Ensco and Rowan Companies announced they have agreed to combine in an all-stock deal with an enterprise value of USD 12 billion. The definitive transaction agreement was unanimously approved by each company’s board of directors. The Saudi Aramco partner to the ARO Drilling joint venture has consented to the combination between Rowan and Ensco.

Under the terms of the transaction agreement, Rowan shareholders will receive 2.215 Ensco shares for each Rowan share. Upon closing, Ensco and Rowan shareholders will own approximately 60.5% and 39.5%, respectively, of the outstanding shares of the combined entity. There are no financing conditions for this transaction.

The combined company expects to realize annual pre-tax expense synergies of approximately USD 150 million, with more than 75% of targeted synergies expected to be realized within one year of closing. As a result, the transaction is projected to be accretive to cash flow per share in 2020 following an anticipated closing in the first half of 2019.

“We are excited to reach an agreement to combine our well-respected organizations, enabling both Ensco and Rowan shareholders to participate in the substantial value creation opportunities of a larger, more technologically-advanced and diverse offshore drilling company. By merging our high-quality rig fleets and infrastructure covering the world’s most prolific offshore basins, we increase our scale while maintaining a shared focus on high-specification assets that will include ultra-deepwater drillships and versatile semisubmersibles, as well as harsh environment and modern jack-ups. Rowan shareholders also benefit from the addition of significant backlog and substantial scale in ultra-deepwater operations. The combined entity’s talented workforce, unrivaled geographic and customer diversification, and solid financial position ideally position us to meet increasing customer demand for the most technologically-advanced drilling rigs as the offshore sector recovers,” Rowan President and Chief Executive Officer Tom Burke, who will serve as President and Chief Executive Officer of the combined company, said.

“The combination of Ensco and Rowan will create an industry leader in offshore drilling across all water depths, with significant advantages to capitalize on future opportunities and better serve our customers. Ensco and Rowan share a common culture built around safety and operational excellence, innovation, technical expertise and customer satisfaction. Through this combination, Ensco shareholders will uniquely benefit from Rowan’s strategic joint venture with Saudi Aramco, ARO Drilling, while all stakeholders will share in meaningful cost savings and even greater upside to improving market conditions as the industry recovery continues gaining momentum,” Ensco President and Chief Executive Officer Carl Trowell, who will serve as Executive Chairman of the combined company, mentioned.

Combined company highlights and strategic fit

A leading offshore rig fleet, with many of the industry’s highest specification assets

The combination will bring together both companies’ complementary businesses, creating a leading offshore driller by fleet size, geographic presence and customer base, with 82 rigs spanning six continents and collectively serving more than 35 customers, including the largest national oil companies, international majors and independent exploration and production companies.

The combined company’s rig fleet of 28 floaters and 54 jack-ups will be among the most technologically-advanced in the industry, capable of providing a wide range of drilling services to an expanded base of clients around the world, and will be ideally positioned to meet increasing levels of customer demand for the highest-specification ultra-deepwater drillships and harsh environment jack-ups.

Within the fleet of 28 floating rigs (drillships and semisubmersibles) are 25 ultra-deepwater rigs capable of drilling in water depths of greater than 7,500 feet, with an average age of six years – establishing this fleet among the youngest and most capable in the industry. The combined fleet will also have the second-largest fleet of the highest-specification drillships in the industry, with 11 of these seventh generation ultra-deepwater rigs.

The 54-rig jack-up fleet will include 38 units that are equipped with many of the advanced features requested by clients with shallow-water drilling programs, such as increased leg length, expanded cantilever reach and greater hoisting capacity. Among the combined company’s jack-up fleet are seven ultra-harsh environment units and nine additional modern harsh environment rigs.

Unparalleled geographic coverage

The combined company will be the most geographically-diverse offshore driller with current operations and drilling contracts spanning six continents in nearly every major deep- and shallow-water basin around the world including the Gulf of Mexico, Brazil, West Africa, North Sea, Mediterranean, Middle East, Southeast Asia and Australia.

Ensco shareholders will gain exposure to the ARO Drilling joint venture and ultra-harsh environment jack-ups, along with a presence in Norway. Rowan shareholders gain access to Ensco’s strong relationships with large deepwater customers and wider geographic footprint, which includes a presence in Brazil, West Africa, Southeast Asia and Australia, along with a versatile semisubmersible fleet.

Servicing the broadest customer base, with continued emphasis on customer satisfaction

Customers of the combined company will include most of the leading national and international oil companies, plus many independent operators. Customers will benefit from enhanced diversification of high-quality assets that best meet their drilling requirements.

Both companies have long track records of being recognized as leaders in customer satisfaction, including eight consecutive years ranked #1 in total satisfaction and seven years ranked #1 for high pressure, high temperature application among offshore drillers by EnergyPoint Research. The combined company will continue its commitment of delivering industry-leading service.

Technology focus to differentiate services and lower costs

The combined company is dedicated to deploying new technologies and innovative solutions that differentiate its services and drive operational integrity and performance at the well site. With a larger, more diversified fleet, the combined company can economically develop and deploy these advancements across a wider asset base and global footprint.

The combined company is expected to leverage ARO Drilling’s 20-rig new build program to develop and deploy leading-edge technology at scale.

Financial highlights

The combined entity is expected to generate future revenue growth opportunities as it capitalizes on an expanded, high-quality fleet serving a larger customer base across a wider geographic footprint. Estimated annual expense savings of USD 150 million are expected to be realized primarily from corporate and regional overlaps, supply chain efficiencies as well as the standardization of systems, policies and procedures across the combined organization. Based on these anticipated annual savings, the planned combination is expected to be accretive to cash flow per share annually for the combined entity beginning in 2020.

The combined company’s balance sheet is expected to have liquidity of approximately USD 3.9 billion, including USD 1.9 billion of cash and short-term investments, providing the new entity with the financial flexibility to continue investing in the fleet and innovations aimed at improving drilling efficiencies. The combined company’s credit profile will benefit from increased scale and significantly enhanced diversification across regions, rig types, customers and expertise due to the diverse makeup of its respective businesses. The total estimated revenue backlog for the combined company is approximately USD 2.7 billion, excluding ARO Drilling’s substantial backlog which is unconsolidated. Based on the closing price of each company’s shares on 5 October 2018, the estimated enterprise value of the combined company is USD 12.0 billion.

Governance

Carl Trowell will become the combined company’s Executive Chairman, Tom Burke will serve as President and Chief Executive Officer, and Jon Baksht will serve as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. The remaining executive management team for the combined company will be named at a later date and will comprise executives from both Ensco and Rowan. Effective upon closing, the combined company’s board of directors will include Carl Trowell and Tom Burke, plus five additional members from Ensco’s current board and four additional members from Rowan’s current board.

The combined company will be domiciled in the United Kingdom, where both Ensco and Rowan are currently domiciled, and senior executive officers will be located in London and Houston.

Conditions and timing

The transaction is subject to approval by the shareholders of Ensco and Rowan and regulatory authorities, as well as other customary closing conditions. In addition, the transaction will be subject to court approval pursuant to a UK court-sanctioned scheme of arrangement. The transaction is not subject to any financing conditions. Ensco and Rowan intend to file a joint proxy statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission as soon as possible. The companies anticipate that the transaction will close during the first half of 2019.

About Ensco

Ensco brings energy to the world as a global provider of offshore drilling services to the petroleum industry. For more than 30 years, the company has focused on operating safely and going beyond customer expectations. Ensco is ranked first in total customer satisfaction in the latest independent survey by EnergyPoint Research – the eighth consecutive year that Ensco has earned this distinction. Operating one of the newest ultra-deepwater rig fleets and a leading premium jackup fleet, Ensco has a major presence in the most strategic offshore basins across six continents. Ensco plc is an English limited company with its corporate headquarters located at 6 Chesterfield Gardens, London W1J 5BQ.

About Rowan

Rowan is a global provider of contract drilling services with a current fleet of 27 mobile offshore drilling units, composed of 23 self-elevating jack-up rigs and four ultra-deepwater drillships. The company’s fleet operates worldwide, including the United States Gulf of Mexico, the United Kingdom and Norwegian sectors of the North Sea, the Middle East, the Mediterranean Sea, and Trinidad. Additionally, the company is a 50/50 partner in a joint venture with Saudi Aramco, entitled ARO Drilling that owns a fleet of five self-elevating jack-up rigs that operate in the Arabian Gulf.