Providence Resources - Re: PVR Stream Log - SEQUA PETROLEUM, a publicly listed...

SEQUA PETROLEUM, a publicly listed specialist oil finance company, is poised to take a stake in Providence Resources’ Barryroe field off the south coast — the most advanced oil exploration project in Irish waters. Neither company would comment this weekend on the proposed farm-in deal. Speculation rose last week when a new company, Sequa Petroleum (Barryroe), was registered in the Companies Registration Office. The new company has listed its place of business in Ireland as “c/o Providence Resources”. One source said the company was still talking to “a number of interested parties”. Sequa Petroleum is a subsidiary of Sapinda Holding, an investment company established by German business prodigy Lars Windhorst. Sapinda Holding is reported to have invested €2bn since it was established in 2009, with oil and gas assets taking up a large proportion of those investments. According to the Sequa Petroleum (Barryroe) memorandum of association, the company goal is “to exploit natural resources of every nature including oil and petroleum”. The company’s website states that it specialises in completing farm-in deals of between $100m and $500m (€80m-€400m) to bring assets up to first production. Sequa Petroleum’s participation in Barryroe is likely to help fund the drilling of further appraisal wells that are needed before the Celtic Sea field is taken to production stage. Tony O’Reilly Jr, the Providence chief executive, told investors in September that negotiations “are now at an advanced stage and we are working hard to satisfactorily conclude this with the objective to return cash to the business and obtain capital funding, while also ensuring that Providence retains a material stake in Barryroe”. The negotiations will not have been helped by a plummeting oil price that has dented the stock market valuation of exploration companies. Sequa Petroleum has a market capitalisation of €608m. According to a presentation on its website last month, the company is pursuing significant farm- ins and joint ventures in northwest Europe. It has identified an undervalued asset, built a relationship with a local partner and is qualifying as an operator