Filed by Noble Energy, Inc.
pursuant to Rule 425 of the Securities Act of 1933
and deemed filed pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Subject Company: Noble Energy, Inc.
(Commission File No.: 001-07964)
NEWS RELEASE |
NOBLE ENERGY ANNOUNCES OCTOBER 2, 2020 SPECIAL MEETING TO APPROVE MERGER WITH CHEVRON
Transaction Receives Early HSR Termination; On Track to Close Early in the Fourth Quarter of 2020
HOUSTON (August 24, 2020) Noble Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ: NBL) (Noble Energy or the Company) today announced that the Special Meeting of Shareholders (the Special Meeting) to approve the pending combination with Chevron Corporation (NYSE: CVX) is scheduled to take place on Friday, October 2, 2020 at 10:00 am Central time. The Record Date for Noble Energy shareholders entitled to vote at the Special Meeting is the close of business on Friday, August 21, 2020.
Noble Energy expects to file its definitive proxy statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and begin mailing the definitive proxy statement to the Companys shareholders later this week. The definitive proxy statement will be available on the Investor Relations section of Noble Energys website, as well as www.sec.gov.
As announced on July 20, 2020, Noble Energy entered into a definitive agreement with Chevron, under which Chevron will acquire all of the outstanding shares of Noble Energy in an all-stock transaction at an enterprise value of $13 billion. Under the terms of the agreement, the Companys shareholders will receive 0.1191 shares of Chevron for each share of Noble Energy. The Board of Directors of Noble Energy unanimously recommend that shareholders vote FOR the merger proposal.
Noble Energy shareholders are encouraged to read the definitive proxy materials, when they become available, including among other things, the reasons for the Boards unanimous recommendation that shareholders vote FOR the transaction and the background of the thorough process that led to the transaction with Chevron. Noble Energy shareholders who need assistance in completing the proxy card, need additional copies of the proxy materials, or have questions regarding the Special Meeting may contact the Companys proxy solicitor, MacKenzie Partners, by phone at (212) 929-5500 or (800) 322-2885, or by email at [email protected].
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission granted early termination of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 on Thursday, August 20, 2020. Noble Energy and Chevron expect to close the transaction early in the fourth quarter following Noble Energy shareholder approval.
J.P. Morgan Securities LLC is acting as financial advisor to Noble Energy and Vinson & Elkins LLP is acting as its legal advisor.
Noble Energy (NASDAQ: NBL) is an independent oil and natural gas exploration and production company committed to meeting the worlds growing energy needs and delivering leading returns to shareholders. The Company operates a high-quality portfolio of assets onshore in the United States and offshore in the Eastern Mediterranean and off the west coast of Africa. Founded more than 85 years ago, Noble Energy is guided by its values, its commitment to safety, and respect for stakeholders, communities and the environment. For more information on how the Company fulfills its purpose: Energizing the World, Bettering Peoples Lives®, visit https://www.nblenergy.com.
Access Noble Energys 2019 Sustainability Report for more information about how the Company is continuously improving its social, environmental and governance performance around the world.
Investor Contact
Brad Whitmarsh
(281) 943-1670
Daniel Burch
(212) 929-5748
Laurie Connell
(202)591-5233
Media Contact
Trudi Boyd
(281) 569-8009
Important Additional Information
This communication does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or a solicitation of any vote or approval, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. In connection with the potential transaction, Chevron filed a registration statement on Form S-4 with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) containing a preliminary prospectus of Chevron that also constitutes a preliminary proxy statement of Noble Energy. After the registration statement is declared effective, Noble Energy will mail a definitive proxy statement/prospectus to stockholders of Noble Energy. This communication is not a substitute for the proxy statement/prospectus or registration statement or for any other document that Chevron or Noble Energy may file with the SEC and send to Noble Energys
stockholders in connection with the potential transaction. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS OF CHEVRON AND NOBLE ENERGY ARE URGED TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS AND OTHER DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. Investors and security holders are able to obtain free copies of the proxy statement/prospectus and other documents filed with the SEC by Chevron or Noble Energy through the website maintained by the SEC at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of the documents filed with the SEC by Chevron are available free of charge on Chevrons website at http://www.chevron.com/investors and copies of the documents filed with the SEC by Noble Energy are available free of charge on Noble Energys website at http://investors.nblenergy.com.
Chevron and Noble Energy and certain of their respective directors, certain of their respective executive officers and other members of management and employees may be considered participants in the solicitation of proxies with respect to the potential transaction under the rules of the SEC. Information about the directors and executive officers of Chevron is set forth in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, which was filed with the SEC on February 21, 2020, and its proxy statement for its 2020 annual meeting of stockholders, which was filed with the SEC on April 7, 2020. Information about the directors and executive officers of Noble Energy is set forth in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, which was filed with the SEC on February 12, 2020, and its proxy statement for its 2020 annual meeting of stockholders, which was filed with the SEC on March 10, 2020. These documents can be obtained free of charge from the sources indicated above. Additional information regarding the interests of such participants in the solicitation of proxies in respect of the potential transaction are included in the registration statement and proxy statement/prospectus and other relevant materials to be filed with the SEC when they become available.
Forward-Looking Statements and Cautionary Statements
This communication contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements generally include statements regarding the potential transaction between Chevron and Noble Energy, including any statements regarding the expected timetable for completing the potential transaction, the ability to complete the potential transaction, the expected benefits of the potential transaction (including anticipated annual run-rate operating and other cost synergies and anticipated accretion to return on capital employed, free cash flow, and earnings per share), projected financial information, future opportunities, and any other statements regarding Chevrons and Noble Energys future expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows, or future events or performance. These statements are often, but not always, made through the use of words or phrases such as anticipates, expects, intends, plans, targets, forecasts, projects, believes, seeks, schedules, estimates, positions, pursues, may, could, should, will, budgets, outlook, trends, guidance, focus, on schedule, on track, is slated, goals, objectives, strategies, opportunities, poised, potential and similar expressions. All such forward-looking statements are based on current expectations of Chevrons and Noble Energys management and therefore involve estimates and assumptions that are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results expressed in the statements. Key factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements include the ability to obtain the requisite Noble Energy stockholder approval; uncertainties as to the timing to consummate the potential transaction; the risk that a condition to closing the potential transaction may not be satisfied; the risk that regulatory approvals are not obtained or are obtained subject to conditions that are not anticipated by the parties; the effects of disruption to Chevrons or Noble Energys respective businesses; the effect of this communication on Chevrons or Noble Energys stock prices; the effects of industry, market, economic, political or regulatory conditions outside of Chevrons or Noble Energys control; transaction costs; Chevrons ability to achieve the benefits from the proposed transaction, including the anticipated annual run-rate operating and other cost synergies and accretion to return on capital employed, free cash flow, and earnings per share; Chevrons ability to promptly, efficiently and effectively integrate acquired operations into its own operations; unknown liabilities; and the diversion of management time on transaction-related issues. Other important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements are: changing crude oil and natural gas prices and demand for Chevrons or Noble Energys products, and production curtailments due to market conditions; crude oil production quotas or other actions that might be imposed by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and other producing countries; public health crises, such as pandemics (including coronavirus (COVID-19)) and epidemics, and any related government policies and actions; changing economic, regulatory and political
environments in the various countries in which the parties operate; general domestic and international economic and political conditions; changing refining, marketing and chemicals margins; Chevrons ability to realize anticipated cost savings, expenditure reductions and efficiencies associated with enterprise transformation initiatives; actions of competitors or regulators; timing of exploration expenses; timing of crude oil liftings; the competitiveness of alternate-energy sources or product substitutes; technological developments; the results of operations and financial condition of the parties suppliers, vendors, partners and equity affiliates, particularly during extended periods of low prices for crude oil and natural gas during the COVID-19 pandemic; the inability or failure of joint-venture partners to fund their share of operations and development activities; the potential failure to achieve expected net production from existing and future crude oil and natural gas development projects; potential delays in the development, construction or start-up of planned projects; the potential disruption or interruption of operations due to war, accidents, political events, civil unrest, severe weather, cyber threats, terrorist acts, or other natural or human causes beyond Chevrons control; the potential liability for remedial actions or assessments under existing or future environmental regulations and litigation; significant operational, investment or product changes required by existing or future environmental statutes and regulations, including international agreements and national or regional legislation and regulatory measures to limit or reduce greenhouse gas emissions; the potential liability resulting from pending or future litigation; Chevrons future acquisitions or dispositions of assets or shares or the delay or failure of such transactions to close based on required closing conditions; the potential for gains and losses from asset dispositions or impairments; government-mandated sales, divestitures, recapitalizations, industry-specific taxes, tariffs, sanctions, changes in fiscal terms or restrictions on scope of operations; foreign currency movements compared with the U.S. dollar; material reductions in corporate liquidity and access to debt markets; the receipt of required Board authorizations to pay future dividends; the effects of changed accounting rules under generally accepted accounting principles promulgated by rule-setting bodies; and Chevrons ability to identify and mitigate the risks and hazards inherent in operating in the global energy industry. Other unpredictable or unknown factors not discussed in this communication could also have material adverse effects on forward-looking statements. Noble Energy assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, except as required by law. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements that speak only as of the date hereof. Additional factors that could cause results to differ materially from those described above can be found in Noble Energys most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, as it may be updated from time to time by quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K, all of which are available on the Noble Energys website at http://investors.nblenergy.com/financial-information/sec-filings and on the SECs website at http://www.sec.gov, and in Chevrons most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, as it may be updated from time to time by quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K, all of which are available on Chevrons website at https://chevroncorp.gcs-web.com/financial-information/sec-filings and on the SECs website at http://www.sec.gov.