Zargon Oil & Gas Ltd. Provides 2016 Fourth Quarter and Full Year Financial Results

CALGARY, ALBERTA–(Marketwired – March 15, 2017) – Zargon Oil & Gas Ltd. (“Zargon” or the “Company”) (TSX:ZAR)(TSX:ZAR.DB)

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE FOURTH QUARTER AND YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2016

• For calendar 2016, funds flow from operating activities of $3.50 million ($0.11 per basic share) was 86 percent lower than the $24.14 million ($0.80 per basic share) recorded in the prior year. For the fourth quarter 2016, funds flow from operating activities were $0.86 million ($0.03 per basic share) compared with the $0.61 million of negative funds flow recorded in the prior quarter.
• Oil and liquids production averaged 2,943 barrels of oil and liquids per day in 2016, a 21 percent decrease from the preceding year, reflecting $92.04 million of third quarter 2016 Southeast Saskatchewan and Killam, Alberta property sales. Natural gas production averaged 3.50 million cubic feet per day in 2016, a 30 percent decrease from 2015, primarily due property dispositions and natural declines. Total 2016 production averaged 3,526 barrels of oil equivalent per day, a 23 percent decrease from the prior year. Reflecting a full quarter post the dispositions, fourth quarter 2016 production averaged 2,449 barrels of oil equivalent per day and was comprised of 1,952 barrels of oil per day and 2.98 million cubic feet per day.
• Zargon’s 2016 net loss was $18.09 million, which compares to a net loss of $106.14 million in 2015 and $5.95 million net earnings in 2014. The net earnings/loss track the funds flow from operating activities for the respective periods modified by asset retirement expenditures and non-cash charges, which in 2016 were primarily related to a gain on disposal of properties, impairment losses, depletion and depreciation, unrealized derivative losses and exploration and evaluation expense.
• Net capital dispositions for the year totalled $85.13 million; consisting of $7.04 million of exploitation, development and facility programs which were offset by $92.05 million of net property dispositions and $0.12 million of administrative assets dispositions. The $7.04 million of exploitation, development and facility programs include $4.76 million of Alkaline Surfactant Polymer (“ASP”) project costs. The ASP costs included $0.55 million of exploitation costs and $4.21 million of chemical costs. During the year, Zargon did not drill any wells. For the 2016 fourth quarter, net capital expenditures totaled $1.43 million and included $0.37 million of ASP chemical costs.
• Reflecting the year’s $85.13 million of net capital dispositions, Zargon’s total debt net of working capital (excluding unrealized derivative assets/liabilities and using the full $57.50 million face value of the convertible debentures) as of December 31, 2016 totaled $33.51 million, an $87.55 million (72 percent) reduction from the prior year end total debt net of working capital balance of $121.06 million.
• Subsequent to year end in a February 14, 2017 special meeting, Zargon’s convertible debenture holders approved a modified indenture agreement that extends the debenture maturity date to December 31, 2019, increases the debenture interest rate to 8.00% per annum and permits Zargon to redeem up to an aggregate $19.00 million of the debentures through a March 31, 2017 “Dutch Auction” process.

Message to Shareholders

Zargon Oil & Gas Ltd.’s financial and operating results for calendar 2016 and the fourth quarter of 2016 are provided in this press release. Previously, Zargon provided 2016 year end reserves, production updates and 2017 production/capital guidance in our February 23, 2017 and December 12, 2016 press releases. A brief summary/update of these materials is provided below:

Production Update, Capital Budget and Production Guidance

Zargon’s fourth quarter 2016 production volumes averaged 2,449 barrels of oil equivalent per day which was two percent lower than Zargon’s fourth quarter 2016 and calendar 2017 guidance levels of 2,500 barrels of oil equivalent per day.

Zargon’s 2017 capital budget has been set at $7.8 million and is projected to maintain production at stable 2017 guidance levels of 2,500 barrels of oil equivalent per day, and is expected to be fully financed out of 2017 corporate funds flow. The capital budget allocates $2.7 million for Little Bow ASP polymer chemical costs, $1.5 million for land retention and other development costs and $3.6 million for oil and natural gas exploitation expenditures that were deferred due to the financial and pricing considerations over the last two years. For the first half of 2017, the exploitation projects include well recompletions, reactivations and optimizations at the Little Bow non-ASP and ASP projects, North Dakota properties and the Highvale natural gas property which are providing immediate production gains. These projects are augmented by waterflood modification and enhancement projects for the Little Bow non-ASP and Truro, North Dakota pools which will provide long term reserves and production.

For further information regarding Zargon’s production volumes and capital programs, please refer to the Company’s updated corporate presentation, which is available at www.zargon.ca.

Year End 2016 Reserves

Zargon’s year end 2016 proved and probable reserves total 12.91 million barrels of oil equivalent and were appraised by Zargon’s independent reserves evaluator, McDaniel & Associates Consultants Ltd. On a six-to-one equivalency basis, oil and liquids comprised 87 per cent of Zargon’s total proved and probable reserves. Zargon’s year end 2016 proved and probable, total proved and proved developed producing oil and liquids reserves are 11.18 million barrels, 7.15 million barrels and 6.28 million barrels, respectively.

Zargon’s oil properties are characterized by pressure supported reservoirs (waterflood, tertiary schemes or natural aquifers) that provide long-life, low-decline oil production, and consequently the McDaniel proved developed producing oil and liquids first year predicted decline is only 8 percent (11 percent excluding the Little Bow Alkaline Surfactant Polymer “ASP” project). Zargon’s proved developed producing oil and liquids reserve life index is 8.8 years and Zargon’s proved and probable developed producing oil and liquids reserve life index is 11.7 years. Finally, Zargon’s total proved and probable oil and liquids reserve life index is 15.6 years. The relatively large developed producing reserve life indices are indicative of low decline oil production from relatively mature properties.

Zargon’s year end 2016 produce-out net asset value is calculated to be $3.27 per basic share. On a proved developed producing basis the “produce out” net asset value is calculated to be $1.70 per basic share. This calculation reflects McDaniel’s estimate of the Zargon properties’ proved and probable future cash flow using a before tax 10 percent discount rate and forecast prices and costs plus an independent appraisal of Zargon’s undeveloped land and working capital less the full future face value of the $57.5 million convertible debentures. These estimates do not include the potential conversion of $57.5 million of debentures into common shares at a price of $1.25 per share. Assuming the entire $57.5 million of debentures are converted into common shares, the “produce out” net asset values are $1.44 and $2.07 per basic share, for the respective proved developed producing and proved and probable reserve cases.

For further information regarding Zargon’s reserves and net asset values, please refer to the Company’s updated corporate presentation, which is available at www.zargon.ca.

Hedging Update

Zargon has entered into a significant oil hedging program to improve the stability and predictability to cash flows. For January 2017, Zargon has entered into hedges to fix the West Texas Intermediate (“WTI”) price of oil on 650 barrels per day of oil production at an average price of $66.98 (Canadian). Similarly for the February 2017 through December 2017 period, Zargon’s WTI hedges total 1,300 barrels of oil per day at a price of $69.24 (Canadian). Additionally, Zargon has entered into a hedge to fix the differential between WTI and WCS (Western Canadian Select) prices at $19.50 Canadian dollars for 1,300 barrels of oil per day for the period April to December 2017.

Strategic Alternatives Process Update

In third quarter 2015, Zargon announced the formation of a special board committee to examine alternatives that would maximize shareholder value in a manner that would recognize the company’s fundamental inherent value related to Zargon’s long-life, low-decline oil assets and their related oil exploitation upside. To this end, the third quarter 2016 southeast Saskatchewan asset sale eliminated all of Zargon’s bank debt. Earlier this year, Zargon’s convertible unsecured subordinated debentures were successfully restructured to provide for a December 31, 2019 maturity date.

With the elimination of the company’s bank debt and the restructuring of the debentures, Zargon will continue with its strategic alternatives process, which may include, among other alternatives, the addition of capital to further develop the potential of the company’s assets, a merger, a farm-in or joint venture, the sale of the company or a portion of the company’s assets, or other such options as may be determined by the company’s board of directors to be in the best interests of the company’s stakeholders. Macquarie Capital Markets Canada Ltd. is Zargon’s exclusive financial adviser related to this component of its strategic alternatives process. The company has not set a definitive schedule to complete this process, and there are no guarantees that the process will result in a transaction of any form or, if a transaction is entered into, as to its terms or timing.

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