Roland O. Burns
Analyst · Howard Weil
Thanks, Jay. On Slide 4, we recapped our oil production growth, which is driving the growth we've had in revenues, cash flow and earnings this quarter. Our oil production increased to 12,200 barrels per day, this quarter, and was up 1,800 barrels per day or 17%, over our first quarter rate. Oil production is 102% higher than the second quarter of 2013. Our Eagle Ford properties in South Texas are driving almost all of this growth in oil production. For the first 2 quarters of 2014, we're expecting -- I mean, for the last 2 quarters of 2014, we're expecting our oil production to average between 12,500 to 14,400 barrels per day based on our current drilling and completion schedule. This would represent a year-to-year 88% to 103% growth over 2003's oil production. Slide 5 shows our natural gas production, which continues to decline and was down 29%, from the second quarter of last year, to 111 million cubic feet per day. With our own natural gas direct to drilling taking place this year, we expect our natural gas production to decline further in 2014 and to average approximately 98 million to 102 million cubic feet per day for the remaining 6 months of this year. Slide 6 shows our realized oil prices this quarter. Oil price realizations in South Texas continue to improve, in the second quarter 2014, but were not as strong as they were in the second quarter of 2013. We realized $99.90 per barrel, down from the $100.06 per barrel we realized in the second quarter of 2013. Our realized price averaged 97% of the average benchmark NYMEX-WTI price. 57% of our oil production was hedged in the quarter at a NYMEX-WTI price of $96.60. Our hedging program, our realized price, decreased to $96.27 per barrel, 9% less than the after hedging oil price we averaged in the second quarter of 2013 of $105.30. Slide 7 shows our realized oil prices, for the first 6 months of 2014. We realized $98.39 per barrel, in the first 6 months of 2014, down from the $102.60 per barrel, we realized in the first half of 2013. Our realized price was 98% of the average benchmark NYMEX-WTI price. 57% of our oil production was hedged, for this period, at a price of $96.51 per barrel. After our hedging program, our realized price decreased to $95.78 per barrel, 11% less than the after hedging oil price we averaged in the first 6 months of 2013 of $107.89. Slide 8 shows our current oil hedges for the remainder of 2014. We currently have 7,000 barrels per day hedged at $96.60. This represents around half of our projected 2014 production. We'll look to hedge our 2015 oil production when longer-term oil prices approach the current levels. Slide 9 shows our average gas price, which improved by 19% in the second quarter to $4.42 per MCF, as compared to $3.71 in the second quarter of 2013. Our realized gas price is 94% of the average NYMEX Henry Hub gas price for the quarter. Our average gas price improved by 34%, in the first 6 months of this year, to $4.57 per Mcf as compared to $3.42 in the first 6 months of 2013. Our realized gas price was 95% of average NYMEX Henry Hub gas price, for the first half of 2014. On Slide 10, we cover our oil and gas sales including the realized hedging gains or losses. The 102% increase in oil production and improved natural gas price has offset our lower natural gas production this quarter and drove our sales up 37%, over the second quarter of 2013. Our sales increased to $152 million this quarter, compared to $111 million in last year's second quarter. Oil accounted for 71% of our total sales as compared to 52% in the second quarter of last year. Our sales increased to $292 million in the first 6 months of this year compared to $208 million in the -- in last year's first 6 months. Our earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization and exploration expense and other noncash expenses, or EBITDAX, increased by 45% to $121 million from $84 million in 2013's second quarter, as shown on Slide 11. Our EBITDAX, for the first 6 months of this year, increased by 48% to $232 million from $156 million in 2013's first 6 months. Cash flow increased significantly this quarter driven by the increase, in oil and gas sales, and lower interest costs. On Slide 12, you can see that our operating cash flow for the quarter came in at $108 million, increasing 63% from cash flow of $66 million of 2013 second quarter. Cash flow per share, this quarter, of $2.29 per share was also up 63% from cash flow per share of $1.41, in the second quarter of 2013. Our operating cash flow, for the first 6 months of 2014, came in at $205 million, increasing 68% from cash flow of $122 million in 2013's first 6 months. Cash flow per share for the first half of this year was $4.37 and was up 68% from the cash flow per share of $2.61 for the first half of 2013. On Slide 13, we outline our earnings. We reported net income of $1.9 million or $0.04 per share this quarter, as compared to a net loss from continuing operations of $21.5 million, or $0.45 per share in 2013 second quarter. Unusual items, in the second quarter results, include a $5.8 million unrealized loss related to our oil hedges, and a $300,000 impairment on our [indiscernible] gas properties. Excluding these items, we would have reported net income of $0.12 per share, as compared to a recurring loss from continuing operations of $0.32 per share in 2013's second quarter. For the first 6 months of 2014, net income was $3.1 million or $0.06 per share, as compared to net loss of $46 million or $0.95 per share in 2013's first 6 months. Unusual items in our year-to-date results include a $9.5 million unrealized loss related to our oil hedges and the impairment. Excluding these items, we would have reported net income of $0.19 per share, as compared to recurring loss from continuing operations of $0.78 per share in 2013's first 6 months. On Slide 14, we share our lifting cost, per Mcfe produced by quarter, related to our continuing operations. Total lifting costs were $1.41 per Mcfe in the second quarter of 2014, as compared to $1.21 per Mcfe in the second quarter of 2013. But they also decreased from the $1.47 rate, we had in the first quarter of 2014. The higher lifting rates in 2014 are mainly due to the lower natural gas volumes, that we produced and the fixed nature of much of our lifting costs. And also the higher cost of oil production including higher production taxes that we have on our oil sales. Production taxes were $0.39, in the quarter, and our transportation costs averaged $0.19 per Mcfe in the second quarter. Field operating costs improved to $0.83 this quarter as compared to the $0.90 rate we had in the first quarter of this year. On Slide 15, we show our cash G&A per Mcfe produced by quarter excluding stock-based compensation. Our general and administrative costs increased to $0.41 per Mcfe in this quarter as compared to $0.33 in the second quarter 2013, due to lower -- due mainly to the lower gas production volumes, plus we had about $1 million of nonrecurring costs included in G&A this period. Our depreciation, depletion and amortization per Mcfe produced is shown on Slide 16. Our DD&A rate in the second quarter averaged $5.64 per Mcfe as compared to our $4.87 rate in the second quarter of 2013 and the $5.36 we averaged in the first quarter of this year. The higher rate is due to the oil production representing a higher percentage of the company's total equivalent production. On Slide 17, we detail our capital expenditures relating to our continuing operations. We spent $308 million, in the first 6 months of this year, as compared to $133 million, that we spent in 2013's first 6 months, related to our continuing operations. The $308 million, in 2014, includes $50 million of leased acquisition costs primarily related to the acquisition of the additional 30% interest in our East Texas Eagle Ford shale acreage in Burleson County, Texas, which was completed in the first quarter. On Slide 18, we outline the components of our 2014 capital budget, which remain unchanged from the first quarter. We're currently on track to stay, within budget, for our drilling and completion costs. We expect to spend about $510 million, in 2014 on our development exploration projects and another $55 million for lease acquisition activity, which would include the first quarter acquisitions. Slide 19 recaps our balance sheet in the second quarter. We have $4 million of cash on hand and $975 million of total debt on June 30. Debt represented about 51% of our total book capitalization. Our borrowing base under our $1 billion bank credit facility is currently at $700 million, giving us unused availability of $420 million. And now, I'll hand it over to Mark Williams to review our drilling results and operations.