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Dolphin Energy Attracts US$ 4 Billion in Financing
Deal Includes Largest Ever Islamically Structured Oil and Gas Facility
Dolphin Energy Limited today confirmed that it has secured US$ 4 billion in binding financing commitments from 25 national, Islamic, and international financing institutions for its forthcoming gas project.
The Dolphin Gas Project is a unique strategic regional energy initiative scheduled to come on stream at the end of 2006. It involves the development of substantial natural gas reserves from Qatar’s offshore North Field, their processing onshore at Qatar’s Ras Laffan – and transportation by export pipeline of up to 3.2 billion cubic feet a day (bcf/d) capacity of refined natural gas to the UAE.
Commenting on the overwhelming response from the market, Dolphin CEO Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh said: “The financial markets, for both Islamic financing and the conventional lending, have made a strong statement about the confidence they have in Dolphin Energy and the vision for regional energy integration behind it.”
Dolphin will accept approximately US$ 3.5 billion of the four year commitments offered, which will cover the construction costs of the project in line with its scheduled completion in late 2006. The conventional lending facility amounts to US$ 2.45 billion and the Islamic financing is expected to be US$ 1 billion.
The Islamic facility will innovatively combine two Sharia’a compliant financing techniques, an Ijara (Sale-Leaseback of operational assets) and an Istisna’a (Forward Lease of assets not yet in service).
Mr Al Sayegh said: “We are especially proud to offer Islamic institutions the opportunity to participate in the US$ 1 billion facility, the largest ever Islamically structured oil and gas financing. We are particularly pleased that our lead banks are making a special point to invite Islamic investors from across the Middle East and Asia to join the financing.”
There is overall pricing equivalence between the Islamic and conventional facilities. The per annum margin above Libor on each facility is 0.35% for the first two years, and 0.45% for years three and four.
Commenting on the pricing, Mr Al Sayegh added: “The attractive pricing on our facilities demonstrates just how much confidence the market places in our capabilities, our vision, and the strength of our shareholders, Mubadala Development Company, Total and Occidental Petroleum.”
The conventional facility of US$ 2.45 billion is led by 15 Mandated Lead Arrangers:
- National Bank of Abu Dhabi, Facility Agent
- Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, Documentation Bank
- Barclays Capital, Co-Documentation Bank
- First Gulf Bank, On-Shore Security Trustee
- HSBC, Off-Shore Security Trustee
- Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi
- Bayerische Landesbank
- Calyon
- Export Development Canada (EDC)
- Mizuho
- Royal Bank of Scotland
- Societe General
- Sumitomo-Mitsui Banking
- Qatar National Bank
- WestLB AG
The other conventional lenders are: ABC Banking, Arab Bank, BNP Paribas, Lloyd’s TSB, and Standard Chartered Bank.
The Islamic Mandated Lead Arrangers are: ABN Amro - Security Trustee, BNP Paribas - Documentation Bank, Citibank - Bookrunner, Dubai Islamic - Bookrunner, Gulf International Bank - Facility Agent.
Dolphin Energy Limited
Dolphin Energy Limited was created to develop substantial energy projects throughout the GCC. Its objective is to create long-term economic wealth and new business opportunities for GCC citizens, far into the future. Dolphin Energy’s major strategic initiative, the Dolphin Project, involves the production and processing of natural gas from Qatar’s North Field, and transportation of the dry gas by sub-sea pipeline across joint UAE-Qatari waters to the UAE, beginning in 2006.
Dolphin Energy’s first initiative, the Al Ain to Fujairah Pipeline, came on stream in January 2004.The pipeline supplies the Fujairah Water and Power Plant on the UAE’s East Coast – initially with natural gas from Oman, and subsequently with Dolphin gas from Qatar. In May 2005, Dolphin began to supply natural gas to the UAE Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah. The gas is being delivered via a tie-in near Qidfa between Dolphin’s Al Ain - Fujairah pipeline and the existing Emarat gas pipeline network.
Dolphin Energy is owned 51 percent by Mubadala Development Company, on behalf of the Government of Abu Dhabi – and 24.5 percent each by Total of France and Occidental Petroleum of the USA.
Detailed information about Dolphin Energy can be found on www.dolphinenergy.com
For further information contact:
Mirna Hijazi
Corporate Communications Manager
Tel +971 2 6995500
Fax +971 2 6995578