Pre-close trading update for the year to 31 Dec...

11 December 2014 Pre-close trading updatefor the year to 31 December 2014 John Wood Group PLC ("Wood Group" or "the Group"), issues the following pre-close trading update for the year to 31 December 2014. Full year results will be announced on 17 February 2015. The Group anticipates full year 2014 performance in line with expectations and up on 2013, with growth in Wood Group PSN Production Services offsetting the reduction in Wood Group Engineering and Turbine Activities. Operator focus on efficiency and the recent reduction in the price of oil is leading operators to re-consider their spending plans for 2015 with a consequential impact on service company activity. We expect our largely reimbursable order book and prospects, balance of opex and capex activities, range of longer term contracts, and spread of business to provide relative resilience in 2015 and we will see the full year benefit from completed acquisitions. In Wood Group Engineering the anticipated reduction in 2014 EBITA will be less than the 15% indicated in December 2013. In Upstream, activity on offshore projects including Det Norske Ivar Aasen, Hess Stampede and Husky White Rose, together with onshore work in the US have lessened the impact of the slower pace of award of significant detailed engineering work. We continue to work on more early stage projects than in recent years and see this as a good indicator of future activity. In Subsea & Pipelines, we have seen good activity overall including work with BP on Shah Deniz and Tullow in Ghana. Onshore US pipelines activity continues to be strong, driven by shale related infrastructure development. Downstream, process & industrial has benefitted from the impact of lower gas prices on refining and chemicals work. Wood Group PSN Production Services will deliver strong growth in 2014. This increase is primarily attributable to performance in the Americas, led by US shale related activity, including the benefit of Elkhorn acquired in 2013. We continue to provide a range of activities including well site preparation, infrastructure development and ongoing maintenance across key shale regions for a broad customer base. The announcement today of the acquisition of Swaggart, a provider of civil construction and fabrication services to the US oil and gas and industrial sectors will help extend our service offering. Our North Sea business has remained robust, benefitting from work performed under long term operations and maintenance contracts which provide longer term revenue visibility together with service expansion from the Pyeroy acquisition in 2013. In December, we were awarded a 5 year contract with an estimated value of around $750m with BP for the provision of services to upstream and midstream operations. Internationally, we secured a number of important contracts in 2014 including Woodside in Australia, and ExxonMobil in Papua New Guinea and Malaysia, and are benefitting from customer-led expansion in Iraq with TAQA and BP. Performance in Turbine Activities has improved in the second half although 2014 EBITA will be significantly lower than 2013. Following handover of Dorad earlier in the year we remain confident of securing change orders, and expect to recognise the substantial recovery of the first half financial position in our full year results. Our balance sheet remains strong and supports our continued investment in further acquisitions and organic growth. Cash flow generation remains a focus; in line with the typical seasonal movement, we expect to deliver a significant improvement in working capital in the second half of the year. The Group anticipates full year 2014 performance in line with expectations and up on 2013, with growth in Wood Group PSN Production Services offsetting the reduction in Wood Group Engineering and Turbine Activities. Conference Call A telephone conference call for analysts will be held at 9am today; participant dial-in details below: UK: 01296 480 180 International: +44 1296 480 180 Passcode: 615 924# - ends - Notes to Editors: Wood Group is an international energy services company with over $7bn sales. The Group is built on our Core Values and has two reporting segments - Wood Group Engineering and Wood Group PSN - providing a range of engineering, production support and turbine servicesto the oil & gas, and power sectors. www.woodgroup.com Enquiries: Wood Group Andrew Rose +44 (0)1224 851 000 Carolyn Smith Brunswick Patrick Handley +44 (0)20 7404 5959 Rosheeka Field 1
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