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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549


Form 10-K

     
(Mark One)
   
þ
  ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF
THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
 
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004
 
or
 
o
  TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
 
For the transition period from          to

Commission File Number 333-106586

El Paso Production Holding Company

(Exact name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
     
Delaware
  76-0659544
(State or Other Jurisdiction of
Incorporation or Organization)
  (I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)
 
El Paso Building
1001 Louisiana Street
Houston, Texas
  77002
(Zip Code)
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)    

Telephone Number: (713) 420-2600

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: None

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

      Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.     Yes þ          No o.

      Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.     þ

      Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).     Yes o          No þ.

      State the aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates of the registrant: None

      Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the registrant’s classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date.

      Common Stock, par value $1 per share. Shares outstanding on March 31, 2005: 1,000

     EL PASO PRODUCTION HOLDING COMPANY MEETS THE CONDITIONS OF GENERAL INSTRUCTION I(1)(a) AND (b) TO FORM 10-K AND IS THEREFORE FILING THIS REPORT WITH A REDUCED DISCLOSURE FORMAT AS PERMITTED BY SUCH INSTRUCTION.

Documents Incorporated by Reference: None




EL PASO PRODUCTION HOLDING COMPANY

TABLE OF CONTENTS

             
Caption Page


 Part I
 
Business
    1  
 
Properties
    6  
 
Legal Proceedings
    6  
 
Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders
    *  
 Part II
 
Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
    6  
 
Selected Financial Data
    *  
 
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
    7  
        15  
 
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
    23  
 
Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
    24  
 
Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure
    51  
 
Controls and Procedures
    51  
 
Other Information
    52  
 Part III
Item 10.
 
Directors and Executive Officers of the Registrant
    *  
Item 11.
 
Executive Compensation
    *  
Item 12.
 
Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters
    *  
Item 13.
 
Certain Relationships and Related Transactions
    *  
 
Principal Accountant Fees and Services
    52  
 Part IV
 
Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules
    52  
        55  
 Certification of CEO Pursuant to Section 302
 Certification of CFO Pursuant to Section 302
 Certification of CEO Pursuant to Section 906
 Certification of CFO Pursuant to Section 906


We have not included a response to this item in this document since no response is required pursuant to the reduced disclosure format permitted by General Instruction I to Form 10-K.

     Below is a list of terms that are common to our industry and used throughout this document:

         
/d
  =   per day
Bbl
  =   barrels
BBtu
  =   billion British thermal units
Bcf
  =   billion cubic feet
Bcfe
  =   billion cubic feet of natural gas equivalents
MBbls
  =   thousand barrels
Mcf
  =   thousand cubic feet
Mcfe
  =   thousand cubic feet of natural gas equivalents
MMBbls
  =   million barrels
MMBtu
  =   million British thermal units
MMcf
  =   million cubic feet
MMcfe
  =   million cubic feet of natural gas equivalents
TBtu
  =   trillion British thermal units
Tcfe
  =   trillion cubic feet of natural gas equivalents

     When we refer to natural gas and oil in “equivalents,” we are doing so to compare quantities of oil with quantities of natural gas or to express these different commodities in a common unit. In calculating equivalents, we use a generally recognized standard in which one Bbl of oil is equal to six Mcf of natural gas. Also, when we refer to cubic feet measurements, all measurements are at a pressure of 14.73 pounds per square inch.

     When we refer to “us”, “we”, “our”, “ours”, or “El Paso Production”, we are describing El Paso Production Holding Company and/or our subsidiaries.

i


Table of Contents

PART I

 
ITEM 1. BUSINESS

General

      We are a Delaware corporation formed in 1999 as a wholly-owned direct subsidiary of El Paso Corporation (El Paso). We are engaged in the exploration for, and the acquisition, development and production of natural gas, oil, condensate and natural gas liquids. We operate primarily in Alabama, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and the Gulf of Mexico. During 2004, daily production averaged 456 MMcfe/d, and our proved reserves at December 31, 2004, were approximately 1.3 Tcfe.

      We focus on developing production opportunities around our asset base, which is solely in the United States. This plan emphasizes strict capital discipline designed to improve capital efficiency through the use of standardized risk analysis and a heightened focus on cost control. We also implemented a more rigorous process for booking proved natural gas and oil reserves. Our plan is to stabilize production by improving the production mix across our operating areas and to generate more predictable returns. We intend to improve our production mix by allocating more capital to long-life, slower decline projects and to development projects in longer reserve life areas. This is being accomplished through our more rigorous capital review process and a more balanced allocation of our capital to development and exploration projects, supplemented by acquisition activities with low-risk development locations that provide operating synergies with our existing operations. In January 2005, we announced two acquisitions in east Texas and south Texas for $211 million. In March 2005, we purchased the interest held by one of the parties under a net profits interest agreement for approximately $40 million. These acquisitions added properties with approximately 131 Bcfe of existing proved reserves and 48 MMcfe/d of current production. More importantly, the Texas acquisitions offered additional exploration upside in two of our key operating areas.

      Our operations are divided into the following areas:

         
Area Operating Regions Major Fields



Onshore
  Central (primarily in north Louisiana)   Holly, Bear Creek, Shangaloo and Ada/ Sibbley/ West Bryceland
    Black Warrior Basin in Alabama   White Oak Creek, Short Creek, Blue Creek West, and Brookwood
    Arkoma Basin in Oklahoma   Oklahoma
    Raton Basin in New Mexico   Vermejo Park Ranch
 
Texas Gulf Coast
  South Texas   North Monte Christo and Samano
 
Offshore and south Louisiana
 
Gulf of Mexico (Texas and Louisiana)
South Louisiana
 
South Timbalier 189/204, Ewing Bank 1003, East Cameron 81/84, Jim Bob Mountain and Mound Point, West Delta 137, and West Cameron 46/47
 
Natural Gas and Oil Reserves

      The tables below detail our proved reserves at December 31, 2004. Information in these tables is based on our internal reserve report. Ryder Scott Company, an independent petroleum engineering firm, prepared an estimate of our natural gas and oil reserves for 92 percent of our properties by volume. The total estimate of proved reserves prepared by Ryder Scott was within five percent of our internally prepared estimates presented in these tables. This information is consistent with estimates of reserves filed with other federal agencies except for differences of less than five percent resulting from actual production, acquisitions, property sales, necessary reserve revisions and additions to reflect actual experience. Ryder Scott was retained by and reports to the Audit Committee of El Paso’s Board of Directors. The properties reviewed by Ryder Scott represented 90 percent of our proved properties based on value.

1


Table of Contents

      Our estimated proved reserves at December 31, 2004, and our 2004 production are as follows:

                                                   
Net Proved Reserves(1)

Natural Oil/ Natural Gas 2004
Gas Condensate Liquids (NGL) Total Production





(MMcf) (MBbls) (MBbls) (MMcfe) (Percent) (MMcfe)
Onshore
    1,065,421       1,926       1,233       1,084,375       84       78,708  
Texas Gulf Coast
    54,991       338       1,505       66,049       5       17,476  
Offshore and south Louisiana
    91,895       5,708       1,864       137,322       11       70,714  
     
     
     
     
     
     
 
 
Total
    1,212,307       7,972       4,602       1,287,746       100       166,898  
     
     
     
     
     
     
 


(1)  Net proved reserves exclude royalties and interests owned by others and reflect contractual arrangements and royalty obligations in effect at the time of the estimate.

     The table below summarizes our estimated proved producing reserves, proved non-producing reserves, and proved undeveloped reserves at December 31, 2004:

                                           
Net Proved Reserves(1)

Oil/
Natural Gas Condensate NGL Total




(MMcf) (MBbls) (MBbls) (MMcfe) (Percent)
Producing
    758,858       3,895       3,278       801,896       62  
Non-Producing
    109,499       1,774       981       126,023       10  
Undeveloped
    343,950       2,303       343       359,827       28  
     
     
     
     
     
 
 
Total proved
    1,212,307       7,972       4,602       1,287,746       100  
     
     
     
     
     
 


(1)  Net proved reserves exclude royalties and interests owned by others and reflect contractual arrangements and royalty obligations in effect at the time of the estimate.

     Recovery of proved undeveloped reserves requires significant capital expenditures and successful drilling operations. The reserve data assumes that we can and will make these expenditures and conduct these operations successfully, but future events, including commodity price changes, may cause these assumptions to change. In addition, estimates of proved undeveloped reserves and proved non-producing reserves are subject to greater uncertainties than estimates of proved producing reserves.

      There are numerous uncertainties inherent in estimating quantities of proved reserves, projecting future rates of production and projecting the timing of development expenditures, including many factors beyond our control. The reserve data represents only estimates. Reservoir engineering is a subjective process of estimating underground accumulations of natural gas and oil that cannot be measured in an exact manner. The accuracy of any reserve estimate is a function of the quality of available data and of engineering and geological interpretations and judgment. All estimates of proved reserves are determined according to the rules prescribed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). These rules indicate that the standard of “reasonable certainty” be applied to proved reserve estimates. This concept of reasonable certainty implies that as more technical data becomes available, a positive, or upward, revision is more likely than a negative, or downward, revision. Estimates are subject to revision based upon a number of factors, including reservoir performance, prices, economic conditions and government restrictions. In addition, results of drilling, testing and production subsequent to the date of an estimate may justify revision of that estimate. Reserve estimates are often different from the quantities of natural gas and oil that are ultimately recovered. The meaningfulness of reserve estimates is highly dependent on the accuracy of the assumptions on which they were based. In general, the volume of production from natural gas and oil properties we own declines as reserves are depleted. Except to the extent we conduct successful exploration and development activities or acquire additional properties containing proved reserves, or both, our proved reserves will decline as reserves are produced. For a further discussion of our reserves, see Part II, Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, under the heading Supplemental Natural Gas and Oil Operations.

2


Table of Contents

 
Acreage and Wells

      The following table details our gross and net interest in developed and undeveloped acreage at December 31, 2004. Any acreage in which our interest is limited to owned royalty, overriding royalty and other similar interests is excluded.

                                                   
Developed Undeveloped Total



Gross(1) Net(2) Gross(1) Net(2) Gross(1) Net(2)






Onshore
    408,087       281,057       1,199,686       1,019,526       1,607,773       1,300,583  
Texas Gulf Coast
    83,159       6,657       36,419       9,104       119,578       15,761  
Offshore and south Louisiana
    346,982       251,959       649,520       610,554       996,502       862,513  
     
     
     
     
     
     
 
 
Total
    838,228       539,673       1,885,625       1,639,184       2,723,853       2,178,857  
     
     
     
     
     
     
 

(1)  Gross interest reflects the total acreage we participated in, regardless of our ownership interests in the acreage.
(2)  Net interest is the aggregate of the fractional working interest that we have in our gross acreage.

     Our net developed acreage is concentrated primarily in the Gulf of Mexico (47 percent), Oklahoma (14 percent), Louisiana (12 percent), New Mexico (11 percent), and Alabama (9 percent). Our net undeveloped acreage is concentrated primarily in New Mexico (31 percent), the Gulf of Mexico (23 percent), Louisiana (16 percent) and Indiana (11 percent). Approximately 20 percent, 7 percent and 13 percent of our total net undeveloped acreage is held under leases that have remaining primary terms expiring in 2005, 2006 and 2007.

      The following table details our working interests in natural gas and oil wells at December 31, 2004:

                                                                   
Productive
Natural Gas Productive Oil Total Productive Number of Wells
Wells Wells Wells Being Drilled




Gross(1) Net(2) Gross(1) Net(2) Gross(1) Net(2) Gross(1) Net(2)








Onshore
    2,829       2,082       5       3       2,834       2,085       59       48  
Texas Gulf Coast
    97       89                   97       89              
Offshore and south Louisiana
    132       74       41       14       173       88       2       1  
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
 
 
Total
    3,058       2,245       46       17       3,104       2,262       61       49  
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
 


(1)  Gross interest reflects the total number of wells we participated in, regardless of our ownership interests in the wells.
(2)  Net interest is the aggregate of the fractional working interest that we have in our gross wells.

     At December 31, 2004, we operated 2,028 of the 2,262 net productive wells.

      The following table details our net exploratory and development wells drilled during the years 2002 through 2004:

                                                   
Net Exploratory Net Development
Wells Drilled(1) Wells Drilled(1)


2004 2003 2002 2004 2003 2002






Productive
    1       35       9       288       219       334  
Dry
    7       13       6       2             4  
     
     
     
     
     
     
 
 
Total
    8       48       15       290       219       338  
     
     
     
     
     
     
 


(1)  Net interest is the aggregate of the fractional working interest that we have in our gross wells drilled.

     The information above should not be considered indicative of future drilling performance, nor should it be assumed that there is any correlation between the number of productive wells drilled and the amount of natural gas and oil that may ultimately be recovered.

3


Table of Contents

 
Net Production, Sales Prices, Transportation and Production Costs

      The following table details our net production volumes, average sales prices received, average transportation costs and average production costs associated with the sale of natural gas and oil for each of the three years ended December 31:

                             
2004 2003 2002



Net Production Volumes
                       
 
Natural gas (MMcf)
    142,368       191,400       214,529  
 
Oil, condensate and NGL (MBbls)
    4,088       5,719       9,629  
   
Total (MMcfe)
    166,898       225,713       272,305  
 
Natural Gas Average Realized Sales Price ($/Mcf)(1)
                       
 
Price including hedges(2)
  $ 4.40     $ 3.83     $ 3.02  
 
Price excluding hedges
  $ 6.01     $ 5.56     $ 3.25  
 
Oil, Condensate, and NGL Average Realized Sales Price ($/Bbl)(1)
                       
 
Price including hedges(2)
  $ 33.58     $ 26.67     $ 21.87  
 
Price excluding hedges
  $ 33.58     $ 28.08     $ 22.06  
 
Average Transportation Costs
                       
 
Natural gas ($/Mcf)
  $ 0.21     $ 0.19     $ 0.19  
 
Oil, condensate and NGL ($/Bbl)
  $ 1.26     $ 1.23     $ 1.23  
 
Average Production Costs ($/Mcfe)(3)
                       
 
Average lease operating costs
  $ 0.51     $ 0.36     $ 0.33  
 
Average production taxes
    0.11