Author: Fiona Craig

Ithaca Energy (LSE:ITH) has agreed to acquire a portfolio of conventional offshore oil assets from Suncor Energy for $860 million in upfront cash, expanding the company’s operations beyond the UK into Offshore East Coast Canada.

The transaction also includes contingent consideration of up to $250 million.

The portfolio comprises a 48% operated interest in the Terra Nova field and non-operated interests in the White Rose fields, located in shallow waters offshore Newfoundland and Labrador.

Ithaca said the acquisition will add an estimated 103 million barrels of oil equivalent of proved and probable, or 2P, reserves.

The acquired assets are expected to contribute average production of approximately 30,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day between 2027 and 2031. Production is expected to reach a peak of up to 40,000 boe/d in 2029.

Based on the addition of the Canadian portfolio, Ithaca expects its medium-term group production to reach between 140,000 and 150,000 boe/d.

Management expects the transaction to be immediately accretive to the company’s cash flow and dividends. These remain company expectations and will depend on the future financial and operating performance of the acquired assets.

Ithaca Expands Beyond UK Offshore Market

The acquisition marks Ithaca’s expansion into Offshore East Coast Canada after historically concentrating its operations on the United Kingdom Continental Shelf.

The company said the transaction would make it the fifth-largest operator offshore Canada and provide a platform from which it could pursue further acquisitions and organic development opportunities in North America.

The portfolio includes operated and non-operated interests in producing conventional offshore assets and increases the geographical diversification of Ithaca’s production and reserves.

More about Ithaca Energy

Ithaca Energy PLC is an oil and gas exploration and production company focused on conventional offshore resources.

The company has historically concentrated its portfolio on the United Kingdom Continental Shelf, where it operates and holds interests in offshore fields.

Its portfolio includes shallow-water assets and developments using floating production, storage and offloading infrastructure.

Bluebird Mining Ventures Ltd (LSE:BMV) has said it is moving its focus from restructuring and capital deployment towards generating operating revenue through its Energy Harvesting and Metal Harvesting businesses.

As part of the change, the company will stop publishing standalone monthly net asset value updates. Bluebird said it will instead focus its reporting on revenue growth, recurring income and operational performance, with treasury activity becoming a secondary measure of progress.

The company is pursuing capital-light and zero-capex commercial structures across its two operating businesses.

Energy Harvesting Begins Generating Bitcoin Revenue

Within Energy Harvesting, Bluebird said its initial Bitcoin mining stream in Texas has started generating revenue denominated in Bitcoin.

According to the company, revenue from the operation is currently above its reported electricity costs.

Bluebird is also prioritising the deployment of 750 miners that it owns under a proposed structure that would involve no capital expenditure or operating expenditure for the company.

The group said it terminated three hashrate contracts after determining that they were uneconomic. Bluebird said its experience with the contracts has informed its approach to risk management within the Energy Harvesting business.

Metal Harvesting Targets Gold Flows

Bluebird is also progressing its Metal Harvesting business, through which it is seeking commercial structures that provide access to gold production or other gold-related economic flows.

The company said work is progressing at the Santa Teresa Gold Project in Mexico as part of these activities.

Bluebird plans to publish further information covering its strategy for the Energy Harvesting and Metal Harvesting businesses. It also intends to provide updates on its responsible gold sourcing framework and treasury policy.

An Investor Day is planned for later in October, when management intends to provide further details on its plans for the two operating platforms.

More about Bluebird Mining Ventures

Bluebird Mining Ventures Ltd is an LSE-listed mining, streaming and treasury company operating through its Energy Harvesting and Metal Harvesting businesses.

The company is pursuing capital-light commercial structures involving energy and metals, with the aim of generating recurring economic flows. Its treasury activities now have a supporting role within the broader operating strategy.

Hercules plc (LSE:HERC) has secured approximately £5 million of new civil engineering contracts through its Construction Services division, with the majority of the work located in the Thames Water region.

The contracts are scheduled to be delivered during the final quarter of FY2026 and over the following six months.

Hercules said the projects form part of activity associated with the UK water sector’s AMP8 investment programme. Ofwat’s AMP8 programme covers £104 billion of planned investment across the sector.

The new contracts will be delivered by Hercules’ Civil Projects business, which provides civil engineering and infrastructure services and has been increasing the proportion of projects it delivers directly.

The company said the awards build on work undertaken during FY2026 and form part of its strategy to increase its activities within regulated utilities.

Hercules is also targeting additional opportunities in the UK water sector during FY2027 as spending under the AMP8 investment cycle progresses. No value was provided for potential future contracts.

More about Hercules

Hercules plc is a UK-based power and infrastructure services group providing services to infrastructure projects.

Its Construction Services division undertakes civil engineering and infrastructure work, including projects within regulated utilities. The company has been expanding its ability to self-deliver projects and is active in the UK water sector.

Tap Global Group plc (LSE:TAP) has appointed Moorwand Ltd as issuer and BIN sponsor for a new multi-currency Tap Mastercard, as the crypto-fintech company seeks to expand its card services into additional markets.

Moorwand is an FCA-authorised Electronic Money Institution and principal Mastercard member. Under the arrangement, it will act as the principal partner supporting the issuance of Tap’s new payment card.

The multi-currency Mastercard will allow customers to make payments directly in currencies held within the Tap app.

Tap said the agreement will consolidate its accounts and card arrangements under a single principal partner and provide the infrastructure required to issue cards in additional markets.

The company expects the arrangement to support operating revenue from interchange and foreign exchange activity. It also plans to introduce additional card features and expand the service geographically, although no financial forecasts or timetable for the expansion were provided.

Tap currently provides fiat and cryptocurrency services to more than 400,000 users across over 25 countries. Its platform allows customers to hold, send and spend funds through its Mastercard offering, as well as trade more than 70 cryptoassets.

The company also provides yield products through its Tap Earn service.

Tap operates under the Distributed Ledger Technology regulatory framework administered by the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission. The company said it also intends to seek authorisation under the UK’s forthcoming cryptoasset regulatory regime.

More about Tap Global Group

Tap Global Group plc is a regulated crypto-fintech company providing digital fiat and cryptocurrency services through its Tap app.

Its services include payments through the Tap Mastercard, cryptocurrency trading and Tap Earn products. The platform serves more than 400,000 customers across more than 25 countries.

Aptitude Software Group (LSE:APTD) has secured multi-year renewals for its Aptitude Accounting Hub with two banking groups in the UK and Ireland, with the contracts carrying a combined value of £6.5 million.

The UK banking customer has renewed its agreement for two years, while the Irish banking group has agreed a three-year renewal.

Aptitude said the agreements provide an opportunity to migrate the customers to its Fynapse finance platform and potentially introduce additional capabilities over time.

The company’s Accounting Hub operates as an accounting layer between high-volume transaction systems and general ledgers within financial institutions.

Separately, Aptitude has completed the implementation of Fynapse for the UK’s largest mobile virtual network operator, with the customer going live on the platform in September.

The implementation was completed over a 12-week period and replaced manual and offline billing-to-ledger processes with automated workflows.

Aptitude said the deployment demonstrates the implementation timeframe available through Fynapse compared with traditional finance transformation programmes. The company also sees potential for the technology to be deployed more widely within the customer’s broader group, although no additional contracts were disclosed.

More about Aptitude Software Group

Aptitude Software Group plc is a UK-listed provider of finance ERP software for large organisations, including customers operating in regulated industries.

Its Fynapse platform is designed to consolidate financial data and automate finance processes, as well as support analytics and AI-based applications.

The company serves approximately 100 customers and provides technology used within finance architectures in sectors including banking and telecommunications.

First Class Metals (LSE:FCM) has reported progress across its Ontario exploration portfolio during the 2026 field season, including visible gold identified in a grab sample from its Sunbeam property.

The sample was collected approximately 1.1 kilometres northeast of the Roy shafts, extending the area in which gold mineralisation has been observed at Sunbeam. As a grab sample, the result is selective in nature and is not necessarily representative of wider mineralisation.

First Class Metals has also expanded its Very Low Frequency (VLF) geophysical and soil sampling programmes at Sunbeam and completed structural mapping around the Roy and Pettigrew lineaments.

The company has secured a three-year exploration permit for the property and commissioned drone-based magnetic, radiometric and LiDAR surveys. The resulting data will be used to further define potential drilling targets.

Pettigrew Drilling Programme Planned

At Pettigrew, First Class Metals completed VLF, soil and channel sampling programmes. The work identified a conductor coinciding with the principal structural lineament at the prospect.

The company plans an initial 1,000-metre drilling programme at Pettigrew, subject to the results of outstanding assays.

Exploration work has also been completed at the Esa and Coco East gold prospects, while the company has begun rare earth element exploration across two claim blocks.

At North Hemlo, First Class Metals is refining exploration targets using reprocessed geophysical data.

The company is receiving non-dilutive funding through the Ontario Junior Exploration Program to support elements of its exploration activities.

First Class Metals is also reviewing development options for its Kerrs Gold project.

More about First Class Metals

First Class Metals Plc is a UK-listed mineral exploration company with a portfolio of properties in Ontario, Canada.

Its assets include the gold-focused Sunbeam, Esa, Coco East and North Hemlo projects, alongside claim blocks being explored for rare earth elements.

The company’s activities are focused on exploration for precious and critical metals across its Ontario portfolio.

Connecting Excellence Group Plc (AQSE:XCE) (USOTC:XCELF) has completed its first acquisition, purchasing James Gray Recruitment and James Gray Engineering as part of its strategy to acquire specialist recruitment businesses.

The acquired businesses generated combined revenue of £1.79 million in the 12 months ended 30 June, representing an increase of 21.5%. Gross profit was £1.27 million, while earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) totalled £431,000.

James Gray specialises in construction and engineering recruitment, placing technical, management and leadership candidates in the UK, US and other international markets.

Connecting Excellence will pay £575,000 in upfront cash consideration. Approximately £425,000 of this was settled by offsetting amounts owed, resulting in a net cash outflow of approximately £150,000 at completion, excluding transaction costs.

Additional consideration is deferred and will depend on EBITDA generated during 2027, 2028 and 2029. No deferred payments will be made if performance is below a specified minimum threshold.

Connecting Excellence said it expects to retain between 75% and 85% of cumulative EBITDA generated during the earn-out period.

Bitcoin Holdings Increase to 81.157 Bitcoin

The acquired businesses also held 8.216 Bitcoin, valued at £531,223. Connecting Excellence funded the purchase of those holdings using proceeds from a £600,000 share subscription.

Following the transaction, the group’s total Bitcoin holdings increased to 81.157 Bitcoin, valued at £5.25 million.

Connecting Excellence, which holds Bitcoin as a long-term reserve asset, has also arranged a revolving credit facility with its Bitcoin custodian BitGo. The facility permits drawings of up to $1.5 million.

Chief executive Scott Ellam said the James Gray transaction is the first of a series of potential acquisitions in the company’s identified pipeline.

Ellam said, “The completion of our first acquisition is a significant milestone for XCE. It shows our model moving from strategy to execution, and James Gray Recruitment is exactly the type of business we are built for: profitable, specialist and founder-led, with a strong brand, established client relationships and significant room to grow.

“There are up to 1,000 owner-managed executive and specialist recruitment businesses in the UK, and around 10,000 worldwide. Many are profitable, with strong brands and committed owners, but no natural exit. Most are not suited to private equity, and trade buyers are rare. XCE is built for them. Owners and their teams keep their brand, their people and their independence, and gain a permanent home on a listed platform. We are not consolidating brands. The only thing we intend to consolidate is the value of these businesses, into one listed vehicle.

“This is the first of a series of potential acquisitions we have in our identified pipeline. Alongside continued organic growth across the Group, we see a significant opportunity to build a larger and more profitable recruitment group, while continuing to grow our Bitcoin treasury over the long term. We look forward to supporting the James Gray team in their next phase of growth.”

Richard Samuels, managing director of James Gray Recruitment, said, “We’ve built James Gray into a strong specialist business, and the focus now is on how much further we can take it. Joining XCE gives us greater firepower to invest in our team, expand into new markets and build on the opportunities we’re already seeing across the UK and US. We have ambitious plans for the business, and this gives us a bigger platform to deliver them.”

Kelso Group Holdings (LSE:KLSO) has increased its investment in Saga to 600,000 shares, with the holding valued at approximately £4.6 million and representing around 20% of Kelso’s portfolio.

The investment company increased its position following Saga’s interim results, which Kelso described as “excellent”. Kelso highlighted reductions in Saga’s debt and leverage, as well as the company’s customer database and the introduction of a new pet insurance product.

Kelso also noted increases in analyst price targets for Saga as part of its assessment of the investment.

According to Kelso, Saga is one of three companies in its portfolio whose share prices have doubled in value during the current year.

Kelso operates a concentrated investment strategy focused primarily on established UK-listed small and mid-cap companies. Its portfolio typically consists of fewer than 10 investments, with the company targeting profitable businesses that it considers to have established market positions and robust balance sheets.

The group said it generally avoids early-stage, speculative, highly cyclical and resources companies. Its approach combines investment with active engagement with portfolio companies.

Kelso was established in January 2023 and has completed four equity fundraisings since its formation, with each conducted at a progressively higher share price.

The company said approximately 80 known investors and a small number of institutional investors hold shares in Kelso. Its board collectively owns 16.2% of the company.

More about Kelso Group Holdings

Kelso Group Holdings is a UK-listed investment company focused on a concentrated portfolio of small and mid-cap businesses.

Its board has experience spanning fund management, private equity, corporate finance, law and mergers and acquisitions. The company seeks to generate long-term returns through investment selection, capital allocation and engagement with the companies in its portfolio.

Galliford Try (LSE:GFRD) has been appointed to the latest Constructing West Midlands Framework, which has an estimated total value of £3.0 billion.

The construction group has secured a place on the framework’s Major Works lot, covering projects valued at more than £10 million.

The framework will be used to procure public sector construction projects across the West Midlands, including work in the education, housing, health and leisure sectors for local authorities in the region.

Galliford Try’s appointment gives the company the opportunity to compete for qualifying projects procured through the framework. Inclusion on the framework does not itself represent a guarantee of future contract awards or revenue.

The appointment forms part of the group’s activities in the UK public sector, alongside its work for private and regulated-sector clients.

More about Galliford Try

Galliford Try Holdings is a UK construction group listed on the London Stock Exchange and a constituent of the FTSE 250.

The group operates under the Galliford Try and Morrison Construction brands and delivers building and infrastructure projects for public, private and regulated-sector clients across the UK.