A positive announcement all in all. The mooted capital & structure initiatives are interesting. The Kerogen debt restructure package is placed in perspective, becomes even vaguely defensible if viewed as a means of dressing up the AJL house for the moneterisation process Feasably this could involve the splitting of UK exploration assets from theOz drilling operations, as mentioned. Can''t imagine investors would have much appetite for AJL without Cuadrilla though. Rather, I am thinking that the Chinese connection could come into play here, in some way. An outright sale? An equity stake negotiated with(say) CPC to fund expansion of AJL Drilling into shale servives, particularly in China, but also here? Which leaves several valuable assets which are available for packaging & marketting via London.... the Cuadrilla stake, Bowland Direct Bowland Indirect(?) Bolney Direct Monument Canning
Ideally the strategy to moneterize these assets will be fully transparent, maximise value for existing shareholders, allow funds for expansion & achieve,importantly, the extinguish all lingering Kerogen debt with odouous overtone. Nurture, rather than flog, the farm This could be achieved by launching a London IPO that encompasses all these assets.A nice package that includes some blue-sky gems. Kerogen could be paid out via IPO proceeds Or extra shares in the expanded structure.
What we don't want is for the pending initiatives to advantage Kerogen, or management, or Riverstone for that matter, over existing ordinary shareholders, who have been plundered pretty ruthlessly over the past few years. Under the Resolution to go before the AGM, Kerogen receives up to 100% of proceeds from sales of various assets to pay debt, interest & fees, and a seemingly flimsy default trigger to set in train. Do we want these shackles? Given the potential to realize asset value is close? Surely this step can be cut out and funds can be realized/obtained without the Kerogen triple arm twist being applied to all. I am happy to have Kerogen as a majority shareholder.... if they transparently apply themselves to growing both the shareprice & business. With almost 50% of AJL, mostly gained at discounted prices, Kerogen surely no more incentive (read stranglhold) is needed. Raving
AJL Price at posting:
88.5¢ Sentiment: Buy Disclosure: Held
