Thanks to Malcy's Blog
Sept 28, 2023
Petro Matad has announced its unaudited interim results for the six months ended 30 June 2023 and provides an operational update.
Key Company Updates
· The Company continues to push the Government to complete the regulatory formalities to allow completion operations at Heron 1 to commence. The Provincial Government has been very slow to respond which is putting the plan to complete the well before winter at risk.
· The local district authorities have however indicated that they are open to the Company operating in parallel with the slow-moving bureaucracy if Central Government supports the Company in doing so. This option is now being pursued as a priority.
· The 2022/23 Mongolian Exploration Tender Round continues with Petro Matad submitting two applications for new blocks and actively looking at one more area to determine if a third application is merited.
· Our renewable energy JV, SunSteppe Renewable Energy, is actively pursuing two projects, a battery energy storage facility and a green hydrogen project as it continues to push into the Mongolian renewable energy sector. Both projects have the potential to generate revenue in the near term.
Financial Summary 1H 2023
The Group posted a loss of USD 1.90 million for the 6-month period ended 30 June 2023, which compares to a loss of USD 1.62 million for the comparable period in 2022. The Company’s cash balance at 30 June 2023 was USD 8.39 million (USD 0.82 million in cash and USD 7.57 million in Financial Assets – which are term deposits with a term of 3 months or more), which compares to a cash balance of USD 6.62 million (USD 3.10 million in cash and USD 3.52 million in Financial Assets) on 30 June 2022.
As previously announced, a successful fundraise totalling USD 6.6 million of gross proceeds was completed in February 2023, primarily to fund exploration drilling in the Company’s operated Block V and to advance renewable energy opportunities through a newly established joint venture. Despite the continuing frustration with the delays in progressing the development of the Heron discovery it was very encouraging that both the placing and retail offer were over-subscribed.
Operational Summary 1H 2023
On the Company’s Block XX where the Heron discovery is ready for the first phase of development to begin, the land access issue, and thus commencement of production operations, remained delayed through the first half of 2023 subject to registration of the Exploitation Area as Special Purpose Land in accordance with Mongolia’s Land Law. Significant progress was made to secure the certification and all ministries in the Mongolian Government confirmed their support. The documentation for the certification was completed by end June for submission to Cabinet in July 2023.
In parallel, the Company finalised negotiations with DQE Drilling on a long-term drilling contract which will be submitted to industry regulator the Mineral Resources and Petroleum Authority of Mongolia (MRPAM) for discussion and approval. Commercial negotiations advanced with PetroChina for the use of its production infrastructure on neighbouring Block XIX.
On the Company’s Block V exploration PSC in central Mongolia, the Velociraptor 1 well was drilled on a high impact prospect in June/July with the full support of the local communities. The well was drilled on schedule and within budget but as has been reported previously, despite encountering more than 350 metres of good quality reservoir sections, the well was dry and it has been plugged and abandoned.
MRPAM’s 2022/23 Exploration Tender Round continued through the first half of the year and the Company has made applications for two blocks. Negotiations of the contractual terms are ongoing.
In early 2023, Petro Matad completed the formation of a joint venture company, SunSteppe Renewable Energy (SRE), to develop renewable energy projects in Mongolia with the goal of reaching construction ready status on its first projects within 24 months. Priority projects included a battery energy storage system project designed to help improve the stability of Mongolia’s electricity grid and so reduce coal consumption for power generation and allow the dispatch of more renewable energy from projects already in operation. The joint venture is also pursuing off-grid projects to supply renewable energy to mining projects where operators are keen to decarbonise their operations.
Operational Update and look ahead
Block XX: The Cabinet approved the special purpose certification of the Block XX Exploitation Area in early July, following which the Company has been pushing hard for the Government to complete the regulatory formalities and so allow completion operations at Heron 1 to commence. Whilst good progress has been made with Central Government agencies, the Tripartite Agreement between the Land Agency, the Ministry of Mining and Heavy Industry (MMHI) and the Provincial Government which regulates the management of special purpose land has yet to be finalized. The Land Agency issued the draft in July and MMHI quickly responded positively but the Provincial Government wants to complete herder compensation first and this further bureaucratic delay may jeopardise the chance to put Heron 1 on production before the winter operational shut down. In response, the Company is urging central and provincial authorities to speed up the remainder of the process and, with the special purpose certification now approved, Petro Matad has asked the district authorities to allow Heron 1 operations to go ahead in parallel with the slow-moving bureaucracy at central and provincial levels. The district representatives have signaled their willingness to consider this so long as the Central Government supports the initiative and MRPAM has confirmed its support and is preparing a letter to that effect. The Company continues to direct all its efforts at getting Heron 1 on stream before the oilfield contractors shut down for the winter.
Block V: The post-well evaluation of Velociraptor 1 is progressing.
New acreage: In addition to the two applications lodged for new blocks earlier in the year, Petro Matad is looking at one more area in the 2022/23 exploration tender round to determine if a third application is merited.
Renewables: Post the period end, the Company’s renewable energy vehicle, SRE, has made very good progress. In consultation with the Ministry of Energy, the need for a 50MW/150MWh battery energy storage facility in central Mongolia was defined. SRE’s team has completed the required feasibility studies and the grid connection study for the project has been approved by the National Dispatching Centre. All required documentation has been submitted to and accepted by the Technology Committee of the Ministry of Energy. Once the committee’s approval is in hand, the License for Construction of the facility will be requested. SRE expects that this project can be brought to construction ready status with a power purchase agreement and tariffs in place by mid-2024. SRE has access to land already under lease for the facilities within two kilometres of the tie in point and the footprint is small. The development costs of this project are low and the project is expected to offer a double-digit rate of return and could be online and generating revenue by 2025.
A second project involving a utility scale wind farm to supply renewable energy to generate green hydrogen for use at a mine operation in the South Gobi is also progressing with a forecast timescale similar to SRE’s battery storage project. The project is designed to demonstrate the viability of green hydrogen as a fuel for use in the mining industry in Mongolia and SRE is very excited to be involved. This initiative has the strong support of the Mongolian Government and a memorandum of understanding has been signed with the Ministry of Energy.
SRE and Petro Matad will determine, once these two projects reach construction ready status, how best to fund them. Debt funding for similar projects is already established in Mongolia, leaving open the possibility that SRE can aspire to stay involved in the construction phase and establish itself as a key renewable power producer in the country.
The potential for renewable energy in Mongolia is huge with solar and wind power set to make up an increasing part of the country’s energy mix in the coming decades. This has been embraced by lawmakers, with Mongolia ratifying international conventions including the Paris Agreement. SRE has made good progress so far and has identified several other projects for consideration. We look forward to progressing this exciting new venture that has the potential to generate revenue in the near term.
Mike Buck, CEO of Petro Matad, said:
“The slow pace of the completion of the regulatory process that will allow us to commence the Heron development is extremely frustrating. Whilst we are pushing hard with all agencies, and we have equipment and contractors ready to mobilise, unless the pace suddenly quickens it is now unlikely that we will get the Tripartite Agreement signed in time. However, we are working on a limited access agreement at district level and leaving no stone unturned to give us the chance to achieve our goal of getting Heron 1 onstream before winter.
Meanwhile, it is pleasing to see that our renewable energy initiative is moving ahead. The battery storage project has considerable follow-on potential since the Ministry of Energy has identified a significant need for energy storage in various locations throughout the country. The Government is very keen to see if green hydrogen can be used effectively, whilst the mine operators are looking to decarbonise their operations and SRE’s project targets these goals whilst also providing the potential for an excellent commercial return for the developer.
As ever we appreciate our shareholders’ patience as we work through the final stages of getting Heron 1 on stream and in particular, those shareholders that have been with us on this journey since the Heron discovery and before. I look forward to updating you further on our renewable energy initiative and our other ventures.”
Mike Buck’s reference to shareholder patience couldn’t be more apposite, with the chance of any major moves in the next few months I think MATD is more of a 2024 stock at the moment. The shares are resting on the YTD low but with the 1 year low a penny below here I think the November 2022 price will probably be re-visited first. Having said that I still feel that longer term there is something out there and I’m sure Mike will be over sometime to talk me through it, it’s been a long time!
