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AST Ascent Resources Plc

2.30
-0.05 (-2.13%)
Last Updated: 08:26:13
Delayed by 15 minutes
Share Name Share Symbol Market Type Share ISIN Share Description
Ascent Resources Plc LSE:AST London Ordinary Share GB00BJVH7905 ORD 0.5P
  Price Change % Change Share Price Bid Price Offer Price High Price Low Price Open Price Shares Traded Last Trade
  -0.05 -2.13% 2.30 2.20 2.40 2.35 2.30 2.35 482,243 08:26:13
Industry Sector Turnover Profit EPS - Basic PE Ratio Market Cap
Crude Petroleum & Natural Gs 581k -41.89M -0.1004 -0.23 9.6M

Ascent Resources PLC Half-year Report (0376N)

20/09/2019 7:01am

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TIDMAST

RNS Number : 0376N

Ascent Resources PLC

20 September 2019

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONTAINS INSIDE INFORMATION NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION IN, INTO OR FROM ANY JURISDICTION WHERE TO DO SO WOULD CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF THE RELEVANT LAWS OR REGULATIONS OF SUCH JURISDICTION

20 September 2019

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Ascent Resources plc / Epic: AST / Index: AIM / Sector: Oil and Gas

Ascent Resources plc

("Ascent" or "the Company")

Interim results for the period ended 30 June 2019

Ascent Resources plc, the AIM quoted European oil and gas exploration and production company is pleased to report its interim results for the six months ended 30 June 2019.

Summary:

   --      IPPC Permit awarded in April 2019. 
   --      Two successful placings to raise GBP1.1m in January and April 2019. 

-- Appeal against Ministry decision for re-stimulation of existing wells requiring Environmental Impact Assessment denied. Legal remedies being considered.

Post Period Highlights:

   --      John Buggenhagen appointed CEO & Louis Castro appointed Chairman in July 2019. 

-- Secured a further GBP1.0m Subscription with RiverFort Global Opportunities in September 2019 to support growth in Slovenia and expansion in the region.

   --      Seismic reprocessing completed and the resultant dataset is under review by management. 
   --      Share conference call to be scheduled during October 2019. 

Enquiries:

 
 Ascent Resources plc 
  Louis Castro, Chairman 
  John Buggenhagen, CEO              0207 251 4905 
 WH Ireland, Nominated Adviser 
  & Broker 
  James Joyce / Chris Savidge        0207 220 1666 
 SP Angel, Joint Broker 
  Richard Redmayne / Richard Hail    0203 470 0470 
 Flagstaff Strategic & Investor 
  Communications 
  Tim Thompson                       0207 129 1474 
 

Chairman's statement

Ascent is in a period of refocusing its efforts to bring the Company back to positive production growth while also looking to diversify its asset base within Central and Eastern Europe. We are currently working on an updated plan to achieve that while continuing to progress the current efforts to improve production in our existing wells at the Petišovci gas field in Slovenia. The twelve months ahead brings a real opportunity for Ascent to capitalize on its existing production base and the wider opportunities within its material asset position in Slovenia, while pursuing further diversification that will now gain impetus following the recent appointment of John Buggenhagen as CEO who has extensive knowledge of, and contacts in the region, in order to generate significant shareholder value.

The period under review has created challenges for the Company. Whilst in April 2019 we received the IPPC permit needed to build a processing plant, in June 2019 we were informed that we would, in effect, not receive the permits needed to re-stimulate our existing producing wells. Without such permits, we will be unable to develop and deliver the full potential of the deeper tight gas reservoir potential within the Petišovci field. In conjunction with Geoenergo, our joint venture partner in Petišovci, we will be seeking full compensation for such actions through the Courts and otherwise.

Being unable to intervene in the tighter gas reservoirs has, however, led us to study other options for producing from the wider concession at Petišovci which would not involve hydraulic stimulation. During the period, we commissioned a report from the reprocessing of the data from a 3D seismic survey to establish what other conventional oil and gas reservoirs we could target within the large Petišovci license that covers 3,592 hectares and contains some 148 historical well site locations drilled since the 1940's. We have now received this report and our initial interpretation of it is highly encouraging and, over the next 6 weeks or so and together with our partner Geoenergo, we will be evaluating and prioritising potential shallow conventional oil and gas targets and associated well site locations.

As evidenced above, in spite of the challenges faced in Slovenia, the Board will continue to look for ways to capture the full value of its investment in the country.

Outside of Slovenia, we are currently evaluating several attractive opportunities in the wider geographical region which offer near-term production and material reserves. This work continues, led by John Buggenhagen, our recently appointed CEO, who has extensive knowledge of, and contacts in, Central and Eastern Europe.

In addition, we have undergone a cost reduction exercise in Slovenia and at the PLC level with headcount and the number of retained advisers reduced as far as practical.

In July, after the period end, we announced that Cameron Davies, our former Non-executive Chairman and Colin Hutchinson the former CEO were stepping down. I would like to thank both Cameron and Colin for their years of service to the Company. Under their stewardship the Company brought Petišovci into production, secured access to the export pipeline and negotiated a successful agreement with INA.

The need to mitigate the natural production decline from our two deep gas wells, coupled with the positive actions to diversify mentioned above, has resulted in us seeking investment and working capital. We have therefore announced today that we have secured an investment of up to approximately GBP0.9 million through RiverFort Global Opportunities. These funds will be used to implement our strategy to expand activities in Slovenia and into additional attractive projects in the region.

The recent past has been challenging; however, we have identified and are now implementing our revised strategy and we look forward to reporting on our initial progress in the coming months.

Louis Castro

Non-executive Chairman

19 September 2019

CEO's report

Financial performance

Revenue for the first six month of 2019 was GBP242,000, down from GBP1,281,000 in the prior period due to declining production volumes.

Closing cash at 30 June 2019 was GBP531,000 which included GBP174,000 of restricted cash that was held on deposit to cover the EUR200,000 bank guarantee which supports the INA Gas Sales Agreement. This restricted cash has been transferred back to the Company since the end of the period as the current production volumes do not necessitate such a guarantee.

During the period the Company raised GBP1,113,000 before costs in two equity placings in January and April 2019. There was a cash outflow from operations of GBP939,000 and an outflow of GBP132,000 from investment in future operations which resulted in a net cash outflow for the six months of GBP22,000.

Operational performance

 
 Production KPI's                  Jan-2019   Feb-2019   Mar-2019   Apr-2019   May-2019   Jun-2019 
--------------------------------  ---------  ---------  ---------  ---------  ---------  --------- 
 Total production (000s 
  Cubic Metres)                         413        311        334        296        292        250 
 Total production (MCF)              14,577     10,998     11,810     10,455     10,325      8,828 
 Average daily - 000s cubic 
  metres                               14.7       11.1       10.8        9.3        8.9        7.4 
 Average daily - MMscfd                 0.5        0.4        0.4        0.3        0.3        0.3 
 Condensate production (litres)      16,956     12,744     14,634     12,798     12,798     12,798 
 Litres per 1000 cubic metres 
  of gas                                 41         41         44         43         44         51 
 BOE - Gas                            2,513      1,896      2,036      1,803      1,780      1,522 
 BOE - Condensate                       107         80         92         80         80         80 
 
 Revenue EURk                          74.2       47.7       45.0       40.6       37.6       24.1 
 Average EUR per MCF                    5.1        4.3        3.8        3.9        3.6        2.7 
 

Total production for the six months to 30 June 2019 was 1.8 million cubic metres of gas and 0.3 million litres of condensate.

Outlook

I am excited to take over as CEO of the Company and begin to reinvent Ascent as a successful Central European E&P player focused on managing risk using technical expertise and financial discipline. There is a lot of opportunity in the region and we are evaluating several of these with a focus on diversifying the Company's assets through near term production growth. The recent past has been difficult for Ascent, waiting for permits from the Slovenian authorities to re-stimulate wells and grow production at the Petišovci gas field near Lendava in Slovenia ("Petišovci"). Meanwhile, production from the Pg-10 and Pg-11A wells continues to decline pending re-stimulation. The forward direction of the company is to offset decline with new reserves while continuing to work to capture the significant value at Petišovci.

The Company and its partner in Slovenia (the "Partners") continue to press forward with the ongoing permitting efforts, including the current appeals to the administrative court in Slovenia, to re-stimulate existing and new reservoir intervals in the Pg-10 and Pg-11A wells, to access the significant gas reserves at Petišovci. The Petišovci gas field has a multi-layered reservoir structure with hydrocarbon reservoirs in 15 identified gas bearing sands. Pg-10 currently produces from the 'F' sand and Pg-11A from the 'L, M and N' sands. Once these sands have depleted, the current well structure can be reused, and the wells recompleted targeting additional layers and re-stimulating existing layers.

In addition to local efforts to obtain the necessary permits, Ascent is working with its advisers to best plan a legal strategy to protect our investment and asset base given the recent decision by the Slovenian Environmental Agency to require an Environmental Impact Assessment for stimulation of the existing wells. The Company believes this decision is incorrect under the current laws of Slovenia and the EU.

It is important to keep in sight the significant value that exists at Petišovci, including the gathering and processing infrastructure, and the ability to immediately monetise that production through the current gas sales agreement with INA which we are hopeful can be extended with an increase in production in the future.

The issuance of the IPPC permit in June to construct a new Central Processing Plant ("CPP") next to the existing CPP is a step in the right direction. While there is capacity to increase production through the existing export facilities, with the levels of production projected in the future field development plan, it would be more economic to treat these through a modern upgraded facility adjacent to the field in Slovenia. This facility would allow Slovenian gas to be treated in Slovenia and sold to Slovenian customers, further capturing local value while adding to the country's energy base.

In the meantime, the Company needs to diversify its asset base both in Slovenia and the region, including taking advantage of the newly reprocessed Petišovci 3D seismic survey to appraise new conventional targets to bridge the gap and focus on increasing the Partners' reserve and production base.

We continue to search for new opportunities in the region that will take reliance away from Slovenia and diversify the opportunities for finding new reserves. We are working on several opportunities and will update shareholders as this process continues.

John E Buggenhagen

Chief Executive Officer

19 September 2019

Consolidated Income Statement

for the Period ended 30 June 2019

 
                                                   Period ended     Period ended 
                                                        30 June          30 June 
                                                           2019             2018 
                                                      GBP '000s        GBP '000s 
 
 Revenue                                                    242            1,281 
 Cost of sales                                            (187)            (404) 
                                                ---------------  --------------- 
 Gross profit                                                55              877 
 
 Administrative expenses                                  (821)            (888) 
 Depreciation                                             (222)            (599) 
                                                ---------------  --------------- 
 Loss from operating activities                           (988)            (610) 
 
 Finance income                                               -                5 
 Finance cost                                               (6)              (6) 
                                                ---------------  --------------- 
 Net finance costs                                          (6)              (1) 
 
 Loss before taxation                                     (994)            (611) 
 
 Income tax expense                                           -                - 
                                                ---------------  --------------- 
 Loss for the period after tax                            (994)            (611) 
 
 Loss for the year attributable to equity 
  shareholders                                            (994)            (611) 
 
 Loss per share 
 Basic & fully diluted loss per share (Pence)            (0.04)           (0.03) 
 

Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income

for the Period ended 30 June 2019

 
                                              Period ended   Period ended 
                                                   30 June        30 June 
                                                      2019           2018 
                                                 GBP '000s      GBP '000s 
 
 Loss for the year                                   (994)          (611) 
 
 Other comprehensive income 
 
 Foreign currency translation differences 
  for foreign operations                             (780)          (178) 
 
 Total comprehensive gain / (loss) for the 
  year                                             (1,774)          (789) 
 

Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity

for the Period ended 30 June 2019

 
                        Share          Share      Merger      Equity       Share   Translation    Retained       Total 
                      capital        premium     Reserve     reserve       based       reserve    earnings 
                                                                         payment 
                                                                         reserve 
                    GBP '000s      GBP '000s   GBP '000s   GBP '000s   GBP '000s     GBP '000s   GBP '000s   GBP '000s 
 Balance at 1 
  January 2018          6,101         71,647         300          16       1,569         1,090    (36,992)      43,731 
 Comprehensive                                                                                                       - 
 income 
 Loss for the 
  year                      -              -           -           -           -             -       (611)       (611) 
 Other 
 comprehensive 
 income 
 Currency 
  translation 
  differences               -              -           -           -           -         (178)           -       (178) 
 Total 
  comprehensive 
  income                    -              -           -           -           -         (178)       (611)       (789) 
 Transactions 
 with owners 
 Share-based 
  payments and 
  expiry of 
  options                   -              -           -           -         200             -           -         200 
 Balance at 30 
  June 2018             6,101         71,647         300          16       1,769           912    (37,603)      43,142 
---------------  ------------  -------------  ----------  ----------  ----------  ------------  ----------  ---------- 
 Balance at 1 
  January 2018          6,101         71,647         300          16       1,569         1,090    (36,992)      43,731 
 Comprehensive                                                                                                       - 
 income 
 Loss for the 
  year                      -              -           -           -           -             -     (1,365)     (1,365) 
 Other 
 comprehensive 
 income 
 Currency 
  translation 
  differences               -              -           -           -           -           310           -         310 
 Total 
  comprehensive 
  income                    -              -           -           -           -           310     (1,365)     (1,055) 
 Transactions 
 with owners 
 Conversion of 
  loan notes                -              1           -           -           -             -           -           1 
 Shares issued 
  under the 
  Trameta 
  acquisition              45              -         270           -       (315)             -           -           - 
 Share-based 
  payments and 
  expiry of 
  options                   -              -           -           -         403             -           -         403 
 Balance at 31 
  December 2018         6,146         71,648         570          16       1,657         1,400    (38,357)      43,080 
---------------  ------------  -------------  ----------  ----------  ----------  ------------  ----------  ---------- 
 Balance at 1 
  January 2019          6,146         71,648         570          16       1,657         1,400    (38,357)      43,080 
 Comprehensive                                                                                                       - 
 income 
 Loss for the 
  year                      -              -           -           -           -             -       (994)       (994) 
 Other 
 comprehensive 
 income 
 Currency 
  translation 
  differences               -              -           -           -           -         (780)           -       (780) 
 Total 
  comprehensive 
  income                    -              -           -           -           -         (780)       (994)     (1,774) 
 Transactions                                                                                                        - 
 with owners 
 Issue of 
  shares during 
  the 
  year net of 
  costs                   671            384           -           -           -             -           -       1,055 
 Share-based 
  payments and 
  expiry of 
  options                   -              -           -           -         168             -           -         168 
 Balance at 30 
  June 2019             6,817         72,032         570          16       1,825           620    (39,351)      42,529 
---------------  ------------  -------------  ----------  ----------  ----------  ------------  ----------  ---------- 
 

Consolidated Statement of Financial Position

As at 30 June 2019

 
                                                        30 June     31 December 
                                                           2019            2018 
 Assets                                               GBP '000s       GBP '000s 
 Non-current assets 
 Property, plant and equipment                           23,490          23,779 
 Exploration and evaluation costs                        18,844          18,968 
 Prepaid abandonment fund                                   240             240 
                                                 --------------  -------------- 
 Total non-current assets                                42,574          42,987 
 Current assets 
 Inventory                                                    3               3 
 Trade and other receivables                                110             233 
 Cash and cash equivalents                                  352             376 
 Restricted cash                                            179             180 
                                                 --------------  -------------- 
 Total current assets                                       644             792 
 Total assets                                            43,218          43,779 
                                                 ==============  ============== 
 
 Equity and liabilities 
 Attributable to the equity holders 
  of the Parent Company 
 Share capital                                            6,817           6,146 
 Share premium account                                   72,032          71,648 
 Merger reserve                                             570             570 
 Equity reserve                                              16              16 
 Share-based payment reserve                              1,825           1,657 
 Translation reserves                                       620           1,400 
 Retained earnings                                     (39,351)        (38,357) 
                                                 --------------  -------------- 
 Total equity attributable to the shareholders           42,529          43,080 
 Non-Controlling interest                                     -               - 
                                                 --------------  -------------- 
 Total equity                                            42,529          43,080 
                                                 --------------  -------------- 
 
 Non-current liabilities 
 Borrowings                                                  47              44 
 Provisions                                                 269             263 
 Total non-current liabilities                              316             307 
 Current liabilities 
 Trade and other payables                                   373             392 
 Total current liabilities                                  373             392 
 Total liabilities                                          689             699 
                                                 --------------  -------------- 
 Total equity and liabilities                            43,218          43,779 
                                                 ==============  ============== 
 

Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows

for the six months ended 30 June 2019

 
                                               Period ended    Period ended 
                                                    30 June         30 June 
                                                       2019            2018 
                                                  GBP '000s       GBP '000s 
 Cash flows from operations 
 Loss after tax for the year                          (994)           (611) 
 Depreciation                                           222             599 
 Change in inventory                                      -               - 
 Change in receivables                                  123             151 
 Change in payables                                    (19)           (147) 
 Increase in share-based payments                       168             200 
 Exchange differences                                 (445)            (58) 
 Finance income                                           -             (5) 
 Finance cost                                             6               6 
 Transfer to / from restricted cash                       -               - 
 Net cash generation from (used in) 
  operating activities                                (939)             135 
                                             --------------  -------------- 
 
 Cash flows from investing activities 
 Payments for fixed assets                                2           (407) 
 Payments for investing in exploration                (134)           (227) 
 Prepayment to the abandonment fund                       -               - 
 Net cash used in investing activities                (132)           (634) 
                                             --------------  -------------- 
 
 Cash flows from financing activities 
 Interest paid and other finance fees                   (6)               - 
 Proceeds from issue of shares                        1,113               - 
 Share issue costs                                     (58)               - 
 Net cash generated from financing                    1,049               - 
  activities 
                                             --------------  -------------- 
 
 Net increase in cash and cash equivalents 
  for the year                                         (22)           (499) 
 Effect of foreign exchange differences                 (3)               - 
 Cash and cash equivalents at beginning 
  of the year                                           556           1,076 
 Cash and cash equivalents at end of 
  the year                                              531             577 
                                             ==============  ============== 
 

Notes to the Interim Financial Statements

For the six months ended 30 June 2019

   1.    Accounting Policies 

Reporting entity

Ascent Resources plc ('the Company') is a company domiciled in England. The address of the Company's registered office is 5 New Street Square, London EC4A 3TW. The unaudited consolidated interim financial statements of the Company as at 30 June 2019 comprise the Company and its subsidiaries (together referred to as the 'Group').

Basis of preparation

The interim financial statements have been prepared using measurement and recognition criteria based on International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS and IFRIC interpretations) issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) as adopted for use in the EU. The interim financial information has been prepared using the accounting policies which will be applied in the Group's statutory financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2019 and were applied in the Group's statutory financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2018.

The Group has adopted the standards, amendments and interpretations effective for annual periods beginning on or after 1 January 2019. The adoption of these standards and amendments did not have a material effect on the financial statements of the Group.

The Company adopted IFRS 9 'Financial Instruments' and IFRS 15 'Revenue from Customers' in the six-month period, following the standards becoming effective for periods commencing on or after 1 January 2019.

IFRS 9 'Financial instruments' addresses the classification and measurement of financial assets and financial liabilities and replaces the guidance in IAS 39 that relates to the classification and measurement of financial instruments. IFRS 9 retains but simplifies the mixed measurement model and establishes three primary measurement categories for financial assets: amortised cost, fair value through other comprehensive income (OCI) and fair value through profit or loss. The basis of classification depends on the entity's business model and the contractual cash flow characteristics of the financial asset.

There is now a new expected credit loss model that replaces the incurred loss impairment model used in IAS 39. The Group has applied the modified retrospective approach to transition. The adoption of IFRS 9 did not result in any material change to the consolidated results of the Group. Following assessment of the consolidated financial assets no changes to classification of those financial assets was required. The Group has applied the expected credit loss impairment model to its financial assets.

IFRS 15 introduced a single framework for revenue recognition and clarify principles of revenue recognition. This standard modifies the determination of when to recognise revenue and how much revenue to recognise. The core principle is that an entity recognises revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods and services to the customer of an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The adoption of IFRS 15 did not result in any material change to the Group's revenue recognition following analysis of its contract.

All amounts have been prepared in British pounds, this being the Group's presentational currency.

The interim financial information for the six months to 30 June 2019 and 30 June 2018 is unaudited and does not constitute statutory financial information. The comparatives for the full year ended 31 December 2018 are not the Group's full statutory accounts for that year. The information given for the year ended 31 December 2018 does not constitute statutory financial statements as defined by Section 435 of the Companies Act. The statutory accounts for the year ended 31 December 2018 have been filed with the Registrar and are available on the Company's web site www.ascentresources.co.uk. The auditors' report on those accounts was unqualified. It did not contain a statement under Section 498(2)-(3) of the Companies Act 2006.

Going Concern

The Financial Statements of the Group are prepared on a going concern basis.

Production from Pg-10 and Pg-11A has declined and anticipated production revenue is not expected to cover anticipated costs until the Company has the funding and the permits required for further well re-entries.

On 19 September 2019, the Company completed a GBP0.9million subscription with Riverfort Global Opportunities PCC Limited which will provide funds for working capital and project costs, however the Company may require further funding to cover further development in Slovenia and future expansion within the region over the next twelve months.

The Directors have a range of different options including, but not limited to new borrowings, corporate transaction or new equity placings.

However, there can be no guarantee over the outcome of these options and as a consequence there is a material uncertainty of the Group's ability to raise the necessary finance, which may cast doubt on the Group's ability to operate as a going concern. Further, the Group may be unable to realise its assets and discharge its liabilities in the normal course of business.

Principal Risks and Uncertainties:

The principal risks and uncertainties affecting the business activities of the Group remain those detailed on pages 46-48 of the Annual Review 2018, a copy of which is available on the Company's website at www.ascentresources.co.uk.

   2.    Operating loss is stated after charging 
 
                                          Period ended   Period ended 
                                               30 June        30 June 
                                                  2019           2018 
                                             GBP '000s      GBP '000s 
 Employee costs                                    390            368 
 Share based payment charge                        168            200 
 
 
 Included within Admin Expenses 
 Audit Fees                                         35             32 
 Fees payable to the company's auditor               -              - 
  other services 
                                         -------------  ------------- 
                                                    35             31 
 
   3.    Finance income and costs recognised in loss 
 
                                         Period ended   Period ended 
                                              30 June        30 June 
                                                 2019           2018 
                                            GBP '000s      GBP '000s 
 Finance income 
 Foreign exchange movements realised                -              5 
                                                    -              5 
                                        =============  ============= 
 Finance cost 
 Accretion charge on convertible loan 
  notes                                           (3)            (5) 
 Bank Charges                                     (3)            (1) 
                                                  (6)            (6) 
                                        =============  ============= 
 
   4.    Loss per share 
 
                                              Period ended      Period ended 
                                                   30 June           30 June 
                                                      2019              2018 
                                                 GBP '000s         GBP '000s 
 Result for the period 
 Total loss for the year attributable 
  to equity shareholders                               994               611 
 
 Weighted average number of ordinary                Number            Number 
  shares 
 For basic earnings per share                2,470,032,012     2,268,750,320 
 
 Loss per share (Pence)                             (0.04)            (0.03) 
 
   5.    Property, plant & equipment and Exploration and Evaluation assets 
 
                                        Computer    Developed   Total Property     Exploration 
                                       Equipment    Oil & Gas          Plant &    & evaluation 
                                                       Assets        Equipment 
 Cost                                    GBP000s      GBP000s          GBP000s         GBP000s 
 At 1 January 2018                             6       24,135           24,141          18,587 
 Additions                                     -          407              407             227 
 Effect of exchange rate movements             -        (105)            (105)               5 
 At 30 June 2018                               6       24,437           24,443          18,819 
                                     -----------  -----------  ---------------  -------------- 
 At 1 January 2018                             6       24,135           24,141          18,587 
 Additions                                     -          411              411             319 
 Effect of exchange rate movements             -          262              262              62 
 At 31 December 2018                           6       24,808           24,814          18,968 
                                     -----------  -----------  ---------------  -------------- 
 At 1 January 2019                             6       24,808           24,814          18,968 
 Additions                                     -            3                3             134 
 Effect of exchange rate movements             -         (73)             (73)           (258) 
 At 30 June 2019                               6       24,738           24,744          18,844 
                                     -----------  -----------  ---------------  -------------- 
 
 
 Depreciation 
 At 1 January 2018                             -        (239)            (239)               - 
 Charge for the year                         (3)        (596)            (599)               - 
 Effect of exchange rate movements           (1)            1                -               - 
 At 30 June 2018                             (4)        (834)            (838)               - 
                                     -----------  -----------  ---------------  -------------- 
 At 1 January 2018                             -        (239)            (239)               - 
 Charge for the year                         (2)        (791)            (793)               - 
 Effect of exchange rate movements             -          (3)              (3)               - 
 At 31 December 2018                         (2)      (1,033)          (1,035)               - 
                                     -----------  -----------  ---------------  -------------- 
 At 1 January 2019                           (2)      (1,033)          (1,035)               - 
 Charge for the year                         (2)        (220)            (222)               - 
 Effect of exchange rate movements             -            3                3               - 
 At 30 June 2019                             (4)      (1,250)          (1,254)               - 
                                     -----------  -----------  ---------------  -------------- 
 
 Carrying value 
 At 30 June 2019                               2       23,488           23,490          18,844 
                                     -----------  -----------  ---------------  -------------- 
 At 31 December 2018                           4       23,775           23,779          18,968 
                                     -----------  -----------  ---------------  -------------- 
 At 30 June 2018                               2       23,603           23,605          18,819 
                                     -----------  -----------  ---------------  -------------- 
 
   6.    Trade & other receivables 
 
                                    30 June   30 December 
                                       2019          2018 
                                  GBP '000s     GBP '000s 
 Trade receivables                       67           198 
 VAT recoverable                         37            29 
 Prepaid abandonment liability          240           240 
 Prepayments & accrued income             6             6 
                                        350           473 
                                 ==========  ============ 
 Less non-current portion             (240)         (240) 
                                 ----------  ------------ 
 Current portion                        110           233 
 
   7.    Trade & other payables 
 
                                      30 June   30 December 
                                         2019          2018 
                                    GBP '000s     GBP '000s 
 Trade payables                           251           282 
 Tax and social security payable           36            15 
 Other payables                            18            29 
 Accruals and deferred income              68            66 
                                          373           392 
                                   ==========  ============ 
 
   8.    Borrowings 
 
                                         30 June   30 December 
                                            2019          2018 
 Group                                 GBP '000s     GBP '000s 
 Non-current 
 Convertible loan notes                       47            44 
                                              47            44 
                                      ----------  ------------ 
 
                                         30 June   30 December 
 Convertible Loan Note                      2019          2018 
                                       GBP '000s     GBP '000s 
 
 Liability brought forward                    44            36 
 Interest expense                              3             8 
 Liability at the end of the period           47            44 
                                      ----------  ------------ 
 
   9.    Share Capital 
 
                                                   30 June     30 December 
                                                      2019            2018 
                                                 GBP '000s       GBP '000s 
 Authorised 
 10,000,000,000 ordinary shares of 0.20p 
  each                                              20,000          20,000 
 
 Allotted, called up and fully paid 
 2,626,648,452 (2018: 2,291,310,686) 
  ordinary shares of 0.20pence each                  6,817           6,101 
 
 Reconciliation of share capital movement           Number          Number 
 Opening                                     2,291,310,686   2,268,750,320 
 Loan note conversions                                   -          60,366 
 Issue of Trameta consideration shares                   -      22,500,000 
 Placings                                      335,337,766               - 
 Closing                                     2,626,648,452   2,291,310,686 
                                            ==============  ============== 
 

10. Events after the reporting period

On 29 July 2019 the Company announced that Dr John Buggenhagen had been appointed as CEO and Louis Castro as Non-Executive Chairman. Colin Hutchinson informed the Board of his decision to step down as a director of the Company in order to pursue other business interests while continuing to support the Board on a part-time basis as Finance Director until suitable alternative arrangements have been made. Dr Cameron Davies informed the Board of his decision to retire as Chairman with immediate effect.

On 19 September 2019 the Company entered into a subscription agreement for GBP1,080,750 before costs, with Riverfort Global Opportunities PCC Limited ("The Investor"), through a subscription for 393,000,000 shares at 0.275 pence per ordinary share ("The Subscription"), a premium of 10% to the closing bid price on 19 September 2019. The Company entered into three agreements with the Investor, being the Subscription, an equity sharing agreement and a loan agreement such that it will receive GBP420,000 on closing and the balance will be received over the next twelve months. The amount ultimately received by the Company will be related to share price performance so that the Company will receive more should the share price improve but will receive less should the share price not increase. As part of the arrangements, the Company will also issue 43,000,000 Warrants, following approval from shareholders. The exercise price of the warrants will be the lower of 120 percent of the share price on the closing date or the price of any subsequent equity issue in the 18-month period post-closing.

This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact rns@lseg.com or visit www.rns.com.

END

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September 20, 2019 02:01 ET (06:01 GMT)

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