GasLog buys three BG Group LNG tankers

JANUARY 16, 2014 — Monaco headquartered GasLog Ltd. (NYSE:GLOG) has reached an agreement with Methane Services Ltd. (“MSL”), an affiliate of BG Group, to purchase three LNG carriers from MSL’s fleet and to charter those ships back to MSL for six-year initial terms. MSL also will have options to extend the term of the time charters for two of the ships for a period of either three or five years at its election. The ships to be acquired will be nominated by MSL from an agreed group of six sister ships built in 2006 and 2007. GasLog supervised the construction of all six ships and has provided technical management for the ships since delivery. The aggregate cost to GasLog for the ships is expected to be approximately $468 million.

Each LNG carrier to be acquired is modern, steam powered and has a capacity of 145,000 cubic meters. GasLog estimates that upon their acquisition, these ships will represent approximately $426.3 million of incremental contracted revenue over their initial charter terms and add over $50.0 million per annum to GasLog’s EBITDA1.

Paul Wogan, CEO of GasLog, commented that “we are very pleased that we will be able to add these LNG carriers to our fleet as it again demonstrates our ability to be a consolidator in this industry. We know these ships well, having supervised their construction and technically operated them since their delivery from Samsung Heavy Industries. We expect the transaction to be accretive to our earnings and support increased dividend capacity. This transaction also further strengthens our long-standing relationship with BG Group.”

In connection with the transaction, GasLog has obtained commitments from Citibank, N.A. London Branch for a $325.5 million credit facility and a bridge loan facility. GasLog says that although it has obtained the bridge loan facility to “maximize transactional certainty,” it may pursue one or more alternative capital-raising transactions to fund a portion of the vessel purchase price, in which case it would not expect to borrow under the bridge loan facility.

Poten Capital Services (UK) advised GasLog on this transaction.

In a separate press release, GasLog announced that it expects to confidentially submit to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission a draft registration statement for an initial public offering of units in a master limited partnership to be formed to own “certain of GasLog’s ships with multi-year charters.”

In an update today (Jan. 16, 2014) GasLog said  that its public offering of 9,500,000 common shares was priced at $15.75 per share and that it  is also selling approximately $36.5 million of common shares at the public offering price in a private placement to certain of its directors and officers and one of its major shareholders. The net proceeds from the public offering and the private placement, after deducting underwriting discounts and other offering expenses, are expected to be approximately $178 million. GasLog has also granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 1,425,000 shares of its common shares.

GasLog says it plans to use the net proceeds of the public offering and private placement to fund a portion of the purchase price of the three BG Group LNG tankers and for general corporate purposes.