ExxonMobil acquiring oil producer with large CCUS business

ExxonMobil said it would acquire Denbury, a developer of carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCS) solutions and enhanced oil recovery.

The acquisition is an all-stock transaction valued at US$4.9 billion. Under the terms of the agreement, Denbury shareholders will receive 0.84 shares of ExxonMobil for each Denbury share.

“Acquiring Denbury reflects our determination to profitably grow our Low Carbon Solutions business by serving a range of hard-to-decarbonize industries with a comprehensive carbon capture and sequestration offering,” said Darren Woods, vhairman and CEO. “The breadth of Denbury’s network, when added to ExxonMobil’s decades of experience and capabilities in CCS, gives us the opportunity to play an even greater role in a thoughtful energy transition, as we continue to deliver on our commitment to provide the world with the vital energy and products it needs.”

The acquisition of Denbury provides ExxonMobil with the largest owned and operated CO2 pipeline network in the U.S. at 1,300 miles, including nearly 925 miles of CO2 pipelines in Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi – located within one of the largest U.S. markets for CO2 emissions, as well as 10 strategically located onshore sequestration sites. A cost-efficient transportation and storage system accelerates CCS deployment for ExxonMobil and third-party customers over the next decade and underpins multiple low carbon value chains including CCS, hydrogen, ammonia, biofuels, and direct air capture.

Chris Kendall, Denbury’s president and CEO, said over the last few years, Denbury has made significant progress executing its enhanced oil recovery operations and capitalizing on its infrastructure to accelerate the growth of its CO2 transportation and storage business.

“To build even further on this positive momentum, the Denbury Board of Directors and management team undertook a thorough review process and considered a number of alternatives to maximize long-term value,” Kendall said. “Through this process, it became clear that the transaction with ExxonMobil is in the best interests of our company, our shareholders, and all Denbury stakeholders. Importantly, given the significant capital and years of work required to fully develop our CO2 business, ExxonMobil is the ideal partner with extensive resources and capabilities. The all-equity consideration will allow Denbury shareholders to participate in the upside of ExxonMobil’s stock while benefitting from its strong capital return strategy. We look forward to bringing together our highly complementary cultures and teams to realize the long-term value and benefits of this combination.”

“Denbury’s advantaged CO2 infrastructure provides significant opportunities to expand and accelerate ExxonMobil’s low-carbon leadership across our Gulf Coast value chains,” said Dan Ammann, President, ExxonMobil Low Carbon Solutions. “Once fully developed and optimized, this combination of assets and capabilities has the potential to profitably reduce emissions by more than 100 million metric tons per year in one of the highest-emitting regions of the U.S.”

In addition to Denbury’s carbon capture and storage assets, the acquisition includes Gulf Coast and Rocky Mountain oil and natural gas operations. These operations consist of proved reserves totaling over 200 million barrels of oil equivalent, with 47,000 oil-equivalent barrels per day of current production, providing immediate operating cash flow and near-term optionality for CO2 offtake and execution of the CCS business.

The boards of directors of both companies have unanimously approved the transaction, which is subject to customary regulatory reviews and approvals. It is also subject to approval by Denbury shareholders. The transaction is expected to close in the 4th quarter of 2023.