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8-K - FORM 8-K - ABRAXAS PETROLEUM CORPaxasye2011.htm

  
 

 
ABRAXAS PETROLEUM CORPORATION
www.abraxaspetroleum.com
 
Exhibit 99.1

NEWS RELEASE

Abraxas Announces 2011 Results and Provides an Operational Update

SAN ANTONIO (March 15, 2012) – Abraxas Petroleum Corporation (NASDAQ:AXAS) today reported financial and operating results for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2011 and provided an operational update.

Financial and Operating Results
Including Abraxas’ equity interest in Blue Eagle’s production, the twelve months ended December 31, 2011 resulted in:
·  
Production of 1.4 MMBoe (3,762 Boepd), of which 45% was oil or natural gas liquids

The twelve months ended December 31, 2011 resulted in:
·  
Production of 1.3 MMBoe (3,484 Boepd), excluding Abraxas’ equity interest in Blue Eagle’s production
·  
Revenue of $64.6 million
·  
EBITDA(a) of $31.5 million
·  
Discretionary cash flow(a) of $24.7 million
·  
Net income of $13.7 million, or $0.15 per share
·  
Adjusted net income(a) of $6.3 million, or $0.07 per share, excluding certain non-cash items

(a)  
See reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures below.

Net income for the year ended December 31, 2011 was $13.7 million, or $0.15 per share, compared to a net income of $1.8 million, or $0.02 per share, for the year ended December 31, 2010.

Adjusted net income, excluding certain non-cash items, for the year ended December 31, 2011 was $6.3 million, or $0.07 per share, compared to adjusted net loss, excluding certain non-cash items, of $3.7 million or $0.05 per share for the year ended December 31, 2010.  For the year ended December 31, 2011, adjusted net income excludes the unrealized gains on derivative contracts of $7.5 million.  For the year ended December 31, 2010, adjusted net loss excludes the ceiling test impairment of $4.8 million and unrealized gains on derivative contracts of $10.3 million.

Unrealized gains or losses on derivative contracts are based on mark-to-market valuations which are non-cash in nature and may fluctuate drastically period to period.  As commodity prices fluctuate, these derivative contracts are valued against current market prices at the end of each reporting period in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification 815, “Derivatives and Hedging,” as amended and interpreted, and require Abraxas to either record an unrealized gain or loss based on the calculated value difference from the previous period-end valuation.  For example, NYMEX oil prices on December 31, 2011 were $98.83 per barrel compared to $79.20 on September 30, 2011; therefore, the mark-to-market valuation changed considerably period to period.


18803 Meisner Drive
San Antonio, Texas 78258
Phone: 210.490.4788    Fax: 210.918.6675
 
 

 

Operational Update
Rocky Mountain – North Dakota / Montana
·  
In the Bakken / Three Forks play in the Williston Basin, during the fourth quarter of 2011, 1 gross (<1% net) non-operated well came on-line and 2 gross (0.3 net) wells are currently drilling or awaiting completion.  Additionally, we have recently elected to participate in 6 gross (0.6 net) wells that have yet to spud.
·  
The refurbishment of the Company owned drilling rig has been completed and the rig is currently on its way to McKenzie County, North Dakota to begin drilling its first multi-well pad site.

Rocky Mountain – Wyoming
·  
In Campbell County, Wyoming, the Hedgehog State 16-2H, a horizontal well targeting the Turner formation, was recently completed with a 17-stage fracture stimulation.  The well is currently flowing back with encouraging initial results.  Abraxas owns a 100% working interest in this well.

South Texas – Eagle Ford
·  
At December 31, 2011, Abraxas owned a 34.7% equity interest in Blue Eagle, a joint venture between Abraxas and Rock Oil Company, LLC.
·  
In McMullen County, Texas, the Cobra 1H, a horizontal well targeting the Eagle Ford Shale, was recently completed with a 15-stage fracture stimulation.  The well is currently flowing back at very promising rates.  Blue Eagle owns a 100% working interest in this well.

Canada – Pekisko
·  
In Alberta, Canada, the pipeline hook-up for three wells is underway and should be completed within the next few weeks.  Two wells continue to await stimulation; however, the completions have been delayed as the availability of acid for the stimulations is in short supply.  Canadian Abraxas owns a 100% working interest in each of these wells which have targeted the Pekisko formation.

Commodity Hedges
The Company’s gas hedges were recently monetized for $12.4 million and additional NYMEX-based fixed price oil hedges were entered into at prices above $100 per barrel for the remainder of 2012 through 2014.

Comments
“2011 was an eventful year for us.  We embarked on a new endeavor to own and operate our own 2000 hp drilling rig in the Williston Basin.  The rig has been completely refurbished, winterized and equipped with a top drive and walking system, as well as many other new components.  The rig is currently being trucked to North Dakota and after assembly, it will begin drilling pad development wells in McKenzie County where we have all of the infrastructure, including a semi-permanent man camp for our rig employees, in place and ready to go.  We, as are all heavy load transporters, are having to deal with some road detours due to the frost melt but so far we haven’t encountered anything insurmountable.  Production in the 4th quarter was negatively impacted from reduced gas production as a number of our dry gas wells were subjected to shut-ins and curtailments due to pipeline and gas plant capacity issues.  We determined that spending capital to access alternative delivery points did not make sense in the current gas price environment.  We did not make our exit rate guidance due to various delays in getting wells on production, which is becoming standard in our industry in both the U.S. and Canada; nonetheless, the Canadian pipeline construction is almost complete and two new wells in the Eagle Ford and a well in the Turner formation (Wyoming) are currently cleaning up or have recently come on-line.  Therefore, we have a good chance of achieving our exit rate guidance, just delayed by a few months.  During 2012, all of our activity will be focused on oil and liquids-rich projects as we continue to increase our percentage of oil & NGLs to take advantage of the commodity price arbitrage between oil and natural gas.  In addition, we will continue to high-grade our diverse portfolio of assets.  Since the Blue Eagle joint venture (Eagle Ford Shale Play, South Texas) has experienced great success since its formation 18 months ago, we will be exploring strategic alternatives this year for this property as well as for an acreage block in the Wolfbone play in Reeves County, Texas and potentially our interest in the Pekisko play in Alberta, Canada,” commented Bob Watson, Abraxas’ President and CEO.

Conference Call
Abraxas invites you to participate in a conference call on Thursday, March 15, 2012, at 2:00 p.m. CT (3:00 p.m. ET) to discuss the contents of this release and respond to questions.  Please dial 1.866.713.8310, passcode 40561271, 10 minutes before the scheduled start time, if you would like to participate in the call.  The conference call will also be webcast live on the Internet and can be accessed directly on the Company’s website at www.abraxaspetroleum.com under Investor Relations.  In addition to the audio webcast replay, a transcript of the conference call will be posted on the Investor Relations section of the Company’s website approximately 24 hours after the conclusion of the call, and will be accessible for at least 60 days.

Abraxas Petroleum Corporation is a San Antonio based crude oil and natural gas exploration and production company with operations across the Rocky Mountain, Mid-Continent, Permian Basin and onshore Gulf Coast regions of the United States and in the province of Alberta, Canada.

Safe Harbor for forward-looking statements:  Statements in this release looking forward in time involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause Abraxas’ actual results in future periods to be materially different from any future performance suggested in this release.  Such factors may include, but may not be necessarily limited to, changes in the prices received by Abraxas for crude oil and natural gas.  In addition, Abraxas’ future crude oil and natural gas production is highly dependent upon Abraxas’ level of success in acquiring or finding additional reserves.  Further, Abraxas operates in an industry sector where the value of securities is highly volatile and may be influenced by economic and other factors beyond Abraxas’ control.  In the context of forward-looking information provided for in this release, reference is made to the discussion of risk factors detailed in Abraxas’ filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission during the past 12 months.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Barbara M. Stuckey/Vice President – Chief Financial Officer
Telephone 210.490.4788
bstuckey@abraxaspetroleum.com
www.abraxaspetroleum.com

 
 

 

 
 
ABRAXAS PETROLEUM CORPORATION
CONSOLIDATED

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

   
Three Months Ended
December 31,
   
Twelve Months Ended
December 31,
 
   
2011
   
2010
   
2011
   
2010
 
Financial Results (In thousands except per share data):
                       
Revenues
  $ 16,453     $ 13,834     $ 64,622     $ 58,060  
EBITDA(a) 
    7,742       6,330       31,504       28,200  
Discretionary cash flow(a) 
    6,298       3,615       24,714       17,310  
Net income (loss)
    (5,260 )     (13,861 )     13,743       1,766  
Net income (loss) per share – basic
  $ (0.06 )   $ (0.18 )   $ 0.15     $ 0.02  
Adjusted net income (loss), excluding certain non-cash items(a)
    (11,215 )     (1,391 )     6,267       (3,732 )
Adjusted net income (loss), excluding certain non-cash  items(a), per share – basic
  $ (0.12 )   $ (0.02 )   $ 0.07     $ (0.05 )
Weighted average shares outstanding – basic
    91,590       75,989       90,151       75,923  
                                 
Production:
                               
Crude oil per day (Bopd)
    1,564       1,369       1,479       1,366  
Natural gas per day (Mcfpd)
    11,248       13,345       11,567       15,011  
Natural gas liquids (Bblpd)
    111       29       77       28  
Crude oil equivalent per day (Boepd)
    3,549       3,621       3,484       3,896  
Crude oil equivalent (MBoe)
    327       333       1,272       1,422  
Crude oil equivalent per day (Boepd) (b)
    3,749       3,621       3,762       3,896  
Crude oil equivalent (MBoe) (b) 
    345       333       1,373       1,422  
                                 
Realized Prices, net of realized hedging activity:
                               
Crude oil ($ per Bbl)
  $ 77.23     $ 66.44     $ 76.11     $ 66.76  
Natural gas ($ per Mcf)
    5.58       4.96       5.64       4.97  
Natural gas liquids ($ per Bbl)
    49.77       38.54       50.07       37.81  
Crude oil equivalent ($ per Boe)
    53.28       43.68       52.13       42.81  
                                 
Expenses:
                               
Lease operating ($ per Boe)
  $ 19.38     $ 14.25     $ 16.97     $ 13.69  
Production taxes (% of oil and gas revenue)
    9.3 %     10.1 %     8.9 %     10.2 %
General and administrative, excluding stock-based compensation ($ per Boe)
    5.49       6.27       5.85       5.14  
Cash interest ($ per Boe)
    2.62       6.39       3.49       6.03  
Depreciation, depletion and amortization
($ per Boe)
    14.77       11.15       12.73       11.40  

(a)  
See reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures below.
(b)  
Includes Abraxas’ equity interest in Blue Eagle’s production.

BALANCE SHEET DATA

(In thousands)
 
December 31, 2011
   
December 31, 2010
 
             
Cash
  $     $ 99  
Working capital (a)
    (14,404 )     (5,948 )
Property and equipment – net
    179,552       117,248  
Total assets
    241,150       182,909  
                 
Long-term debt
    126,258       140,940  
Stockholders’ equity (deficit)
    62,651       (14,976 )
Common shares outstanding
    92,261       76,428  

(a)  
Excludes current maturities of long-term debt and current derivative assets and liabilities.

 
 

 
ABRAXAS PETROLEUM CORPORATION
CONSOLIDATED

STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS


(In thousands except per share data)
 
Year Ended December 31,
 
   
2011
 
2010
 
2009
 
               
Revenues:
             
Oil and gas production
 
$
64,615
 
$
58,050
 
$
51,829
 
Other
 
7
 
10
 
7
 
   
64,622
 
58,060
 
51,836
 
Operating costs and expenses:
             
Lease operating
 
21,581
 
19,475
 
20,265
 
Production and ad valorem taxes
 
5,766
 
5,910
 
5,803
 
Depreciation, depletion, and amortization
 
16,194
 
16,212
 
17,886
 
Ceiling test impairment
 
 
4,787
 
 
 
General and administrative (including stock-based compensation of $1,987, $1,560 and $1,239)
 
 
9,433
 
 
8,869
 
 
7,705
 
   
52,974
 
55,253
 
51,659
 
Operating income
 
11,648
 
2,807
 
177
 
               
Other (income) expense:
             
Interest income
 
(7)
 
(8)
 
(15)
 
Interest expense
 
4,898
 
9,106
 
11,346
 
Amortization of deferred financing fees
 
1,762
 
2,479
 
1,326
 
Loss (gain) on derivative contracts - realized
 
676
 
(526)
 
(15,328)
 
(Gain) loss on derivative contracts - unrealized
 
(7,476)
 
(10,285)
 
27,650
 
Financing fees
 
 
 
362
 
Equity in (income) loss of joint venture
 
(2,187)
 
473
 
 
Other
 
316
 
(119)
 
2,071
 
   
(2,018)
 
1,120
 
27,412
 
Income (loss) before income tax and non-controlling interest
 
13,666
 
1,687
 
(27,235)
 
Income tax benefit (expense)
 
77
 
79
 
(1,290)
 
Income (loss) before non-controlling interest
 
13,743
 
1,766
 
(28,525)
 
Non-controlling interest
 
 
 
9,745
 
Net income (loss)
 
$
13,743
 
$
1,766
 
$
(18,780)
 
               
Net income (loss) per common share - basic
 
$
0.15
 
$
0.02
 
$
(0.34)
 
Net income (loss) per common share - diluted
 
$
0.15
 
$
0.02
 
$
(0.34)
 
                     
Weighted average shares outstanding:
                   
Basic
   
90,151
   
75,923
   
55,499
 
    Diluted
   
92,244
   
77,224
   
55,499
 

 
 

 


 
ABRAXAS PETROLEUM CORPORATION
 
 RECONCILIATION OF NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES
 
To fully assess Abraxas’ operating results, management believes that, although not prescribed under generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP"), discretionary cash flow and EBITDA are appropriate measures of Abraxas' ability to satisfy capital expenditure obligations and working capital requirements.  Discretionary cash flow and EBITDA are non-GAAP financial measures as defined under SEC rules. Abraxas' discretionary cash flow and EBITDA should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for other financial measurements prepared in accordance with GAAP or as a measure of the Company's profitability or liquidity.  As discretionary cash flow and EBITDA exclude some, but not all items that affect net income and may vary among companies, the discretionary cash flow and EBITDA presented below may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies.  Management believes that operating income calculated in accordance with GAAP is the most directly comparable measure to discretionary cash flow and EBITDA; therefore, operating income is utilized as the starting point for these reconciliations.
 
 
Discretionary cash flow is defined as operating income plus depreciation, depletion and amortization expenses, non-cash expenses and impairments, cash portion of other income (expense) less cash interest. The following table provides a reconciliation of discretionary cash flow to operating income for the periods presented.
 

(In thousands)
 
Three Months Ended
December 31,
   
Twelve Months Ended
December 31,
 
   
2011
   
2010
   
2011
   
2010
 
                         
Operating income (loss)
  $ 1,482     $ (3,251 )   $ 11,648     $ 2,807  
Depreciation, depletion and amortization
    4,823       3,717       16,194       16,212  
Ceiling test impairment
          4,787             4,787  
Stock-based compensation
    488       355       1,987       1,560  
Realized gain (loss) on derivative contracts
    361       136       (676 )     526  
Cash interest
    (856 )     (2,129 )     (4,439 )     (8,582 )
Discretionary cash flow
  $ 6,298     $ 3,615     $ 24,714     $ 17,310  


EBITDA is defined as net income (loss) plus interest expense, depreciation, depletion and amortization expenses, deferred income taxes and other non-cash items.  The following table provides a reconciliation of EBITDA to operating income for the periods presented – see consolidated statements of operations for a reconciliation of net income (loss) to operating income.


(In thousands)
 
Three Months Ended
December 31,
   
Twelve Months Ended
December 31,
 
   
2011
   
2010
   
2011
   
2010
 
                         
Operating income (loss)                                                
  $ 1,482     $ (3,251 )   $ 11,648     $ 2,807  
Depreciation, depletion and amortization
    4,823       3,717       16,194       16,212  
Ceiling-test impairment
          4,787             4,787  
Stock-based compensation
    488       355       1,987       1,560  
Realized gain (loss) on derivative contracts(a)
    949       722       1,675       2,834  
EBITDA                                                
  $ 7,742     $ 6,330     $ 31,504     $ 28,200  

(a)  
Excludes realized gain (loss) associated with interest rate derivative contract.


 
 

 

· This release also includes a discussion of “adjusted net income (loss), excluding certain non-cash items,” which is a non-GAAP financial measure as defined under SEC rules.  The following table provides a reconciliation of adjusted net income (loss), excluding ceiling test impairment and change in unrealized derivative contracts, to net income (loss) for the periods presented.  Management believes that net income (loss) calculated in accordance with GAAP is the most directly comparable measure to adjusted net income (loss), excluding certain non-cash items.
· 

· 
(In thousands)
 
Three Months Ended
December 31,
   
Twelve Months Ended
December 31,
 
   
2011
   
2010
   
2011
   
2010
 
                         
Net income (loss)                                                
  $ (5,260 )   $ (13,861 )   $ 13,743     $ 1,766  
Ceiling test impairment
          4,787             4,787  
Loss (gain) on unrealized derivative
contracts
    (5,955 )     7,683       (7,476 )     (10,285 )
Adjusted net income (loss), excluding certain non-cash items
  $ (11,215 )   $ (1,391 )   $ 6,267     $ (3,732 )
Net income (loss) per share – basic
    (0.06 )     (0.18 )     0.15       0.02  
Adjusted net income (loss), excluding certain non-cash items, per share – basic
  $ (0.12 )   $ (0.02 )   $ 0.07     $ (0.05 )