Fri 21 May 2010, 17:42 GMT

Andatee acquires majority stake in tank storage firm


Bunker supplier in agreement to acquire a 52 percent stake in Shandong-based company.



Andatee China Marine Fuel Services Corporation, the largest independent operator engaged in the production, storage, distribution, wholesale purchase and sale of blended marine fuel oil for cargo and fishing vessels in Northern China, has today announced that it has signed an equity transfer agreement under which Andatee is to acquire 52% equity of Mashan Xingyuan Co. Ltd., a company located in Rongcheng City, Shandong Province.

Under the terms of the agreement, Andatee will acquire 52% of Mashan Xingyuan for a cash payment of RMB 3.64 million (approximately US$ 0.54 million) and will assume RMB 0.54 million (approximately US$ 0.08 million) of the company's debt.

In exchange, Andatee will gain control of Mashan Xingyuan's assets, which include three 1,000 cubic meter storage tanks, three 500 cubic meter storage tanks, equipment and facilities, as well as 3,600 square meters of land use rights.

Mashan Xingyuan was founded in Rongcheng, Shandong province, and is an important blended marine fuel retail outlet in the region. Andatee's sales in Shandong were 3,000 tons of marine fuel in 2009.

The company estimates that the Mashan Xingyuan facility will provide it with an opportunity to achieve annual sales of 12,000-15,000 tonnes of marine blended oil within 12 to 18 months of completing the acquisition.

"The acquisition of Mashan Xingyuan will advance our strategy to leverage our management expertise, brand name recognition and access to capital to expand our distribution network in key fishing and small cargo vessel ports in China," said An Fengbin, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Andatee.

"We look forward to working with the Mashan Xingyuan team to ensure a rapid and seamless integration, as we continue to execute on our vision of becoming a leading one-stop marine services depot in China."

In addition, Mashan Xingyuan has committed to purchasing 9,000 tons of marine blended fuel from Andatee at the wholesale price. The 9,000 tonnes will, in turn, be sold to retail customers, whereby the company will receive an additional 52% of the profit as a result of the transaction.

Andatee says it expects Mashan Xingyuan to contribute an annual revenue of RMB 40 million (approximately US$5.9 million) and a net profit of RMB2.1 million (approximately US$ 0.31 million).

The acquisition, which is subject to customary closing conditions, is expected to be completed within the next 3 days.

Deal   China 

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