goldfinger
- 27 May 2004 10:47
Yes an engineer but lets call it a TECH Engineer. Compressed air technology is its main business, develops industrial air compressors and Gas seals and whats more it provides them for the OIL and GAS industry.
Very close to commercialisation now with its compressors and seals and todays deal ( see below ) should bring that very close.
Charges upfront payments, continuing royalties and development contracts so revenues are not lumpy.
It as a market cap circa off the top of my head 20 million(hope my calculator is now working) and as circa of 5 million cash on the books, very nice.
Some very big names as customers.
Heres todays announcement...........
Corac Group Plc
26 May 2004
For Immediate Release 26 May 2004
Corac Group plc ('Corac')
Joint Industry Programme for Downhole Gas Compression
Corac, the intellectual property and licensing company specialising in
compressor technology, is pleased to announce the signature today of a Joint
Industry Programme ('JIP') for the development of its unique, patented downhole
gas compression technology.
Following the recent successful completion of a Shell funded feasibility study
which evaluated both the technical and economic viability of the technology,
considerable industry interest has been generated, culminating in the addition
of a further four major international oil and gas operators to the project.
The participants of the JIP comprise ConocoPhillips, ENI, Husky Energy,
Repsol-YPF as well as Shell, all of whom have gas assets worldwide which they
believe could benefit from this game changing technology. As well as covering
the development costs for the next phase, the participants will also make
substantial resource available to ensure the final product specification meets
the requirements of the industry.
Corac's downhole gas compression concept involves the coupling together of a
number of axial compressor modules in a single compression train for
installation in the well bore in close proximity to a gas reservoir. In this
location, a modest uplift in pressure results in a very significant increase in
gas production compared with conventional methods using surface compression,
thereby accelerating gas production and cash flow from a producing asset.
Potential production rate enhancement of up to 40% has been demonstrated through
the application of downhole gas compression during a number of gas field case
studies carried out over recent months.
Placing the compressor downhole could also have the effect of being able to
lower the reservoir abandonment pressure which in turn would materially increase
the ultimate recovery from a gas field, thereby further enhancing the economic
benefit from the installation of this novel application of existing technology.
Phase 1 of the JIP is scheduled for completion by the end of 2004, with further
engineering and development work leading to the manufacture and testing of a
prototype downhole in a producing gas well within the following two years.
Commenting on the JIP, Professor Gerry Musgrave, Chairman, said:
'The support from such eminent oil and gas companies vindicates Corac's
development to date of the downhole gas compression project and gives the Group
another product line to bring to the market using its core technologies. It is
the start of a major business development opportunity which is expected to have
significant international ramifications throughout the upstream natural gas
industry.'ENDS.
Although loss making at the moment it shouldnt be very long before this one turns the corner.
Outlook
The Company has a loyal, talented workforce dedicated to the innovation and
exploitation of the technology. Successful trials have demonstrated the
commercial performance in Corac's industrial air compressor and its seals. The
Board is striving to deliver the right manufacturing and sales licences which
will yield the best returns in the long term.
We are confident that a number of deals, which have been subject to recent
intensive negotiation, will be successfully concluded in the near term.
Short to medium term investment, and anyone interested should DYOR and please remember you are responsible for the timing of your buying and selling actions.
cheers GF.
BigTed
- 19 Feb 2008 18:11
- 323 of 743
Yeh but these opertunities dont come along every two seconds, i'm far from naive, but if they dont hit too many snags and the compressors work, make no mistake this share hasthe potential to be 5 within a couple years... I would hate them to be snapped up by a major for a 1 or so...
cynic
- 20 Feb 2008 08:08
- 324 of 743
bird in the hand etc etc ...... could carry on about what an owner fondly imagines his company his worth and the cold reality
notlob
- 20 Feb 2008 09:02
- 325 of 743
I think it is highly unlikely that CRA would get taken out for a 1, which although I would not be crying, would greatly undervalue the business.
Reason being any bid is likely to come once the initial DGC field units have been deployed and shown to be giving the expected gas lift that is predicted.
At that point, the share price of Corac should be very much higher than now, I would have thought in the range of 1.50 to 2, therefore any bid would have to be pitched at 2.50 or more.
notlob
- 20 Feb 2008 09:41
- 326 of 743
small bit in the FT:
Corac prepares for field trials
By David Blackwell
Published: February 20 2008 02:00 | Last updated: February 20 2008 02:00
Corac is to start field trials of its downhole gas compressors in Argentina and Italy later this year. The company - which has been developing the compressors in conjunction with partners including Conoco Phillips, Eni and Repsol - successfully demonstrated the equipment on its Cumbrian test rig in the final quarter of last year. Gerry Musgrave, executive chairman, said its partners had been confident to ask for 4m to go ahead with the field trials, which are expected to begin in the final quarter of this year. The producers expect to prolong the life of gas fields by up to five years by using the compressors, which will sell for about 1m per well.
In the six months to December Corac's pre-tax loss increased from 2.2m to 2.3m. Total revenues eased from 1.6m to 1.4m. The loss per share increased from 1.8p to 2.3p, mainly because in the 2006-07 first half the company was able to reclaim 400,000 of tax credits from previous years.
The shares - priced at 42p for an institutional placing that raised 4.6m in December - closed up p at 67p. David Blackwell
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2008
cynic
- 20 Feb 2008 09:49
- 327 of 743
can't argue with you Mr B .... almost a first - lol!
notlob
- 20 Feb 2008 10:13
- 328 of 743
:-)))
2517GEORGE
- 20 Feb 2008 11:39
- 329 of 743
Go on you know you want to ha!ha! CRA doing fine this morning, a couple of sizable buys earlier.
2517
goldfinger
- 20 Feb 2008 11:49
- 330 of 743
Going great guns. Chart looks fine aswell.
notlob
- 28 Feb 2008 12:19
- 331 of 743
decent volume so far today, looks set to move >80p.
2517GEORGE
- 28 Feb 2008 15:00
- 332 of 743
1.5 million @ 81p.
2517
moneyplus
- 28 Feb 2008 17:11
- 333 of 743
wow!! looking very confident---news soon do you think?
notlob
- 29 Feb 2008 09:31
- 335 of 743
been undervalued for years, so re-rating long over-due
one piece of news + we will be>1, no problems.
market cap is still very low for what CRA have got.
cynic
- 29 Feb 2008 09:36
- 336 of 743
would not disagree except markets are generally pretty downbeat and surely CRA is still at least several months before being able to announce anything ..... is that not correct?
notlob
- 29 Feb 2008 09:49
- 337 of 743
cynic, it is quite possible (but not certain!) that Corac could announce the first actual orders for DGC, the order(s) being placed by one or two of the JIP partners.
This would signal very strong confidence in the project and leave no doubt as to how the JIP partners view the project.
This could well happen in the next month or so.
If that were to be the case, I would expect a very strong re-rating from CRA, certainly something over 1, imo.
There are also other items of news that could have a beneficial effect, for example, if another major JIP partner came on board. That possibility has been strongly mooted in the recent brokers note but, to be fair, it has been mooted for several years!
So, I think the first mentioned item, DGC orders, stands a decent chance of happening in the near term.
halifax
- 29 Feb 2008 10:02
- 338 of 743
notlob so you think orders will be placed before the next field trials commence?
notlob
- 29 Feb 2008 10:10
- 339 of 743
halifax
there is a lead time to build the DGC units, so with initial field deployment due to start late this year, I would expect initial DGC order(s) to be placed in the relatively near term.
Orders must be placed before live deployment, it can't happen any other way!
cynic
- 29 Feb 2008 10:14
- 340 of 743
sounds reasonable logic to me, even if things rarely work out as expected - lol
halifax
- 29 Feb 2008 10:14
- 341 of 743
notlob so you are suggesting the results of the next field trial are a foregone conclusion?
notlob
- 29 Feb 2008 12:13
- 342 of 743
halifax
let me try to explain the situation
currently, and for over the last year, the full size prototype dgc modules have been under flow loop testing in Cumbria, simulating as near as possible live condidtions. The JIP partners last october expressed their satisfaction with the testing process.
The recent annual results said that :
'We are heavily engaged with two of our JIP partners in planning the field trials
that will take place in Argentina and Italy later this year. Both partners are
spending considerable resource in building up their teams and performing
analysis with us to ensure the right specification for deployment in these wells
and they have also sought to ensure that they have the appropriate budgets to
acquire the machines and deploy them. As the units will be operating in
producing wells, our partners have to be confident as installation will
initially interrupt the gas flow. When the units are deployed in a gas well, it
is expected that the artificial lift of gas could improve flow rates by 30% to
40%.'
Therefore I expect to hear orders for DGC units in the not too distant future.
I'm not sure when you say 'results of the next field trial are a foregone conclusion'
Currently there is the flow loop testing being carried out in Cumbria, on which the JIP members have already publicly given the thumBs up to and stated they are now moving onto the next stage, ie field deployment.