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S&P downgrades Woodside's credit rating to 'negative" after LNG investment decision

S&P Global Ratings changed the outlook of Australia's Woodside from "stable" to "negative" after the company made a final decision on investment for $17.5 billion in its Louisiana liquefied gas project.

The rating agency stated that Woodside's decision to move forward with the project, without a substantial sell-down of the offtake exposure, has reduced the headroom for ratings.

The agency has affirmed Woodside's 'BBB+ long-term issuer rating' and 'BBB+ long-term issuer ratings'.

The Australian oil and Gas Company approved an LNG project worth billions of dollars in Louisiana earlier this week. They were confident that the U.S. government would be pro-fossil-fuel and there would be a strong demand.

Woodside now holds a majority of the U.S. Project after selling a 40% stake to U.S. Infrastructure Investor Stonepeak.

S&P stated that Woodside was exposed to market risks of the entire project, compared to its current effective interest of 60% in the project.

Woodside's Chief Executive Officer Meg O'Neill reaffirmed this week that Woodside is seeking a further stake diluting in the LNG Project.

S&P anticipates that Woodside's fund from operations to debt ratio will track at around 50% in the next few years.

The ratings agency stated that future ramp-ups of the Louisiana project will likely reduce cash flow. This means the energy giant has very little capacity to cope with lower oil prices or cost increases at any of their major projects.

(source: Reuters)