Mon, 10/31/2016 - 07:56

BOSTON & HOUSTON (Oct. 31, 2016)—GE and Baker Hughes announced that the companies have entered into an agreement to combine GE Oil & Gas and Baker Hughes to create an oil field technology provider with a unique mix of service and equipment capabilities, according to a statement from the companies. The "New" Baker Hughes will be an equipment, technology and services provider in the oil and gas industry with $32 billion of combined revenue and operations in more than 120 countries. By drawing from GE technology expertise and Baker Hughes capabilities in oil field services, the new company will provide physical and digital technology solutions for customer productivity. Under the terms of the agreement, which has been unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both companies, at the closing of the transaction Baker Hughes shareholders will receive a special one-time cash dividend of $17.50 per share and 37.5 percent of the new company, according to the statement. GE will own 62.5 percent of the company. The transaction is expected to close in mid-2017. "This transaction creates an industry leader, one that is ideally positioned to grow in any market. Oil and gas customers demand more productive solutions. This can only be achieved through technical innovation and service execution, the hallmarks of GE and Baker Hughes," said Jeff Immelt, chairman and chief executive officer of GE. "As we built the GE Oil & Gas business, I have always been impressed by the respect our customers have for Baker Hughes," Immelt said. "GE Oil & Gas is a key GE business, one that fully leverages the GE Store. As we go forward, this transaction accelerates our capability to extend the digital framework to the oil and gas industry. An oil field service platform is essential to deliver digitally enabled offerings to our customers. We expect Predix to become an industry standard and synonymous with improved customer outcomes. GE investors will benefit through ownership of a stronger business with substantial synergies and an improved competitive position. The transaction is expected to add approximately $0.04 to GE EPS in 2018, $0.08 by 2020." Martin Craighead, chairman and chief executive officer at Baker Hughes said, "This compelling combination brings together best-in-class oil field equipment manufacturing and services, and digital technology offerings for the benefit of all customers and stakeholders. The combination of our complementary assets will create a platform capable of seamless integration while we enhance our ability to deliver optimized and integrated solutions and increase touch points with our customers." He added, "In addition, Baker Hughes shareholders will receive a special one-time cash dividend of $17.50 per share and benefit from the upside of a stronger, larger business. With employees of Baker Hughes and GE Oil & Gas coming together, the new company will be an industry leader, well-positioned to compete in the oil and gas industry while pushing the boundaries of innovation for our customers." Lorenzo Simonelli, who is currently president and CEO of GE Oil & Gas said, "This transformative transaction will create a powerful force in the oil and gas market as we continue to drive long-term value for our customers and shareholders. This transaction is also exciting for employees of both companies. GE Oil & Gas and Baker Hughes are an exceptional cultural fit, sharing a commitment to exceeding customer expectations. Both companies' employees will benefit significantly from being part of a larger, stronger company that is positioned for long-term growth. We look forward to combining the digital solutions and technology from the GE Store with the domain expertise of Baker Hughes and its culture of innovation in the oilfield services sector."