Oman’s Capital Market Authority Approves OQ Gas Network’s Prospectus

Oman’s Capital Market Authority. (Oman News Agency)
Oman’s Capital Market Authority. (Oman News Agency)
TT

Oman’s Capital Market Authority Approves OQ Gas Network’s Prospectus

Oman’s Capital Market Authority. (Oman News Agency)
Oman’s Capital Market Authority. (Oman News Agency)

Oman’s Capital Market Authority (CMA) announced on Sunday the approval of the prospectus of OQ Gas Networks (OQGN), one of the OQ companies affiliated with Oman Investment Authority (OIA).

Oman News Agency reported that the Capital Market Authority announced its approval of OQ’s prospectus by offering no less than two billion shares, which constitute 49 percent of the company’s capital, through public subscription.

This is the largest offering in the history of the CMA, in terms of size and market value of the company.

The public offering of the OQ Gas Networks Company, one of the OQ companies affiliated with the Oman Investment Authority, comes within the framework of the National Program for Financial Sustainability and Financial Sector Development, which aims to achieve the strategic goal of Oman Vision 2040 in developing the country’s economy.

As per the prospectus, the subscription period for the company’s shares will extend for two weeks starting from Sept. 26 for the first and second categories, and will continue until Oct. 9 for the first category. Subscription for the second category will close on Oct. 5.

The number of shares offered for subscription has been divided into three categories: institutional, individual and major investors.

The prospectus also indicates that the share of the first category, represented by institutions, amounts to 40 percent of the total offering, which is divided equally among local institutions on the one hand, and regional and international institutions. The minimum subscription for this category will be 100,000 shares, according to the prospectus, which did not specify the maximum subscription limit.

Thirty percent of the total offering will be allocated to the individual category, with the minimum subscription set at 1,000 shares, with no upper limit. The remaining 30 percent is allocated to the investors’ category, which represents qualified investors from inside and outside the Sultanate of Oman.



Oman State-run Oil Firm OQ will Make Initial Public Offering, Potentially Seek Billions

Oil companies operating in Oman drilled many exploratory wells in various oil and gas concession areas, targeting different reservoirs at varying depths (Oman News Agency)
Oil companies operating in Oman drilled many exploratory wells in various oil and gas concession areas, targeting different reservoirs at varying depths (Oman News Agency)
TT

Oman State-run Oil Firm OQ will Make Initial Public Offering, Potentially Seek Billions

Oil companies operating in Oman drilled many exploratory wells in various oil and gas concession areas, targeting different reservoirs at varying depths (Oman News Agency)
Oil companies operating in Oman drilled many exploratory wells in various oil and gas concession areas, targeting different reservoirs at varying depths (Oman News Agency)

An Omani state-run oil and gas company announced Monday it will make an initial public offering of its exploration and production business, potentially seeking billions in a major move toward privatization in the sultanate.

OQ, formerly known as the Oman Oil Co., will offer up to 25% of shares in its exploration and production arm, the announcement said. It offered no proposed values for the deal, though Bloomberg quoted anonymous officials with knowledge of the deal suggesting the company could be worth an overall $8 billion, making the stake being put up worth some $2 billion, The AP reported.

“The intention to float OQ Exploration and Production reflects our commitment to unlocking new opportunities for growth, both for the company and for the sultanate of Oman,” OQ CEO Ashraf Hamed Al Mamari said in a statement.

The plan calls for the listing to take place in October, pending regulatory approvals. It plans dividends of $150 million for the first two quarters after that, with a planned dividend of $600 million annually, plus one linked to its performance.

OQ was founded in 2009 and is Oman's third-largest firm in the oil industry, following the state-owned Petroleum Development Oman and US firm Occidental Petroleum.