Neptune Energy said it would pay an $800 million (£605m) dividend to shareholders before the end of the year.
Neptune said Thursday that it expected the dividend would be paid to shareholders on 15 December 2021.
The 9 December statement said that the company continues to trade in line with guidance, expecting operating cash flow in excess of $2 billion for the full year.
Executive chairman Sam Laidlaw said: “Since Neptune’s inception, we have invested more than $6 billion in development, exploration and acquisitions to grow the business. As a result, we have built a diverse portfolio of high quality and long-life assets, with growth opportunities across the business that will support future cash flows.
Mr Laidlaw said the company continued to develop its new energy projects and that it expected to further increase investment in 2022.
“We remain on track to achieve significantly higher operating cash flow in 2021 as a result of higher commodity prices, robust production and good cost control,” Mr Laidlaw continued.
“With three new projects now online, we expect production to increase in 2022, while we progress further developments in Norway and the UK.”
It follows reports in late November that the company’s private equity owners, Carlyle Group and CVC Capital Partners, have requested takeover bids from interested parties.
A sale could give Neptune an estimated equity value of about £3.8bn ($5bn), according to people familiar with the matter.
Neptune declined to comment on the reports at the time.
Earlier this year, reports also suggested the company was considering a potential merger with Harbour Energy, in a deal that would create a company with market capitalisation of $10-11bn, according to analysis from Jefferies.
Neptune reported pre-tax profits of $461.7 million (£342 million) for the third quarter 2021, with quarterly group production of 135,300 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd).
Neptune said it would post full year 2021 results on 17 March 2022.