Singapore, January 31, 2020 -- Moody's Investors Service has placed on review for downgrade the Ba2 corporate
family rating (CFR) of Saka Energi Indonesia (P.T.) and
the Ba2 rating on its $625 million senior unsecured notes due 2024.
The outlook on all ratings has been changed to rating under review from
negative.
RATINGS RATIONALE
"The review for downgrade follows the Indonesian Supreme Court's
decision to hold Saka liable for taxes and penalties of $255.4
million in total, which will weaken Saka's liquidity position
especially if it also has to repay its shareholder loan due in January
2021," says Vikas Halan, a Moody's Senior Vice
President.
Saka had cash and cash equivalents of approximately $400 million
as of 31 December 2019, compared to a $438 million loan from
its parent -- Perusahaan Gas Negara (P.T.) (PGN,
Baa2 stable) -- maturing in January 2021. Saka will use its
internal cash to pay the taxes and penalties and will seek to extend the
maturity of the outstanding shareholder loan.
The tax liability relates to the purchase of a 65% stake in Pangkah
block by Saka from Hess Corporation (Ba1 stable) in 2014. Saka
had initially won the litigation with the Indonesian tax authorities at
the tax courts in 2018. Saka will seek recovery of these liabilities
through legal avenues, however, the outcome and timing of
such actions remain uncertain.
The decline in Saka's cash balance resulting from the tax payment
will make it challenging for Saka to make the necessary investments to
arrest the decline in its production and replenish its depleting reserve
base.
Saka's production level declined to 35.7 thousand barrel
of oil equivalent per day (kboepd) for the nine months ended 30 September
2019 from 49.6 kboepd in 2018. Saka's proved developed
reserves also declined to 44.1 million barrels of oil equivalent
(mmboe) in 2018 from 77.1 mmboe in 2017. Such levels of
production and reserves are weak for Saka's standalone profile and
do not support Saka's Ba2 rating, which incorporates a three-notch
uplift from expected extraordinary support from PGN.
The review will focus on both Saka's standalone profile and the
support incorporated in Saka's rating. More specifically,
the review will focus on 1) whether and under what terms PGN is amenable
to extend the maturity of its shareholder loan to Saka; 2) the outcome
of any steps taken by Saka to recover the tax payments; and 3) Saka's
strategy to replenish its declining production and reserves as its cash
balance is depleted.
In terms of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors,
the ratings also consider the following:
Saka's rating incorporates the environmental risk that the company
is exposed to through its oil & gas operations. However,
this risk is somewhat mitigated by the high proportion of natural gas
in its production mix, at about 83% of total production.
Saka also faces social risks, especially in terms of responsible
production and health & safety issues. However, the risk
is mitigated by the company's long track record of operating its businesses
without any major incidents.
As for governance factors, the rating incorporates Saka's
concentrated 100% ownership by PGN and its status as a private
company. Despite being unlisted, Saka publishes quarterly
financial statements and maintains a reasonable degree of transparency
into its operating performance.
Saka's ratings will be downgraded by at least one notch if Moody's
assesses that the company's liquidity profile has significantly
weakened and if its operating profile fails to recover to a level that
is consistent with its B2 equivalent standalone profile. The downgrade
could be more than one notch if, in addition to a decline in its
standalone profile, Moody's also assesses that expected extraordinary
support from PGN no longer justifies a three-notch uplift.
This could result from, among others, PGN failing to extend
the maturity of the shareholder loan it provides to Saka.
The ratings could be confirmed at current levels if Moody's assesses
that (1) Saka will be able to maintain its standalone profile by replenishing
its reserves and production using its internal resources, while
maintaining adequate liquidity and (2) support incorporated in Saka's
rating is appropriate.
The principal methodology used in these ratings was Independent Exploration
and Production Industry published in May 2017. Please see the Rating
Methodologies page on www.moodys.com for a copy of this
methodology.
Saka Energi Indonesia (P.T.) is an independent oil &
gas exploration and production company in Indonesia. The company
holds working interests in eleven oil and gas blocks, six of which
are producing. In the nine months ended September 2019, Saka
reported net production of 35.7 thousand barrels of oil equivalent
per day.
Saka is wholly-owned by natural gas distribution and transmission
company, PGN. In turn, PGN is 56.96%
owned by Indonesia's 100% state-owned national oil company,
Pertamina (Persero) (P.T.) (Pertamina, Baa2 stable).
REGULATORY DISCLOSURES
For ratings issued on a program, series, category/class of
debt or security this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures
in relation to each rating of a subsequently issued bond or note of the
same series, category/class of debt, security or pursuant
to a program for which the ratings are derived exclusively from existing
ratings in accordance with Moody's rating practices. For ratings
issued on a support provider, this announcement provides certain
regulatory disclosures in relation to the credit rating action on the
support provider and in relation to each particular credit rating action
for securities that derive their credit ratings from the support provider's
credit rating. For provisional ratings, this announcement
provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation to the provisional
rating assigned, and in relation to a definitive rating that may
be assigned subsequent to the final issuance of the debt, in each
case where the transaction structure and terms have not changed prior
to the assignment of the definitive rating in a manner that would have
affected the rating. For further information please see the ratings
tab on the issuer/entity page for the respective issuer on www.moodys.com.
For any affected securities or rated entities receiving direct credit
support from the primary entity(ies) of this credit rating action,
and whose ratings may change as a result of this credit rating action,
the associated regulatory disclosures will be those of the guarantor entity.
Exceptions to this approach exist for the following disclosures,
if applicable to jurisdiction: Ancillary Services, Disclosure
to rated entity, Disclosure from rated entity.
Regulatory disclosures contained in this press release apply to the credit
rating and, if applicable, the related rating outlook or rating
review.
Please see www.moodys.com for any updates on changes to
the lead rating analyst and to the Moody's legal entity that has issued
the rating.
Please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com
for additional regulatory disclosures for each credit rating.
Vikas Halan
Senior Vice President
Corporate Finance Group
Moody's Investors Service Singapore Pte. Ltd.
50 Raffles Place #23-06
Singapore Land Tower
Singapore 48623
Singapore
JOURNALISTS: 852 3758 1350
Client Service: 852 3551 3077
Laura Acres
MD - Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance Group
JOURNALISTS: 852 3758 1350
Client Service: 852 3551 3077
Releasing Office:
Moody's Investors Service Singapore Pte. Ltd.
50 Raffles Place #23-06
Singapore Land Tower
Singapore 48623
Singapore
JOURNALISTS: 852 3758 1350
Client Service: 852 3551 3077