Tourmaline Grows Year-End Reserves and Reserve Value by Over 60%

CALGARY, ALBERTA–(Marketwire – Feb 12, 2013) – Tourmaline Oil Corp. (TOU.TO) (“Tourmaline” or the “Company”) is pleased to provide the following operations and financial update and highlights from its year-end 2012 independent reserve evaluation.

Reserve Highlights

• Total year-end 2012 Proved plus Probable (2P) reserves of 438.0 mmboe after only four full years of operation.
• Total 2P reserve additions of 186.6 mmboe in 2012, representing 69% growth over 2011 total 2P reserves before 2012 production (54% per share). Similarly, proved reserves grew by 80% in 2012 over 2011 (63% per share).
• Year-end 2012 2P reserve value of $4.3 billion (10% discount, before tax), representing 61% growth over year-end 2011 2P reserve value, despite a difficult gas price environment during the year and lower overall natural gas prices utilized in the 2012 independent report. (Net Present Value increase in 2012 of $1.65 billion.)
• 2012 2P finding, development and acquisition costs (FD&A) of $10.35/boe including future development capital (FDC) and $5.80/boe excluding FDC, down from $13.34/boe in 2011 (including changes in FDC). 2012 total proved FD&A costs were $14.06/boe (including FDC), down from $19.71/boe in 2011.
• Year-end 2012 proved developed producing (PDP) reserves of 92.0 mmboe and 11.1 mmboe proved developed non-producing (PDNP) reserves. The majority of the non-producing reserves will come on-stream during Q2 2013 via the ongoing new facility projects at Sunrise-Dawson, B.C., and Spirit River, Alberta. First quarter 2013 drilling and tie-ins are expected to add a further 13.0 mmboe of PDP reserves during the quarter.
• 2012 Recycle Ratio of 2.25 based on 2012 2P finding, development and acquisition costs (FD&A) of $10.35 per boe (including FDC) and 2013 forecast funds from operations per boe of $23.26.

Production Update

• Tourmaline exceeded its year-end 2012 exit production guidance of 70,000 boepd, and expects to reach the 75,000 boepd production level, on a sustained basis, in March 2013.
• Current full year 2013 average production guidance is 75,000 boepd, representing approximately 50% growth over average 2012 production of 50,803 boepd.
• The Company will bring approximately 13,000 boepd of currently shut-in production on-stream in mid-May via a new gas plant in Dawson/Doe, B.C. and an expanded facility at Spirit River.
• The Company also has an additional 21 wells to tie-in and bring on-stream during the first quarter, throughout the operated EP portfolio.

EP Update

• Tourmaline is currently operating 11 drilling rigs, with eight rigs in the Deep Basin, two rigs at Spirit River, and one rig in NEBC. A total of 28-30 new wells are planned for the first quarter of 2013.
• Seven of the eight Deep Basin rigs are drilling horizontal wells and 2013 will be the first year in which the Company will realize the benefit of Deep Basin horizontal drilling for the full year.
• The most recent Wilrich horizontal at Horse in the Deep Basin tested at a final test rate of 26.1 mmcfpd @ 18.7 MPa at the conclusion of a three-day test period.
• The most recent Spirit River pool expansion horizontal has averaged 836 bopd and 2.7 mmcfpd of gas during the first seven days of production.

Financial Update

• Fourth quarter 2012 production averaged 57,229 boepd, a 51% increase over the fourth quarter 2011 average production rate of 37,912 boepd.
• Full year 2012 average production of 50,803 boepd represents a 64% increase over the 2011 full year average production rate of 31,007 boepd.
• Funds from operations were $93.8 million for the fourth quarter of 2012, a 28% increase over the fourth quarter of 2011.
• Operating expenses for the fourth quarter of 2012 continued to be strong at $4.10/boe resulting in full-year 2012 operating expenses of $4.43/boe, a 21% decrease compared to 2011 operating expenses of $5.58/boe.
• Fourth quarter capital spending on E&P activities was $214.4 million and was $606.7 million including corporate and property acquisitions.
• The Company estimates net debt as at December 31, 2012 to be approximately $464.3 million.
• The sale of the Company”s Elmworth assets for a net $77.5 million remains on schedule to close in March of 2013. The Company has reclassified approximately $33.0 million out of PP&E into current assets as an asset held for sale in its December 31, 2012 financial statements.

Company Gross reserves are defined as the working interest share of reserves prior to the deduction of interest owned by others (burdens). Royalty interest reserves are not included in Company Gross reserves. Company Net reserves are defined as the working, net carried, and royalty interest reserves after deduction of all applicable burdens.

Reader Advisories

Currency

All amounts in this news release are stated in Canadian dollars unless otherwise specified.

Reserves Data

The reserves data set forth above is based upon the reports of GLJ Petroleum Consultants Ltd. (“GLJ”) and AJM Deloitte, each dated effective December 31, 2012, which have been consolidated into one report by GLJ and adjusted to apply certain of GLJ”s assumptions and methodologies and pricing and cost assumptions. The complete GLJ January 1, 2013 price forecast used in the reserve evaluations is available on its website at www.gljpc.com. The consolidated report includes 100% of the reserves and future net revenue attributable to the properties of Exshaw Oil Corp, a subsidiary of the Company, without reduction to reflect the 9.4% third-party minority interest in Exshaw.

There are numerous uncertainties inherent in estimating quantities of crude oil, natural gas and NGL reserves and the future cash flows attributed to such reserves. The reserve and associated cash flow information set forth above are estimates only. In general, estimates of economically recoverable crude oil, natural gas and NGL reserves and the future net cash flows therefrom are based upon a number of variable factors and assumptions, such as historical production from the properties, production rates, ultimate reserve recovery, timing and amount of capital expenditures, marketability of oil and natural gas, royalty rates, the assumed effects of regulation by governmental agencies and future operating costs, all of which may vary materially. For those reasons, estimates of the economically recoverable crude oil, NGL and natural gas reserves attributable to any particular group of properties, classification of such reserves based on risk of recovery and estimates of future net revenues associated with reserves prepared by different engineers, or by the same engineers at different times, may vary. The Company”s actual production, revenues, taxes and development and operating expenditures with respect to its reserves will vary from estimates thereof and such variations could be material.

All evaluations and reviews of future net revenue are stated prior to any provisions for interest costs or general and administrative costs and after the deduction of estimated future capital expenditures for wells to which reserves have been assigned. The after-tax net present value of the Company”s oil and gas properties reflects the tax burden on the properties on a stand-alone basis and utilizes the Company”s tax pools. It does not consider the corporate tax situation, or tax planning. It does not provide an estimate of the after-tax value of the Company, which may be significantly different. The Company”s financial statements and the management”s discussion and analysis should be consulted for information at the level of the Company.

The estimated values of future net revenue disclosed in this press release do not represent fair market value. There is no assurance that the forecast prices and cost assumptions used in the reserve evaluations will be attained and variances could be material.

The reserve data provided in this news release presents only a portion of the disclosure required under National Instrument 51-101. All of the required information will be contained in the Company”s Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2012, which will be filed on SEDAR (accessible at www.sedar.com) on or before March 31, 2013.

Unaudited Financial Information

Certain financial and operating results included in this news release such as finding, development and acquisition costs, finding and development costs, recycle ratio, funds from operations, net debt, capital expenditures, assets held for sale, production information and operating costs are based on unaudited estimated results. These estimated results are subject to change upon completion of the audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2012, and changes could be material. Tourmaline anticipates filing its audited financial statements and related management”s discussion and analysis for the year ended December 31, 2012 on SEDAR on or before March 31, 2013.

Per share reserve information is based on the total common shares outstanding, after accounting for outstanding Company options, at year end 2012 and 2011, respectively.

Non-IFRS Financial Measures

This press release includes references to financial measures commonly used in the oil and gas industry such as “funds from operations”, “operating netback”, “recycle ratio” and “net debt”, which do not have any standardized meaning prescribed by International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”). Management believes that in addition to net income and cash flow from operating activities, these non-IFRS financial measures are useful supplemental measures in assessing Tourmaline”s ability to generate the cash necessary to repay debt or fund future growth through capital investment. Readers are cautioned, however, that these measures should not be construed as an alternative to net income or cash flow from operating activities determined in accordance with IFRS as an indication of Tourmaline”s performance. Tourmaline”s method of calculating these measures may differ from other companies and accordingly, they may not be comparable to measures used by other companies. For these purposes, Tourmaline defines funds from operations as cash provided by operations before changes in non-cash operating working capital, defines operating netback as revenue (excluding processing income) less royalties, transportation costs and operating expenses, defines recycle ratio as estimated 2013 funds from operations per boe divided by 2012 FD&A (including FDC) per boe, and defines net debt as long-term bank debt plus working capital (adjusted for the fair value of financial instruments).

BOE Equivalency

In this press release, production and reserves information may be presented on a “barrel of oil equivalent” or “BOE” basis. BOEs may be misleading, particularly if used in isolation. A BOE conversion ratio of 6 Mcf:1 bbl is based on an energy equivalency conversion method primarily applicable at the burner tip and does not represent a value equivalency at the wellhead. In addition, as the value ratio between natural gas and crude oil based on the current prices of natural gas and crude oil is significantly different from the energy equivalency of 6:1, utilizing a conversion on a 6:1 basis may be misleading as an indication of value.

F&D and FD&A Costs

In addition to F&D, the Company uses FD&A as a measure of the efficiency of its overall capital program including the effect of acquisitions and dispositions.

The aggregate of the exploration and development costs incurred in the most recent financial year and the change during that year in estimated future development costs generally will not reflect total finding and development costs related to reserves additions for that year.

Production Tests

Production tests are not necessarily indicative of long-term performance or ultimate recovery.

Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. The use of any of the words “expect”, “anticipate”, “continue”, “estimate”, “objective”, “ongoing”, “may”, “will”, “project”, “should”, “believe”, “plans”, “intends” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking information. More particularly and without limitation, this press release contains forward looking information concerning Tourmaline”s volumes and estimated value of oil and gas reserves and production volume estimates, future oil and natural gas prices, operating costs and production efficiencies as well as Tourmaline”s future drilling and completion prospects and plans, including the number and type of wells to be drilled in core areas, business strategy, future development and growth opportunities, prospects and asset base. The forward-looking information is based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by Tourmaline, including expectations and assumptions concerning: prevailing commodity prices and currency exchange rates; applicable royalty rates and tax laws; future well production rates and reserve volumes; the timing of receipt of regulatory approvals; the performance of existing wells and recently drilled and tested wells; the success obtained in drilling new wells; the sufficiency of budgeted capital expenditures in carrying out planned activities; and the availability and cost of labour and services. Undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking information because Tourmaline can give no assurances that they will prove to be correct. Since forward-looking information addresses future events and conditions, by its very nature it involves inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks. These include, but are not limited to: the risks associated with the oil and gas industry in general such as operational risks in development, exploration and production; delays or changes in plans with respect to exploration or development projects or capital expenditures; the uncertainty of estimates and projections relating to reserves, production, costs and expenses; health, safety and environmental risks; commodity price and currency exchange rate fluctuations; marketing and transportation; loss of markets; environmental risks; competition; incorrect assessment of the value of acquisitions; failure to realize the anticipated benefits of acquisitions; ability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources; failure to obtain required regulatory and other approvals; and changes in legislation, including but not limited to tax laws, royalties and environmental regulations. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive.

Also included in this press release are estimates of Tourmaline”s 2013 funds from operations per boe, which is based on Tourmaline”s estimated 2013 funds from operations and average production of $636.7 million and 75,000 boepd, respectively. Tourmaline”s estimated 2013 funds from operations is based on the various assumptions as to production levels, capital expenditures, and other assumptions disclosed in this press release and including commodity price assumptions for natural gas (AECO – $3.86/mcf) (2013), and crude oil (WTI (US) – $95.00/bbl) (2013) and an exchange rate assumption of $1.00 (US/CAD) for 2013. To the extent such estimate constitutes a financial outlook, it was approved by management and the Board of Directors of Tourmaline on February 12, 2013 and is included to provide readers with an understanding of Tourmaline”s anticipated funds from operations based on the capital expenditure and other assumptions described herein and readers are cautioned that the information may not be appropriate for other purposes.

Additional information on these and other factors that could affect Tourmaline, or its operations or financial results, can be found in Tourmaline”s most recent Annual Information Form and Annual and Quarterly Management”s Discussion and Analysis on file with applicable securities regulatory authorities and may be accessed through the SEDAR website (www.sedar.com) or Tourmaline”s website (www.tourmalineoil.com).

The forward-looking information contained in this press release is made as of the date hereof and Tourmaline undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless expressly required by applicable securities laws.

Certain Definitions:

About Tourmaline Oil Corp.

Tourmaline is a Canadian intermediate crude oil and natural gas exploration and production company focused on long-term growth through an aggressive exploration, development, production and acquisition program in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin.

Tourmaline Oil Corp.
Michael Rose
Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer
(403) 266-5992
Tourmaline Oil Corp.
Brian Robinson
Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer
(403) 767-3587
robinson@tourmalineoil.com
Tourmaline Oil Corp.
Scott Kirker
Secretary and General Counsel
(403) 767-3593
kirker@tourmalineoil.com
Tourmaline Oil Corp.
Suite 3700, 250 – 6th Avenue S.W.
Calgary, Alberta T2P 3H7
(403) 266-5992
(403) 266-5952
www.tourmalineoil.com