Investing.com -- Energean plc (TASE:ENOG) (LON:ENOG) reported strong financial and operational performance for 2024, with record production and a 25% surge in revenue.
However, its stock traded lower on Thursday as uncertainty loomed over the planned $945 million sale of its Egypt, Italy, and Croatia assets to Carlyle International Energy Partners.
With regulatory approvals still pending and no agreement on extending the March 20 deadline, concerns over the transaction’s completion have overshadowed an otherwise strong year for the company.
Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) analysts noted that while the energy company’s financials were in line with expectations, the potential termination of the Carlyle transaction remains a key concern.
The deal was expected to facilitate a $200 million special dividend, and its failure could raise questions about Energean’s long-term dividend policy.
The bank highlighted that regulatory approvals in Italy and Egypt remain outstanding, and Energean has not reached an agreement with Carlyle to extend the deadline. If no resolution is found, either party could terminate the deal.
Energean’s total production climbed 24% year-on-year to 153,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (kboed), driven by increased output from its Karish and Karish North fields in Israel, which accounted for 112 kboed.
Production from continuing operations—including assets in Israel, Greece, the UK, and Morocco—rose 28% to 114 kboed.
Despite regional instability, Energean maintained 99% uptime at its floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) unit in Israel.
The company also made significant progress on its Katlan development project, which remains on track for first gas in 1H27. Morgan Stanley confirmed that Energean signed a drilling contract with Saipem (BIT:SPMI) for Athena and Zeus development wells, further solidifying its growth pipeline.
Energean’s revenue jumped 25% to $1.779 billion, supported by higher production. Adjusted EBITDAX rose 25% to $1.162 billion.
Despite these gains, net profit after tax increased only 2% to $188 million, largely due to a $241 million impairment charge related to exploration write-offs in Egypt, Morocco, and Greece.
Cash flow from operations surged 71% to $1.122 billion, reinforcing Energean’s liquidity position. The company ended the year with $321 million in cash and total liquidity of $446 million.
Leverage (net debt to adjusted EBITDAX) declined to 2.5x from 3.0x, reflecting a stronger balance sheet.
Energean declared a Q4 2024 dividend of $0.30 per share, bringing total dividends paid since inception to $595 million.
The company reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining its quarterly dividend regardless of the Carlyle transaction outcome, though it will update its policy once the deal is finalized or terminated.
To support future growth, Energean secured a $750 million term loan in early 2025 to refinance its $625 million 2026 Energean Israel Notes and provide liquidity for the Katlan development. It also extended its $300 million revolving credit facility to 2028.
Energean reaffirmed its 2025 production guidance of 120-130 kboed, weighted toward the second half of the year.
The company continues to explore new growth opportunities in the Mediterranean and EMEA regions, focusing on assets that align with its deleveraging strategy and dividend commitments.
Additionally, Energean reported a 10% reduction in emissions intensity year-on-year, bringing it 87% below its 2019 baseline to 8.4 kg CO2e per barrel of oil equivalent