Bonterra Energy Corp. Announces Second Quarter and Six Months Ended June 30, 2015 Results

CALGARY, ALBERTA–(Marketwired – Aug. 12, 2015) – Bonterra Energy Corp. (Bonterra or the Company) (TSX:BNE) is pleased to announce its operating and financial results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2015. The related unaudited condensed financial statements and notes, as well as management’s discussion and analysis (MD&A), are available on the System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR) at www.sedar.com and on Bonterra’s website at www.bonterraenergy.com.

HIGHLIGHTS

As at and for the periods ended
($ 000s except for $ per share)
Three months ended Six Months ended
June 30,
2015
June 30,
2014
June 30,
2015
June 30,
2014
FINANCIAL
Revenue – realized oil and gas sales (1) 57,921 99,274 100,401 181,795
Funds flow (1)(3) 43,058 65,620 65,148 120,034
Per share – basic 1.34 2.06 2.03 3.77
Per share – diluted 1.34 2.04 2.03 3.74
Payout ratio 34% 42% 52% 46%
Cash flow from operations 17,960 57,089 44,039 106,183
Per share – basic 0.56 1.79 1.37 3.33
Per share – diluted 0.56 1.78 1.37 3.31
Payout ratio 81% 49% 77% 52%
Cash dividends per share 0.45 0.87 1.05 1.74
Net earnings (loss) (2,711) 27,614 (4,646) 50,655
Per share – basic (0.08) 0.87 (0.14) 1.59
Per share – diluted (0.08) 0.86 (0.14) 1.58
Capital expenditures net of dispositions 13,952 38,466 35,712 92,702
Acquisition(2) 153,230 170,430
Total assets 1,225,291 1,066,145
Working capital deficiency 27,558 36,399
Long-term debt 361,430 151,145
Shareholders’ equity 599,911 699,284
OPERATIONS
Oil – barrels per day (1) 8,823 9,109 8,478 8,342
– average price ($ per barrel) 64.27 102.36 56.85 99.73
NGLs -barrels per day (1) 677 775 734 748
– average price ($ per barrel) 21.35 53.50 21.89 60.36
Natural gas – MCF per day (1) 19,452 24,163 19,580 23,240
– average price ($ per MCF) 2.83 4.85 2.90 5.48
Total barrels of oil equivalent per day (BOE) (1)(4) 12,743 13,911 12,475 12,964
(1) Three and six month figures for 2015 include the results of a purchase (the Acquisition) of primarily Pembina Cardium oil and gas assets (Pembina Assets) for the period of April 15, 2015 to June 30, 2015. For the six months ended June 30, 2015, production includes 76 days for the Pembina Assets and 182 days for Bonterra.
(2) For 2015, includes the Acquisition that closed April 15, 2015 for $170,430,000 (a deposit of $17,200,000 was paid in Q1 2015).
(3) Funds flow is not a recognized measure under IFRS. For these purposes, the Company defines funds flow as funds provided by operations including proceeds from sale of investments and investment income received excluding the effects of changes in non-cash working capital items and decommissioning expenditures settled.
(4) BOE may be misleading, particularly if used in isolation. A BOE conversion ratio of 6 MCF: 1 bbl is based on an energy conversion method primarily applicable at the burner tip and does not represent a value equivalency at the wellhead.

Bonterra’s second quarter results improved compared to Q1 2015 due to higher oil prices resulting in the Company’s realized prices increasing by 29 percent. With increased oil prices the Company continued with its development capital program by drilling 4 gross (3.9 net) wells and completing and tying-in 8 gross (7.9 net) wells that were drilled prior to the second quarter, but not completed or tied-in during the first quarter due to low oil prices.

During the first half of 2015 Bonterra dealt with lower than expected production volumes of approximately 1,200 BOE per day. The reduced volumes have resulted from pipeline restrictions on the TransCanada pipeline system, insufficient natural gas processing capacity, delaying the completion of wells due to low oil prices and the voluntary shut-in of production. By successfully redirecting the majority of these affected volumes the Company’s current production is now in excess of 14,000 BOE per day.

On April 15, 2015, the Company acquired Cardium oil and gas assets in the Pembina area for $170.4 million which are complementary to Bonterra’s current acreage and provide additional inventory of long-term drilling locations. The current production on the acquired assets is approximately 1,825 BOE per day with a decline rate of approximately 7 percent.

Q2 and the Six Months Ended June 30, 2015 Highlights:

  • Average Canadian dollar realized commodity price per barrel of oil equivalent (BOE) were as follows: $49.95 in Q2 2015 compared to $78.42 in Q2 2014 and $44.47 for the six months ended June 30, 2015 compared to $77.48 for the same period in 2014;
  • Corporate cash netback per BOE was $30.22 in Q2 2015 compared to $51.48 in Q2 2014 and $25.63 for the six months ended June 30, 2015 compared to $50.98 for the same period in 2014;
  • Corporate funds flow for Q2 2015 was $43.1 million compared to $65.6 million in Q2 2014 and $65.2 million for the six months ended June 30, 2015 compared to $120.0 million for the same period in 2014;
  • Second quarter cash flow would have been $35.9 million compared to $21.9 million for the first quarter of 2015 if the temporary effect of changes in non-cash working capital on operating activities had been excluded;
  • The Company achieved Q2 2015 production of 12,743 BOE per day compared to 13,911 in Q2 2014 and 12,204 in Q1 2015. Production for the six months ended June 30, 2015 was 12,475 BOE per day compared to 12,964 BOE per day for the same period in 2014; and
  • Second quarter net debt (includes working capital) to funds flow ratio of 2.5 to 1.0 times on a four quarter trailing basis.

Kindly refer to the “Highlights” and “Quarterly Comparison” sections of the full Q2 2015 quarterly report for further details.

Subsequent Event

  • On July 8, 2015 Bonterra closed a private placement of 973,812 common shares to existing shareholders at a price of $32.00 per common share, raising gross proceeds of approximately $31.2 million. The proceeds were initially used to reduce debt.

Outlook

It is a volatile period for the oil and gas industry and difficult to predict future conditions for maintaining a five year plan. The largest impact items will likely be predicting oil prices and the impact of policies implemented by the new Alberta government.

Bonterra’s favourable asset base makes it possible to operate successfully at low oil prices and with present debt levels. The Company continues to take the approach that capital spending and dividend payments will continue to be monitored on an ongoing basis and can be modified on short notice, depending on changes in production volumes, commodity prices and regulatory changes.

However, it is important to remember that not all is negative during difficult times. Capital costs on a per well basis have been reduced by 25 percent; operating and general and administration costs have been reduced by 14 percent per BOE and 38 percent per BOE, respectively; and the Canadian dollar compared to the U.S. is substantially lower which contributes to stronger Canadian dollar revenues. Each of these items help to somewhat offset the broader negative impact of low WTI oil pricing.

Another important advantage for Bonterra is that it has an inventory of undrilled Cardium locations that will last for 14 years. It is a difficult time for our industry, but survival is not an issue for Bonterra.

The Board of Directors wish to take the opportunity to thank the staff and consultants for all of the work that has been provided by them during the past six months. A significant amount of extra time and effort has been required.

Bonterra Energy Corp. is a conventional oil and gas corporation with operations in Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia. The shares are listed on The Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol “BNE”.

Cautionary Statements

This summarized news release should not be considered a suitable source of information for readers who are unfamiliar with Bonterra Energy Corp. and should not be considered in any way as a substitute for reading the full report. For the full report, please go towww.bonterraenergy.com.

Use of Non-IFRS Financial Measures

Throughout this release the Company uses the terms “payout ratio” and “cash netback” to analyze operating performance, which are not standardized measures recognized under IFRS and do not have a standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS. These measures are commonly utilized in the oil and gas industry and are considered informative by management, shareholders and analysts. These measures may differ from those made by other companies and accordingly may not be comparable to such measures as reported by other companies.

The Company calculates payout ratio by dividing cash dividends paid to shareholders by cash flow from operating activities, both of which are measures prescribed by IFRS which appear on our statements of cash flows. We calculate cash netback by dividing various financial statement items as determined by IFRS by total production for the period on a barrel of oil equivalent basis.

Forward-Looking Information

Certain statements contained in this release include statements which contain words such as “anticipate”, “could”, “should”, “expect”, “seek”, “may”, “intend”, “likely”, “will”, “believe” and similar expressions, relating to matters that are not historical facts, and such statements of our beliefs, intentions and expectations about development, results and events which will or may occur in the future, constitute “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation and are based on certain assumptions and analysis made by us derived from our experience and perceptions. Forward-looking information in this release includes, but is not limited to: expected cash provided by continuing operations; cash dividends; future capital expenditures, including the amount and nature thereof; oil and natural gas prices and demand; expansion and other development trends of the oil and gas industry; business strategy and outlook; expansion and growth of our business and operations; and maintenance of existing customer, supplier and partner relationships; supply channels; accounting policies; credit risks; and other such matters.

All such forward-looking information is based on certain assumptions and analyses made by us in light of our experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors we believe are appropriate in the circumstances. The risks, uncertainties, and assumptions are difficult to predict and may affect operations, and may include, without limitation: foreign exchange fluctuations; equipment and labour shortages and inflationary costs; general economic conditions; industry conditions; changes in applicable environmental, taxation and other laws and regulations as well as how such laws and regulations are interpreted and enforced; the ability of oil and natural gas companies to raise capital; the effect of weather conditions on operations and facilities; the existence of operating risks; volatility of oil and natural gas prices; oil and gas product supply and demand; risks inherent in the ability to generate sufficient cash flow from operations to meet current and future obligations; increased competition; stock market volatility; opportunities available to or pursued by us; and other factors, many of which are beyond our control.

Actual results, performance or achievements could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, this forward-looking information and, accordingly, no assurance can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking information will transpire or occur, or if any of them do, what benefits will be derived there from. Except as required by law, Bonterra disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

The forward-looking information contained herein is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

Frequently recurring terms

Bonterra uses the following frequently recurring terms in this press release: “bbl” refers to barrel, “NGL” refers to Natural gas liquids, “MCF” refers to thousand cubic feet and “BOE” refers to barrels of oil equivalent. Disclosure provided herein in respect of a BOE may be misleading, particularly if used in isolation. A BOE conversion ratio of 6 MCF: 1 bbl is based on an energy conversion method primarily applicable at the burner tip and does not represent a value equivalency at the wellhead.

Numerical Amounts

The reporting and the functional currency of the Company is the Canadian dollar.

 


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