Pilot Energy has locked in the purchase of the West Australian-based Cliff Head oil facility from former joint venture partner Triangle Energy and will repurpose the asset as a carbon capture and storage facility within its Mid West Clean Energy project.
Triangle’s remaining 78.75 per cent interest in the Cliff Head oil field within the Perth Basin, held under the current JV, has been transferred to Pilot in exchange for a secured $5.563 million promissory note.
The previously announced revised terms of the sale allowed for Pilot’s existing debt to Triangle to be converted via the secured note. It matures on September 30, 2026. Interest will accrue from June 30 at 10 per cent and will be capitalised to maturity.
Ownership of all onshore and offshore assets falling within WA state jurisdiction has been transferred to Pilot. The assets include onshore processing facilities, the Arrowsmith production plant, Arrowsmith freehold land, infrastructure licences and offshore pipelines within state waters.
The pipelines extend 16 kilometres to an offshore platform, with the first 12km estimated to fall within WA waters.
The remaining 4km of pipelines are in Commonwealth jurisdiction. Pilot will ask to transfer the project via the National Offshore Petroleum Titles Administrator. The company plans to soon lodge the relevant paperwork with the administrator.
Triangle stands to receive a considerable boost to its cash position from the sale. In addition to the secured note funds due next year, the company will receive a one-off $167,000 payment on August 31 this year in recognition of the deferred interest accrual under the secured note.
It will receive a further $4.5 million when Pilot receives a greenhouse gas injection licence and up to a further $7.5 million in royalties from the project.
Pilot is also looking to sell its Three Springs solar project, also in WA’s Mid West region. If that occurs, Pilot has agreed to pay Triangle 30 per cent of the sale proceeds towards its secured debt.
Triangle will continue to hold full security over Pilot and its subsidiary company Royal Energy until the debt is repaid in full.
Triangle Energy managing director Conrad Todd said: “We are pleased to finalise and sign this deal to sell the onshore Cliff Head assets. This sale enables Triangle to focus on the exploitation of its Perth Basin assets along with further new business development to complement the existing portfolio of opportunities.”
Pilot Energy is now champing at the bit to bring in an elite group of investors interested in agreeing on a joint venture to develop and operate the Mid West Clean Energy project.
Pilot has a state-owned enterprise (SOE), experienced with carbon storage and capture, locked and loaded to help develop the project.
A consortium of South Korean mega-energy firms led by Korea Southern Power Co is also looking to link up with Pilot and acquire a 60 per cent interest to jointly develop the Mid West project to secure a supply of ammonia.
The ammonia will be used for hydrogen cofiring in coal-fired power plants in Korea.
The Korean Southern Power Co is one of six State-owned power companies and the nation’s largest electric utility group. It plans to burn a mix of 20 per cent ammonia and 80 per cent coal at the company’s large Samcheok 2044-megawatt thermal power plant in the eastern Korean province of Gangwon-Do, about 120 kilometres from the capital city of Seoul.
The consortium comprises Korea Southern Power Co, Korea East-West Power, Samsung C&T and hydrogen producer Approtium.
Pilot Energy managing director Brad Lingo said: “All the hard work to consolidate ownership of the Cliff Head oil JV assets and infrastructure is beginning to pay off. Having completed this stage of the acquisition with Triangle, this puts the company in an excellent position to progress bringing our development partners into the project – both the Korean consortium and the SOE, which already is actively involved in carbon storage development and operation.”
The company plans to repurpose the depleted Cliff Head oil well into a facility capable of storing liquified carbon emissions from WA’s industrial emitters. Pilot will create a carbon storage business, charging third-party emitters, to add to its clean energy ammonia project arsenal.
Pilot also plans to supply blue and eventually green hydrogen into WA’s energy grid, positioning itself as a major supplier as the State looks to cut emissions and help develop sources of cleaner electricity.
As Cliff Head swaps hands, both Pilot and Triangle appear to have emerged as winners.
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