ADVERTISEMENT

Commodities

New Fortress Energy Taps Lazard, Intrepid to Explore Asset Sales

The Lazard logo on a smartphone arranged in the Brooklyn borough of New York, US, on Friday, April 28, 2023. Lazard Ltd. posted a surprise loss for the first quarter and said it plans to reduce its workforce by 10% this year, predicting the industrys dealmaking slump will last through 2023. Photographer: Gabby Jones/Bloomberg (Gabby Jones/Bloomberg)

(Bloomberg) -- Billionaire investor Wes Edens’ New Fortress Energy Inc. has hired Lazard Inc. and Intrepid Financial Partners LLC to explore possible assets sales, according to people familiar with the matter, as the company works to get its finances in order.

One or more of the company’s liquefied natural gas assets could be divested, said the people, who requested anonymity because the details aren’t public.

New Fortress and Lazard declined to comment. Intrepid didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

New Fortress has struggled with looming debt and project delays that have stalled significant cash flow. Its long-term debt has ballooned to about $8 billion, more than triple its market cap. 

The company said in early November that it was seeking partnerships for its businesses, which include producing LNG off the Gulf of Mexico, and operating import terminals in Mexico, Jamaica, Puerto Rico and Brazil. The company also is constructing a terminal in Nicaragua. 

The company disclosed in a regulatory filing last week that its ability to continue as a going concern would be in jeopardy if it’s unable to refinance some of its debts.

©2024 Bloomberg L.P.