HOUSTON, Feb. 27, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Hercules Offshore, Inc. (Nasdaq: HERO) announces the execution of a definitive agreement to acquire the liftboat Titan 2 from a subsidiary of KS Energy Ltd. The purchase price is $42 million in cash. The Titan 2 is a 280 foot class vessel, constructed in 2008, registered and flagged in Panama, and currently located in Limbe, Cameroon. The Company expects the acquisition to close in early March 2013, subject to completion of certain customary closing conditions.
Hercules Offshore also announced that it has signed a Letter of Intent ("LOI") for a short term commitment to use the Titan 2 at a dayrate of approximately $65,000, before catering and other rebillable items. Subject to the execution of a mutually agreed contract, the Company expects the vessel to commence work shortly after closing of the acquisition. Thereafter, the vessel will be scheduled to enter the shipyard for approximately one month to perform dry-dock maintenance and certain capital upgrades estimated at approximately $5 million. The Company is in discussions on several additional opportunities in the region.
John T. Rynd, Chief Executive Officer and President of Hercules Offshore stated, "Demand for liftboats in West Africa has been very strong in recent years, particularly in the higher-end market segment that requires larger vessel classes. Our acquisition of the Titan 2 expands our opportunity set in the region to meet the most attractive segment of this market, and is part of our ongoing effort to renew our fleet. The Titan 2 is one of the premier liftboats in the region, with a solid record of operations for some of the most prominent customers in West Africa."
Additional Information
Headquartered in Houston, Hercules Offshore, Inc. operates a fleet of 37 jackup rigs, 13 barge rigs and 63 liftboats. The Company offers a range of services to oil and gas producers to meet their needs during drilling, well service, platform inspection, maintenance, and decommissioning operations in several key shallow water provinces around the world. Hercules Offshore currently holds 32.1% of share capital in Discovery Offshore S.A., a pure play, ultra-high specification jackup rig company. For more information, please visit our website at http://www.herculesoffshore.com.
The news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Such statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including the factors described in Hercules Offshore's most recent periodic reports and other documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which are available free of charge at the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov or the Company's website at http://www.herculesoffshore.com. Hercules Offshore cautions you that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and that actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected or implied in these statements.
SOURCE Hercules Offshore, Inc.