Press release from PR Newswire
Pacific Rubiales makes additional investment in Puerto Bahia Port Project
Monday, August 13, 2012
Pacific Rubiales makes additional investment in Puerto Bahia Port Project09:00 EDT Monday, August 13, 2012
TORONTO, Aug. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ - Pacific Rubiales Energy Corp. (TSX: PRE;
BVC: PREC; BOVESPA: PREB) is pleased to announce that it has purchased
an additional 50 million common shares in the capital of Pacific
Infrastructure Inc. ("Pacific Infrastructure") at a price of U.S.$1.00 per share for an aggregate investment of
U.S.$50 million (the "Subscription"). This latest investment by the Company in Pacific Infrastructure has
been made in connection with a letter of intent dated March 26, 2012
pursuant to which the Company agreed to purchase up to 140 million
common shares in the capital of Pacific Infrastructure, as previously
announced by the Company on March 28, 2012.
Pacific Infrastructure is a private Panama-based company developing a
new crude oil and products terminal and port (Puerto Bahia) at
Cartagena on the Colombia Caribbean coast, as well as a new oil
pipeline that will link Coveñas with Cartagena.
Ronald Pantin, Chief Executive Officer of the Company commented: "This
additional investment in the Puerto Bahia Port Project further
solidifies the Company's role in the development of the project,
ensures our foothold in what will be one of Colombia's most important
infrastructure projects, and is strategic to our future oil production
growth plans. We look forward to working with the Pacific
Infrastructure team as we move forward in the development of the port."
As a result of funding the Subscription, the Company currently holds
111,488,415 common shares in the capital of Pacific Infrastructure,
representing approximately 44.1% of the issued and outstanding shares.
The Company, in its sole discretion, has until March 27, 2013 to
purchase an additional 70 million common shares in the capital of
Pacific Infrastructure on substantially the same terms as this
Subscription. To date, the Company has invested approximately U.S.$88
million in Pacific Infrastructure.
Pacific Rubiales, a Canadian-based company and producer of natural gas
and heavy crude oil, owns 100 percent of Meta Petroleum Corp., a
Colombian oil operator which operates the Rubiales, Piriri and Quifa
oil fields in the Llanos Basin in association with Ecopetrol, S.A., the
Colombian national oil company, and 100 percent of Pacific Stratus
Energy Corp. which operates the La Creciente natural gas field. The
Company is focused on identifying opportunities primarily within the
eastern Llanos Basin of Colombia as well as in other areas in Colombia
and northern Peru. Pacific Rubiales has working interests in 43 blocks
in Colombia, Peru and Guatemala.
The Company's common shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange and La
Bolsa de Valores de Colombia and as Brazilian Depositary Receipts on
Brazil's Bolsa de Valores Mercadorias e Futuros under the ticker
symbols PRE, PREC, and PREB, respectively.
Advisories
Cautionary Note Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements. All statements,
other than statements of historical fact, that address activities,
events or developments that the Company believes, expects or
anticipates will or may occur in the future (including, without
limitation, statements regarding estimates and/or assumptions in
respect of production, revenue, cash flow and costs, reserve and
resource estimates, potential resources and reserves and the Company's
exploration and development plans and objectives) are forward-looking
statements. These forward-looking statements reflect the current
expectations or beliefs of the Company based on information currently
available to the Company. Forward-looking statements are subject to a
number of risks and uncertainties that may cause the actual results of
the Company to differ materially from those discussed in the
forward-looking statements, and even if such actual results are
realized or substantially realized, there can be no assurance that they
will have the expected consequences to, or effects on, the Company.
Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially
from current expectations include, among other things: the closing of
the proposed transaction or the possibility that such transaction may
not close, delays in completing the proposed transaction, uncertainty
of estimates of capital and operating costs, production estimates and
estimated economic return; the possibility that actual circumstances
will differ from the estimates and assumptions; failure to establish
estimated resources or reserves; fluctuations in petroleum prices and
currency exchange rates; inflation; changes in equity markets;
political developments in Colombia, Guatemala or Peru; changes to
regulations affecting the Company's activities; uncertainties relating
to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future; the
uncertainties involved in interpreting drilling results and other
geological data; and the other risks disclosed under the heading "Risk
Factors" and elsewhere in the Company's annual information form dated
March 14, 2012 filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it
is made and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws,
the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any
forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information,
future events or results or otherwise. Although the Company believes
that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking statements are
reasonable, forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future
performance and accordingly undue reliance should not be put on such
statements due to the inherent uncertainty therein.
SOURCE Pacific Rubiales Energy Corp.For further information: <p> </p> <p> Christopher (Chris) LeGallais<br/> Sr. Vice President, Investor Relations<br/> +1 (647) 295-3700<br/> </p> <p> Javier Rodriguez<br/> Manager Investor Relations<br/> +57 (1) 511-2319 </p>
