notes or a solicitation of an offer to sell any Notes. The Offer is being made solely by means of the Offer to Purchase. Neither the Company, the Dealer Managers nor the Information and Tender Agent makes any recommendation as to whether Holders should tender any or all of their Notes for payment pursuant to the Offers.
The distribution of this announcement and the Offer to Purchase is restricted by law in certain jurisdictions. Persons into whose possession this announcement or the Offer to Purchase comes are required by the Companies, the Dealer Managers and the Information and Tender Agent to inform themselves of and to observe any such restrictions.
Neither this announcement nor the Offer to Purchase constitutes, nor may they be used in connection with, an offer to buy Notes or a solicitation to sell Notes by anyone in any jurisdiction in which such an offer or solicitation is not authorized or in which the person making such an offer or solicitation is not qualified to do so or to any person to whom it is unlawful to make an offer or a solicitation. Neither the Company, the Dealer Managers nor the Information and Tender Agent accepts any responsibility for any violation by any person of the restrictions applicable in any jurisdiction.
European Economic Area
The Offers are not being made in any Member State of the European Economic Area, other than to persons who are "qualified investors" as defined in Regulation (EU) No 2017/1129 (as amended, the "Prospectus Regulation"), or in other circumstances falling within Article 1(4) of the Prospectus Regulation. This EEA selling restriction is in addition to any other selling restrictions set out in this Offer to Purchase.
United Kingdom
The communication of this announcement and the Offer to Purchase by the Company and any other documents or materials relating to the Offers is not being made, and such documents and/or materials have not been approved, by an authorized person for the purposes of section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (the "FSMA"), as amended. Accordingly, such documents and/or materials are not being distributed to, and must not be passed on to, the general public in the United Kingdom. The communication of such documents and/or materials as a financial promotion is only being made to those persons in the United Kingdom falling within the definition of investment professionals (as defined in Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (the "Order")), persons who are within Article 43(2) of the Order, persons who are qualified investors of the kind described in Article 49(2)(a) to (d) (high net worth companies, unincorporated associations, etc.), persons who otherwise fall within an exemption set forth in the Order such that section 21(1) of the FSMA does not apply or any other persons to whom the Offers may otherwise lawfully be made under the Order and all other applicable securities laws.
Italy
None of the Offers, the Offer to Purchase or any other document or materials relating to the Offers have been or will be submitted to the clearance procedures of the Commissione Nazionale per le Società e la Borsa ("CONSOB") pursuant to Italian laws and regulations. The Offers are being carried out in Italy as exempted offers pursuant to article 101-bis, paragraph 3-bis of the Legislative Decree No. 58 of 24 February 1998, as amended (the "Financial Services Act") and article 35-bis, paragraph 4 of CONSOB Regulation No. 11971 of 14 May 1999, as amended. Holders or beneficial owners of the Notes that are located in Italy can tender Notes for purchase in the Offers through authorized persons (such as investment firms, banks or financial intermediaries permitted to conduct such activities in the Republic of Italy in accordance with the Financial Services Act, CONSOB Regulation No. 16190 of 29 October 2007, as amended from time to time, and Legislative Decree No. 385 of 1 September 1993, as amended) and in compliance with applicable laws and regulations or with requirements imposed by CONSOB or any other Italian authority.
Each intermediary must comply with the applicable laws and regulations concerning information duties vis-à-vis its clients in connection with the Notes and/or the Offers.
France
The Offers are not being made, directly or indirectly, to the public in the Republic of France ("France"). Neither this announcement nor the Offer to Purchase nor any other document or material relating to the Offers has been or shall be distributed to the public in France and only (i) providers of investment services relating to portfolio management for the account of third parties (personnes fournissant le service d'investissement de gestion de portefeuille pour compte de tiers) and/or (ii) qualified investors (investisseurs qualifiés), acting for their own account, with the exception of individuals, within the meaning ascribed to them in, and in accordance with, Articles L.411-1, L.411-2 and D.411-1 of the French Code monétaire et financier, and applicable regulations thereunder, are eligible to participate in the Offers. This announcement, the Offer to Purchase and any other documents or offering materials relating to the Offers have not been and will not be submitted for clearance to nor approved by the Autorité des Marchés Financiers.
Belgium
Neither this announcement nor the Offer to Purchase nor any other documents or materials relating to the Offers have been submitted to or will be submitted for approval or recognition to the Belgian Financial Services and Markets Authority (Autoriteit voor financiële diensten en markten / Autorité des services et marchés financiers) and, accordingly, the Offers may not be made in Belgium by way of a public offering, as defined in Articles 3 and 6 of the Belgian Law of 1 April 2007 on public takeover bids as amended or replaced from time to time. Accordingly, the Offers may not be advertised and the Offers will not be extended, and neither this announcement nor the Offer to Purchase nor any other documents or materials relating to the Offers (including any memorandum, information circular, brochure or any similar documents) have been or shall be distributed or made available, directly or indirectly, to any person in Belgium other than "qualified investors" in the sense of Article 10 of the Belgian Law of 16 June 2006 on the public offer of placement instruments and the admission to trading of placement instruments on regulated markets, acting on their own account. Insofar as Belgium is concerned, this announcement and the Offer to Purchase have been issued only for the personal use of the above qualified investors and exclusively for the purpose of the Offers. Accordingly, the information contained in this announcement and the Offer to Purchase may not be used for any other purpose or disclosed to any other person in Belgium.
Switzerland
Neither this announcement, the Offer to Purchase nor any other offering or marketing material relating to the Notes constitutes an offer or solicitation to purchase or invest in the Notes described herein. The Notes may not be publicly offered, sold or advertised, directly or indirectly, in, into or from Switzerland and will not be listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange or on any other exchange or regulated trading facility in Switzerland. Neither the Offer to Purchase nor any other offering or marketing material relating to the Offer to Purchase or this announcement or the Notes constitutes a prospectus or a key information document within the meaning of articles 35 and 58 of the Swiss Financial Services Act ("FinSA"), and neither this announcement, nor the Offer to Purchase nor any other offering or marketing material relating to the Offer to Purchase or the Notes may be publicly distributed or otherwise made publicly available in Switzerland. In particular, none of this announcement, the Offer to Purchase or any other document produced in connection with this announcement, the Offer to Purchase or the Notes have been or will be approved by a Swiss review body (Prospektprüfstelle) according to article 52 FinSA, or by the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority FINMA under the Swiss Collective Investment Schemes Act.
Norway
This announcement and the Offer to Purchase has not been and will not be filed with or approved by the Norwegian Financial Supervisory Authority (Nw. Finanstilsynet), the Oslo Stock Exchange (Nw. Oslo børs) or any other regulatory authority in Norway. The Notes have not been offered or sold and may not be offered, sold or delivered, directly or indirectly, in Norway, unless in compliance with Chapter 7 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act of June 29, 2007 No. 75 (Nw. verdipapirhandelloven) and secondary regulations issued pursuant thereto, as amended or replaced from time to time (the "Securities Trading Act"). Accordingly, this announcement and the Offer to Purchase may not be made available nor may the Notes otherwise be marketed and offered for sale in Norway other than in circumstances that are deemed not to be a marketing of an offer to the public in Norway in accordance with the Securities Trading Act.
SOURCE Aker BP ASA
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