FRNT - Frontline 2012 Ltd.: Knightsbridge Tankers Limited agrees to purchase six Capesize bulk carriers
March 10 2014 - 9:21AM
Frontline 2012 Ltd. ("Frontline
2012") and Knightsbridge Tankers Limited (Nasdaq: VLCCF)
("Knightsbridge") today announced that they and Karpasia Shipping
Inc (Karpasia), a company controlled by a trust established by John
Fredriksen for the benefit of his immediate family have agreed for
Knightsbridge to acquire five fuel efficient 180,000 DWT Capesize
bulk carrier newbuildings from Frontline 2012 and one Capesize bulk
carrier built in 2013 from Karpasia. The newbuildings were ordered
by Frontline 2012 from Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Company
Limited in China and have expected deliveries of between May 2014
and September 2014.
Knightsbridge has agreed to pay
$61 million for each of the five Capesize newbuildings and $55
million for the Capesize built in 2013. Of the total consideration
of $360 million, $186 million will be paid in shares of
Knightsbridge at $10 per share, $150 million in absorption of
remaining newbuilding capex and $24 million in cash. Accordingly,
Knightsbridge has agreed to issue 15.5 million shares to Frontline
2012 and 3.1 million shares to Karpasia, or another company
controlled by trusts established by John Fredriksen for the benefit
of his immediate family, on closing of the transaction.
Knightsbridge will seek to raise around $30 million in bank debt
per vessel. The transaction is subject to execution of
definitive documentation and normal closing conditions.
Following the issuance of the
shares, Knightsbridge will have 49.1 million shares
outstanding.
Knightsbridge expects to have ten
Capesizes on the water by the end of September 2014 and in addition
four newbuildings delivering in 2015.
Knightsbridge's strategic plan is
to grow its Capesize fleet and its cash flow per share as the
drybulk market recovers. The Knightsbridge Board of Directors will
consider acquiring further Capesize vessels from the market as well
as from Frontline 2012. Frontline 2012 has further 25 shipbuilding
contracts for fuel efficient Capesizes with deliveries expected to
take place between Q3 2014 and Q3 2016, distributed with five
vessels in 2014, 14 vessels in 2015 and six vessels in 2016.
Commenting on the transaction, Ola
Lorentzon, Chief Executive Officer of Knightsbridge, stated:
"The purchase by Knightsbridge of the six Capesize vessels will
help us in developing the leading New York listed Capesize
owner. We believe that acquiring these vessels will greatly
benefit our shareholders through additional scale and reduced fleet
age and we believe it will increase our opportunity to benefit from
a dry bulk market recovery. We will seek to have a moderate debt
level per vessel and favorable amortization profile, with the
ambition to create a structure that allows for high distribution
capacity. Needless to say, it is a major step for the
Company."
The Chairman of Frontline 2012,
John Fredriksen, said: "We are very pleased to be able to
enter into a transaction with Knightsbridge, which is in line with
our strategic plan of creating pure plays in different shipping
segments through consolidation, divestments and spin offs."
The Board of Directors
Frontline 2012 Ltd.
Hamilton, Bermuda
March 10, 2014
Questions should be directed to:
Jens Martin Jensen: Chief Executive Officer,
Frontline Management AS
+47 23 11 40 99
Inger M. Klemp: Chief Financial Officer, Frontline
Management AS
+47 23 11 40 76
Forward
Looking Statements
This press release contains
forward looking statements. These statements are based upon various
assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further
assumptions, including management's examination of historical
operating trends. Although the Board believes that these
assumptions were reasonable when made, because assumptions are
inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies
which are difficult or impossible to predict and are beyond its
control, Frontline 2012 cannot give assurance that it will achieve
or accomplish these expectations, beliefs or intentions.
Important factors that, in the
Company's view, could cause actual results to differ materially
from those discussed in this press release include the strength of
world economies and currencies, general market conditions including
fluctuations in charter hire rates and vessel values, changes in
demand in the tanker market as a result of changes in OPEC's
petroleum production levels and world wide oil consumption and
storage, changes in the Company's operating expenses including
bunker prices, dry-docking and insurance costs, changes in
governmental rules and regulations or actions taken by regulatory
authorities, potential liability from pending or future litigation,
general domestic and international political conditions, potential
disruption of shipping routes due to accidents or political events,
and other important factors described from time to time in the
reports filed by the Company with the United States Securities and
Exchange Commission.
This
announcement is distributed by NASDAQ OMX Corporate Solutions on
behalf of NASDAQ OMX Corporate Solutions clients.
The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely
responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the
information contained therein.
Source: Frontline 2012 Ltd. via Globenewswire
HUG#1767532
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