MOL Group successfully completed its first acquisition in Norway
- MOL Group has successfully completed a deal to acquire Ithaca Petroleum Norge
- The deal doubles the size of MOL Group’s exploration portfolio
- Entry into Norwegian market takes company closer to becoming an offshore operator in North Sea
BUDAPEST, 9 July 2015 - MOL Group today announced the successful completion of a deal to acquire 100% ownership of Ithaca Petroleum Norge (IPN) from Ithaca Petroleum Ltd. The deal doubles the size of MOL Group’s exploration portfolio, adding 600 million barrels of net un-risked best estimate prospective reserves. Entry into the Norwegian market also takes the company a step closer towards becoming an offshore operator in the North Sea.
Entry into Norway is a measured step for MOL Group, reflecting the company’s active approach to portfolio development. The move balances and grows MOL Group’s global upstream portfolio and includes 14 licenses in the Norwegian Continental Shelf, three of which are currently operated by IPN.
The investor-friendly nature of Norway and its political and fiscal stability were key reasons MOL Group decided to acquire IPN. Closure of the deal now extends MOL Group’s presence in the North Sea and builds on last year’s entry into the UK.
Alexander Dodds, Group Executive Vice President for Upstream added:
“Entering Norway as one of the most investor friendly countries is an important milestone in our E&P Strategy. Norway will become a key exploration hub for MOL Group in the future and will help us achieve our goal of becoming an offshore operator in the North Sea. We believe Norway has a best in class approach to exploration, and we know that the new MOL Norge has an excellent team in place.”
While MOL Group will provide additional operational resources and support where needed, MOL Norge continues as a Norwegian company, and all staff will become part of the new entity.
Lars Thorrud, MOL Norge CEO with Brian Glover, MOL Group Exploration&Business Development SVP