GEECL Reduces Debt and Generates Healthy Cash Profits

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Great Eastern Energy Corporation Limited (“GEECL”), the fully integrated, Coal Bed  Methane (“CBM”) company, is pleased to announce its Full Year Results for the 12 months ended 31 March 2021. 

Abridged Financials for FY 2021: 

* MTM (Mark to Market) is on account of the restatement of the foreign currency loans; DTE (Deferred Tax Expense)  is on account of difference in depreciation rates used for financial accounts and tax accounts and other expenses like  exchange fluctuation / MTM 

∙ FY 2021 was an unprecedented year with the COVID-19 pandemic impacting global supply chains, amidst the biggest global health crisis ever faced. 

∙ As announced on November 11, 2020 in the Half Year Results to 30 September 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic had an adverse impact on Sales that were further compounded by the subsequent national lockdown that occurred in India. However,  to mitigate this impact, the Company has taken appropriate measures to optimize costs and increase efficiencies.  

∙ Sales volumes were impacted by the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic,  reassuringly, the Company remained profitable. Encouragingly, operations continue  to grow with gas production increased from a full-year average of 15.20 mmscfd to an  average of 15.88 mmscfd in June 2021, including choked production. 

∙ The Company continues to focus on optimising its debt coupon rate and has been  able to reduce the same from 10.32% in FY 2021 to 9.58% in the ongoing FY 2022.  Due to this, there will an annual saving, in FY 2022, of ~ Rs. 37.50m.

∙ The Company is profitable and cash generative and continues to maintain sufficient  liquidity to meet all of its financial obligations on time. 

∙ Shale gas and CBM reserves and resources in the Raniganj (South) block (as  previously announced on November 15, 2018): 

o OGIP of 6.13 TCF (best estimate) / 9.25 TCF (high estimate) 

o 3P + 3C + 3U is 2,988.40 BCF (2.99 TCF) 

∙ Undiscounted value of $13.78 billion 

∙ Discounted value of $4.31 billion 

∙ The Company had obtained the environment clearance for starting its Shale  exploration program and continues to be in the process of obtaining the balance of  final approvals expected later this year. The Company is engaging with various  vendors for commencing the Shale program. Subject to the results obtained and  analysed from the core wells, the Company intends to drill an optimum number of  pilot production wells. 

∙ GAIL (India) Limited partially commissioned the “Jagdishpur – Haldia & Bokaro – Dhamra pipeline” on February 6, 2021. Further work on laying the pipeline section to  Kolkata is underway and it is expected to be completed by August 2022 as per the  media reports. This will provide the Company with the opportunity to expand its  customer base and sales significantly by accessing the huge market of Kolkata and  also to the wider State of West Bengal. The transportation tariff of this pipeline has  been fixed at Rs. 71.08/mmbtu ($0.94/mmbtu) including 12% for Goods and Services  Tax. 

∙ India’s LNG imports for the month of May 2021 were higher than the corresponding month of the previous year and the cumulative imports for the current year till May  2021 was higher by 24.86% compared with the corresponding period of the previous year. As per the publicly available data, the current average long term delivered LNG  price in India is US$ 12.20/mmbtu. Transporting this gas to the eastern region via  the above-mentioned pipeline would entail additional transportation costs mentioned  above and other costs to customers in eastern India.  

Prashant Modi, Managing Director & CEO of Great Eastern, said: 

“Despite the impact of a slowing World economy during the reporting period, the Global  COVID-19 pandemic, and a slowdown in the growth rate of the Indian economy, gas sales  prices, revenue and sales volume have largely remained resilient. The Board would like to highlight that the Company’s business and balance sheet has been able to comfortably  withstand the severe impact of these unpreceded events.  

“In response to the pandemic, we have implemented a focused plan of optimising production, cutting costs, increasing efficiencies, and additional improvements continue to be systematically pursued. 

“Encouragingly, post balance sheet year end, World growth rates are rebounding and energy prices, that fell dramatically in March 2020, have returned to pre-pandemic levels with  international oil prices currently above US$70 per barrel. 

“We are at an important point in the growth of our core business as a result of the opportunities offered by the GAIL pipeline that will allow us to expand our customer base  and sales volumes and take advantage of our significant proven but as yet uncommitted gas reserves. On completion, the GAIL pipeline will allow us to pursue further material organic growth into the large and untapped industrial market of Kolkata and into the wider State of  West Bengal and we look forward to reporting on our new gas marketing initiatives as they unfold. We also look forward to progressing our Shale exploration and appraisal project that  represents another excellent organic growth opportunity for Great Eastern once all approvals are in place. 

“With the steps being taken by the government to accelerate the growth of the Indian economy, demand for hydrocarbons in India will continue to grow, as is evident from rising  LNG imports and where development of indigenous gas reserves like those held by Great  Eastern can make a meaningful contribution. Given climate change concerns and the need  to control emissions, Great Eastern is encouraged that its business focus on gas,  increasingly seen as an energy transition fuel, can assist in the global trend towards low  carbon/carbon neutral energy supplies.”