Delek Group Summarizes 2019 and Publishes Consolidated Reports

TEL AVIV, Israel, May 3, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --

2019 results:

    --  Expansion of oil and gas production in the North Sea region led to a
        growth in revenue in 2019 to NIS 8.8 billion, compared to NIS 8.1
        billion in 2018;
    --  The Company's net profit amounted to NIS 234 million. Continued
        operations contributed NIS 760 million to the Company, mostly attributed
        to the Group's gas and oil exploration operations in Israel and
        worldwide;
    --  Progress in implementation of the Group's strategy: in the Leviathan
        reservoir, regular production and the export to Egypt and Jordan
        commenced. In the North Sea, the acquisition of the Chevron assets was
        completed, bringing about to a substantial growth in the reserves and
        resources of the subsidiary Ithaca;
    --  Cash flow from the disposal of non-core assets in 2019 amounted to NIS
        2.4 billion;
    --  Ithaca's EBITDAX in 2019 (pro-forma, including Chevron assets) amounted
        to USD 960 million;
    --  According to NSAI, a leading, independent global oil and gas reserve
        assessment company, the value of the cash flow to Ithaca for 2P and 2C
        reserves and resources as at December 31, 2020, at a discount rate of
        10%, is USD 3.85 billion.

Developments since the beginning of 2020:

    --  The Covid-19 crisis led to a sharp decline of 30%-40% in global demand
        for oil and extreme volatility in the global energy market. As a result,
        in recent weeks, the Group promoted a series of measures and actions to
        improve its financial flexibility and liquidity, and to exist the crisis
        in the markets successfully;
    --  Delek Group's work plan in the gas reservoirs in Israel, and being
        essential operations, will enable regular production to continue and
        vital actions to be performed to increase the production capacity of the
        Leviathan reservoir to 12 BCM annually.

Delek Group's CEO, Idan Wallace: "In recent months, the global energy sector has experienced unparalleled and extreme volatility. Delek Group is a strong company with quality assets and a clear positive net asset value. Delek Group's excellent assets, the determination with which we work day and night, and the business measures that we promote, will allow us to get through the crisis and come out of it stronger."

Delek Group (TASE: DLEKG) (US ADR: DGRLY) ("the Company") summarizes 2019 and publishes consolidated reports. Delek Group's revenue in 2019 amounted to NIS 8.8 billion, compared to NIS 8.1 billion in the previous year. The Company's revenue in the fourth quarter of 2019 was NIS 2.7 billion, compared to NIS 2 billion in the same quarter the previous year. The increase is mainly due to expansion of the Company's oil and gas operations in the UK North Sea.

The Group's net profit amounted to NIS 786 million. Continued operations contributed NIS 760 million to the Company, mostly attributed to the Group's gas and oil exploration operations in Israel and worldwide.

Contribution to the net profit attributable to the Company's shareholders from major activities*:



             NIS millions                                      
     Q4 2018  Q4 2019  
     FY 2018       FY 2019

    ---


            Oil and Gas E&P Operations in Israel and its              108      110             437        384
    Surroundings



            Oil and Gas E&P Operations in the North Sea               174      199             283        285



            Fuel operation in Israel                                 (23)      13              70         91



            
              Contribution from continued operations,        259      322             790        760
    before discontinued operations, capital
    gains and other items



            Finance expenses and other items                        (478)   (633)          (273)     (526)



            
              Net income (loss) attributed to the          (219)   (311)            517        234
    Company's shareholders

    ---

* The full report, including the full notes for the above items, will be available on the Group's website at www.delek-Group.com

The Covid-19 crisis led to a sharp decline of 30%-40% in global demand for oil. The decrease in demand, together with the disagreements between Saudi Aribia and Russia regarding reduction of production led to exteme volatility in oil prices. In recent weeks, the Company promoted a series of measures and actions, based on its declared strategy to improve its financial flexibility and liquidity, and to exit the crisis in the global energy market successfully. Among the measures taken in recent months are:

    --  A transaction for the sale of Delek Group's holdings in Cohen
        Development was completed in return for NIS 207 million in cash.
    --  A transaction for the sale of the Company's remaining holdings in IDE
        was finalized for a consideration of NIS 165 million in cash.
    --  Early completion of a swap transaction for 12.5 million of The Phoenix
        shares and release of NIS 82 million in cash in favor of the Company.
    --  Principle payments in a total amount of NIS 370 million were transferred
        to debenture holders.
    --  Outstanding debt to banks was decreased by NIS 800 million;
    --  The Company is working to realize additional rights and assets, which
        include, among others, its holdings in Delek Israel and its rights to
        receive royalties from Karish-Tanin natural gas resevours;
    --  In addition, the Company is preparing to raise capital to strengthen its
        liquidity and financial position.

Due to the Covid-19 crisis and the material drop in oil and gas prices that occurred after the balance sheet date, due to the plans the Company is promoting with institutional debenture holders and financial institutes in order to strengthen collateral and to reach agreements on the terms of credit and due to the fact that as of the date of the approval of the financial statements, these agreements have not yet been formulated and signed, the Company's auditors have added to the financial statements a note drawing attention to the issue of "going concern". As stated in the financial statements, the Company is expecting to reach an agreed plan concerning an update of the financial covenants and credit terms, strengthening of the collateral and reinforcing its capital.

Oil and gas in Israel

    --  In 2019, most of the revenue of Delek Drilling, the operating branch of
        Delek Group in Israel, was from the sale of gas from the Tamar
        reservoir. In addition, in 2019, the development of the Leviathan
        reservoir was completed. On December 31, 2019, natural gas started to
        flow from the Leviathan reservoir to the local market, on January 1,
        2020, the flow of natural gas to Jordan commenced and on January 15, the
        flow of natural gas to Egypt commenced under the supply agreement with
        Dolphinus.
    --  The production and sales activities in Israel are continuing as usual
        and as at the publication date of the results, the production rate in
        the Leviathan reservoir is almost 7 BCM annually.
    --  The work plan of the gas reservoirs, and being an essential operation,
        will enable regular production to continue as well as necessary actions
        to be performed in the Leviathan reservoir to continue ramping up the
        production capacity to 12 BCM annually. However, in order to reflect the
        current concerns in the global markets, a sensitivity analysis was
        performed for the Tamar and Leviathan reservoirs under two extreme
        scenarios: based on the Brent price curve as at March 17, 2020 until
        2024 and then at a fixed price of USD 50 per barrel, and at a fixed
        price of USD 25 per barrel.

The Brent price curve used for the sensitivity analysis:


                                      2020 2021 2022 2023 2024




              $/barrel - price curve 34.8 41.1 44.8 47.7 49.8
    as of March 17, 2020

    ---

The sensitivity analysis, which also took into account a decrease of 50% in the sales quantities to Egypt (with specific compensation from the growth in sales to Israel), showed that the total value of the reservoirs to Delek Group (at a discount rate of 10%) was impaired by a relatively moderate rate of 12% under the scenario based on the Brent price curve as at March 17, 2020 and 14% under the scenario based on the Brent price curve based on a fixed Brent price of USD 25 per barrel.

Oil and gas in the North Sea - Ithaca's operations

From a summary of Ithaca's operations in 2019 as well as plans and estimates which it published in early April 2020 and updated in the last week (with publication of Ithaca's financial statements) the following main points arise:

    --  The acquisition of the Chevron assets, which was completed in November,
        2019, has trebled its reserves and contingent resources and increased
        its production capacity fourfold. The acquisition, which provided Ithaca
        with competitive high quality assets, strengthened its position as a
        leading energy company in the UK North Sea region.
    --  In 2019, the average daily production (pro forma, including Chevorn
        assets) was 75 thousand barrels of oil equivalent per day (BOED), with
        an average cost of production of USD 17 per BOE.
    --  The EBITDAX (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation amortization
        and exploration expenses) for 2019 amounted to USD 960 million (pro
        forma).
    --  The cash flow from operations net of CapEx (pro forma) in 2019 amounted
        to USD 658 million.

    --  The net financial debt as at December 31, 2019 amounted to USD 1.55
        billion, reflecting a debt to EBITDAX ratio of 1.6. The net financial
        debt is expected to decrease to a level of USD 1.4 billion at the end of
        the first quarter of 2020. Ithaca maintains high liquidity with an
        available RBL (reserve base lending) facility of USD 300 million in
        total.
    --  Due to the Covid-19 crisis, the Company announced that its production in
        2020 is expected to be impaired by a relatively moderate rate and will
        be a daily average of 63 to 68 thousand BOE.
    --  To maintain its financial flexibility and cash flow strength against the
        sharp decrease in oil prices due to the Covid-19 crisis, the Company
        decided on several measures to reduce expenses and save costs, including
        reduction of the CapEx for 2020 by 50% to USD 125 million (compared to
        USD 250 million) and decrease of the expected production costs for 2020
        from USD 17 per BOE to USD 15 per BOE.
    --  As of December 31, 2019, Ithaca's strong hedging plan for 2020 to 2022
        amounted to 32 million BOE at an average hedged price of about USD 63
        per barrel and 52 pence per BTU.

The following main points arise from the report on Ithaca's resources and reserves, including Chevron assets, prepared by NSAI:

    --  The total proven and probable reserves (2P) as at December 31, 2019
        increased, amounting to more than 206 MMBOE, an increase of 6% compared
        to December 31, 2018, subsequent to production of 27 MMBOE in 2019.
    --  The total contingent resources (2C) as at December 31, 2019 amounted to
        more than 66 MMBOE, an increase of 45% compared to December 31, 2018.
    --  The total proven and probable reserves together with the contingent
        resources (2P+2C) amounted to 273 MMBOE, compared to 267 MMBOE as at
        December 31, 2018 and subsequent to production of 27 MMBOE in 2019. The
        growth is another indication of Ithaca's quality portfolio.
    --  The value of the discounted cash flow for the proven and probable
        reserves (2P) according to the assumptions at the base of the cash flow
        and according to the price curve as at December 31, 2019 at a discount
        rate of 10% is USD 3.2 billion. The value of the discounted cash flow
        for contingent resources (2C) is a further USD 649 million. In total,
        the cash flow value is USD 3.85 billion.
    --  According to the reserves report, also in the sensitivity analysis based
        on the future oil and gas price curve as at March 17, 2020 (that was
        already materially impacted by the Covid-19 crisis), the value of
        Ithaca's discounted cash flow (at a discount rate of 10%), from proven
        and probable reserves (2P) only, is USD 1.8 billion.

Delek Israel operations

Delek Israel's net profit in 2019 and the fourth quarter of 2019 amounted to NIS 91 million and NIS 13 million, respectively, compared to a total profit of NIS 70 million and a loss of NIS 21 million, respectively, in the corresponding periods in 2018. The EBITDA for 2019 and the fourth quarter of 2019 amounted to NIS 418 million and NIS 97 million, respectively, a growth of 62% and 98%, respectively, compared to the same periods in the previous year. The profit growth in 2019 compared to the same period in the previous year was due mainly to initial implementation of new accounting standard IFRS16 and a decrease in sales and compound operation expenses, due to reduction and streamlining measures.

As at December 31, 2019, Delek Israel owns 239 public gas stations (of which, 178 are operated by Delek Israel) and 196 convenience stores (of which, 160 are operated by Delek Israel and the others by franchisees).

Transactions and disposals

    --  On November 3, 2019, a transaction was completed for the Company's sale
        of 32.5% of the share capital of The Phoenix to a company controlled by
        Centerbridge Partners LP and Gallatin Point Capital LLC for a
        consideration of NIS 1.57 billion. Of this amount, NIS 1.335 billion was
        received in cash by the Company at the closing date and the balance was
        provided to the buyers as a loan.
    --  On February 28, 2019, a transaction was completed for the sale of 30% of
        the share capital of IDE in return for NIS 530 million so that
        subsequent to completion of the transaction, the Group held 20% of IDE
        shares. The profit to the Company (after the tax effect) resulting from
        the sale of the shares amounted to NIS 123 million. Subsequent to the
        balance sheet date, in March 2020, the Group sold the balance of its
        investment (20%) in IDE for NIS 164 million. Consequently, in the first
        quarter of 2020, the Group is expected to recognize a profit after the
        effect of tax of NIS 20 million.
    --  In December 2019, the Company sold the balance of its holdings (22.5%)
        in Delek Automotive, in two off-exchange transactions, for a
        consideration of NIS 404 million.
    --  In addition, subsequent to the balance sheet date, in April 2020, a
        transaction was completed for the sale of Delek Group's holdings in
        Cohen Development for NIS 207 million in cash.
    --  Subsequent to the balance sheet date, in April 2020, a swap transaction
        for 12.5 million of The Phoenix shares was concluded, so that NIS 82,
        which were pledged in favor of the financial institute with which the
        transaction was executed, as is standard in transactions of this kind,
        were released in favor of the Company.

Financial position shortly before the publication date of the report (table below):

    --  The balance of the Company's debentures is approximately NIS 6 billion
        and the outstanding principle of the debt to financial institutions is
        NIS 1.8 billion.
    --  Cash and marketable securities amounted to NIS 411 million; pledged and
        restricted deposits amounted to NIS 324 million and the balance of loans
        to subsidiaries and third parties amounted to NIS 1.3 billion.
    --  The Company holds 54.7% of Delek Drilling's shares, of which
        approximately 39% are pledged to financial institutions.

Net financial debt*:


        NIS millions                                 December 31,             Shortly
                                                             2019    before
                                                                  publication

    ---

                                    Liabilities

    ---

        Debentures                                          6,281                5,974


        Banks & other
         loans                                              2,488                1,763


        Other liabilities                                     386                  330


                     Total Liabilities                      9,155                8,067

    ---

                                    Financial assets

    ---

        Cash & deposits                                       977                  194


        Pledged deposits                                      116                  144


        Restricted
         deposits                                              92                  199


        Financial
         investments                                          302                  201



       Loans**                                             1,300                1,331


        Other payables                                        214                   90


        Treasury shares                                       239                   87


                     Total financial
                      assets                                3,240                2,247


                     Net debt                               5,915                5,820

    ---

The data excludes a convertible loan from BP

* This table, including full notes, is included in the Delek Group's financial reports that will be available on the Group's website at www.delek-group.com.

** Breakdown of loans:


            NIS millions       
     
     December 31,                    Shortly
                                           2019 before publication

    ---


           Ithaca                          903                         936


            Seller's loan to
             the buyer of The               140                         140
    Phoenix


            Loan to Delek GOM                69                          71


            Other loans                     188                         184


                         Total            1,300                       1,331

    ---

About The Delek Group

Delek Group is an independent E&P company with activities in the UK North Sea and the East Mediterranean. Delek Group has significant holdings in the Leviathan and Tamar natural gas reservoirs in the East Mediterranean (Israel's territorial water), with reserves and resources of more than 30 TCF and annual production of approximately 20 BCM. These reservoirs are a major natural gas supplier to the growing markets of Israel, Egypt and Jordan and Delek continues to lead the region's development into a major natural gas export hub. Through its wholly owned subsidiary Ithaca, Delek Group holds high-quality oil and natural gas assets in the UK North Sea totaling more than 270 million barrels of oil equivalent (boe) and producing about 27 million boe per year. Delek Group is one of Israel's largest and most prominent companies with a consistent track record of growth. Its shares are traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (DLEKG:IT) and its ADRs are traded on the US OTC market (DGRLY:US).

For more information on Delek Group please visit www.delek-group.com

Contact

Investors

Limor Gruber
Head of Investor Relations
Delek Group Ltd.
Tel: +972 9 863 8443
Mobile: +972 50 523 9233
Limorg@delek-group.com

Media

Itay Ben Horin
CEO
Ben Horin & Alexandrovitz
Tel: +972 52 3001009

Gali Dahan
Head of Capital Markets
Ben Horin & Alexandrovitz
Tel: +972 52 3935529

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SOURCE Delek Group Ltd