August 6, 2019 - 1:30 AM EDT
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International Petroleum Corporation Second Quarter 2019 Financial Results

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Aug. 06, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- International Petroleum Corporation (IPC or the Corporation) (TSX, Nasdaq Stockholm: IPCO) today released its financial and operating results and related management’s discussion and analysis (MD&A) for the three and six months ended June 30, 2019.

Financial and Operational Highlights

  • Average net production of 46,100 barrels of oil equivalent (boe) per day (boepd) for Q2 2019, a four percent increase from Q1 2019.
  • Operating costs per boe of USD 12.6 for Q2 2019, slightly better than guidance.
  • Drilling operations have commenced and continue in Canada, France and Malaysia.
  • Canada Suffield area oil drilling program results outperforming pre-drill expectations.
  • Canada Suffield N2N enhanced oil recovery (EOR) development project approved during Q2 2019, forecast to add peak rates of approximately 1,250 bopd once fully ramped up.
  • France Vert La Gravelle redevelopment project commenced in Q2 2019.
  • Completed acquisition of lands adjoining the Blackrod project in Canada, with best estimate contingent resources (unrisked) of 243 million boe (MMboe).
  • Capital expenditure budget remains in line with guidance of USD 188 million.
  • Strong operating cash flow generation of USD 76 million in Q2 2019 (USD 160 million for the first half of 2019) at the upper end of guidance.
  • Operating cash flows were utilised to fund capital expenditures and to reduce financial liabilities, with net debt decreasing from USD 277 million as at December 31, 2018 to USD 239 million as at June 30, 2019.
 Three months ended June 30 Six months ended June 30
USD Thousands20192018 20192018
Revenue129,357120,637 276,777235,799
Gross profit39,28745,920 86,17283,493
Net result25,74421,498 58,88647,811
Operating cash flow76,49676,687 159,552152,747
EBITDA74,60074,478 156,275139,769
Net Debt239,322254,628 239,322254,628

Mike Nicholson, IPC's Chief Executive Officer, commented,

"We are pleased to announce another strong set of quarterly results, with a ramp up in activity levels across all of our areas of operations during the first half of 2019.

During Q2 2019, our assets delivered average daily net production of 46,100 boepd. Full year average production is expected to be towards the lower end of the 46,000 to 50,000 boepd guidance range as a result of the delayed ramp up at Onion Lake Thermal in Canada and the partial production curtailment experienced in France during Q2 2019. The curtailment in France was due to a temporary suspension of operations at a refinery, with normal operations resuming in late July 2019. The 2019 exit production rate expectation remains at 50,000 boepd. Our operating costs per boe for Q2 2019 was USD 12.6, slightly better than guidance.

IPC has continued to deliver a robust financial performance during Q2 2019 generating a quarterly operating cash flow of USD 76 million, at the upper end of guidance. This allowed IPC to fund its expenditure program and to reduce net debt from USD 257 million at the end of Q1 2019 to USD 239 million by the end of Q2 2019.

In Malaysia, following positive results from the 2016 and 2018 infill drilling programs and continued good reservoir performance, we approved a third phase of infill drilling on the Bertam field for execution in 2019. The drilling program commenced in June 2019. The drilling of two infill landing pilots has been completed. Better than expected results were encountered in the A-15 area and poorer than expected results were encountered in the A-14 area. As a result, the third infill well (A-20) is planned for the A-15 area. The Keruing exploration well was drilled in Q3 2019 and the well is being plugged and abandoned after the reservoir was found to be water-bearing. The drilling program in Malaysia continues with the drilling of three infill wells (A-18, A-19, A-20) and work progresses to identify potential new locations for drilling in 2020.

In Canada, we plan to drill 25 development oil wells in the Suffield area in 2019, including wells related to the Suffield N2N EOR development project. The drilling campaign commenced in Q4 2018 and production to date has been ahead of pre-drill expectations. On the gas side, the gas optimization program continues with the objective of minimizing natural declines through 2019.

In France, our team is focused on the execution of the Vert La Gravelle redevelopment project using horizontal drilling techniques. The rig is currently drilling the first of three wells as scheduled.

With significant undrawn credit facilities at our disposal, we continue to opportunistically evaluate additional acquisition targets that we believe can deliver long-term value for our shareholders.”

International Petroleum Corp. (IPC) is an international oil and gas exploration and production company with a high quality portfolio of assets located in Canada, Malaysia and France, providing a solid foundation for organic and inorganic growth. IPC is a member of the Lundin Group of Companies. IPC is incorporated in Canada and IPC’s shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) and the Nasdaq Stockholm exchange under the symbol "IPCO".

For further information, please contact:

Rebecca Gordon
VP Corporate Planning and Investor Relations
rebecca.gordon@international-petroleum.com
Tel: +41 22 595 10 50
 

Or
Robert Eriksson
Media Manager
reriksson@rive6.ch
Tel: +46 701 11 26 15

This information is information that International Petroleum Corporation is required to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation and the Securities Markets Act. The information was submitted for publication, through the contact persons set out above, at 07:30 CET on August 6, 2019. The Corporation's unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and management's discussion and analysis (MD&A) have been filed on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) and are also available on the Corporation's website (www.international-petroleum.com).

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains statements and information which constitute "forward-looking statements" or "forward-looking information" (within the meaning of applicable securities legislation). Such statements and information (together, "forward-looking statements") relate to future events, including the Corporation's future performance, business prospects or opportunities. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release, unless otherwise indicated. IPC does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable laws.

All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking statements. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, forecasts, guidance, budgets, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as "seek", "anticipate", "plan", "continue", "estimate", "expect", "may", "will", "project", “forecast”, "predict", "potential", "targeting", "intend", "could", "might", "should", "believe", "budget" and similar expressions) are not statements of historical fact and may be "forward-looking statements". Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to: IPC’s intention and ability to continue to implement strategies to build long-term shareholder value; IPC’s intention to review future potential growth opportunities; the ability of IPC’s portfolio of assets to provide a solid foundation for organic and inorganic growth; the continued facility uptime and reservoir performance in IPC’s areas of operation; the proposed Vert La Gravelle development project, including drilling, and other organic growth opportunities in France, including the Villeperdue West project; the proposed third phase of infill drilling in Malaysia and the ability to identify and mature additional locations, and the production uplift from such drilling; future development potential of the Suffield operations, including continued and future oil drilling and gas optimization programs and the N2N EOR development project (including estimated peak rates and timing of such project); the proposed further conventional oil drilling in Canada, including the ability of such drilling to identify further drilling or development opportunities; development of the Blackrod project, including the land position acquired in May 2019, in Canada; the results of the facility optimization program and the work to debottleneck the facilities and injection capability and the F-Pad production, as well as water intake and steam generation issues, at Onion Lake Thermal; 2019 production range, exit rate, operating costs and capital expenditure estimates; potential further acquisition opportunities; estimates of reserves; estimates of contingent resources; estimates of prospective resources; the ability to generate free cash flows and use that cash to repay debt and to continue to deleverage; and future drilling and other exploration and development activities. Statements relating to "reserves" and "contingent resources" are also deemed to be forward-looking statements, as they involve the implied assessment, based on certain estimates and assumptions, that the reserves and resources described exist in the quantities predicted or estimated and that the reserves and resources can be profitably produced in the future. Ultimate recovery of reserves or resources is based on forecasts of future results, estimates of amounts not yet determinable and assumptions of management.

The forward-looking statements are based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by IPC, including expectations and assumptions concerning: prevailing commodity prices and currency exchange rates; applicable royalty rates and tax laws; interest rates; future well production rates and reserve and contingent resource volumes; operating costs; the timing of receipt of regulatory approvals; the performance of existing wells; the success obtained in drilling new wells; anticipated timing and results of capital expenditures; the sufficiency of budgeted capital expenditures in carrying out planned activities; the timing, location and extent of future drilling operations; the successful completion of acquisitions and dispositions; the benefits of acquisitions; the state of the economy and the exploration and production business in the jurisdictions in which IPC operates and globally; the availability and cost of financing, labour and services; and the ability to market crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids successfully.

Although IPC believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements because IPC can give no assurances that they will prove to be correct. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve 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, resources, production, revenues, costs and expenses; health, safety and environmental risks; commodity price and exchange rate fluctuations; interest rate fluctuations; marketing and transportation; loss of markets; environmental risks; competition; incorrect assessment of the value of acquisitions; failure to complete or realize the anticipated benefits of acquisitions or dispositions; the 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.

Additional information on these and other factors that could affect IPC, or its operations or financial results, are included in the MD&A (See "Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information" therein), the Corporation's Annual Information Form (AIF) for the year ended December 31, 2018 (See "Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information", "Reserves and Resources Advisory" and "Risk Factors" therein) and other reports on file with applicable securities regulatory authorities, which may be accessed through the SEDAR website (www.sedar.com) or IPC's website (www.international-petroleum.com).

Non-IFRS Measures
References are made in this press release to "operating cash flow" (OCF), "Earnings Before Interest, Tax, Depreciation and Amortization" (EBITDA), "operating costs" and "net debt"/"net cash", which are not generally accepted accounting measures under International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and do not have any standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS and, therefore, may not be comparable with definitions of OCF, EBITDA, operating costs and net debt/net cash that may be used by other public companies. Non-IFRS measures should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures prepared in accordance with IFRS.

Management believes that OCF, EBITDA, operating costs and net debt/net cash are useful supplemental measures that may assist shareholders and investors in assessing the cash generated by and the financial performance and position of the Corporation. Management also uses non-IFRS measures internally in order to facilitate operating performance comparisons from period to period, prepare annual operating budgets and assess the Corporation’s ability to meet its future capital expenditure and working capital requirements. Management believes these non-IFRS measures are important supplemental measures of operating performance because they highlight trends in the core business that may not otherwise be apparent when relying solely on IFRS financial measures. Management believes such measures allow for assessment of the Corporation’s operating performance and financial condition on a basis that is more consistent and comparable between reporting periods. The Corporation also believes that securities analysts, investors and other interested parties frequently use non-IFRS measures in the evaluation of issuers.

The definition and reconciliation of each non-IFRS measure is presented in IPC's MD&A (See "Non-IFRS Measures" therein). 

Disclosure of Oil and Gas Information
This press release contains references to estimates of gross 2P reserves attributed to the Corporation's oil and gas assets. Gross reserves are the total working interest reserves before the deduction of any royalties and including any royalty interests receivable.

Reserves estimates, contingent resource estimates and estimates of future net revenue in respect of IPC’s oil and gas assets in the Suffield area of Canada are effective as of December 31, 2018, and are included in the report prepared by McDaniel & Associates Consultants Ltd. (McDaniel), an independent qualified reserves evaluator, in accordance with National Instrument 51-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Oil and Gas Activities (NI 51-101) and the Canadian Oil and Gas Evaluation Handbook (the COGE Handbook), and using McDaniel's January 1, 2019 price forecasts.

Reserves estimates, contingent resource estimates and estimates of future net revenue in respect of IPC’s oil and gas assets in the Onion Lake, Blackrod and Mooney areas of Canada are effective as of December 31, 2018, and are included in the report prepared by Sproule Associates Limited (Sproule), an independent qualified reserves evaluator, in accordance with NI 51-101 and the COGE Handbook, and using McDaniel's January 1, 2019 price forecasts.

The contingent resource estimates in respect of the oil and gas assets acquired in May 2019 in the Blackrod area of Canada are effective as of December 31, 2018, and have been evaluated by Sproule, in accordance with NI 51-101 and the COGE Handbook. The lands acquired will be part of the planned SAGD development at Blackrod and have the same classification (Development on Hold) as the other Blackrod lands. The same chance of development risk (77%) has been applied to the acquired lands as was used for Phase 2 and Phase 3 of the Blackrod project. These lands will be incorporated into the Phase 2 and Phase 3 development plan going forward. Additional details regarding the planned development at Blackrod, including an assessment of the contingencies, timing and economics for the proposed development, are available in the AIF. 

Reserve estimates, contingent resource estimates, prospective resource estimates and estimates of future net revenue in respect of IPC’s oil and gas assets in France and Malaysia are effective as of December 31, 2018, and are included in the report prepared by ERC Equipoise Ltd. (ERCE), an independent qualified reserves auditor, in accordance with NI 51-101 and the COGE Handbook, and using McDaniel’s January 1, 2019 price forecasts.

The price forecasts used in the reserve reports are available on the website of McDaniel (www.mcdan.com), and are contained in the MCR.

"2P reserves" means IPC’s gross proved plus probable reserves. "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. "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.

Contingent resources are those quantities of petroleum estimated, as of a given date, to be potentially recoverable from known accumulations using established technology or technology under development, but which are not currently considered to be commercially recoverable due to one or more contingencies. Contingencies are conditions that must be satisfied for a portion of contingent resources to be classified as reserves that are: (a) specific to the project being evaluated; and (b) expected to be resolved within a reasonable timeframe. Contingencies may include factors such as economic, legal, environmental, political, and regulatory matters, or a lack of markets. It is also appropriate to classify as contingent resources the estimated discovered recoverable quantities associated with a project in the early evaluation stage. Contingent resources are further classified in accordance with the level of certainty associated with the estimates and may be sub-classified based on a project maturity and/or characterized by their economic status.

There are three classifications of contingent resources: low estimate, best estimate and high estimate. Best estimate is a classification of estimated resources described in the COGE Handbook as being considered to be the best estimate of the quantity that will be actually recovered. It is equally likely that the actual remaining quantities recovered will be greater or less than the best estimate. If probabilistic methods are used, there should be at least a 50% probability that the quantities actually recovered will equal or exceed the best estimate.

Contingent resources are further classified based on project maturity. The project maturity subclasses include development pending, development on hold, development unclarified and development not viable. All of the Corporation’s contingent resources are classified as either development on hold or development unclarified. Development on hold is defined as a contingent resource where there is a reasonable chance of development, but there are major non-technical contingencies to be resolved that are usually beyond the control of the operator. Development unclarified is defined as a contingent resource that requires further appraisal to clarify the potential for development and has been assigned a lower chance of development until contingencies can be clearly defined. Chance of development is the probability of a project being commercially viable.

References to "unrisked" contingent resources volumes means that the reported volumes of contingent resources have not been risked (or adjusted) based on the chance of commerciality of such resources. In accordance with the COGE Handbook for contingent resources, the chance of commerciality is solely based on the chance of development based on all contingencies required for the re-classification of the contingent resources as reserves being resolved. Therefore unrisked reported volumes of contingent resources do not reflect the risking (or adjustment) of such volumes based on the chance of development of such resources.

The contingent resources reported in this press release are estimates only. The estimates are based upon a number of factors and assumptions each of which contains estimation error which could result in future revisions of the estimates as more technical and commercial information becomes available. The estimation factors include, but are not limited to, the mapped extent of the oil and gas accumulations, geologic characteristics of the reservoirs, and dynamic reservoir performance. There are numerous risks and uncertainties associated with recovery of such resources, including many factors beyond the Corporation’s control. There is uncertainty that it will be commercially viable to produce any portion of the contingent resources referred to in this press release.

2P reserves and contingent resources have been aggregated in this press release by IPC. Estimates of reserves and future net revenue for individual properties may not reflect the same level of confidence as estimates of reserves and future net revenue for all properties, due to aggregation. This press release contains estimates of the net present value of the future net revenue from IPC's reserves. 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. 

BOEs may be misleading, particularly if used in isolation. A BOE conversion ratio of 6 thousand cubic feet (Mcf) per 1 barrel (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. 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 6:1 conversion basis may be misleading as an indication of value.

Currency
All dollar amounts in this press release are expressed in United States dollars, except where otherwise noted. References herein to USD mean United States dollars. References herein to CAD mean Canadian dollars.

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Source: GlobeNewswire (August 6, 2019 - 1:30 AM EDT)

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