Aegean Acquires Hess Corp.'s East Coast Bunkering Business

Aegean Marine Petroleum Network Inc. announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire the U.S. East Coast bunkering business of Hess Corporation. This transaction, for a purchase price of $30 million, plus an amount to be paid for inventory, is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to be completed during the fourth quarter of 2013.

Seward & Kissel LLP served as lead counsel to Aegean Marine Petroleum Network Inc. in its acquisition. The Seward & Kissel team representing Aegean was led by partners Gary Wolfe, Jim Abbott, Jim Cofer and counsel Arthur Kozyra and Nick Katsanos.  

Hess Corporation is currently the leading marketer of marine fuels along the U.S. East Coast. The Hess bunkering operation and associated assets supply the heavily trafficked ports of New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Norfolk and Charleston, and include approximately 250,000 cubic meters of leased tank storage. Over the last three years, these bunkering operations averaged 1.8 million metric tons in annual sales.

This transaction not only marks Aegean's entry into supplying customers in the U.S. but also enables Aegean to meaningfully expand its global full-service marine fuel platform and increase its exposure to U.S. clients worldwide, including leading cruise lines.

E. Nikolas Tavlarios, President of Aegean Marine Petroleum Network, commented, "We are pleased to further diversify our geographic mix by capitalizing on this attractive, accretive opportunity for U.S. East Coast expansion. Hess Corporation has built a tremendous network and we are excited to apply our expertise and capabilities to these established operations. This transaction will require minimal start-up costs and is fully-aligned with our objective of strategically expanding our global presence while leveraging our existing infrastructure to increase revenues. We are confident that these operations will strengthen our business portfolio, bolster our customer reach, and create meaningful value for our shareholders."

Spyros Gianniotis, Chief Financial Officer of Aegean, said, "We are capitalizing on attractive growth opportunities to strengthen our position as the premier independent, physical supplier of marine fuel globally. These operations will provide the foundation to further expand our operations."