Enbridge Inc. today announced that it has entered into definitive agreements to sell its Canadian natural gas gathering and processing business for a cash purchase price of $4.31 billion to Brookfield Infrastructure and its institutional partners.
The G&P Business includes 19 natural gas processing plants and liquids handling facilities, with a total operating capacity of 3.3 Bcf/d and 3,550 km of natural gas gathering pipelines in the Montney, Peace River Arch, Horn River and Liard basins in British Columbia and Alberta.
“When combined with asset monetizations announced in May, the sale of our Canadian G&P Business significantly advances our strategic priority of moving to a pure play regulated pipeline and utility business model,” said Al Monaco, President and Chief Executive Officer of Enbridge. “It also demonstrates our focus on prudent capital allocation and ensuring the continued strength of our balance sheet and funding flexibility. With a total of roughly $7.5 billion in asset monetizations announced in 2018, we have more than doubled our initial target of $3 billion.”
Separate sale agreements have been entered into for those facilities currently governed by provincial regulations (Alberta and B.C.), and those governed by federal National Energy Board regulations. The transaction involving the sale of the provincially regulated facilities is expected to close in 2018, while the transaction involving the sale of the federally regulated facilities is anticipated to close in mid-2019.
According to a company press release, proceeds from these transactions provide significant additional financing flexibility going forward as the company continues to execute on its current portfolio of secured growth projects. Enbridge’s outlook for DCF/share through 2020 and its target credit metrics remain unchanged as a result of these asset sales.
Enbridge will continue to hold its highly strategic long haul regulated natural gas transmission assets which include the Westcoast transmission system in British Columbia and the Alliance pipeline that carries natural gas from western Canada to the Chicago market.
Brookfield intends to maintain the Canadian G&P workforce and anticipates that they will remain with the G&P business upon transaction close.
“I’d like to thank our colleagues at the G&P Business, who have done an exceptional job building and expanding a substantial gathering and processing franchise while operating the business safely and reliably day-in and day-out.” added Monaco. “Enbridge will work with Brookfield to ensure a safe and orderly transition of the G&P business’ operations.”
