DOF Group ASA’s board of directors has decided to propose to the annual general meeting on 20 May 2025 to pay an ordinary dividend of USD 0.30 per share on the basis of the annual accounts for 2024, and that the annual general meeting authorises the board of directors to resolve further dividend distributions based on the 2024 annual accounts.
Dividend amount: USD 0.30 per share
Declared currency: USD
Last day including right: 20 May 2025
Ex-date: 21 May 2025
Record date: 22 May 2025
Payment date: 5 June 2025
Date of approval: 20 May 2025
Other information: The distribution of the cash dividend is subject to approval by the AGM of DOF Group ASA to be held on 20 May 2025. The dividend will, subject to approval, be paid in NOK and the amount in NOK will be announced at a later date.
This information is published in accordance with the requirements of the Continuing Obligations.
For further information, please contact:
Eirik Vardøy, Investor Relations DOF Group ASA
Phone: +47 94 83 64 64
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NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION, PUBLICATION OR RELEASE, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR INTO OR FROM THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (INCLUDING ITS TERRITORIES AND POSSESSIONS, ANY STATE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA) (THE "UNITED STATES"), AUSTRALIA, CANADA, SOUTH AFRICA, THE HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA OR JAPAN, OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH THE DISTRIBUTION, PUBLICATION OR RELEASE WOULD BE UNLAWFUL. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER OF ANY OF THE SECURITIES DESCRIBED HEREIN.
DOF Group ASA: Private Placement successfully placed
Reference is made to the announcement made by DOF Group ASA (“DOF” or the “Company”) on 2 July 2024 regarding the launch of a contemplated private placement to raise gross proceeds of the approximate NOK equivalent of USD 100 million (the "Private Placement").
The Company is pleased to announce that the Private Placement has been successfully placed through the allocation of 10,746,364 new shares (the "Offer Shares") at a price per Offer Share of NOK 99 (the "Offer Price"), raising approximately NOK 1,064 million in gross proceeds. The Offer Price reflected a premium of 1.3% to VWAP of 2 July 2024, and a premium of 8.5% to VWAP over the last 10 trading days. The Private Placement was significantly oversubscribed by existing shareholders.
Carnegie AS, Danske Bank, Norwegian Branch and DNB Markets, a part of DNB Bank ASA are acting as joint bookrunners in connection with the Private Placement (together the “Managers”).
The Company has as also announced on 2 July 2024 signing of an agreement to, subject to certain conditions, acquire Maersk Supply Service A/S (“MSS”) to further enhance its position as a major integrated offshore services provider (the “MSS Transaction”). The net proceeds from the Private Placement will be used to partly finance the MSS Transaction. In the event that the MSS Transaction is not completed, the net proceeds will be used for further development of the Company, including debt repayment and potential investments in advanced subsea services equipment, and general corporate purposes.
The Private Placement consists of one tranche with Offer Shares for a subscription amount of approximately NOK 798 million (“Tranche 1”) and a second tranche solely directed towards Maersk Supply Service Holding ApS (“MSSH”) with Offer Shares for a subscription amount of NOK 266 million (“Tranche 2”). Completion of Tranche 2 is conditional on (i) completion of Tranche 1, (ii) successful closing of the MSS Transaction, which is expected within the end of Q4 2024, and (iii) approval by an extraordinary general meeting of DOF to be held on or about 26 July 2024 (the "EGM") of an authorisation to the Board to issue the Offer Shares in Tranche 2.
The Offer Shares allocated in Tranche 1 will be settled on a delivery versus payment basis ("DVP") on or about 5 July 2024. The Company and the Managers have entered into a share lending agreement with Geveran Trading Company Ltd ("Geveran") to facilitate the DVP settlement. The Offer Shares allocated in Tranche 1 will thus be tradeable from allocation. The board of directors of DOF (the "Board") has on 2 July 2024 resolved to issue 8,059,773 new shares in the Company, based on the board authorisation granted by the Annual General Meeting held on 23 May 2024. The Managers will settle the share loan with such new shares.
Following the issuance of the Offer Shares in Tranche 1, the Company will have an issued share capital of NOK 461,772,477.50 divided into 184,708,991 shares, each with a nominal value of NOK 2.50.
Investors being allocated shares in Tranche 1 and certain other shareholders have undertaken to vote in favour of the resolutions required to complete Tranche 2, the MSS Transaction and the Subsequent Offering (as defined below) at the EGM for the shares they hold as of the record date for voting at the EGM.
The Private Placement represents a deviation from the shareholders' preferential rights to subscribe for the Offer Shares. The Board has considered the structure of the equity raise in light of the equal treatment obligations under the Norwegian Public Limited Companies Act, the rules on equal treatment under Euronext Oslo Rule Book Part II and the Oslo Stock Exchange's Guidelines on the rule of equal treatment, and has concluded that the Private Placement is in compliance with these obligations.
Reference is in this respect made to the assessment of the Board as described in the announcement on 2 July 2024 regarding the launch of the Private Placement. By structuring the equity raise as a private placement, the Company has been able to raise the equity required to complete the MSS Transaction efficiently and thereby remove the uncertainty related to this part of the financing. Furthermore, the subscription price in the Private Placement has been determined through an accelerated public bookbuilding process launched after the announcement of the MSS Transaction and is therefore deemed to reflect the market price for the Company's shares. As Tranche 1 of the Private Placement only represents 4.36% of the Company's existing share capital, the dilutive effect for shareholders not participating (or not receiving pro-rata allocation) will be limited. The dilutive effect for the combined Private Placement, Tranche 1 and Tranche 2, is 5.73%.
The Board will also propose to implement a subsequent repair offering of 2,014,943 new shares raising gross proceeds of approximately NOK 199 million (the "Subsequent Offering"), which, subject to applicable securities law, will be directed towards existing shareholders in the Company as of 2 July 2024 (as registered in Euronext Securities Oslo (ESO) two trading days thereafter), who (i) were not contacted in the pre-sounding/wallcrossing of the Private Placement, (ii) were not allocated Offer Shares in the Private Placement, and (iii) are not resident in a jurisdiction where such offering would be unlawful or would (in jurisdictions other than Norway) require any prospectus, filing, registration or similar action (the "Eligible Shareholders").
The Eligible Shareholders will be granted non-transferable subscription rights to subscribe for and be allocated new shares in the Subsequent Offering. The subscription price in the Subsequent Offering will be equal to the Offer Price. Oversubscription will be permitted, but subscription without subscription rights will not be permitted. The net proceeds from the Subsequent Offering will be used for general corporate purposes.
The Subsequent Offering has been fully underwritten by Geveran without any underwriting fee.
Completion of the Subsequent Offering will be subject to (i) the approval of the EGM of an authorisation to the Board to issue the shares in the Subsequent Offering and (ii) the publication of a prospectus pertaining to the Subsequent Offering approved by the Norwegian Financial Supervisory Authority.
Subject to completion of the Subsequent Offering and closing of the MSS Transaction, MSSH will in a separate share issue (the “MSS Subsequent Offering”) subscribe for and be allocated 671,648 new shares in DOF raising gross proceeds of approximately NOK 66 million.
Further information regarding the Subsequent Offering will be announced in a separate stock exchange notice.
Against this background, the Board has concluded that the Private Placement is in the common interest of the Company and its shareholders.
Based on the above the Board has decided to propose to the EGM that the Board is authorised to increase the Company's share capital by:
• in total NOK 155,603,280.50 through the issue of in total 62,241,312 shares to MSSH;
• NOK 5,037,357.50 through the issue of 2,014,943 new shares in the Subsequent Offering;
• up to NOK 46,177,250 as a new general authorisation to the Board replacing the general; and authorisation granted to the Board by the Annual General Meeting on 23 May 2024.
As announced in the announcement regarding the MSS Transaction on 2 July 2024, it will also be proposed to the EGM to elect two new board members and a new chair of the nomination committee to be nominated by MSSH with effect from closing of the MSS Transaction.
Advisors:
Carnegie AS, Danske Bank, Norwegian Branch and DNB Markets, a part of DNB Bank ASA are acting as joint bookrunners to the Company and Advokatfirmaet Thommessen is acting as legal advisor to the Company in connection with the Private Placement.
This information is considered to be inside information pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation and is subject to the disclosure requirements according to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. The information was submitted for publication by Hilde Drønen, CFO, on 3 July 2024 at the time set out above.
For further information, please contact:
Mons S. Aase, CEO, DOF Group ASA. Tel: +47 91 66 10 12
Hilde Drønen, CFO, DOF Group ASA. Tel: +47 91 66 10 09
About DOF Group ASA:
With a multi-national workforce of about 4,100 personnel, DOF Group ASA is an international group of companies which owns and operates a fleet of modern offshore/subsea vessels, and engineering capacity to service both the offshore and subsea market. With over 40 years in the offshore business, the group has a strong position in terms of experience, innovation, product range, technology, and capacity. DOF's core businesses are vessel ownership, vessel management, project management, engineering, vessel operations, intervention, and diving operations primarily for the oil and gas sector. From PSV charter to Subsea engineering, DOF offers a full spectrum of top quality offshore services to facilitate an ever-growing and demanding industry. The Company's main operation centers and business units are located in Norway, the UK, the USA, Singapore, Brazil, Argentina, Canada, Angola, and Australia.
Important notice:
The information contained in this announcement is for background purposes only and does not purport to be full or complete. No reliance may be placed for any purpose on the information contained in this announcement or its accuracy, fairness or completeness. None of the Managers or any of their respective affiliates or any of their respective directors, officers, employees, advisors or agents accepts any responsibility or liability whatsoever for, or makes any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the truth, accuracy or completeness of the information in this announcement (or whether any information has been omitted from the announcement) or any other information relating to the Company, its subsidiaries or associated companies, whether written, oral or in a visual or electronic form, and howsoever transmitted or made available, or for any loss howsoever arising from any use of this announcement or its contents or otherwise arising in connection therewith. This announcement has been prepared by and is the sole responsibility of the Company.
Neither this announcement nor the information contained herein is for publication, distribution or release, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, in or into or from the United States (including its territories and possessions, any State of the United States and the District of Columbia), Australia, Canada, South Africa, The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China or Japan, or any other jurisdiction where to do so would constitute a violation of the relevant laws of such jurisdiction. The publication, distribution or release of this announcement may be restricted by law in certain jurisdictions and persons into whose possession any document or other information referred to herein should inform themselves about and observe any such restriction. Any failure to comply with these restrictions may constitute a violation of the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.
This announcement is not and does not form a part of any offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to purchase, any securities of the Company. Copies of this announcement are not being made and may not be distributed or sent into any jurisdiction in which such distribution would be unlawful or would require registration or other measures.
This announcement is not an offer for sale of securities in the United States. The securities referred to in this announcement have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), and accordingly may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission or an applicable exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act and in accordance with applicable U.S. state securities laws. The Company does not intend to register any part of the offering in the United States or to conduct a public offering of securities in the United States. Any sale in the United States of the securities mentioned in this announcement will be made solely to "qualified institutional buyers" as defined in Rule 144A under the Securities Act.
This announcement is an advertisement and is not a prospectus for the purposes of Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 June 2017 (the "EU Prospectus Regulation") (together with any applicable implementing measures in any Member State). All of the securities referred to in this announcement will be made by means of a set of subscription materials provided to potential investors, except for the subsequent repair offering which will be made on the basis of a listing and offering prospectus. Investors should not subscribe for any securities referred to in this announcement except on the basis of information contained in the aforementioned subscription materials or for the subsequent repair offering, the prospectus.
In any EEA Member State, this communication is only addressed to and is only directed at qualified investors in that Member State within the meaning of the EU Prospectus Regulation, i.e., only to investors who can receive the offer without an approved prospectus in such EEA Member State. The "Prospectus Regulation" means Regulation (EU) 2017/1129, as amended (together with any applicable implementing measures) in any Member State.
This communication is only being distributed to and is only directed at persons in the United Kingdom that are "qualified investors" within the meaning of the EU Prospectus Regulation as it forms part of English law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 and that are (i) investment professionals falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005, as amended (the "Order") or (ii) high net worth entities, and other persons to whom this announcement may lawfully be communicated, falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order (all such persons together being referred to as "relevant persons"). This communication must not be acted on or relied on by persons who are not relevant persons. Any investment or investment activity to which this communication relates is available only for relevant persons and will be engaged in only with relevant persons. Persons distributing this communication must satisfy themselves that it is lawful to do so.
This announcement is made by, and is the responsibility of, the Company. The Managers and their affiliates are acting exclusively for the Company and no-one else in connection with the transactions described in this announcement. They will not regard any other person as their respective clients in relation to the transactions described in this announcement and will not be responsible to anyone other than the Company, for providing the protections afforded to their respective clients, nor for providing advice in relation to the transactions described in this announcement, the contents of this announcement or any transaction, arrangement or other matter referred to herein.
In connection with the transaction described in this announcement, the Managers and any of their affiliates, acting as investors for their own accounts, may subscribe for or purchase securities and in that capacity may retain, purchase, sell, offer to sell or otherwise deal for their own accounts in such securities of the Company or related investments in connection with the transactions described in this announcement or otherwise. Accordingly, references in any subscription materials to the securities being issued, offered, subscribed, acquired, placed or otherwise dealt in should be read as including any issue or offer to, or subscription, acquisition, placing or dealing by, the Managers and any of their affiliates acting as investors for their own accounts. The Managers does not intend to disclose the extent of any such investment or transactions otherwise than in accordance with any legal or regulatory obligations to do so.
The issue, subscription or purchase of shares or other financial instruments in the Company is subject to specific legal or regulatory restrictions in certain jurisdictions. Neither the Company nor the Managers assume any responsibility in the event there is a violation by any person of such restrictions. The distribution of this release may in certain jurisdictions be restricted by law. Persons into whose possession this release comes should inform themselves about and observe any such restrictions. Any failure to comply with these restrictions may constitute a violation of the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.
Matters discussed in this announcement may constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and may be identified by words such as "believe", "aim", "expect", "anticipate", "strategy", "intends", "estimate", "will", "may", "continue", "should" and similar expressions. Any forward-looking statements in this release are based upon various assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions. Although the Company believes that these assumptions were reasonable when made, these assumptions are inherently subject to significant known and unknown risks, uncertainties, contingencies and other important factors which are difficult or impossible to predict, and are beyond their control. Actual events may differ significantly from any anticipated development due to a number of factors, including without limitation, changes in public sector investment levels, changes in the general economic, political and market conditions in the markets in which the Company operates, the Company's ability to attract, retain and motivate qualified personnel, changes in the Company's ability to engage in commercially acceptable acquisitions and strategic investments, and changes in laws and regulation and the potential impact of legal proceedings and actions. Such risks, uncertainties, contingencies and other important factors could cause actual events to differ materially from the expectations expressed or implied in this release by such forward-looking statements. The Company does not make any guarantee that the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements in this announcement are free from errors nor does it accept any responsibility for the future accuracy of the opinions expressed in this announcement or any obligation to update or revise the statements in this announcement to reflect subsequent events. You should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements in this announcement.
The information, opinions and forward-looking statements contained in this announcement speak only as at its date, and are subject to change without notice. The Company does not undertake any obligation to review, update, confirm, or to release publicly any revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that arise in relation to the content of this announcement.
This announcement is for information purposes only and is not to be relied upon in substitution for the exercise of independent judgment. It is not intended as investment advice and under no circumstances is it to be used or considered as an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or a recommendation to buy or sell any securities of the Company. Neither the Managers nor any of its affiliates accepts any liability arising from the use of this announcement.
The distribution of this announcement and other information may be restricted by law in certain jurisdictions. Persons into whose possession this announcement or such other information should come are required to inform themselves about and to observe any such restrictions.
NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION, PUBLICATION OR RELEASE, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR INTO OR FROM THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (INCLUDING ITS TERRITORIES AND POSSESSIONS, ANY STATE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA) (THE "UNITED STATES"), AUSTRALIA, CANADA, SOUTH AFRICA, THE HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA OR JAPAN, OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH THE DISTRIBUTION, PUBLICATION OR RELEASE WOULD BE UNLAWFUL. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER OF ANY OF THE SECURITIES DESCRIBED HEREIN.
Reference is made to the announcement made by DOF Group ASA (“DOF” or the “Company”) on 2 July 2024 regarding the launch of a contemplated private placement to raise gross proceeds of the approximate NOK equivalent of USD 100 million (the "Private Placement").
The Company is pleased to announce that the Private Placement has been successfully placed through the allocation of 10,746,364 new shares (the "Offer Shares") at a price per Offer Share of NOK 99 (the "Offer Price"), raising approximately NOK 1,064 million in gross proceeds. The Offer Price reflected a premium of 1.3% to VWAP of 2 July 2024, and a premium of 8.5% to VWAP over the last 10 trading days. The Private Placement was significantly oversubscribed by existing shareholders.
Carnegie AS, Danske Bank, Norwegian Branch and DNB Markets, a part of DNB Bank ASA are acting as joint bookrunners in connection with the Private Placement (together the “Managers”).
The Company has as also announced on 2 July 2024 signing of an agreement to, subject to certain conditions, acquire Maersk Supply Service A/S (“MSS”) to further enhance its position as a major integrated offshore services provider (the “MSS Transaction”). The net proceeds from the Private Placement will be used to partly finance the MSS Transaction. In the event that the MSS Transaction is not completed, the net proceeds will be used for further development of the Company, including debt repayment and potential investments in advanced subsea services equipment, and general corporate purposes.
The Private Placement consists of one tranche with Offer Shares for a subscription amount of approximately NOK 798 million (“Tranche 1”) and a second tranche solely directed towards Maersk Supply Service Holding ApS (“MSSH”) with Offer Shares for a subscription amount of NOK 266 million (“Tranche 2”). Completion of Tranche 2 is conditional on (i) completion of Tranche 1, (ii) successful closing of the MSS Transaction, which is expected within the end of Q4 2024, and (iii) approval by an extraordinary general meeting of DOF to be held on or about 26 July 2024 (the "EGM") of an authorisation to the Board to issue the Offer Shares in Tranche 2.
The Offer Shares allocated in Tranche 1 will be settled on a delivery versus payment basis ("DVP") on or about 5 July 2024. The Company and the Managers have entered into a share lending agreement with Geveran Trading Company Ltd ("Geveran") to facilitate the DVP settlement. The Offer Shares allocated in Tranche 1 will thus be tradeable from allocation. The board of directors of DOF (the "Board") has on 2 July 2024 resolved to issue 8,059,773 new shares in the Company, based on the board authorisation granted by the Annual General Meeting held on 23 May 2024. The Managers will settle the share loan with such new shares.
Following the issuance of the Offer Shares in Tranche 1, the Company will have an issued share capital of NOK 461,772,477.50 divided into 184,708,991 shares, each with a nominal value of NOK 2.50.
Investors being allocated shares in Tranche 1 and certain other shareholders have undertaken to vote in favour of the resolutions required to complete Tranche 2, the MSS Transaction and the Subsequent Offering (as defined below) at the EGM for the shares they hold as of the record date for voting at the EGM.
The Private Placement represents a deviation from the shareholders' preferential rights to subscribe for the Offer Shares. The Board has considered the structure of the equity raise in light of the equal treatment obligations under the Norwegian Public Limited Companies Act, the rules on equal treatment under Euronext Oslo Rule Book Part II and the Oslo Stock Exchange's Guidelines on the rule of equal treatment, and has concluded that the Private Placement is in compliance with these obligations.
Reference is in this respect made to the assessment of the Board as described in the announcement on 2 July 2024 regarding the launch of the Private Placement. By structuring the equity raise as a private placement, the Company has been able to raise the equity required to complete the MSS Transaction efficiently and thereby remove the uncertainty related to this part of the financing. Furthermore, the subscription price in the Private Placement has been determined through an accelerated public bookbuilding process launched after the announcement of the MSS Transaction and is therefore deemed to reflect the market price for the Company's shares. As Tranche 1 of the Private Placement only represents 4.36% of the Company's existing share capital, the dilutive effect for shareholders not participating (or not receiving pro-rata allocation) will be limited. The dilutive effect for the combined Private Placement, Tranche 1 and Tranche 2, is 5.73%.
The Board will also propose to implement a subsequent repair offering of 2,014,943 new shares raising gross proceeds of approximately NOK 199 million (the "Subsequent Offering"), which, subject to applicable securities law, will be directed towards existing shareholders in the Company as of 2 July 2024 (as registered in Euronext Securities Oslo (ESO) two trading days thereafter), who (i) were not contacted in the pre-sounding/wallcrossing of the Private Placement, (ii) were not allocated Offer Shares in the Private Placement, and (iii) are not resident in a jurisdiction where such offering would be unlawful or would (in jurisdictions other than Norway) require any prospectus, filing, registration or similar action (the "Eligible Shareholders").
The Eligible Shareholders will be granted non-transferable subscription rights to subscribe for and be allocated new shares in the Subsequent Offering. The subscription price in the Subsequent Offering will be equal to the Offer Price. Oversubscription will be permitted, but subscription without subscription rights will not be permitted.
The net proceeds from the Subsequent Offering will be used for general corporate purposes.
The Subsequent Offering has been fully underwritten by Geveran without any underwriting fee.
Completion of the Subsequent Offering will be subject to (i) the approval of the EGM of an authorisation to the Board to issue the shares in the Subsequent Offering and (ii) the publication of a prospectus pertaining to the Subsequent Offering approved by the Norwegian Financial Supervisory Authority.
Subject to completion of the Subsequent Offering and closing of the MSS Transaction, MSSH will in a separate share issue (the “MSS Subsequent Offering”) subscribe for and be allocated 671,648 new shares in DOF raising gross proceeds of approximately NOK 66 million.
Further information regarding the Subsequent Offering will be announced in a separate stock exchange notice.
Against this background, the Board has concluded that the Private Placement is in the common interest of the Company and its shareholders.
Based on the above the Board has decided to propose to the EGM that the Board is authorised to increase the Company's share capital by:
• in total NOK 155,603,280.50 through the issue of in total 62,241,312 shares to MSSH;
• NOK 5,037,357.50 through the issue of 2,014,943 new shares in the Subsequent Offering;
• up to NOK 46,177,250 as a new general authorisation to the Board replacing the general; and authorisation granted to the Board by the Annual General Meeting on 23 May 2024.
As announced in the announcement regarding the MSS Transaction on 2 July 2024, it will also be proposed to the EGM to elect two new board members and a new chair of the nomination committee to be nominated by MSSH with effect from closing of the MSS Transaction.
Advisors:
Carnegie AS, Danske Bank, Norwegian Branch and DNB Markets, a part of DNB Bank ASA are acting as joint bookrunners to the Company and Advokatfirmaet Thommessen is acting as legal advisor to the Company in connection with the Private Placement.
This information is considered to be inside information pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation and is subject to the disclosure requirements according to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. The information was submitted for publication by Hilde Drønen, CFO, on 3 July 2024 at the time set out above.
F
or further information, please contact:
Mons S. Aase, CEO, DOF Group ASA. Tel: +47 91 66 10 12
Hilde Drønen, CFO, DOF Group ASA. Tel: +47 91 66 10 09
About DOF Group ASA:
With a multi-national workforce of about 4,100 personnel, DOF Group ASA is an international group of companies which owns and operates a fleet of modern offshore/subsea vessels, and engineering capacity to service both the offshore and subsea market. With over 40 years in the offshore business, the group has a strong position in terms of experience, innovation, product range, technology, and capacity. DOF's core businesses are vessel ownership, vessel management, project management, engineering, vessel operations, intervention, and diving operations primarily for the oil and gas sector. From PSV charter to Subsea engineering, DOF offers a full spectrum of top quality offshore services to facilitate an ever-growing and demanding industry. The Company's main operation centers and business units are located in Norway, the UK, the USA, Singapore, Brazil, Argentina, Canada, Angola, and Australia.
Important notice:
The information contained in this announcement is for background purposes only and does not purport to be full or complete. No reliance may be placed for any purpose on the information contained in this announcement or its accuracy, fairness or completeness. None of the Managers or any of their respective affiliates or any of their respective directors, officers, employees, advisors or agents accepts any responsibility or liability whatsoever for, or makes any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the truth, accuracy or completeness of the information in this announcement (or whether any information has been omitted from the announcement) or any other information relating to the Company, its subsidiaries or associated companies, whether written, oral or in a visual or electronic form, and howsoever transmitted or made available, or for any loss howsoever arising from any use of this announcement or its contents or otherwise arising in connection therewith. This announcement has been prepared by and is the sole responsibility of the Company.
Neither this announcement nor the information contained herein is for publication, distribution or release, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, in or into or from the United States (including its territories and possessions, any State of the United States and the District of Columbia), Australia, Canada, South Africa, The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China or Japan, or any other jurisdiction where to do so would constitute a violation of the relevant laws of such jurisdiction. The publication, distribution or release of this announcement may be restricted by law in certain jurisdictions and persons into whose possession any document or other information referred to herein should inform themselves about and observe any such restriction. Any failure to comply with these restrictions may constitute a violation of the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.
This announcement is not and does not form a part of any offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to purchase, any securities of the Company. Copies of this announcement are not being made and may not be distributed or sent into any jurisdiction in which such distribution would be unlawful or would require registration or other measures.
This announcement is not an offer for sale of securities in the United States. The securities referred to in this announcement have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), and accordingly may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission or an applicable exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act and in accordance with applicable U.S. state securities laws. The Company does not intend to register any part of the offering in the United States or to conduct a public offering of securities in the United States. Any sale in the United States of the securities mentioned in this announcement will be made solely to "qualified institutional buyers" as defined in Rule 144A under the Securities Act.
This announcement is an advertisement and is not a prospectus for the purposes of Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 June 2017 (the "EU Prospectus Regulation") (together with any applicable implementing measures in any Member State). All of the securities referred to in this announcement will be made by means of a set of subscription materials provided to potential investors, except for the subsequent repair offering which will be made on the basis of a listing and offering prospectus. Investors should not subscribe for any securities referred to in this announcement except on the basis of information contained in the aforementioned subscription materials or for the subsequent repair offering, the prospectus.
In any EEA Member State, this communication is only addressed to and is only directed at qualified investors in that Member State within the meaning of the EU Prospectus Regulation, i.e., only to investors who can receive the offer without an approved prospectus in such EEA Member State. The "Prospectus Regulation" means Regulation (EU) 2017/1129, as amended (together with any applicable implementing measures) in any Member State.
This communication is only being distributed to and is only directed at persons in the United Kingdom that are "qualified investors" within the meaning of the EU Prospectus Regulation as it forms part of English law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 and that are (i) investment professionals falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005, as amended (the "Order") or (ii) high net worth entities, and other persons to whom this announcement may lawfully be communicated, falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order (all such persons together being referred to as "relevant persons"). This communication must not be acted on or relied on by persons who are not relevant persons. Any investment or investment activity to which this communication relates is available only for relevant persons and will be engaged in only with relevant persons. Persons distributing this communication must satisfy themselves that it is lawful to do so.
This announcement is made by, and is the responsibility of, the Company. The Managers and their affiliates are acting exclusively for the Company and no-one else in connection with the transactions described in this announcement. They will not regard any other person as their respective clients in relation to the transactions described in this announcement and will not be responsible to anyone other than the Company, for providing the protections afforded to their respective clients, nor for providing advice in relation to the transactions described in this announcement, the contents of this announcement or any transaction, arrangement or other matter referred to herein.
In connection with the transaction described in this announcement, the Managers and any of their affiliates, acting as investors for their own accounts, may subscribe for or purchase securities and in that capacity may retain, purchase, sell, offer to sell or otherwise deal for their own accounts in such securities of the Company or related investments in connection with the transactions described in this announcement or otherwise. Accordingly, references in any subscription materials to the securities being issued, offered, subscribed, acquired, placed or otherwise dealt in should be read as including any issue or offer to, or subscription, acquisition, placing or dealing by, the Managers and any of their affiliates acting as investors for their own accounts. The Managers does not intend to disclose the extent of any such investment or transactions otherwise than in accordance with any legal or regulatory obligations to do so.
The issue, subscription or purchase of shares or other financial instruments in the Company is subject to specific legal or regulatory restrictions in certain jurisdictions. Neither the Company nor the Managers assume any responsibility in the event there is a violation by any person of such restrictions. The distribution of this release may in certain jurisdictions be restricted by law. Persons into whose possession this release comes should inform themselves about and observe any such restrictions. Any failure to comply with these restrictions may constitute a violation of the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.
Matters discussed in this announcement may constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and may be identified by words such as "believe", "aim", "expect", "anticipate", "strategy", "intends", "estimate", "will", "may", "continue", "should" and similar expressions. Any forward-looking statements in this release are based upon various assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions. Although the Company believes that these assumptions were reasonable when made, these assumptions are inherently subject to significant known and unknown risks, uncertainties, contingencies and other important factors which are difficult or impossible to predict, and are beyond their control. Actual events may differ significantly from any anticipated development due to a number of factors, including without limitation, changes in public sector investment levels, changes in the general economic, political and market conditions in the markets in which the Company operates, the Company's ability to attract, retain and motivate qualified personnel, changes in the Company's ability to engage in commercially acceptable acquisitions and strategic investments, and changes in laws and regulation and the potential impact of legal proceedings and actions. Such risks, uncertainties, contingencies and other important factors could cause actual events to differ materially from the expectations expressed or implied in this release by such forward-looking statements. The Company does not make any guarantee that the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements in this announcement are free from errors nor does it accept any responsibility for the future accuracy of the opinions expressed in this announcement or any obligation to update or revise the statements in this announcement to reflect subsequent events. You should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements in this announcement.
The information, opinions and forward-looking statements contained in this announcement speak only as at its date, and are subject to change without notice. The Company does not undertake any obligation to review, update, confirm, or to release publicly any revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that arise in relation to the content of this announcement.
This announcement is for information purposes only and is not to be relied upon in substitution for the exercise of independent judgment. It is not intended as investment advice and under no circumstances is it to be used or considered as an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or a recommendation to buy or sell any securities of the Company. Neither the Managers nor any of its affiliates accepts any liability arising from the use of this announcement.
The distribution of this announcement and other information may be restricted by law in certain jurisdictions. Persons into whose possession this announcement or such other information should come are required to inform themselves about and to observe any such restrictions.
DOF Group ASA: Contemplated Private Placement and Subsequent Offering
NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION, PUBLICATION OR RELEASE, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR INTO OR FROM THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (INCLUDING ITS TERRITORIES AND POSSESSIONS, ANY STATE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA) (THE "UNITED STATES"), AUSTRALIA, CANADA, SOUTH AFRICA, THE HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA OR JAPAN, OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH THE DISTRIBUTION, PUBLICATION OR RELEASE WOULD BE UNLAWFUL. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER OF ANY OF THE SECURITIES DESCRIBED HEREIN.
DOF Group ASA: Contemplated Private Placement and Subsequent Offering
Oslo, 2 June 2024: Reference is made to the stock exchange announcement made by DOF Group ASA ("DOF" or the "Company") earlier today regarding the agreement to acquire Maersk Supply Service A/S from Maersk Supply Service Holding A/S (“MSSH”), a subsidiary of A.P. Møller Holding A/S, to further enhance its position as a major integrated offshore services provider (the “MSS Transaction”).
DOF has retained Carnegie AS, Danske Bank, Norwegian Branch and DNB Markets, a part of DNB Bank ASA as joint bookrunners (together the "Managers") to raise gross proceeds of the NOK equivalent of USD 100 million (the "Private Placement"). The Company is offering new shares (the "Offer Shares") in the Private Placement, and the final offer size will be determined by the Company's board of directors (the "Board"), in consultation with the Managers, on the basis of an accelerated book-building process to be conducted by the Managers.
The net proceeds from the Private Placement will be used to partly finance the MSS Transaction. In the event that the MSS Transaction is not completed, or the Company receives excess cash from the Private Placement, the net proceeds will be used for further development of the Company, including debt repayment and potential investments in advanced subsea services equipment, and general corporate purposes.
Pre-commitments
The Company has received pre-commitments and indications of interest in total exceeding the Private Placement amount, including from
• MSSH, who has pre-committed to subscribe for Offer Shares corresponding to USD 35 million and will be allocated Offer Shares for minimum USD 25 million in Tranche 2 (as defined below);
• Geveran Trading Co Limited ("Geveran"), who has pre-committed to subscribe for Offer Shares corresponding to USD 30 million and will be allocated Offer Shares for minimum USD 25 million in Tranche 1 (as defined below); and
• Svein Harald Øygard (Chairman of the Board in DOF), who has pre-committed to subscribe for Offer Shares corresponding to a pro-rata participation based on existing 0.39% ownership in DOF (with no guaranteed allocation)
• Mons Svendal Aase (CEO in DOF), who has pre-committed to subscribe for Offer Shares corresponding to a pro-rata participation based on existing 0.39% ownership in DOF (with no guaranteed allocation)
Investors that are not current shareholders in the Company should not expect allocation in the Private Placement.
Tranches in the Private Placement
The Private Placement consists of (i) one tranche with Offer Shares for a subscription amount of the approximate NOK equivalent of USD 75 million ("Tranche 1") directed to investors subject to, in each case, applicable exemptions from relevant prospectus, filing and registration requirements, and (ii) a second tranche directed solely towards MSSH with Offer Shares for a subscription amount of the approximate NOK equivalent of USD 25 million ("Tranche 2").
Subscription and allocation
The subscription price and allocation of Offer Shares in the Private Placement will be determined through an accelerated bookbuilding process. The bookbuilding period commences today at 17:30 CEST and ends on 3 July 2024 at 08:00 CEST. The bookbuilding period may, at the sole discretion of the Company and the Managers, close earlier or later and may be cancelled at any time and consequently, the Company may refrain from completing the Private Placement. The Company will announce the final number of Offer Shares placed and the final subscription price in the Private Placement in a stock exchange announcement expected to be published before the opening of trading on the Oslo Stock Exchange tomorrow, 3 June 2024. Completion of the Private Placement is subject to final approval by the Board.
The minimum subscription and allocation amount in the Private Placement will be the NOK equivalent of EUR 100,000, provided that the Company may, at its sole discretion, allocate an amount below EUR 100,000 to the extent applicable exemptions from the prospectus requirement pursuant to applicable regulations, including the Norwegian Securities Trading Act and ancillary regulations, are available.
The allocation will be determined after the bookbuilding period and final allocation will be made at the Board’s sole discretion. Notification of allocation and payment instructions is expected to be issued to the applicants on or about 3 June 2024 through a notification to be issued by the Managers. The Offer Shares will be issued by the Board pursuant to an authorisation granted by the annual general meeting of the Company on 23 May 2024.
Settlement
The Offer Shares allocated in Tranche 1 will be settled on a delivery versus payment basis ("DVP") on or about 5 July 2024, with existing and unencumbered shares in the Company that are already listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange to be borrowed from Geveran by the Managers pursuant to a share lending agreement entered into between Geveran, the Managers and the Company on 2 July 2024. The share loan will be settled with new shares in the Company which will be resolved issued by the Board pursuant to the authorization to increase the Company's share capital granted by the annual general meeting on 23 May 2024.
Conditions for completion
Completion of Tranche 1 is subject to (i) the Board resolving to proceed with the Private Placement and allocate and issue the Offer Shares in Tranche 1 pursuant to the board authorization granted by the annual general meeting of the Company on 23 May 2024, and (ii) the shares to be lent by Geveran being made available to the Managers in accordance with the terms of the Share Lending Agreement.
Completion of Tranche 2 is subject to (i) completion of Tranche 1, (ii) approval by the extraordinary general meeting of the Company expected to be held on or about 26 July 2024 of an authorization to the Board to issue the Offer Shares in Tranche 2 and the Board resolving to issue the Offer Shares in Tranche 2 pursuant to such board authorization, (iii) closing of the MSS Transaction, and (iv) registration of the share capital increase pertaining to the Offer Shares in Tranche 2 with the Norwegian Register of Business Enterprises.
Equal treatment of shareholders
The contemplated Private Placement represents a deviation from the shareholders' preferential rights to subscribe for Offer Shares. The Board has considered the structure of the equity raise in light of the equal treatment obligations under the Norwegian Public Limited Companies Act, the rules on equal treatment under Euronext Oslo Rule Book Part II and the Oslo Stock Exchange's Guidelines on the rule of equal treatment.
The Board is of the view that it is in the common interest of the Company and its shareholders to raise equity through a private placement. The Private Placement is required to fully finance the MSS Transaction and will thus efficiently reduce the transaction risk of the MSS Transaction. It is considered to be in the joint interest of the Company and its shareholders to eliminate the uncertainty relating to this part of the financing as soon as possible and this is best achieved through the Private Placement. The Private Placement will also enable the Company to utilize current market conditions, raise capital at a significantly lower discount compared to a rights issue and avoid the underwriting commissions normally incurred in rights offerings. The Board has also taken into account that the dilutive effect of the Private Placement is limited and that the subscription price in the Private Placement will be determined based on a broad bookbuilding process with knowledge of the MSS Transaction. Further, the Subsequent Offering (as defined and described below) will enable eligible shareholders to subscribe for new shares at the same subscription price as in the Private Placement.
On this basis the Board has concluded that the proposed transaction structure, i.e. the Private Placement and the Subsequent Offering, is in the common interest of the Company and its shareholders.
Selling restrictions
The Private Placement will be made by the Company to investors subject to applicable exemptions from relevant prospectus requirements in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 (the "EU Prospectus Regulation") and the Norwegian Securities Trading Act of 2007 and is directed towards investors subject to available exemptions from relevant registration requirements, (i) outside the United States in reliance on Regulation S under the US Securities Act of 1933 (the “US Securities Act”) and (ii) in the United States to “qualified institutional buyers” (QIBs) as defined in Rule 144A under the US Securities Act, pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements under the US Securities Act as well as to major U.S. institutional investors under SEC Rule 15a-6 to the United States Exchange Act of 1934.
The Subsequent Offering
The Company will, subject to completion of Tranche 1 of the Private Placement, and certain other conditions, propose to carry out a subsequent offering of new shares in DOF for a subscription amount of the approximate NOK equivalent of USD 18.75 million (the "Subsequent Offering"), which, subject to applicable securities law, will be directed towards existing shareholders in the Company as of 2 July 2024 (as registered in Euronext Securities Oslo (ESO) two trading days thereafter), who (i) were not included in the pre-sounding phase of the Private Placement, (ii) were not allocated Offer Shares in the Private Placement, and (iii) are not resident in a jurisdiction where such offering would be unlawful or would (in jurisdictions other than Norway) require any prospectus, filing, registration or similar action. The Subsequent Offering will be fully underwritten by Geveran.
Subject to completion of the Subsequent Offering and closing of the MSS Transaction, MSSH will in a separate share issue (the “MSS Subsequent Offering”) subscribe for and be allocated new shares in DOF for a subscription amount of the approximate NOK equivalent of USD 6.25 million. This represents 25% of the total shares issued in the Subsequent Offering and the MSS Subsequent Offering.
Combined, the Subsequent Offering and the MSS Subsequent Offering may result in gross proceeds of the approximate NOK equivalent of USD 25 million to the Company. Including the Private Placement, the total gross proceeds for DOF will be the approximate NOK equivalent of USD 125 million (converted at the time of Tranche 1).
Advisors:
Carnegie AS, Danske Bank, Norwegian Branch and DNB Markets, a part of DNB Bank ASA are acting as joint bookrunners to the Company and Advokatfirmaet Thommessen is acting as legal advisor to the Company in connection with the Private Placement and the Subsequent Offering.
This information is considered to be inside information pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation and is subject to the disclosure requirements according to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. The information was submitted for publication by Hilde Drønen, CFO, on 2 July 2024 at the time set out above.
For further information, please contact:
Mons S. Aase, CEO, DOF Group ASA. Tel: +47 91 66 10 12
Hilde Drønen, CFO, DOF Group ASA. Tel: +47 91 66 10 09
About DOF Group ASA:
With a multi-national workforce of about 4,100 personnel, DOF Group ASA is an international group of companies which owns and operates a fleet of modern offshore/subsea vessels, and engineering capacity to service both the offshore and subsea market. With over 40 years in the offshore business, the group has a strong position in terms of experience, innovation, product range, technology, and capacity. DOF's core businesses are vessel ownership, vessel management, project management, engineering, vessel operations, intervention, and diving operations primarily for the oil and gas sector. From PSV charter to Subsea engineering, DOF offers a full spectrum of top quality offshore services to facilitate an ever-growing and demanding industry. The Company's main operation centers and business units are located in Norway, the UK, the USA, Singapore, Brazil, Argentina, Canada, Angola, and Australia.
Important notice:
The information contained in this announcement is for background purposes only and does not purport to be full or complete. No reliance may be placed for any purpose on the information contained in this announcement or its accuracy, fairness or completeness. None of the Managers or any of their respective affiliates or any of their respective directors, officers, employees, advisors or agents accepts any responsibility or liability whatsoever for, or makes any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the truth, accuracy or completeness of the information in this announcement (or whether any information has been omitted from the announcement) or any other information relating to the Company, its subsidiaries or associated companies, whether written, oral or in a visual or electronic form, and howsoever transmitted or made available, or for any loss howsoever arising from any use of this announcement or its contents or otherwise arising in connection therewith. This announcement has been prepared by and is the sole responsibility of the Company.
Neither this announcement nor the information contained herein is for publication, distribution or release, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, in or into or from the United States (including its territories and possessions, any State of the United States and the District of Columbia), Australia, Canada, South Africa, The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China or Japan, or any other jurisdiction where to do so would constitute a violation of the relevant laws of such jurisdiction. The publication, distribution or release of this announcement may be restricted by law in certain jurisdictions and persons into whose possession any document or other information referred to herein should inform themselves about and observe any such restriction. Any failure to comply with these restrictions may constitute a violation of the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.
This announcement is not and does not form a part of any offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to purchase, any securities of the Company. Copies of this announcement are not being made and may not be distributed or sent into any jurisdiction in which such distribution would be unlawful or would require registration or other measures.
This announcement is not an offer for sale of securities in the United States. The securities referred to in this announcement have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), and accordingly may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission or an applicable exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act and in accordance with applicable U.S. state securities laws. The Company does not intend to register any part of the offering in the United States or to conduct a public offering of securities in the United States. Any sale in the United States of the securities mentioned in this announcement will be made solely to "qualified institutional buyers" as defined in Rule 144A under the Securities Act.
This announcement is an advertisement and is not a prospectus for the purposes of Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 June 2017 (the "EU Prospectus Regulation") (together with any applicable implementing measures in any Member State). All of the securities referred to in this announcement will be made by means of a set of subscription materials provided to potential investors, except for the subsequent repair offering which will be made on the basis of a listing and offering prospectus. Investors should not subscribe for any securities referred to in this announcement except on the basis of information contained in the aforementioned subscription materials or for the subsequent repair offering, the prospectus.
In any EEA Member State, this communication is only addressed to and is only directed at qualified investors in that Member State within the meaning of the EU Prospectus Regulation, i.e., only to investors who can receive the offer without an approved prospectus in such EEA Member State. The "Prospectus Regulation" means Regulation (EU) 2017/1129, as amended (together with any applicable implementing measures) in any Member State.
This communication is only being distributed to and is only directed at persons in the United Kingdom that are "qualified investors" within the meaning of the EU Prospectus Regulation as it forms part of English law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 and that are (i) investment professionals falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005, as amended (the "Order") or (ii) high net worth entities, and other persons to whom this announcement may lawfully be communicated, falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order (all such persons together being referred to as "relevant persons"). This communication must not be acted on or relied on by persons who are not relevant persons. Any investment or investment activity to which this communication relates is available only for relevant persons and will be engaged in only with relevant persons. Persons distributing this communication must satisfy themselves that it is lawful to do so.
This announcement is made by, and is the responsibility of, the Company. The Managers and their affiliates are acting exclusively for the Company and no-one else in connection with the transactions described in this announcement. They will not regard any other person as their respective clients in relation to the transactions described in this announcement and will not be responsible to anyone other than the Company, for providing the protections afforded to their respective clients, nor for providing advice in relation to the transactions described in this announcement, the contents of this announcement or any transaction, arrangement or other matter referred to herein.
In connection with the transaction described in this announcement, the Managers and any of their affiliates, acting as investors for their own accounts, may subscribe for or purchase securities and in that capacity may retain, purchase, sell, offer to sell or otherwise deal for their own accounts in such securities of the Company or related investments in connection with the transactions described in this announcement or otherwise. Accordingly, references in any subscription materials to the securities being issued, offered, subscribed, acquired, placed or otherwise dealt in should be read as including any issue or offer to, or subscription, acquisition, placing or dealing by, the Managers and any of their affiliates acting as investors for their own accounts. The Managers does not intend to disclose the extent of any such investment or transactions otherwise than in accordance with any legal or regulatory obligations to do so.
The issue, subscription or purchase of shares or other financial instruments in the Company is subject to specific legal or regulatory restrictions in certain jurisdictions. Neither the Company nor the Managers assume any responsibility in the event there is a violation by any person of such restrictions. The distribution of this release may in certain jurisdictions be restricted by law. Persons into whose possession this release comes should inform themselves about and observe any such restrictions. Any failure to comply with these restrictions may constitute a violation of the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.
Matters discussed in this announcement may constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and may be identified by words such as "believe", "aim", "expect", "anticipate", "strategy", "intends", "estimate", "will", "may", "continue", "should" and similar expressions. Any forward-looking statements in this release are based upon various assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions. Although the Company believes that these assumptions were reasonable when made, these assumptions are inherently subject to significant known and unknown risks, uncertainties, contingencies and other important factors which are difficult or impossible to predict, and are beyond their control. Actual events may differ significantly from any anticipated development due to a number of factors, including without limitation, changes in public sector investment levels, changes in the general economic, political and market conditions in the markets in which the Company operates, the Company's ability to attract, retain and motivate qualified personnel, changes in the Company's ability to engage in commercially acceptable acquisitions and strategic investments, and changes in laws and regulation and the potential impact of legal proceedings and actions. Such risks, uncertainties, contingencies and other important factors could cause actual events to differ materially from the expectations expressed or implied in this release by such forward-looking statements. The Company does not make any guarantee that the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements in this announcement are free from errors nor does it accept any responsibility for the future accuracy of the opinions expressed in this announcement or any obligation to update or revise the statements in this announcement to reflect subsequent events. You should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements in this announcement.
The information, opinions and forward-looking statements contained in this announcement speak only as at its date, and are subject to change without notice. The Company does not undertake any obligation to review, update, confirm, or to release publicly any revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that arise in relation to the content of this announcement.
This announcement is for information purposes only and is not to be relied upon in substitution for the exercise of independent judgment. It is not intended as investment advice and under no circumstances is it to be used or considered as an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or a recommendation to buy or sell any securities of the Company. Neither the Managers nor any of its affiliates accepts any liability arising from the use of this announcement.
The distribution of this announcement and other information may be restricted by law in certain jurisdictions. Persons into whose possession this announcement or such other information should come are required to inform themselves about and to observe any such restrictions.
NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION OR RELEASE PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR INTO AUSTRALIA, CANADA, JAPAN, THE HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA, NEW ZEALAND OR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH THE DISTRIBUTION, PUBLICATION OR RELEASE WOULD BE UNLAWFUL OR REQUIRE REGISTRATION OR ANY OTHER MEASURES. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER FOR ANYOF THE SECURITIES MENTIONED IN THE ANNOUNCEMENT.
Through the newly incorporated subsidiary DOF Offshore Holding Denmark ApS, DOF will on certain terms and conditions acquire all the shares in Maersk Supply Service A/S from Maersk Supply Service Holding A/S (“MSSH”), a subsidiary of A.P. Møller Holding A/S (“A.P. Moller Holding”). The acquisition will be paid partly in cash and partly in new shares to be issued by DOF, representing a consideration of approximately USD 1.112 billion (as of close on 28.06.2024). After issuance of the consideration shares MSSH will hold 25% of the share capital in DOF. MSS will at the time of completion of the transaction own 22 high-quality subsea and AHTS vessels, following a carve-out of certain entities, vessels, assets and liabilities.
The combined company, operating under the DOF Group name and brand, will be a leading offshore service provider with comprehensive scale and a wide range of services across all continents in the offshore energy industries. DOF and MSS’ current operations are both strategically and geographically complementary, and future growth ambitions are strongly aligned. Leveraging the two global organisations' strong capabilities and competencies that will further enhance the combined company’s position as a major integrated offshore services provider. The combined company will be one of the largest oil services companies listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange.
Transaction rationale and highlights
• Further strengthens DOF Group’s integrated service offering and position, towards a strong oil & gas market and a growing offshore wind market
• Immediate fleet expansion without need for substantial newbuild lead time, and with significantly lower per vessel investment requirement
• Modern and high-quality fleet of 22 vessels, consisting of eight high-specification CSV vessels, 13 high-specification AHTS vessels and one cable layer vessel
• Positions DOF Group with a total fleet of 65 owned vessels, creating a strong fleet among core players in the competitive landscape, and reducing the value weighted fleet age from 11.7 years to 10.7 years
• Complementary operations and geographical fit between the two companies, strengthening scale and presence
• Substantial MSS fleet earnings growth potential from both renewal of legacy contracts and through adding subsea services earnings to the offering
• Attractively priced assets with a gross asset value of USD 1,319 million
• Further strengthening of existing shareholder base with A.P. Moller Holding, a globally recognised industrial investor in the maritime and energy industry
• Financially robust transaction lowering leverage and increasing future DOF dividend capacity
• Creating one of the largest oil services companies listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange, with a combined market cap of approximately USD 2.3 billion (as of close on 28 June 2024)
“The announced transaction today marks a strategic milestone for the DOF Group, driven by a strong industry rationale and a shared vision with A.P. Moller Holding, who will indirectly become a major shareholder. Under the DOF name and brand, we will create a leading offshore services provider and strengthen the global position of the combined company. With the world’s largest fleet of CSVs and high-end AHTS vessels, we will enhance the customer experience through increased scale, global reach, and industry-leading services, combining the strong capabilities and decades of experience of DOF and Maersk Supply Service. I look forward to further developing the DOF Group together with my new and existing colleagues, ensuring the continued delivery of world-class services to our customers” said Mons Aase, CEO of DOF.
“This long-term solution for Maersk Supply Service's OSV activities together with DOF Group is founded on our shared values and unwavering commitment to safety and efficiency of our operations. The combination of our talented employees, modern fleet and geographical spread will create a leading offshore service provider characterized by unique scale and a wide range of product and service offerings across key markets for the benefit of our customers,” said Christian Ingerslev, CEO of Maersk Supply Service.
The DOF Group will, following the acquisition of MSS, comprise a workforce of more than 5,400 employees with 78 modern offshore/subsea vessels, 65 of which are owned, and engineering capacity to service both the offshore and subsea market.
Transaction structure, governance, conditions and completion timetable
Prior to closing of the transaction, certain entities, vessels, assets and liabilities will be transferred out of the MSS structure and not be acquired by DOF. The offshore wind installation business has already been carved out of Maersk Supply Service. Further, the transaction does not include MSS' operations in Brazil.
The acquisition is supported by the Board of Directors of MSSH, MSS and DOF, as well as shareholders in DOF representing more than 50% of the outstanding shares.
In consideration for the shares in MSS and subject to closing of the transaction, A.P. Moller Holding’s subsidiary MSSH shall at completion of the transaction receive a combination of USD 577 million in cash (to be adjusted based on the locked-box accounts and subject to further adjustments at closing) and 58,883,073 new shares in DOF, leading MSSH to hold 25% of the share capital in DOF after issuance of the consideration shares.
DOF intends to finance the cash portion of the purchase price through a combination of:
o A new debt facility of USD 500 million, to be provided by DNB, Danske Bank, Danmarks Skibskredit and Deutsche Bank, and
o An equity raise of new shares in DOF for up to the NOK equivalent of USD 125 million (the "Equity Raise"), in which MSSH has undertaken to subscribe for and be allocated 25% of the new shares to be issued subject to completion of the transaction (and as set off against cash consideration to be received)
Further information about the Equity Raise will be published by DOF in a separate stock exchange notice via newsweb.no when the Equity Raise is launched today.
Subject to closing of the transaction, MSSH shall have the right to nominate (i) two additional members of the board of directors of DOF for a period of two years from closing(one of whom shall also be elected as the vice chairman and one as member of the board's remuneration committee), and (ii) the chairman of the nomination committee of DOF for a period of two years from closing.
Closing of the transaction is among other things subject to clearance by certain regulatory authorities,availability of financing, approval of a prospectus for listing of the consideration shares, various approvals by an extraordinary general meeting ofDOF (“EGM”) (including approval by an authorisation to the DOF board of directors to issue the consideration shares), completion of the above mentioned carve-out and certain other customary conditions. It is expected that DOF will call for the EGM to be held ultimo July 2024. Subject to satisfaction of the conditions, the currently expected closing date of the transaction is during Q4 2024.
About Maersk Supply Service A/S
Maersk Supply Service is a leading provider of marine services and project solutions for offshore energy sectors, and part of the A.P. Moller Group. With a large fleet of anchor handling and subsea support vessels, the company specialises in towing, mooring, and installing floating units. MSS employs around 1,400 offshore and 260 onshore staff. Headquartered in Lyngby, Denmark.
About DOF Group
With a multi-national workforce of about 4,200 personnel, the DOF Group is an international group of companies which owns and operates a fleet of modern offshore/subsea vessels, and engineering capacity to service both the offshore and subsea market. With over 40 years in the offshore business, the group has a strong position in terms of experience, innovation, product range, technology and capacity. DOF's core businesses are vessel ownership, vessel management, project management, engineering, vessel operations, survey, remote intervention, and diving operations primarily for the oil and gas sector. From PSV charter to Subsea engineering, DOF offers a full spectrum of top-quality offshore services to facilitate an ever-growing and demanding industry. The Company's main operation centres and business units are in Norway, the UK, the USA, Singapore, Brazil, Argentina, Canada, Angola, and Australia.
Invitation to conference calls for investors
The acquisition is presented in closer detail by Svein Harald Øygard, Chair of the Board, Mons. S Aase, CEO and Hilde Drønen, CFO, in two identical presentation webcasts held in English for investors and the press (with option to ask questions at both presentations):
i. 08:00 (CEST) tomorrow, Wednesday 3 July 2024, and
ii. 15:00 (CEST) tomorrow, Wednesday 3 July 2024
To follow the presentation webcasts, please use the following links:
i. 08:00 (CEST): https://channel.royalcast.com/landingpage/hegnarmedia/20240703_3/
ii. 15:00 (CEST ):https://channel.royalcast.com/landingpage/hegnarmedia/20240703_2/
Invitation to physical lunch presentation for investors
The acquisition will also be presented in closer detail by Svein Harald Øygard, Chair of the Board, Mons S. Aase, CEO and Hilde Drønen, CFO, in a physical lunch presentation held in Norwegian for investors at:
o Time: 13:00(CEST)
o Date: Wednesday3 July 2024
o Location: Carnegie AS’ offices in Oslo (Fjordalléen 16, 0250 Oslo, 5th floor)
Advisors
Carnegie AS is acting as financial advisor and Advokatfirmaet Thommessen AS is acting as legal advisor to DOF in connection with the acquisition.
For additional information, please contact
Mons S. Aase,CEO, Tel: +47 91 66 10 12
Hilde Drønen, CFO, Tel: + 47 91 66 10 09
This release contains information considered to be inside information pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation and is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to Section 5-12 the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. The release was published by Hilde Drønen, CFO of DOF Group ASA, on 2 July 2024 at the time set out above.
Important information:
The release is an announcement issued pursuant to legal information obligations. It is issued for information purposes only, and does not constitute or form part of any offer or solicitation to purchase or subscribe for securities, in the United States of America, Canada, Australia, Japan, Hong Kong or in any other jurisdiction where it would be prohibited by applicable law. This distribution does not constitute or form part of an offer or solicitation of an offer to purchase or subscribe for securities in the United States. The shares referred to herein have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933,and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to U.S. persons (other than distributors) unless the securities are registered under the Act, or an exemption from the registration requirements of the Act is available.
The release and any materials distributed together or in connection with this release may contain certain forward-looking statements. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty because they reflect the Company's current expectations and assumptions as to future events and circumstances that may not prove accurate. A number of material factors could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements
DOF has signed an LOI (Letter of Intent) for a 2-year firm and 1-year optional contract from an undisclosed energy company. The contract is defined as Very Large, excluding optional period and additional services.
DOF shall under the contract utilise Skandi Seven. Startup shall be Q4, 2024, and is planned in direct continuation from ongoing contract.
In addition to vessel services, DOF shall deliver a full suite of project management, engineering, and logistical services.
Mons S. Aase commented: “We are very pleased with another award from a very important energy company. With Skandi Seven, we recently reached another milestone delivering more than three million manhours without any LTI’s (lost time injury) while conducting FSV duties. I’m enthusiastic about this award, which will utilise our experience in conducting advanced subsea operations”.
Preparations for the contract have already started from our integrated marine operations team located in Bergen, Norway.
For further information, please contact:
Mons S. Aase, CEO, DOF Group ASA. Tel: +47 91 66 10 12
Hilde Drønen, CFO, DOF Group ASA. Tel: +47 91 66 10 09
DOF Group defines a Very Large Contract as a contract with value between USD 100 million to USD 200 million.
We are pleased to announce Petrobras has awarded DOF two long-term contracts: a Major Contract for the Pipelay Support Vessel (PLSV) Skandi Niterói, and a Very Large Contract for the Anchor Handling Support vessel (AHTS) Skandi Botafogo.
The Brazilian built and flagged PLSV Skandi Niterói is awarded a 3-year firm plus option contract commencing in 2025. The vessel is owned by DOFCON Navegação Ltda., a joint venture between DOF Subsea (50%) and TechnipFMC (50%).
The Brazilian built and flagged AHTS Skandi Botafogo (181t BP), that is currently contracted by Petrobras until 1Q 2025, is awarded a 4-year firm plus 1-year option contract commencing in 2025 in sequence to the current contract. Prior to commencement, the vessel will have a Work Class ROV rated 3,000m installed on board delivering an AHTS 180t BP + ROV for the same tender as Skandi Amazonas and Skandi Rio.
Mons S. Aase, CEO DOF Group ASA, said, “We are thrilled to announce both another award for our PLSV fleet in Brazil and the AHTS contract, which builds backlog into the 2nd quarter of 2029. These long-term awards demonstrate our unique position in Brazil.”
For further information, please contact:
Mons S. Aase, CEO, DOF Group ASA. Tel: +47 91 66 10 12
Hilde Drønen, CFO, DOF Group ASA. Tel: +47 91 66 10 09
DOF Group defines a Major Contract as a contract with value between USD 200 million to USD 300 million and defines a Very Large Contract between USD 100 million to USD 200 million.
With reference to the press release published via OTC on 11.06.2024: OTC newsfeed (URL)
Supplemental materials:
>>> DOF Installer ASA Notice of the Annual General Meeting (PDF)
>>> DOF Installer ASA Annual Report 2023 (PDF)
>>> Vedtekter DOF Installer ASA per 25 Mai 2011 (PDF)
>>> Utkast vedtekter DOF Installer ASA for beslutning i generalforsamling 27. juni 2024 (PDF)
Supporting link:
Link for registration and powers of attorney:
>>> Registration is closed and the link has been removed.
DOF has been awarded a Very Large contract by Equinor for the delivery of Inspection, Maintenance and Repair (IMR) services for a duration up to 3 years firm + 3 annual options.
The work includes subsea operations covering IMR activities throughout Equinor's assets on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. DOF shall also deliver its full suite of project management, engineering, procurement and logistical solutions.
DOF shall deploy the purpose-built IMR vessel M/V REM Inspector, which shall be equipped with DOF's MHS (Module Handling System) and 3 ROVs (Remotely Operated Vehicle). Offshore startup is tentatively planned to April 2025.
Mons S. Aase stated: “We are extremely proud to have secured a contract from Equinor to provide IMR activities. This is a substantial and important contract win for DOF, and a testament to the expertise, experience and capability of our team. We look forward to contributing to the success of Equinor, and working together in the years to come”.
Project preparations have already started, and DOF shall run the project from its Bergen, Norway office.
For further information, please contact:
Mons S. Aase, CEO, DOF Group ASA. Tel: +47 91 66 10 12
Hilde Drønen, CFO, DOF Group ASA. Tel: +47 91 66 10 09
DOF Group defines a Very Large Contract as a contract with value between USD 100 million to USD 200 million.
DOF is pleased to announce, as part of an ongoing tender process, an awarded Major Contract by Petrobras for the pipelay support vessel (PLSV) Skandi Vitória with a 3-year firm plus option contract commencing in 2025.
The vessel is Brazilian-built and flagged and owned by DOFCON Navegação Ltda., a joint venture between DOF Subsea (50%) and TechnipFMC (50%).
Mons S. Aase, CEO DOF Group ASA, said, “We are pleased to announce this award under the ongoing PLSV tender and continue the discussion with Petrobras on the ongoing PLSV tender.”
For further information, please contact:
Mons S. Aase, CEO, DOF Group ASA. Tel: +47 91 66 10 12
Hilde Drønen, CFO, DOF Group ASA. Tel: +47 91 66 10 09
DOF Group defines a Major Contract as a contract with value between USD 200 million to USD 300 million.
Reference is made to the announcements made by DOF ASA (the "Company") and DOF Subsea AS on 22 June 2022 and 21 October 2022 regarding the execution of an agreement (the "Restructuring Agreement") with a substantial group of the DOF group's financial creditors and certain other stakeholders on a comprehensive financial restructuring (the "Restructuring"), and the announcements on 1 and 2 February 2023 regarding the bankruptcy proceedings in the Company opened by Hordaland district court, and the agreement between financial creditors and the bankruptcy estate, facilitating that the Company's subsidiaries will remain unaffected by the bankruptcy.
The Restructuring was today completed in accordance with the Restructuring Agreement and the financial creditors of the DOF group have thereby acquired 100% of the ownership in New DOF ASA (renamed from DOF Services AS and in the process of being converted to a public limited liability company), which is the new holding company in the DOF group. Following the completion of the Restructuring, the Company has no longer any ownership to the companies within the DOF group.
For further information, please contact:
CEO Mons Aase, tel. +47 91 66 10 12
CFO DOF ASA Hilde Drønen, tel. +47 91 66 10 09
This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to Section 5 -12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.
With a multi-national workforce of about 3,800 personnel, DOF ASA is an international group of companies which owns and operates a fleet of modern offshore/subsea vessels, and engineering capacity to service both the offshore and subsea market. With over 40 years in the offshore business, the group has a strong position in terms of experience, innovation, product range, technology and capacity. DOF's core businesses are vessel ownership, vessel management, project management, engineering, vessel operations, survey, remote intervention and diving operations primarily for the oil and gas sector. From PSV charter to Subsea engineering, DOF offers a full spectrum of top quality offshore services to facilitate an ever-growing and demanding industry.
The company's main operation centers and business units are located in Norway, the UK, the USA, Singapore, Brazil, Argentina, Canada, Angola, and Australia.
DOF ASA is listed on the Oslo Exchange since 1997.