BP is to sell its entire business in Alaska to Hilcorp Alaska, based in Anchorage, Alaska, for $5.6 billion. The sale will include BP’s entire upstream and midstream business in the state, including BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc., that owns all of BP’s upstream oil and gas interests in Alaska, and BP Pipelines (Alaska) Inc.’s interest in the Trans Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS).
Bob Dudley, BP group chief executive, said: “We are steadily reshaping BP and today we have other opportunities, both in the U.S. and around the world, that are more closely aligned with our long-term strategy and more competitive for our investment. This transaction also underpins our two-year $10 billion divestment programme, further strengthening our balance sheet and enabling us to pursue new advantaged opportunities for BP’s portfolio within our disciplined financial framework.”
The transaction is expected to be completed in 2020. The deal forms a significant part of BP’s plan to divest $10 billion of assets over 2019 and 2020.
BP continues to develop its business in the U.S., where between 2005 and 2018 it invested over $115 billion. In the second quarter of 2019, BP’s net oil and gas production from the U.S. averaged over 921,000 boe/d, from major interests in Alaska, onshore Lower 48 and deepwater Gulf of Mexico.
In late 2018, BP acquired a portfolio of onshore U.S. oil and gas interests from BHP for $10.5 billion, adding 190,000 boe/d net production. BP also continues to develop its business in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico, bringing on a series of new projects on its major producing assets. The new $9 billion Argos platform on the Mad Dog field is expected on stream in 2021.
Bob Dudley added: “Our exit from Alaska does not in any way diminish BP’s commitment to America. We remain very bullish on the US energy sector. In just the last three years we have invested more than $20 billion in the U.S. and we will continue to look at further investment opportunities here.”
For more information visit www.bp.com
