Hamilton, Bermuda, March 13, 2017 - Seadrill Limited ("Seadrill" or "the Company") announces today that it has reached a settlement agreement with Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries Co Ltd. ("HSHI") in relation to the West Mira ("the Unit") arbitration. Seadrill will receive a cash payment of $170 million in March 2017 as full settlement of the dispute.
Arbitration proceedings began in October 2015 following the cancellation of the construction contract for the West Mira and were expected to conclude during the first half of 2018. This settlement agreement brings an early conclusion to the arbitration process.
The Company will take a non-cash impairment of approximately $44 million to reflect the difference between the carrying value of the West Mira receivable and the cash payment to be received.
As part of this settlement, Seatankers, a related party, has purchased the West Mira from HSHI.
Seatankers is an asset holding company and is not expected to engage in offshore drilling activities in competition with Seadrill. The Company expects to execute an agreement with Seatankers for the commercial and technical management of the West Mira as well as a right of first refusal for purchase of the Unit.
FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS
This news release includes forward looking statements. Such statements are generally not historical in nature, and specifically include statements about the Company's plans, strategies, business prospects, changes and trends in its business and the markets in which it operates. These statements are made based upon management's current plans, expectations, assumptions and beliefs concerning future events impacting the Company and therefore involve a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this news release. Consequently, no forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. When considering these forward-looking statements, you should keep in mind the risks described from time to time in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 20-F (File No. 001-34667). The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which such statement is made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for the Company to predict all of these factors. Further, the Company cannot assess the impact of each such factor on its business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to be materially different from those contained in any forward looking statement.
This information is subject of the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.
