OREANDA-NEWS. Navig8 Chemical Tankers Inc. (the "Company") (OSLO-OTC: CHEMS), an international shipping company focused on the transportation of chemicals, today announced its unaudited financial and operating results for the second quarter of 2015 and the six months ended June 30, 2015.

Highlights

·      Marked the first full quarter with an operating fleet after the Company accepted initial vessel deliveries of its newbuilding fleet during the first quarter of 2015.

·      Reported revenue of $14 million and net gain of $2.9 million, or $0.07 per share, for the second quarter of 2015. 

·      Took delivery of six vessels from Korea's Hyundai Mipo Dockyard ("HMD").

·      Entered into a $277 million sale and leaseback agreement with Ocean Yield ASA ("Ocean Yield") for eight newbuilding vessels.

·      Successfully completed a $65 million private placement of 5,701,754 newly-issued shares, increasing the total shareholder funding to date to $404 million.

"We are very pleased to report results for our first full quarter with a meaningful on-the-water fleet. We achieved our first quarterly net gain and made significant progress toward completing the financing for our newbuilding program," said Nicolas Busch, Chief Executive Officer of Navig8 Chemical Tankers. "A huge increase in chemical export projects in the U.S. and Middle East and the corresponding increase in long-haul shipping demand to reach end markets makes our large chemical tankers ideally-suited for this expanding trade. The legacy chemical tanker fleet is more concentrated in smaller tankers better suited for shorter, regional trades. In addition we continue to benefit from our relationship with our sponsor, the Navig8 Group, who has provided us shipbuilding oversight, commercial and technical management, and related services since our inception." 

Second Quarter 2015 Results

The Company reports a net gain of $2.9 million, or $0.07 per share, for the quarter ended June 30, 2015, compared with a net loss of $0.9 million, or $0.03 per share, for the preceding quarter.

The average daily time charter equivalent ("TCE") earned by our 37,000dwt IMO2 Interline coated tankers built at Hyundai Mipo, Korea ("A-Class vessels") and the 49,000dwt, IMO2 Epoxy coated medium range tankers built at Hyundai, Vinashin ("V-Class vessels") in the quarter ended June 30, 2015, were $19,090 per day and $20,112 per day, respectively. This is compared to the quarter ended March 31, 2015, where the TCE for the A-Class vessels was $18,542 per day and the TCE for the V-Class vessels was $21,670 per day. There was no operating revenue prior to the quarter ended March 31, 2015, as the Company previously had no vessels in operation. The Company had 11 vessels operating during the quarter ended June 30, 2015, compared with 5 vessels during the quarter ended March 31, 2015. All of the Company vessels operate in pools from which they derived TCE revenue.

Vessel and depreciation expense increased as the Company accepted initial deliveries of its newbuilding fleet. 

General and administrative expense for the quarter ended June 30, 2015, were $1.8 million, which was at a similar level to the $1.9 million incurred for the quarter ended March 31, 2015. 

Fleet Update

The Company has entered into contracts to acquire 32 modern, fuel-efficient newbuilding chemical tankers. As of the date of this press release, 14 of these vessels have been delivered and are in operation. The fleet is scheduled to be fully delivered by September 2017. Six additional vessels are scheduled to be delivered during the remainder of 2015, eight in 2016 and the final four in 2017.

During the first quarter of 2015, the Company took delivery of two V-Class vessels from the Hyundai Vinashin shipyard. These vessels are currently operating in Navig8 Group's Chronos8 pool. The Company also took delivery of three A-Class vessels from Hyundai Mipo, Korea. These vessels are currently operating in Navig8 Group's Delta8 pool.

During the second quarter of 2015, the Company took delivery of an additional six A-Class vessels. These vessels are also operating in the Navig8 Group's Delta8 pool. So far during the third quarter of 2015, the Company has taken delivery of a further three A-Class vessels.

Fleet List

                     
   

Name

 

DWT

 

Yard

 

Built

 

Status

   

Delivered Vessels

               

1

 

Navig8 Victoria

 

49,000

 

Hyundai Vinashin

 

Q1 2015

 

Delivered

2

 

Navig8 Almandine

 

37,000

 

Hyundai Mipo

 

Q1 2015

 

Delivered

3

 

Navig8 Violette

 

49,000

 

Hyundai Vinashin

 

Q1 2015

 

Delivered

4

 

Navig8 Amber

 

37,000

 

Hyundai Mipo

 

Q1 2015

 

Delivered

5

 

Navig8 Amethyst

 

37,000

 

Hyundai Mipo

 

Q1 2015

 

Delivered

6

 

Navig8 Ametrine

 

37,000

 

Hyundai Mipo

 

Q2 2015

 

Delivered

7

 

Navig8 Aventurine

 

37,000

 

Hyundai Mipo

 

Q2 2015

 

Delivered

8

 

Navig8 Andesine

 

37,000

 

Hyundai Mipo

 

Q2 2015

 

Delivered

9

 

Navig8 Aronaldo

 

37,000

 

Hyundai Mipo

 

Q2 2015

 

Delivered

10

 

Navig8 Aquamarine

 

37.000

 

Hyundai Mipo

 

Q2 2015

 

Delivered

11

 

Navig8 Amazonite

 

37,000

 

Hyundai Mipo

 

Q2 2015

 

Delivered

12

 

Navig8 Amessi

 

37.000

 

Hyundai Mipo

 

Q3 2015

 

Delivered

13

 

Navig8 Ammolite

 

37,000

 

Hyundai Mipo

 

Q3 2015

 

Delivered

14

 

Navig8 Axinite

 

37.000

 

Hyundai Mipo

 

Q3 2015

 

Delivered

                     
   

Newbuildings

               

1

 

Navig8 Azotic

 

37,000

 

Hyundai Mipo

 

Q3 2015

 

On order

2

 

Navig8 Adamite

 

37,000

 

Hyundai Mipo

 

Q3 2015

 

On order

3

 

Navig8 Azurite

 

37,000

 

Hyundai Mipo

 

Q3 2015

 

On order

4

 

Navig8 Aragonite

 

37,000

 

Hyundai Mipo

 

Q4 2015

 

On order

5

 

Navig8 Alabaster

 

37,000

 

Hyundai Mipo

 

Q4 2015

 

On order

6

 

Navig8 Achroite

 

37,000

 

Hyundai Mipo

 

Q4 2015

 

On order

7

 

Navig8 Turquoise

 

49,000

 

STX

 

Q1 2016

 

On order

8

 

Navig8 Topaz

 

49,000

 

STX

 

Q2 2016

 

On order

9

 

Navig8 Tourmaline

 

49,000

 

STX

 

Q3 2016

 

On order

10

 

Navig8 Tanzanite

 

49,000

 

STX

 

Q3 2016

 

On order

11

 

N8CT N/B (613)

 

25,000

 

Kitanihon

 

Q3 2016

 

On order

12

 

N8CT N/B (617)

 

25,000

 

Kitanihon

 

Q3 2016

 

On order

13

 

N8CT N/B (618)

 

25,000

 

Kitanihon

 

Q4 2016

 

On order

14

 

N8CT N/B (620)

 

25,000

 

Kitanihon

 

Q4 2016

 

On order

15

 

N8CT N/B (623)

 

25,000

 

Kitanihon

 

Q1 2017

 

On order

16

 

N8CT N/B (625)

 

25,000

 

Kitanihon

 

Q2 2017

 

On order

17

 

N8CT N/B (N-2075)

 

25,000

 

Fukuoka

 

Q2 2017

 

On order

18

 

N8CT N/B (N-2076)

 

25,000

 

Fukuoka

 

Q3 2017

 

On order

                     

Corporate and Financing Update

On February 3, 2015, the Company closed its first debt financing facility. The facility will finance 14 of the Company's A-Class vessels. The loan facility covers approximately 60% of the contract price of the vessels and was closed in partnership with a group of European banks (Cr?dit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank, ABN AMRO Bank N.V. and DVB Bank SE) and The Export-Import Bank of Korea.

On April 1, 2015, the Company entered into sale and leaseback agreements with Ocean Yield for eight of the Company's newbuildings: four A-Class vessels and four IMO2 Interline-coated 49,000 dwt chemical tankers being built at STX, Korea ("T-Class vessels"). The four A-Class vessels have contractual delivery dates ranging from June 2015 to September 2015 (two of the vessels were delivered during the second quarter), and the four T-Class vessels have deliveries scheduled from March 2016 to August 2016. The net proceeds from the transaction (after a 10% sellers' credit) are expected to be $277 million. Under the agreements, the eight vessels will be purchased by Ocean Yield from the Company upon their respective deliveries from HMD and STX. Simultaneously the Company agreed to bareboat charter the vessels for 15-year terms from Ocean Yield. The Company has purchase options that it can exercise to re-acquire the vessels during the charter period, with the first of such options exercisable on the fifth anniversary of each vessel delivery. Under the sale and leaseback agreements, Ocean Yield will also provide financing for the pre-delivery instalment payments for the Company's four T-Class vessels. These sale and leaseback agreements will be treated as financing transactions. 

On April 1, 2015, the Company successfully completed a private placement resulting in net proceeds of $65 million. A total of 5,701,754 new common shares were issued in conjunction with the private placement at a subscription price of $11.40 per share. The Company now has a total of 38,489,108 shares outstanding. The proceeds of the private placement will be used to partially finance the equity portion of the Company's remaining newbuilding program, as well as for general corporate purposes including working capital. The private placement increased the total net equity funding from $339 million to $404 million as of June 30, 2015.

As a result of the financing arrangements described above, the Company has secured financing on all of the vessels ordered from HMD and STX (and therefore on all of the vessel deliveries scheduled in 2015 and part of the vessels scheduled for delivery in 2016). The two V-Class vessels that were delivered in the first quarter of 2015 are currently on 12-month bareboat charters which commenced at their respective delivery dates. The Company has purchase obligations at the end of these charters and will take ownership of these vessels during the first quarter of 2016. The Company is currently in the process of arranging financing for these two vessels and has also simultaneously started discussions in connection with the financing of the eight 25,000dwt IMO2 stainless steel tankers contracted at Kitanihon and Fukuoka (Japan) which are scheduled to start delivering in Q3 2016. The Company expects to have financing in place for the remaining unfinanced vessels well ahead of the respective deliveries.  

Market Outlook

Chemical tanker earnings have strengthened since April, after a period of uncertainty following the collapse in commodity prices late last year. Market fundamentals have started to tighten, and we expect to see a major transformation, based on the start-up of a number of new chemical projects in the U.S. and Middle East. The investment in capacity in these two regions is export oriented and based on low-priced feedstocks, making them highly competitive in the international markets.

We anticipate the impact to our industry will be a sharp rise in long-haul chemical trades and hence growth in ton-mile demand. We believe this expected demand growth will exceed forecast fleet growth over the next two years. The majority of the current chemical tanker fleet is relatively small in size and is not best suited to meet this major transition in trade flows. Larger chemical tankers should have a distinct advantage in serving these new developments based on our current market outlook.

Conference Call

On Monday, August 17, 2015 at 4:00PM GMT, the Company's management team will host a conference call to discuss its results for the second quarter of 2015.

Participant should dial into the call 10 minutes before the scheduled time using the following number: 0800 279 9489 (UK Toll Free Dial In) or +44 (0) 2075 441 375 (Standard International Dial In). Please inform the operator you wish to listen to the Navig8 Chemical Tankers conference call.

A telephonic replay of the conference call will be available until August 24, 2015 by dialing +44 (0) 2036 088 021 (Standard International Dial In) and using access code 10070944.

Slides and Webcast

 

NAVIG8 CHEMICAL TANKERS INC AND SUBSIDIARIES
OTHER OPERATING DATA
(Unaudited)

                 
   

Second Quarter 2015

 

First Quarter 2015

   

37k dwt HMD Vessels

 

49k dwt Vinashin Vessels

 

37k dwt HMD Vessels

 

49k dwt Vinashin Vessels

                 

Vessels on the water at the end of the month

 

9

 

2

 

3

 

2

                 

Average distributed TCE in $ / day

 

19,090

 

20,112

 

18,542

 

21,670

Average opex in $ / day

 

4,922

 

4,921

 

5,059

 

4,969

                 

Average Technical Management in $ / day

 

470

 

493

 

493

 

493

                 
                 
                 

NAVIG8 CHEMICAL TANKERS INC AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(Unaudited)

 
                         
   

For the three months ended 30 June

   

For the six months ended 30 June

 

All in US$000, unless otherwise stated

 

2015

   

2014

   

2015

   

2014

 

Operating revenue

                               

Vessel revenue

 

$

13,956

     

-

   

$

17,722

     

-

 
                                 

Operating expenses

                               

Vessel expenses

   

(4,104

)

   

-

     

(5,292

)

   

-

 

Depreciation and amortization

   

(3,000

)

   

-

     

(3,874

)

   

-

 

General and administrative expenses

   

(1,805

)

   

(839

)

   

(3,691

)

   

(1,330

)

Total operating expenses

   

(8,909

)

   

(839

)

   

(12,857

)

   

(1,330

)

Net operating gain/(loss)

 

$

5,047

   

$

(839

)

 

$

4,865

   

$

(1,330

)

                                 

Financial Items

                               

Interest income

   

16

     

-

     

26

     

-

 

Interest expense

   

(2,210

)

   

-

     

(2,936

)

   

-

 

Net financial items

   

(2,194

)

   

-

     

(2,910

)

   

-

 

Net gain/(loss)

 

$

2,853

   

$

(839

)

 

$

1,955

   

$

(1,330

)

                                 

Earnings per common share:

                               

Basic

 

$

0.07

   

$

(0.03

)

 

$

0.05

   

$

(0.08

)

Diluted

 

$

0.07

   

$

(0.03

)

 

$

0.05

   

$

(0.08

)

                                 

EBITDA:

                               

Net gain/(loss)

 

$

2,853

   

$

(839

)

 

$

1,955

   

$

(1,330

)

Depreciation and amortization

   

3,000

     

-

     

3,874

     

-

 

Interest income

   

(16

)

   

-

     

(26

)

   

-

 

Interest expense

   

2,210

     

-

     

2,936

     

-

 

EBITDA

 

$

8,047

   

$

(839

)

 

$

8,739

   

$

(1,330

)

                                 
                                                 
   
   

NAVIG8 CHEMICAL TANKERS INC AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET
(Unaudited)

 
             

All in US$000, unless otherwise stated

 

As of 30 June
2015

   

As of 31 December
2014

 

Assets

               
                 

Current assets

               
 

Cash and cash equivalents

 

$

40,883

   

$

40,405

 
 

Trade receivables

   

6,339

     

-

 
 

Prepaid expenses and other assets

   

8,634

     

25

 
 

Inventories

   

894

     

-

 

Total current assets

   

56,750

     

40,430

 
                 

Non-current assets

               
 

Restricted cash

   

5,250

     

-

 
 

Vessels, net

   

336,695

     

-

 
 

Vessels, finance lease

   

83,822

     

-

 
 

Vessels under construction

   

221,132

     

284,826

 
 

Vessel related deposits

   

-

     

9,154

 

Total non-current assets

   

646,899

     

293,980

 

Total assets

 

$

703,649

   

$

334,410

 
                 

Liabilities and shareholders' equity

               
                 

Current liabilities

               
 

Obligations under finance lease

 

$

73,609

   

$

0

 
 

Current portion of loans

   

26,406

     

-

 
 

Accounts payables and accrued expenses

   

3,551

     

984

 

Total current liabilities

   

103,566

     

984

 
                 

Non-current liabilities

               
 

Long-term loans

   

199,872

     

-

 
                 

Total liabilities

   

303,438

     

984

 
                 

Shareholders' equity

               
                 
 

Common stock

   

385

     

328

 
 

Paid-in capital

   

403,641

     

338,868

 
 

Retained deficit

   

(3,815

)

   

(5,770

)

Total shareholders' equity

   

400,211

     

333,426

 

Total liabilities and shareholders' equity

 

$

703,649

   

$

334,410

 
                 
                 
   

NAVIG8 CHEMICAL TANKERS INC AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
(Unaudited)

 
             
   

For the six months ended 30 June

 

All in US$000, unless otherwise stated

 

2015

   

2014

 

Operating activities:

               

Net gain/ (loss)

 

$

1,955

   

$

(1,330

)

Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:

               

Depreciation and amortization

   

3,874

     

-

 

Changes in operating assets and liabilities:

               
 

Trade receivables

   

(6,339

)

   

-

 
 

Prepaid expenses and other assets

   

(8,110

)

   

-

 
 

Inventories

   

(894

)

   

-

 
 

Accounts payables

   

633

     

277

 
 

Accrued expenses

   

1,646

     

(863

)

Net cash used in operating activities

   

(7,235

)

   

(1,916

)

                 

Investing activities

               

Changes in restricted cash

   

(5,250

)

   

-

 

Payments for vessels under construction

   

(277,055

)

   

(134,117

)

Net cash used in investing activities

   

(282,305

)

   

(134,117

)

                 

Financing activities

               

Proceeds from issuance of common stock

   

64,830

     

147,742

 

Proceeds from long-term bank loan

   

229,092

     

-

 

Repayment of long-term bank loan

   

(2,814

)

   

-

 

Repayment of finance lease

   

(1,090

)

   

-

 

Net cash provided by financing activities

   

290,018

     

147,742

 
                 

Increase in cash and cash equivalents

   

478

     

11,709

 

Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of year / period

   

40,405

     

11

 

Cash and cash equivalents, end of year / period

 

$

40,883

   

$

11,720

 
                 
                 
                               

Forward-Looking Statements and Distribution

This press release contains forward looking statements. These statements are based upon various assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions, including Navig8 Chemical Tankers management's examination of historical operating trends. Although the Company believes that these assumptions were reasonable when made, because assumptions are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies which are difficult or impossible to predict and are beyond its control, Navig8 Chemical Tankers cannot give assurance that it will achieve or accomplish these expectations, beliefs or intentions.

Important factors that, in the Company's view, could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in this press release include the strength of world economies and currencies, general market conditions including fluctuations in charter hire rates and vessel values, changes in demand in the tanker market as a result of changes in OPEC's petroleum production levels and worldwide oil consumption and storage, changes in the Company's operating expenses including bunker prices, dry-docking and insurance costs, changes in governmental rules and regulations or actions taken by regulatory authorities, potential liability from pending or future litigation, general domestic and international political conditions, potential disruption of shipping routes due to accidents or political events, and other important factors.

This communication is not for publication or distribution, directly or indirectly, in or into any state or jurisdiction into which doing so would be unlawful. The distribution of this communication may be restricted by law in certain jurisdictions and persons into whose possession any document or other information referred to herein comes, should inform themselves about and observe any such restrictions. Any failure to comply with these restrictions may constitute a violation of the securities laws of any such jurisdictions. The Company assumes no responsibility in the event there is a violation by any person of such restrictions.