HOUSTON and FORT WORTH, Texas, June 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Independence Energy, LLC and Contango Oil & Gas Company (NYSE American: MCF) today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement to combine in an all-stock transaction. The combination, which was unanimously approved by both companies’ Boards of Directors, will create a premier, diversified and low leverage U.S. independent oil and gas company focused on consolidation.
Independence is a diversified, well-capitalized upstream oil and gas business built and managed by KKR’s Energy Real Assets team with a scaled portfolio of low-decline, producing assets with meaningful reinvestment opportunities for low-risk growth across the Eagle Ford, Rockies, Permian and Mid-Continent. Since 2011, KKR’s Energy Real Assets team has been executing on a consistent cash flow and risk-based strategy, complemented by deep industry expertise, responsible investment practices and the broader capabilities of KKR’s global platform. KKR is a leading global investment firm investing in a diverse range of energy sources and committed to investing in a stable energy transition, one that supports the energy needs of today in a responsible manner while also contributing to a cleaner tomorrow.
Contango is a Fort Worth, Texas based, independent oil and gas company whose business is to maximize production and cash flow from its portfolio of low-decline, producing assets primarily in the Mid-Continent, Permian, and Rockies areas. Contango has a proven track record of complementing that production and cash flow via acquisitions, having completed four significant acquisitions in the last 18 months.
Upon completion of the transaction, Independence shareholders will own approximately 76 percent and Contango shareholders will own approximately 24 percent of the combined company. Based on Contango’s closing stock price of $5.62 on June 7, 2021, and pursuant to the terms of the proposed transaction, the combined company will have an initial equity market capitalization of approximately $4.8 billion and enterprise value of approximately $5.7 billion.
Transaction Highlights
- Positions the combined company to be a leading consolidator in the U.S. oil and gas industry through increased scale, improved access to capital, low leverage and a successful, proven management team
- The combined company is positioned to be KKR’s primary platform for pursuing upstream oil and natural gas opportunities
- Projected to be highly accretive to financial metrics, including ~15% and ~50% accretive to Contango’s 2021E and 2022E cash flow per share, respectively, based on current management assumptions
- Projected to provide preliminary 2022 estimated Adj. EBITDA of $750MM – $800MM and unlevered Free Cash Flow of $375MM – $400MM, with ~75% of expected 2022 cash flow attributable to PDP2
- Balanced portfolio of cash flowing assets and attractive, low-risk reinvestment opportunities in key proven basins across the Lower 48
- Low leverage with pro forma Net Debt / NTM Adj. EBITDA of 1.4x3
- Cash flow-oriented business model with a clear focus on superior risk adjusted returns
- Shared commitment to developing industry-leading Environmental, Social and Governance (“ESG”) programs and continually improving ESG performance
- Greater than $20 million in estimated G&A synergies with further benefits of scale over time4
- Initiation of a go-forward dividend policy targeting approximately 10 percent of Adj. EBITDA
The combined business will be managed by KKR’s Energy Real Assets team and led by David Rockecharlie, Head of KKR Energy Real Assets, who will serve as Chief Executive Officer. Contango’s Chairman and largest shareholder, John Goff, will be Chairman of the Board of Directors of the combined company. Contango’s senior leadership, including CEO Wilkie Colyer and President Farley Dakan, will continue managing Contango as an operating subsidiary of the combined company and focus on growth via acquisitions.
Management Commentary
“This is a very compelling merger for Contango shareholders providing substantial value accretion, significant scale and lower cost of capital. KKR’s desire to position the combined company to be their long-term primary platform to focus on continued consolidation in the industry is a testament to what the team has created at Contango. As the largest shareholder of Contango and Chairman of the new combined company, I look forward to working with David Rockecharlie and the KKR team in continuing our strategy of consolidation and industry leading performance,” said Mr. Goff.
“We see tremendous opportunity ahead to create long-term value in the energy sector. With today’s transaction, we are continuing to execute on the strategy we have been building over the last decade and look forward to working with John, Wilkie and the entire Contango team to deliver for our shareholders,” said Mr. Rockecharlie.
“When John and I joined Contango nearly three years ago, we believed an upstream acquisition platform focused on alignment of incentives, low costs and an investor’s mindset could generate superior shareholder returns. While we are proud of what we have accomplished to date, the opportunities to continue to scale profitably in this industry are enormous. In David’s team at KKR and Independence, we have found like-minded individuals with a scaled and complementary asset base. This partnership helps to accelerate our inorganic growth strategy with a larger balance sheet and lower cost of capital for the benefit of all stakeholders. Just as I said three years ago, I’m excited about this opportunity and ready to get to work,” said Mr. Colyer.
Transaction Details
Under the terms of the transaction agreement, Independence will merge with an operating subsidiary (“OpCo”) of a new parent company, which will become a publicly traded entity at closing, and Contango will become a wholly owned subsidiary of OpCo
The new company at closing will have an “Up-C” structure. Contango shareholders will receive Class A Common Stock representing voting and economic rights in the new parent company. Independence’s owners will receive Class B Common stock representing voting rights in the new parent company and corresponding limited liability company units representing economic interests in OpCo.
Headquarters and Governance
The combined company will be headquartered in Houston and expects to operate under a new name and under a new ticker symbol. The combined company intends to seek to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange as part of this transaction.
The Board of Directors of the combined company will be designated by KKR as the holder of the preferred stock discussed below. The initial board of directors at closing will consist of nine directors with two directors designated by Contango, including Mr. Goff as Chairman, and seven directors designated by KKR, including Mr. Rockecharlie.
As part of the transaction, KKR will receive a special class of non-economic preferred stock that provides KKR with the authority to appoint all members of the board of directors as well as certain consent rights over specified actions including incurrence of debt, changes in officers, mergers, acquisitions and divestitures. Upon completion of the merger, KKR’s balance sheet will own approximately 17 percent of the combined company. KKR will forfeit the preferred stock if its retained common stock in the business drops below 50 percent of this initial ownership, subject to certain performance thresholds after the company’s third annual shareholders meeting.
In addition, the combined company will enter into a management services agreement with a newly formed KKR subsidiary to become the manager of the combined company. The management services agreement will govern the external manager relationship between the public company and the manager as well as provide for the manager’s fees and equity incentives consisting of annual grants of restricted shares that vest solely based on absolute and relative share price performance. The agreement will generally provide that upstream oil and gas opportunities sourced by KKR will be presented to the combined company, subject to certain enumerated exceptions.
Outlook
Preliminary 2022 estimates of the combined company are shown below:5
| Preliminary 2022E Estimates6 | Combined Company7 |
| Daily Production | 108 – 114 Mboe/d |
| Base PDP Decline | ~15% |
| % Hedged8 | ~75% |
| Adj. EBITDA | $750 MM – $800 MM |
| % PDP9 | ~75% |
| Adj. EBITDA Margin %10 | ~55% |
| Reinvestment Rate11 | ~50% |
| Unlevered Free Cash Flow | $375 MM – $400 MM |
| Target Dividend | ~10% of Adj. EBITDA |
| Long-Term Target Leverage | ~1.0x |
Timing and Approvals
The transaction is expected to close late in the third quarter or early in the fourth quarter of 2021, subject to the approval of Contango shareholders, certain regulatory approvals and satisfaction of other customary closing conditions.
A voting agreement has been signed by John Goff, Contango’s largest current shareholder, pursuant to which he has agreed to vote in favor of the transaction, subject to certain specified exceptions.
Advisors
Jefferies LLC is serving as lead financial advisor to Contango, and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP is serving as legal counsel. Wells Fargo Securities LLC is serving as financial advisor to Independence, and Vinson & Elkins LLP is serving as legal counsel.
About Independence
Independence Energy is a diversified, well capitalized, U.S. independent energy company with a portfolio of assets in key proven basins across the lower 48 states. Our leadership team is a group of experienced investment, financial and industry professionals who have a demonstrated track record of employing our strategy since 2011.
We seek to deliver attractive risk-adjusted investment returns and predictable cash flows across cycles by employing our differentiated approach to investing in the oil and gas industry. Our approach includes a cash flow-based investment mandate and an active risk management strategy with a focus on operated working interests, and is complemented by non‐operated working interests, mineral and royalty interests, and midstream infrastructure.
About Contango
Contango Oil & Gas Company is a Fort Worth, Texas based, independent oil and natural gas company whose business is to maximize production and cash flow from its offshore properties in the shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico and onshore properties in Texas, Oklahoma, Wyoming, and Louisiana and, when determined appropriate, to use that cash flow to explore, develop, and increase production from its existing properties, to acquire additional PDP-heavy crude oil and natural gas properties or to pay down debt.
