CALGARY, Alberta – Pieridae Energy Limited (“Pieridae” or the “Company”) (PEA.TO) announces the release of its second quarter 2022 financial and operating results, highlighted by record net operating income, material deleveraging and minor non-core asset divestitures.
Highlights
“Strong commodity prices and steady operations coupled with rigorous operating cost management have resulted in a solid second quarter and we are very pleased to have repaid $23 million of our term loan,” said Pieridae’s Chief Executive Officer Alfred Sorensen. “If commodity prices remain strong, Pieridae expects to generate significant free cash flow in the second half of 2022. We remain focused on safe and reliable operations, improving our financial flexibility through ongoing debt reduction, further asset rationalization and optimization, and commencing the Company’s previously announced inaugural three-well drilling program in October 2022.”
Selected Q2 2022 Operational & Financial Results
2022 | 2021 | 2020 | ||||||||||||||
($ 000 unless otherwise stated) | Q2 | Q1 | Q4 | Q3 | Q2 | Q1 | Q4 | Q3 | ||||||||
Production | ||||||||||||||||
Natural gas (mcf/day) | 178,918 | 187,719 | 198,596 | 191,439 | 194,232 | 215,179 | 212,220 | 184,080 | ||||||||
Condensate (bbl/day) | 2,864 | 3,201 | 2,851 | 2,555 | 2,950 | 3,158 | 3,259 | 2,807 | ||||||||
NGLs (bbl/day) | 3,695 | 6,003 | 5,354 | 4,133 | 3,083 | 4,975 | 6,171 | 4,722 | ||||||||
Sulphur (tonne/day) | 1,530 | 1,599 | 1,185 | 1,518 | 1,710 | 1,713 | 1,829 | 2,232 | ||||||||
Total production (boe/d) | 36,378 | 40,491 | 41,304 | 38,595 | 38,404 | 43,997 | 44,800 | 38,209 | ||||||||
Financial | ||||||||||||||||
Realized natural gas price ($/mcf) | 4.67 | 4.08 | 3.67 | 2.7 | 2.59 | 2.63 | 2.16 | 1.7 | ||||||||
Benchmark natural gas price ($/mcf) | 7.22 | 4.75 | 4.69 | 3.59 | 3.11 | 3.16 | 2.67 | 2.14 | ||||||||
Realized condensate price ($/bbl) | 116.61 | 106.13 | 69.71 | 65.33 | 68.08 | 58.4 | 53.48 | 44.67 | ||||||||
Benchmark condensate price ($/bbl) | 132.49 | 122.62 | 100.1 | 70.25 | 64.82 | 59.05 | 56.01 | 38.4 | ||||||||
Net income (loss) | 22,982 | 10,549 | 4,661 | (14,846 | ) | (10,058 | ) | (19,547 | ) | (45,968 | ) | (29,845 | ) | |||
Net income (loss) per share, basic | 0.15 | 0.07 | 0.03 | (0.09 | ) | (0.06 | ) | (0.12 | ) | (0.29 | ) | (0.19 | ) | |||
Net income (loss) per share, diluted | 0.14 | 0.07 | 0.03 | (0.09 | ) | (0.06 | ) | (0.12 | ) | (0.29 | ) | (0.19 | ) | |||
Net operating income (loss) (1) | 55,969 | 47,295 | 30,845 | 17,920 | 14,444 | 20,876 | 12,829 | (646 | ) | |||||||
Cashflow provided by (used in) operating activities | 34,922 | 3,212 | 21,139 | 6,885 | 12,093 | 11,000 | 2,362 | (4,541 | ) | |||||||
Adjusted funds flow from operations (1) | 48,710 | 45,144 | 23,317 | 10,981 | 8,516 | 14,878 | 8,535 | (6,779 | ) | |||||||
Total assets | 499,580 | 552,781 | 622,540 | 560,782 | 575,690 | 557,696 | 612,651 | 583,942 | ||||||||
Working capital (deficit) surplus | (61,634 | ) | (64,413 | ) | (87,665 | ) | (52,534 | ) | (47,862 | ) | (28,314 | ) | (19,615 | ) | (9,164 | ) |
Capital expenditures | 9,739 | 3,534 | 1,493 | 9,852 | 17,959 | 5,668 | 8,926 | 6,033 | ||||||||
Development expenses | – | – | 225 | 783 | (4,862 | ) | 8,604 | 8,682 | 2,472 |
(1) Refer to the “non-GAAP measures” section of the Company’s Q2 2022 MD&A.
Operating Netback
2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |||||||
($ per BOE) | Q2 | Q1 | Q4 | Q3 | Q2 | Q1 | Q4 | Q3 | |
Total Revenue | 41.87 | 35.61 | 28.37 | 22.90 | 21.89 | 22.11 | 18.68 | 15.86 | |
Royalties | 7.08 | 5.25 | 4.65 | 1.70 | 1.11 | 0.97 | 1.07 | 0.34 | |
Operating | 16.00 | 15.72 | 14.17 | 14.84 | 15.41 | 14.70 | 13.46 | 14.66 | |
Transportation | 1.89 | 1.66 | 1.42 | 1.32 | 1.24 | 1.17 | 1.04 | 1.04 | |
Netback ($/boe) | 16.90 | 12.98 | 8.12 | 5.05 | 4.13 | 5.27 | 3.11 | (0.18 | ) |
Excluding the impact of fixed price commodity contracts, the operating netback would have been $30.24/boe for the quarter.
Commodity Pricing and Hedge Position
Energy markets continue to see a drastic change in fundamentals between 2021 and 2022. The AECO monthly natural gas price index increased 134% in the second quarter of 2022 compared to 2021. Average North American crude oil prices increased 65% in the second quarter of 2022 compared to the second quarter of 2021 based on persistent supply constraints and market uncertainty due to ongoing geopolitical events.
Pieridae’s realized prices reflect the mix of spot sales and physical forward sales contracts.
Six months ended June 30, 2022 | Average Realized Prices | Benchmark Prices |
Natural Gas ($/mcf) (1) | 4.37 | 5.99 |
Condensate ($/bbl) (2) | 111.11 | 127.58 |
NGLs ($/bbl) (3) | 38.32 | 35.94 |
Sulphur ($/tonne) (4) | 52.59 | 488.01 |
(1) AECO 5A benchmark price ($/mcf)
(2) Condensate benchmark price ($/bbl)
(3) AECO 5A benchmark price ($/boe)
(4) Sulphur ($/tonne)
In the first half of 2022, volumes sold under physical forward sales contracts represented 52% of total production and 65% of total revenue. If losses on physical forward sale contracts were removed, the Company’s average realized natural gas prices for the six months ended June 30, 2022, would have been $5.87/mcf as compared to the AECO 5A benchmark of $5.99/mcf. If losses on physical forward sale contracts were removed, average realized condensate prices for the six months ended June 30, 2022, would have been $121.83/bbl as compared to the condensate benchmark prices of $127.58/bbl.
Pieridae’s outstanding physical sales contracts for natural gas and NGL at June 30, 2022 are as follows:
as at June 30, 2022 | Natural Gas | Condensate(3) | % Hedged Production | |||
$/gj | gj/day | $/bbl | bbl/day | |||
Q3 2022 | 2.66 | 107,500 | 125.73 | 1,000 | 45% | |
Q4 2022 | 2.65 | 46,141 | 130.54 | 1,000 | 19% | |
Q1 2023 | 2.88 | 17,500 | – | – | 7% |
Pieridae will continue to hedge in order to mitigate commodity price volatility and protect the cash flow required to fund the Company’s facility maintenance capital requirements, debt service obligations and capital development program while allowing the Company to meaningfully participate in future commodity price upside.
Production
Production in the second quarter of 2022 averaged 36,378 boe/d, a 5% decrease from 38,404 boe/d in Q2 2021. Production was impacted by the following events:
Foothills Drilling Program
The Company will commence a three well drilling program in Q4, 2022 at Brown Creek in our Central Alberta Foothills area. This first drill program is focused on sweet liquids rich gas in Cretaceous Mannville Group reservoirs. Mannville sandstone reservoirs in the foothills are conventional and characterized by 3-11m net pay averaging 9-12% porosity. Structural targets will be exploited using proven foothills methodology and are intended be completed open hole, drilled at a true vertical depth of 2,600-3,300m. Successful wells in these reservoirs provide significant upside potential of up to 39 additional wells in the Central AB Foothills core area.
The project will incur gross development capital costs during Q4 2022 and Q1 2023 of $29 million and is anticipated to result in risked initial additional production of approximately 3,555 boe/d on a combined basis.
Export Development Canada (“EDC”) Guarantee Facility Extension
During Q2 2022, the Company renewed and increased its guarantee facility from Export Development Canada to $12 million (previously $8 million). This guarantee facility provides for 100% guarantee to issuing banks of the Company’s existing and future letters of credit, of which $7.0 million was drawn at June 30, 2022.
Northeast BC (“NEBC”) Asset Sales
In June 2022 Pieridae’s Board of Directors approved the sale of certain non-core oil and gas properties located in NEBC for $1.2 million in cash and either a 10% gross overriding royalty interest in certain lands included in the package or a $6.5 million cash payment, at the option of the purchaser.
The sale agreement has an effective date of May 1, 2022 and is subject to ordinary closing conditions, regulatory approvals, license transfers and normal closing adjustments, and is expected to close in Q4 2022.
“The sale of our Ekwan and Sierra properties is in line with our strategy of unlocking value from non-core assets,” said Darcy Reding, President & COO. “The combination of cash and deferred consideration in the form of a royalty will allow increased focus on our core asset portfolio while providing shareholders with exposure to any future upside in these properties.”
2022 Guidance
($ 000s unless otherwise noted) | Revised 2022 Guidance | Previous 2022 Guidance | ||
Low | High | Low | High | |
Total production (boe/d) | 37,500 | 39,500 | 39,000 | 42,000 |
Net operating income (1)(2) | 150,000 | 180,000 | 120,000 | 160,000 |
Implied Operating Netback ($/boe) (2) | 12.00 | 14.00 | 9.00 | 11.00 |
Sustaining capital expenditures (3) | 17,000 | 22,000 | 17,000 | 22,000 |
Development capital expenditures (4) | 25,000 | 30,000 | 17,000 | 25,000 |
(1) Refer to the “non-GAAP measures” section on page 5 of the Company’s Q2 2022 MD&A.
(2) 2022 outlook assumes average 2022 AECO price of $5.13/Mcf and average 2022 WTI price of USD$92.74/bbl and accounts for fixed price forward commodity sales contracts as of June 30, 2022
(3) Comprised of facility maintenance and turnaround capital expenditures
(4) Comprised of seismic, development and land capital expenditures
Pieridae’s Board of Directors approved the 2022 budget in November 2021. Pieridae’s priority has continued to be on improving flexibility by strengthening the balance sheet while sustaining production, implementing cost control initiatives, optimizing infrastructure logistics and executing non-core asset dispositions. Management is revising production guidance downward due primarily to expected continued reinjection of ethane production into the gas stream for at least the remainder of 2022 which impacts production by approximately 1,800 boe/d annualized (with associated impact on per boe figures) but does not impact total revenue expectations.
The Company’s 2022 development capital program guidance range has been increased and narrowed to $25 – 30 million reflecting both a probable $3.9 million increase in Pieridae’s participation in the upcoming drilling program and the addition of approximately $3.6 million of high-return optimization and development activities anticipated to support and strengthen production.