Interim Results - 6 Months to 31 December 1999

Westmount Energy Limited 27 April 2000 CONTACTS: Derek Williams - Chairman, Westmount Energy Limited Tel: 020 7351 2925 Andrew Edwards - Investec Henderson Crosthwaite Corporate Finance Tel: 020 7597 5181 Paul Downes - Merlin Financial Tel: 020 7606 1244 WESTMOUNT ENERGY LIMITED INTERIM RESULTS FOR THE SIX MONTHS ENDED 31 DECEMBER 1999 Westmount Energy Limited ('Westmount') today announces its interim results, as follows: -Turnover arising from the Group's North Sea and Gulf of Mexico interests increased to £82,513 (1998: £61,200). -Profit after tax of £112,968 (1998: Loss after tax of £35,509). -Earnings per share of 0.9p (1998: Loss of 0.3p). -Trading has improved due to higher oil prices, the drilling of a successful well in the Gulf of Mexico and the profit realised from the sale of certain investments in the first half accounting period. -The principal focus has been the increased investment in Fusion Oil & Gas NL ('Fusion') to 33% of Fusion's fully paid shares in issue to fund the further development of Fusion's oil and gas exploration assets offshore West Africa. -Westmount has recently agreed to invest an initial £130,000 for 20% of the seed capital being raised by Eclipse Energy Company Limited ('Eclipse'). Eclipse has entered into a joint venture with Independent Energy Resources Limited to exploit 'stranded' gas offshore accumulations by means of new technological and business concepts. -Through its interest of approximately 5.5% in the issued share capital of the AIM quoted Desire Petroleum plc ('Desire'), Westmount has retained an important interest in the exploration of the North Falkland Basin and in the appraisal of a gas discovery onshore Portugal. Commenting on the results, Mr Derek Williams, Chairman, stated: 'With improved oil prices, the forthcoming expected flotation of Fusion on the AIM market later this year, the new venture with Eclipse and the activity from Desire's drilling in Portugal, the next six months will be particularly active. Westmount has assets for creating excellent value for its shareholders over the coming years.' Attached: Full text of the Chairman's Interim Review plus unaudited Consolidated Profit and Loss Account and Consolidated Balance Sheet. Copies of this Press Release will be available from the offices of Investec Henderson Crosthwaite Corporate Finance, 2 Gresham Street, London EC2V 7QP up to and including 17 May 2000. CHAIRMAN'S INTERIM REVIEW I am pleased to report profits before taxation for the six months ended 31 December 1999 of £124,715 (£112,968 after taxation) compared with a loss before taxation of £33,303 (£35,509 after taxation) in the first half of last year. Turnover, arising from the Group's North Sea and Gulf of Mexico interests, is up to £82,513 for the period under review, compared with £61,200 for the same period last year and £97,485 for the year ended 30 June 1999. As indicated in the announcement made following the Company's Annual General Meeting on 13 December 1999, trading has improved significantly since the end of the last financial year due to higher oil prices, the drilling of a successful new well in the Gulf of Mexico and the profit realised from the sale of certain investments in the first half accounting period. The principal focus for the Group during the period has been the investment in Fusion Oil & Gas NL ('Fusion') where earlier in the year it subscribed for one-third of the initial seed capital raised by Fusion, to fund the continuing development of Fusion's oil and gas exploration assets, offshore West Africa. On 11 October 1999, the Group increased its shareholding in Fusion through a further fund raising of that company and now holds 20,000,000 fully paid shares and 500,000 partly paid shares, representing approximately 33% and 6% respectively of the relevant shares in issue, being an overall 30% of the total issued shares of Fusion. The investment has been included in the Company's accounts at cost. It is Fusion's present intention to apply for its shares to be admitted to the Alternative Investment Market ('AIM') of the London Stock Exchange later this year. The Company has agreed to invest an initial £130,000 in Eclipse Energy Company Limited ('Eclipse') by subscribing for 20% of the seed capital being raised by Eclipse. After completion of this fundraising, Westmount will hold approximately 15% of the issued share capital of Eclipse. Eclipse has entered into a joint venture with Independent Energy Resources Limited to exploit 'stranded' gas offshore accumulations by means of new technological and business concepts. The shares in Westmount of which there are currently 13,576,530 in issue, commenced trading on AIM on 2 October 1995 at 15p. The middle market closing price on 30 December 1999 was 47.5p (30 December 1998, 20.5p) and on 25 April 2000 was 48p. The shareholder list contains approximately 1,800 investors. The daily market price of the Company's shares is published in the Financial Times, the Daily Mail and the Evening Standard. Set out below is a review of the Group's present investments: United Kingdom - North Sea The Group owns an overriding royalty based upon 0.5% of oil won and saved from Licence P241 in the central North Sea, including approximately 90% of the producing Buchan Oilfield operated by Talisman Energy (UK) Limited. Oil won and saved from the P241 area in the six months ended 31 December 1999 totalled 1,060,398 barrels compared with 1,312,573 barrels for the same period in the previous year. There was a shutdown for 70 days in the third quarter of 1999 due to the installation of flexible risers and upgrading work for the sub-structure. Assuming the success of the well sidetract drilling programme, the Operator now estimates remaining production for the field in the range of 31 million barrels based on an abandonment date around the end of 2010. North America - Gulf of Mexico & Onshore Louisiana The Group owns a 0.617% overriding royalty interest in the South Timbalier 176 Field (Block 162) offshore Louisiana in the Gulf of Mexico and a 0.375% overriding royalty interest in the College Point Field, located in St James Parish, Louisiana. Total production from the properties for the period under review was approximately 1.5 billion cubic feet ('BCF') of gas, with remaining proved developed producing reserves of approximately 23.5 BCF of gas. As previously reported in the Eugene Island area (Block 255), Gulf of Mexico that was farmed out to Forest Oil Corporation, a successful well has been drilled on the property which came on production in July 1999. This well has been producing on average 13 million cubic feet of gas per day and 600 barrels of oil per day. The Group holds a 1.25% overriding royalty increasing to 1.5% after payout of the well. It has been estimated the farmed out area could contain reserves in the range of 50 BCF of gas and 5 million barrels of oil. Falkland Islands - South Atlantic & Portugal - Onshore The Company owns 5,500,000 ordinary shares of Desire Petroleum plc ('Desire') at a carrying cost of approximately 9p per share. The middle market closing price on 25 April 2000 of a Desire share was 31.5p. This holding provides the Company with a significant indirect investment in the North Falkland Basin and the appraisal of a gas discovery onshore Portugal. The analysis of the results from the first drilling programme in the North Falkland Basin has confirmed the richness of the oil source rock encountered by all the six wells drilled. It has been reported that possibly up to 60 billion barrels of oil have been generated but that the exploration wells drilled targeted potential oil fields above the source rock, whereas new geological modelling suggests that there may be more success in drilling below the source rock. With the improvement in the level of oil prices it is hoped new companies will be encouraged to farm-in to existing licences and promote a further drilling programme. Desire has announced that an appraisal well Aljubarrota 3 in Portugal was spudded on 11 April 2000 and the results of the well should be known during May 2000. West Africa Through its investment in Fusion the Group holds a substantial indirect interest in Fusion's exploration projects in West Africa, which area is emerging as one of the world's most sought after exploration provinces. Fusion holds interests offshore Mauritania, the Republic of Gambia, the Republic of Ghana, Gabon, the Joint Agency of Senegal and Guinea-Bissau and the Republic of Liberia. With regard to the Mauritania licences, operated by Woodside, where a 3D seismic survey has recently been in progress, under the terms of a farmout agreement a deep water well is planned early in 2001. This will be the first of possibly two wells where Fusion will be free-carried. It has been estimated that Fusion's risked reserves across the Mauritania licences are approximately 35 million barrels of oil. The nature of the prospects in Mauritania are such that in the event of exploration success there is the possibility of making multiple discoveries. An indication of the perceived value of the Group's investment in Fusion will be evidenced by the expected forthcoming flotation of Fusion later this year. New Venture Through its recent investment in Eclipse the Company is participating in a venture involving the development of the concept for realising the value of 'stranded' reserves from small offshore gas accumulations. Eclipse has identified a number of candidate 'stranded' reserves with which to exploit the concept. Future Plans The Board intends to continue with its strategy of holding interests in producing oil and gas fields, principally in the North Sea and the Gulf of Mexico which provide a steady annual cash flow. At the same time, it will continue to seek selected participations in other companies in the oil sector mainly at the initial capital raising stage to maximise the return on its investments. The Group's present portfolio of assets have potential value significantly in excess of their carrying costs. Derek G. Williams Chairman 27 April 2000 CONSOLIDATED PROFIT AND LOSS ACCOUNT Six months to Six months to Twelve months to 31 December 1999 31 December 1998 30 June 1999 (unaudited) (unaudited) (audited) £ £ £ Turnover 82,513 61,200 97,485 Operating Costs (17,043) (45,836) (53,632) Operating profit before administrative expenses 65,470 15,364 43,853 Administrative expenses (121,315) (110,493) (244,827) (55,845) (95,129) (200,974) Interest receivable 4,513 20,285 30,743 Profit on disposal of fixed assets - - 28,367 Profit on disposal of investments 176,047 41,541 50,211 180,560 61,826 109,321 Profit (Loss) on ordinary activities before taxation 124,715 (33,303) (91,653) Taxation (11,747) (2,206) 33,202 Profit (Loss) on ordinary activities after taxation 112,968 (35,509) (58,451) Earnings (Loss) per ordinary share 0.9p (0.3p) (0.5p) CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET 31 December 1999 30 June 1999 (unaudited) (audited) £ £ FIXED ASSETS Tangible fixed assets 314,181 331,224 Investments 1,494,765 815,397 1,808,946 1,146,621 CURRENT ASSETS Investments 223,339 223,339 Debtors 50,521 43,167 Cash at bank 277,389 417,809 551,249 684,315 CREDITORS: Amounts falling due within one year 59,918 56,970 NET CURRENT ASSETS 491,331 627,345 TOTAL ASSETS LESS LIABILITES 2,300,277 1,773,966 SHARE CAPITAL AND RESERVES Equity share capital 1,349,653 1,149,653 Share premium account 513,127 289,127 Profit and loss account 437,497 335,186 EQUITY SHAREHOLDERS' FUNDS 2,300,277 1,773,966
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