Valeura Energy (TSE:VLE) is pursuing organic development and acquisitions in Southeast Asia as it seeks to expand its operated oil business in the Gulf of Thailand, according to Robin Martin, the company’s senior vice president of communications and investor relations.
Martin said the Canadian company, which is headquartered in Singapore, produces about 22,000 barrels of oil per day from four operated offshore fields in the Gulf of Thailand. Its producing assets include the more mature Manora and Jasmine fields and the earlier-stage Nong Yao and Wassana fields.
Wassana redevelopment and gas expansion
Valeura expects the Wassana redevelopment to increase production from about 3,000 barrels per day to approximately 10,000 barrels per day toward the end of next year, followed by a somewhat lower production plateau. Martin said the project would generate an estimated 40% internal rate of return and an 18-month payback period even at an oil price of $60 per barrel.
The company is also working to earn a 40% interest in the G1 and G3 assets in the central Gulf of Thailand, which are operated by Thailand’s national oil company, PTTEP. The assets are adjacent to major existing gas and oil fields, and Valeura expects that new wellhead platforms could be tied into nearby production infrastructure to enable relatively rapid development.
Martin said Valeura is awaiting a final administrative step for PTTEP to assign the interest, though the partners have been working on development planning for about a year. He said Valeura expects to make its first final investment decision on a gas development in the area later this year. The projects would also diversify the company’s portfolio, which is currently oil-focused.
Cash flow, reserves and balance sheet
Martin highlighted Valeura’s cash-generation focus, saying the company reported a realized oil price of $106 per barrel during the second quarter. The company generated $150 million in cash flow and more than $100 million in free cash flow during the quarter, he said.
He also cited a $77-per-barrel netback in the second quarter and operating costs equivalent to $29 per barrel, despite the impact of higher diesel prices. Valeura reported $154 million of cash flow in the period and ended the second quarter with more than CAD 300 million in cash and no debt, according to Martin.
The company subsequently established its first debt facility, a revolving credit line of up to $75 million that includes an accordion feature that could add another $250 million. Martin said the company had total liquidity of about $640 million when cash and available borrowing capacity were combined.
Valeura’s market capitalization was about CAD 1 billion, with enterprise value just under CAD 600 million, Martin said. The company’s largest shareholder, Thoresen Thai, holds roughly 15% after building its position on the open market, while Baillie Gifford is another major shareholder.
On reserves, Martin said Valeura achieved an average annual reserves replacement ratio of 218% over the past three years. The company’s reserves rose to 58 million barrels at the end of 2025 from 29 million barrels at the end of 2022, while it produced more than 24 million barrels over that period. He said the reserve additions extended the minimum life of the company’s assets by at least five years.
Acquisition focus remains central
Martin described capital allocation in three categories: reinvestment in the existing portfolio, value-accretive mergers and acquisitions, and potential shareholder returns. He said Valeura’s primary focus remains growth rather than dividends or substantial share repurchases.
While the company has a normal course issuer bid and has used it modestly to offset dilution from stock option exercises, Martin said investors should not expect a near-term shift toward dividends or aggressive buybacks given the opportunities it sees in the region.
“We are a growth company,” Martin said, adding that Southeast Asia has an attractive acquisition market because more operators are leaving the region than entering it. He said Valeura was evaluating three or four potential transactions that it considers “transformational,” meaning they could potentially double or triple the size of its producing business. He did not provide a timeline for any deal.
Operating environment and field practices
Martin said Thailand’s fiscal terms are contract-based and have not been retroactively changed. Valeura’s average royalty rate is about 14%, with some legacy contracts carrying a flat 12.5% royalty and others using a 5% to 15% sliding scale.
The company sells oil through a tender process required by Thailand, with each cargo marketed to obtain the highest international price premium relative to Dubai crude. Martin said approximately two-thirds of production has historically been exported and one-third consumed domestically, with buyers including PTT and major trading houses.
Valeura drills its offshore wells using jack-up rigs and said its oil wells, including long horizontal laterals, cost roughly CAD 4.5 million to CAD 5 million each. Martin said the company recently drilled Thailand’s longest horizontal lateral, at 5,000 feet, and is testing multilateral drilling techniques. Most production water is separated at platforms and reinjected because Thailand does not permit overboard water discharge, he said.
About Valeura Energy (TSE:VLE)
Valeura Energy Inc is an upstream oil & gas company, with a clear strategy to add value for shareholders through growth. The Company is expanding operations organically and through acquisitions in Southeast Asia, focussing on assets with immediate or substantial near-term cash flow, with imbedded reinvestment opportunities.
