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Chevron prepares for North Sea exit after more than 55 years

Chevron stated it is set to launch the sale of its remaining UK North Sea oil and gas possessions, in a relocation that would mark the U.S. energy giant's exit from the aging basin after more than 55 years.

The prepared divestment, confirmed to on Thursday, comes as Chevron gets ready for the $53 billion acquisition of rival Hess which it previously said will consist of $10 billion to $ 15 billion in property sales worldwide.

The exit will be the current step in a steady retreat of top oil and gas business from the declining British basin which pioneered deepwater production in the 1970s, as they focus on newer possessions worldwide.

Chevron's properties include a 19.4% stake in the BP-operated Clair oilfield in the West of Shetland region, the biggest in the British North Sea with production of 120,000 barrels each day.

BP has stated it is thinking about a third development stage for the field, referred to as Clair South, which is among the biggest staying untapped fields in the North Sea.

UK oil and gas production has actually dropped from a peak of around 4.5 million barrels of oil comparable daily (boed) in the late 1990s to around 1.2 million boed in 2023.

Chevron is also seeking to sell its minimal interests in the Sullom Voe oil terminal, as well as its stakes in the Ninian and SIRGE pipeline systems which are both linked to the center, it stated in a declaration.

The sale could raise as much as $1 billion omitting tax advantages, one industry source stated. The procedure is expected to be formally launched in June, market sources told .

It will not affect the operations of Chevron's worldwide headquarters in London or its innovation centre in Aberdeen, the company stated.

The exit follows a review of Chevron's international portfolio as CEO Mike Wirth seeks to focus on the company's most profitable properties, Chevron said.

In 2018, Chevron sold its stake in the Rosebank field development to Equinor. A year later it sold a number of its North Sea properties to Ithaca Energy. Other major oil companies, consisting of Exxon Mobil, ConocoPhillips and Shell, have sold possessions in the basin considering that the 2000s.

Chevron continues the trend that has seen the North American majors look for to exit the UK, David Moseley, analyst at consultancy Welligence said. Potential acquirers for Chevron's. possessions include independents wanting to grow, he included.

Chevron has said it would offer up to $15 billion in properties. as part of its planned acquisition of Hess, which has struck a. stumbling block due to a legal dispute with rival Exxon over. properties in Guyana.

It said the North Sea sale procedure is not connected to a 35%. windfall tax the British federal government imposed on North Sea. manufacturers following the rise in energy prices in 2022.

As part of Chevron's focus on preserving capital. discipline in both conventional and brand-new energies, we regularly. evaluate our international portfolio to examine whether properties are. tactical and competitive for future capital, it stated.

The procedure is expected to take months, it added.

(source: Reuters)