Each one in plain English, with the numbers worked through for a shareholder.
2 July 2021other▼ Bad
Corporate update: Victorian regulations are not expected until September 2021, so Wombat-5 drilling is now targeted for mid 2022, later than the earlier plan to drill soon after 30 June 2021. Lakes lodged a reinstatement submission to ASX on 30 June; $8.9m raised since December 2019.
Half-year to 31 Dec 2020: loss of $1.36m (versus $248k profit a year earlier, which had $1.7m of grants). Working capital deficit widened to $7.9m from $3.0m because convertible notes are now current. Net assets $15.6m. Review report text was truncated.
Elissa Hansen of Sydney's CoSec Services replaces Chairman Richard Ash as company secretary, and Traverse Accountants replaces Leydin Freyer. Registered address moves to Sydney; a Melbourne CBD office is kept because Victorian exploration is about to restart.
Nangwarry-1 flowed 10.8 MMscfd steadily over two days, with a peak of about 22 MMscfd. Lakes says results beat expectations and the gas column is much taller than assumed, so the 12.6 Bscf net estimate is likely to be upgraded. Investment decision targeted for 2H 2021.
Lakes Oil is now Lakes Blue Energy NL following shareholder approval on 23 March 2021. The ASX code stays LKO and the website is moving. The new name reflects the updated strategy; a revised constitution was lodged.
AGM address: Lakes will become Lakes Blue Energy. Chairman targets commercial gas production within 3 years and says $8.325m has been raised since the October 2019 suspension. Shares remain suspended, and ASX requests have been met. Mostly repeats the September 2020 strategy.
Nangwarry-1 extended test slips again, now to mid-March 2021, with equipment mobilising 10 March, on further COVID delays. Three weeks on site. Resource estimate unchanged: 12.6 Bscf net best case.
Extended Nangwarry-1 production test, first planned for late 2020, is now set for mid-late February 2021 over three weeks. COVID restrictions on equipment and movement caused the delay. It aims to confirm the CO2 resource's quality, deliverability and size.
30.3m unlisted options at 0.5c lapsed on 8 January 2021. Capital structure now 33.68bn shares, 7.72bn convertible notes and 752.9m performance rights. No new issue.
Lakes lodged a revised 2020 annual report to fix a typographic error in the audit report; it says nothing else changed. The audit opinion text was not visible in the extract, so its nature is unconfirmed.
Delayed half-year report to 31 December 2019: profit of $247,584, driven by $1.73m of PACE grant income, versus a loss of $2.6m a year earlier. Working capital deficit widened to $2.08m from $547,120 at June 2019. Part of clearing the suspension.
2020 annual report lodged, listing Wombat 329 Bcf contingent resource and Nangwarry 12.6 Bcf net recoverable CO2. Lakes holds a net 46.76% in PEL 155. Text is truncated, so the audit opinion and financials are not visible here.
23 Dec 2020capital raising announcement● NeutralMajor
Lakes placed 2.28bn convertible notes raising $2.075m at 0.09c each, with a new royalty on PRL 2 and PEP 167, 169 and 175. A further $1.1m of notes goes to directors Mather and Sleeman as loan settlement, subject to shareholder approval. Aim is to show 12 months of funding for ASX.
PNG's Minister extended the term of PPL 560, which contains the Buna prospect, by three years to December 2025, compensating for time lost to the unlawful cancellation. This resolves the pending extension; Lakes is now planning a farm-out to fund drilling.
Corporate update: Lakes is still working to get shares trading again and says about $4.8m has been raised since December 2019. A virtual general meeting on 22 September 2020 will refresh capacity to issue convertible notes. The 2020 annual report is still being completed and audited.
Strategy deck: shares still suspended, 33.67bn shares and 4.96bn convertible notes on issue. Targets gas production in 2-3 years, with a further $3m to raise in 2020 and about $7m in 2021/22. Otway-1 and Wombat-5 drilling are tied to the ban ending mid-2021. Mostly repeats known facts.
Lakes reports the ERCE estimate of Nangwarry recoverable CO2: best case 25.1 Bscf gross (12.5-12.6 net to Lakes), range 7.8-82.1. Same estimate as Vintage's release (ref 3). Flow test planned later in 2020 to confirm deliverability and size.
Vintage announces an independent (ERCE) best-case 25.1 Bcf gross recoverable CO2 for Nangwarry (low 7.8, high 82.1), 12.6 Bcf net to each 50% partner. Gas column now about 90 m, up from the 65 m advised earlier; roughly 90% CO2.
Vintage (50% partner) announces a non-binding MOU with Supagas, which will fund preliminary design and costing of a food-grade CO2 processing facility for Nangwarry, in return for the chance to bid to develop or buy the gas. Extended flow test targeted late 2020, COVID permitting.
Lakes, as operator of the 50:50 PEL 155 venture, announces the same non-binding Supagas MOU: Supagas funds preliminary processing-plant design and costing for Nangwarry CO2. Extended Nangwarry-1 production test planned late 2020. Duplicates the Vintage release (ref 1).
Lakes raised $486,000 through 540,000 more convertible notes on the earlier terms. Company Secretary Melanie Leydin resigned; Chairman Richard Ash takes over the role, with Leydin Freyer continuing as accounting provider.
Shares remain suspended and the half-year report is overdue. Convertible notes have raised $3.8m since December. Victoria extended its ban by a year, to mid-2021, though tenure terms reset to five years. Nangwarry-1 flow testing is planned around mid-year.
William Buck Audit replaced Pitcher Partners as auditor on 14 February 2020, after Pitcher resigned with ASIC consent. Lakes says it ran an audit tender. Relevant given ASX's demand for an unqualified audit opinion.
Lakes restates that the Victorian moratorium expires 30 June 2020 and that Wombat-5 is ready to drill. Wombat holds 329 Bscf contingent resource (2C-style 50% estimate), with the Trifon/Gangell fields adding about 280 Bscf. Mostly repeats known facts.
Gas samples from Nangwarry-1 show 92% and 89% CO2, not the expected outcome, undermining the earlier gas-column result. Lakes points to the Caroline-1 CO2 operation as a precedent and will still case and suspend the well for flow testing.
Logging confirmed a minimum 65 m gas column at the top of the Pretty Hill at Nangwarry-1. The lower interval could not be logged definitively. The well will be cased and suspended for flow testing; gas quality awaits sample analysis.
Nangwarry-1 reached 4,300 m. The secondary Sawpit target was intersected but was not gas-bearing. Two potential gas intervals, each about 140 m thick, were found in the primary Pretty Hill target; logging is under way.
Nangwarry-1 reached 3,450 m, drilling through the Pretty Hill Formation, first met at about 2,940 m. Elevated gas readings across 140 m need logging to assess significance. Second target Sawpit expected by week's end.
The Court of Appeal rejected Lakes' appeal against the Macaulay judgment on the Victorian exploration moratorium, with costs awarded to the Victorian Government. This resolves the long-running case against Lakes. The chairman calls it of little consequence with the moratorium expiring in about six months.