Ensco and Rowan Companies agree to combine
Ensco and Rowan Companies jointly announced that the companies have entered into a definitive transaction agreement under which Rowan will combine with Ensco in an all-stock transaction. The definitive transaction agreement was unanimously approved by each company’s board of directors. The Saudi Aramco partner to the ARO Drilling joint venture has consented to the combination between Rowan and Ensco.
Under the terms of the transaction agreement, Rowan shareholders will receive 2.215 Ensco shares for each Rowan share. Upon closing, Ensco and Rowan shareholders will own approximately 60.5% and 39.5%, respectively, of the outstanding shares of the combined entity. There are no financing conditions for this transaction.
The combined company expects to realize annual pre-tax expense synergies of approximately $150 million, with more than 75% of targeted synergies expected to be realized within one year of closing. As a result, the transaction is projected to be accretive to cash flow per share in 2020 following an anticipated closing in the first half of 2019.
“We are excited to reach an agreement to combine our well-respected organizations, enabling both Rowan and Ensco shareholders to participate in the substantial value creation opportunities of a larger, more technologically advanced and diverse offshore drilling company,” Tom Burke, Rowan President and Chief Executive Officer, who will serve as President and Chief Executive Officer of the combined company, said. “By merging our high-quality rig fleets and infrastructure covering the world’s most prolific offshore basins, we increase our scale while maintaining a shared focus on high-specification assets that will include ultra-deepwater drillships and versatile semisubmersibles, as well as harsh-environment and modern jackups. Rowan shareholders also benefit from the addition of significant backlog and substantial scale in ultra-deepwater operations. The combined entity’s talented workforce, unrivaled geographic and customer diversification and solid financial position ideally position us to meet increasing customer demand for the most technologically-advanced drilling rigs as the offshore sector recovers.”
“The combination of Ensco and Rowan will create an industry leader in offshore drilling across all water depths, with significant advantages to capitalize on future opportunities and better serve our customers,” Carl Trowell, Ensco President and Chief Executive Officer, who will serve as Executive Chairman of the combined company, said. “Ensco and Rowan share a common culture built around safety and operational excellence, innovation, technical expertise and customer satisfaction. Through this combination, Ensco shareholders will uniquely benefit from Rowan’s strategic joint venture with Saudi Aramco, ARO Drilling, while all stakeholders will share in meaningful cost savings and even greater upside to improving market conditions as the industry recovery continues gaining momentum.”
The combination will bring together both companies’ complementary businesses, creating a leading offshore driller by fleet size, geographic presence and customer base, with 82 rigs spanning six continents and collectively serving more than 35 customers, including the largest national oil companies, international majors and independent exploration and production companies.
The combined company will be the most geographically-diverse offshore driller with current operations and drilling contracts spanning six continents in nearly every major deep and shallow-water basin around the world including the Gulf of Mexico, Brazil, West Africa, North Sea, Mediterranean, Middle East, Southeast Asia and Australia.
Mr Trowell will become the combined company’s Executive Chairman, Mr Burke will serve as President and Chief Executive Officer, and Jon Baksht will serve as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. The remaining executive management team for the combined company will be named at a later date and will comprise executives from both Ensco and Rowan. Effective upon closing, the combined company’s board of directors will include Mr Trowell and Mr Burke, plus five additional members from Ensco’s current board and four additional members from Rowan’s current board.
The transaction is subject to approval by the shareholders of Ensco and Rowan and regulatory authorities, as well as other customary closing conditions. In addition, the transaction will be subject to court approval pursuant to a UK court-sanctioned scheme of arrangement. The transaction is not subject to any financing conditions. Ensco and Rowan intend to file a joint proxy statement with the securities and Exchange Commission as soon as possible. The companies anticipate that the transaction will close during the first half of 2019.
