Information contained herein is subject to completion or amendment. A registration statement relating to these securities has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These securities may not be sold nor may offers to buy be accepted prior to the time the registration statement becomes effective. This proxy statement/prospectus shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.
SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED APRIL 29, 2024
MERGER PROPOSAL—YOUR VOTE IS VERY IMPORTANT
To the ChampionX Corporation stockholders:
As previously announced, ChampionX Corporation (“ChampionX”), a Delaware corporation, Schlumberger Limited, a Curaçao corporation (“SLB”), Sodium Holdco, Inc., a Delaware corporation and indirect wholly owned subsidiary of SLB (“Holdco”), and Sodium Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation and indirect wholly owned subsidiary of SLB and direct wholly owned subsidiary of Holdco (“Merger Sub”), have entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of April 2, 2024 (the “Merger Agreement”), pursuant to which SLB will acquire ChampionX in an all-stock transaction by means of a merger of Merger Sub with and into ChampionX (the “Merger,” together with the other transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement, the “Transactions”), with ChampionX surviving the Merger as an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of SLB.
Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, at the effective time of the Merger (the “Effective Time”) and by virtue of the Merger, each share of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of ChampionX (“ChampionX common stock”) issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time (other than shares of ChampionX common stock held in treasury of ChampionX or held by SLB, Holdco or any direct or indirect wholly owned subsidiary of SLB, in each case except for any shares held on behalf of third parties (“ChampionX Excluded Stock”)) will be converted, without any action on the part of the holder thereof, into the right to receive 0.735 shares of common stock (the “Exchange Ratio”), par value $0.01 per share, of SLB (“SLB common stock”), which shares will be duly authorized and validly issued in accordance with applicable laws (the “Equity Consideration”), and, if applicable, cash in lieu of fractional shares.
The Exchange Ratio is fixed and will not be adjusted to reflect price changes prior to the closing of the Merger. SLB common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) under the trading symbol “SLB,” and ChampionX common stock is listed on The Nasdaq Stock Market (“Nasdaq”) under the trading symbol “CHX.” Based on the closing price of SLB common stock on the NYSE on April 1, 2024, the last trading day before the public announcement of the Merger Agreement, the Exchange Ratio represented approximately $40.59 in value for each share of ChampionX common stock. This amount represented a premium of approximately 14.7% to the closing price of ChampionX common stock on Nasdaq on April 1, 2024. Based on the closing price of SLB common stock on the NYSE of $ on , 2024, the latest practicable trading day before the date of this proxy statement/prospectus, the Exchange Ratio represented approximately $ per share in value for each share of ChampionX common stock.
The value of the consideration paid to ChampionX stockholders will fluctuate with changes in the market price of SLB common stock. We encourage you to obtain current market quotations of SLB common stock, given that the Equity Consideration is payable in SLB common stock, and ChampionX common stock.
Based on the number of outstanding shares of ChampionX common stock (including each share of ChampionX common stock underlying each deferred stock unit award of ChampionX) on the record date of for the ChampionX Special Meeting (defined below), we anticipate that SLB will issue approximately shares of SLB common stock in connection with the Merger.
Upon completion of the Merger, based on the number of outstanding shares of ChampionX common stock and SLB common stock as of the date of the Merger Agreement, we estimate that former ChampionX stockholders will own approximately 9% of the outstanding shares of SLB common stock and current SLB shareholders will own approximately 91% of the outstanding shares of SLB common stock.
In connection with the Merger, ChampionX will hold a virtual special meeting of ChampionX stockholders (the “ChampionX Special Meeting”) to consider and vote on (1) a proposal to adopt the Merger Agreement (the “Merger Proposal”); (2) a proposal to approve, by non-binding, advisory vote, the compensation that may become payable to ChampionX’s named executive officers in connection with the Merger (the “Compensation Proposal”); and (3) a proposal to approve the adjournment of the ChampionX Special Meeting, if necessary, (a) to solicit additional proxies in favor of the Merger Proposal if (i) there are holders of an insufficient number of shares of ChampionX common stock present online or represented by proxy and entitled to vote at the ChampionX Special Meeting to constitute a quorum at such meeting or (ii) there are insufficient votes at the time of such adjournment to approve the Merger Proposal or (b) to allow reasonable additional time for the filing and mailing of any required supplement or amendment to the accompanying proxy statement/prospectus, and the review of such materials by ChampionX stockholders (the “Adjournment Proposal”).
Your vote is important. The record date for determining the ChampionX stockholders entitled to receive notice of, and to vote at, the ChampionX Special Meeting is the close of business on . The Merger cannot be consummated unless the Merger Agreement is approved by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of ChampionX common stock entitled to vote at the ChampionX Special Meeting. ABSTENTIONS, A BROKER NON-VOTE OR A FAILURE TO VOTE WILL HAVE THE SAME EFFECT AS A VOTE “AGAINST” THE MERGER PROPOSAL.
The board of directors of ChampionX (the “ChampionX Board”) has unanimously (i) determined the Merger Agreement and the consummation of the Merger and the Transactions to be fair to and in the best interests of ChampionX and its stockholders, (ii) declared the Merger Agreement and the consummation of the Transactions, including the Merger, to be advisable, (iii) authorized and approved the Merger Agreement, including the execution, delivery and performance thereof, (iv) directed that the Merger Agreement be submitted to the ChampionX stockholders for their consideration and adoption and (v) recommended the ChampionX stockholders adopt the Merger Agreement. ACCORDINGLY, THE CHAMPIONX BOARD UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS A VOTE “FOR” THE MERGER PROPOSAL, A VOTE “FOR” THE COMPENSATION PROPOSAL AND A VOTE “FOR” THE ADJOURNMENT PROPOSAL.
We urge you to read this proxy statement/prospectus carefully. The obligations of SLB and ChampionX to consummate the Merger are subject to the satisfaction or waiver of certain conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement. More information about SLB, ChampionX, the ChampionX Special Meeting, the Merger Agreement and the Transactions, including the Merger, is included in this proxy statement/prospectus. You should also consider carefully the risks that are described in the “Risk Factors” section of this proxy statement/prospectus, beginning on page 24. If you have any questions regarding this proxy statement/prospectus, you may contact D.F. King & Co., Inc., ChampionX’s proxy solicitor, by calling toll-free at (866) 416-0577.
Thank you for your continued support of and interest in ChampionX. We at ChampionX look forward to the successful combination of ChampionX and SLB.
Daniel W. Rabun
Chairman
ChampionX Corporation
Neither the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of the securities to be issued under this proxy statement/prospectus or determined if this proxy statement/prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
This proxy statement/prospectus is dated , 2024 and is first being mailed to ChampionX stockholders on or about , 2024.