CALGARY, Feb. 21, 2017 /CNW/ – Connacher Oil and Gas Limited (“Connacher” or the “Company”) announces its year-end reserves as of December 31, 2016, as evaluated by GLJ Petroleum Consultants Ltd. (“GLJ”), independent qualified reserves evaluators.
Proved producing reserves increased by 7 million barrels (gross) to 14.7 million barrels (gross). The net present value of future net revenue before income taxes (discounted at ten per cent) (“10% PV”) of the proved producing reserves increased to $57 million from –$11.5 million last year. Proved plus probable producing reserves were relatively unchanged. The 10% PV of the proved plus probable producing reserves increased by $113 million to $147 million.
Estimated proved (“1P”) bitumen reserves totaled approximately 216 million barrels (gross), an increase of one per cent over year-end 2015 volumes. For the first time since 2010 the 10% PV of the 1P bitumen reserves increased, due to the near term improvement in the GLJ price forecast, as well as a decrease (13%) in operating expense. The 10% PV of 1P bitumen reserves has increased by $61 million to $901 million in 2016.
Proved plus probable (“2P”) reserve volumes were approximately 447 million barrels of bitumen, up 2.5 per cent from a year earlier. The 10% PV of these 2P bitumen reserves decreased by $38 million to approximately $1.5 billion, due to a decrease in the long term GLJ price forecast.
Connacher’s first SAGD project at Great Divide, Pod One, has been producing bitumen since late 2007, with commercial production commencing March 1, 2008. Algar commenced producing bitumen in August 2010 and commerciality was achieved October 1, 2010. Production from Great Divide since startup through December 31, 2016 has totaled approximately 34.8 million barrels of bitumen. Such amounts have been deducted from earlier estimates of proved reserves prior to the calculation of reserves as at December 31, 2016.
Unless otherwise stated, reserves refer to reserves of bitumen. Future net revenue is calculated after the deduction of forecast royalties, operating expenses, estimated future capital expenditures and well abandonment costs, but before corporate overhead or other indirect costs, including interest and income taxes, from forecast revenue. Certain amounts cited herein have been rounded for presentation purposes. The GLJ December 31, 2016 report (“Year-End 2016 Report”) was prepared utilizing the GLJ January 1, 2017 price forecast, effective December 31, 2016. Readers are referred to the notes to the Summary Tables included in this press release for details regarding the price forecast used by GLJ. Earlier reports were prepared using the price forecasts then being applied by GLJ. Future net revenues disclosed herein do not represent fair market value. Also, estimations of reserves and future net revenue discussed in this press release constitute forward looking information. See “Forward Looking Information and Reserves Advisory” below.
The Year-End 2016 Report was prepared using assumptions and methodology guidelines outlined in the Canadian Oil and Gas Evaluation Handbook (“COGE Handbook”) and in accordance with National Instrument 51-101– Standards of Disclosure for Oil and Gas Activities (“NI 51-101”). Comparisons provided herein with respect to Connacher’s bitumen reserves and for 10% PV for December 31, 2015 are to estimates contained in the report, prepared by GLJ, with an effective date of December 31, 2015 (“Year-End 2015 Report”).
Furthermore, additional information regarding Connacher’s reserves and resources, including the Company’s interest in the resources and the risks and the level of uncertainty associated with the recovery of the resources, can be found in the Company’s annual information form (“AIF”) dated March 29, 2016. The AIF can be accessed at www.sedar.com. The Company will be filing a Statement of Reserves Data and Other Oil and Gas Information later this year and prior to April 30, 2017, once it has completed the audit of its financial and operating results for the year-ended December 31, 2016 and has released them to the public.
Detailed information included in the Year-End 2016 Report regarding Connacher’s bitumen reserves and associated present values are set forth in the tables below, including a comparison of year-end 2016 results to year-end 2015 results.
Summary Tables
Set out below is a summary of the bitumen reserves and the value of future net revenue of the Corporation as at December 31, 2016 as evaluated by GLJ in the Year-End 2016 Report. The pricing used in the forecast price evaluations is set forth in the notes to the tables.
BITUMEN RESERVE VOLUMES |
|||||
Bitumen |
|||||
Gross(1) |
Net(1) |
||||
(Mbbl) |
(Mbbl) |
||||
Proved Reserves |
|||||
Producing(2)(4) |
14,717 |
14,144 |
|||
Proved Plus Probable Producing |
21,388 |
20,498 |
|||
Undeveloped(2)(5) |
201,838 |
169,982 |
|||
Total Proved(2) |
216,555 |
184,127 |
|||
Total Probable(3) |
230,682 |
184,818 |
|||
Total Proved Plus Probable(2)(3) |
447,237 |
368,945 |
NET PRESENT VALUE SUMMARY |
||||||||||
Net Present Value of Future Net Revenue Before Income Taxes Discounted %/Year ($MM) |
||||||||||
0% |
5% |
10% |
15% |
20% |
||||||
Proved Reserves |
||||||||||
Producing(2)(4) |
14 |
44 |
57 |
63 |
64 |
|||||
Plus Probable Producing |
136 |
149 |
147 |
139 |
130 |
|||||
Undeveloped(2)(5) |
4,366 |
1,825 |
844 |
410 |
195 |
|||||
Total Proved(2) |
4,380 |
1,868 |
901 |
473 |
259 |
|||||
Total Probable(3) |
6,409 |
1,747 |
605 |
245 |
112 |
|||||
Total Proved Plus Probable(2)(3) |
10,789 |
3,633 |
1,506 |
718 |
371 |
|||||
Figures in tables may not add due to rounding. |
Notes: |
|
(1) |
“Gross Reserves” are the Corporation’s working interest (operating or non-operating) share before deducting royalties and without including any royalty interests of the Corporation. “Net Reserves” are the Corporation’s working interest (operating or non-operating) share after deduction of royalty obligations, plus the Corporation’s royalty interests in reserves. |
(2) |
“Proved” reserves are those reserves that can be estimated with a high degree of certainty to be recoverable. It is likely that the actual remaining quantities recovered will exceed the estimated proved reserves. |
(3) |
“Probable” reserves are those additional reserves that are less certain to be recovered than proved reserves. It is equally likely that the actual remaining quantities recovered will be greater or less than the sum of the estimated proved plus probable reserves. |
(4) |
“Producing” reserves are those reserves that are expected to be recovered from completion intervals open at the time of the estimate. These reserves may be currently producing or, if shut-in, they must have previously been on production, and the date of resumption of production must be known with reasonable certainty. |
(5) |
“Undeveloped” reserves are those reserves expected to be recovered from known accumulations where a significant expenditure (e.g., when compared to the cost of drilling a well) is required to render them capable of production. |
(6) |
The net present value of estimated future net revenues referred to herein should not be construed as the fair market value of estimated bitumen reserves attributable to Connacher’s properties. |
(7) |
Pricing assumptions in the Year-End 2016 Report were as follows: US$/CDN$ exchange rate was 0.75 for 2017, unchanged from the Year-End 2015 Report. The following is the price forecast for the Year-End 2016 Report: |
West Texas Intermediate |
Brent Blend Crude Oil |
Bitumen Wellhead |
|||
Bank of Canada |
Crude Oil at Cushing |
(40 API, 0.3%S) at Edmonton |
Bitumen |
||
Oil Sands Inflation |
Average Noon Rate |
Current |
Current |
Current |
|
Year |
% |
USD$/CAD$ |
USD$/bbl |
CAD$/bbl |
CAD$/bbl |
2017 |
0 |
0.75 |
55.00 |
69.33 |
31.57 |
2018 |
2 |
0.78 |
59.00 |
72.26 |
35.14 |
2019 |
2 |
0.80 |
64.00 |
75.00 |
39.69 |
2020 |
2 |
0.83 |
67.00 |
76.36 |
41.50 |
2021 |
2 |
0.85 |
71.00 |
78.82 |
44.44 |
2022 |
2 |
0.85 |
74.00 |
82.35 |
47.56 |
2023 |
2 |
0.85 |
77.00 |
85.88 |
50.69 |
2024 |
2 |
0.85 |
80.00 |
89.41 |
53.80 |
2025 |
2 |
0.85 |
83.00 |
92.94 |
56.73 |
2026 |
2 |
0.85 |
86.05 |
95.61 |
60.01 |
2027 |
2 |
0.85 |
87.77 |
97.52 |
61.21 |
2028 |
2 |
0.85 |
89.53 |
99.47 |
62.43 |
Comparison of Reserves 2015/2016
BITUMEN GROSS RESERVES (Mbbl) |
|||
31-Dec-15 |
31-Dec-16 |
||
Proved Producing |
7,783 |
14,717 |
|
Proved Plus Probable Producing |
23,282 |
21,388 |
|
Total Proved Reserves (1P) |
214,687 |
216,555 |
|
Probable |
221,061 |
230,682 |
|
Proved Plus Probable Reserves (2P) |
435,748 |
447,237 |
|
Note: The definitions of the respective types of reserves set forth in the notes to the Summary Tables above also apply to the above table. |
10% PRESENT VALUE OF FUTURE NET REVENUE OF BITUMEN RESERVES |
|||
31-Dec-15 |
31-Dec-16 |
||
Proved Producing |
-11 |
57 |
|
Proved Plus Probable Producing |
34 |
147 |
|
Total Proved Reserves (1P) |
840 |
901 |
|
Probable |
704 |
605 |
|
Proved Plus Probable Reserves (2P) |
1,544 |
1,506 |
|
Note: The definitions of the respective types of reserves set forth in the notes to the Summary Tables above also apply to the above table. |
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