Robert S. Herlin
Analyst · Global Hunter Securities
Thanks, Lisa, and good morning to everyone. I'd like thank you for joining us on our fiscal second quarter call. We earlier filed our Form 10-Q and yesterday evening, announced our quarterly results and news release and I assume that everyone listening has accessed one or the other above. Excuse me, the Q is not filed, but the release is out. Since detailed numbers are available, Sterling and I are going to combine our remarks to key operating results and update some future plans so forth on -- with me today is Sterling McDonald, our CFO; also David Joe, our Controller. Sterling is going to review key financial results and then we'll take your questions. In short, we had another solid quarter with a 24% increase of net earnings over the previous quarter to about $1.3 million, or $0.05 per basic share and $0.04 per diluted share. Revenues increased about 20% over the previous quarter to $4.6 million and net production increased by about 12% to 569 BOE per day. I'd like especially point out though that our production was 72% oil, 6% gas/liquids. Revenue in earnings growth continue to be driven by growing oil production at Delhi Field, and our Louisiana Light Sweet pricing there for crude oil averaged $115 in the quarter compared to about -- almost $106 in the prior quarter. In the fiscal second quarter we just completed, our net income from operations was about $2.4 million and that's a sequential improvement of about 25% from the prior quarter. Now let's just talk about some of the specific assets that we have, which would obviously start with Delhi Field. Gross production there increased 13% over the prior quarter and got to a level of 4,946 barrels per day or about 366 barrels a day net to us. Gross production for the year ago quarter was only 920 barrels a day. So we've seen a very dramatic increase over the last year and since it all resulted in capital expenditures of 2009 and 2010. Now at Delhi crude oil that was sold there for $115 during the quarter was a quaint 22% premium over WTI Cushing. This difference in oil price is creating substantial incremental value for the company. I would like to note that our June 30, 2011 reserves for Delhi in our SEC filing were based on a flat oil price of less than $95 per barrel, some $20 less than what we actually received in this last quarter. Now calendar 2011 capital expenditures plan for Delhi originally was to complete the project in the western half of the field. However, the operator expanded the 2011 plan well beyond the original activity level with additional wells in the Western half, and initial expansion into the Eastern half of the field. Consequently, production was supposed to be flat during the first 2 months in the recent quarter before substantially increasing in December. During 2011, the operator added a total of 59 newly drilled wells and reentered wells, as well as a third production collection site to complete the EOR project in that Western half of the field. Some of the well work was an acceleration of the initial development prior to a fourth production collection site that was originally scheduled for 2012. Due in large part to this activity that was explained, the flat production in the first 2 months of the quarter. Since initial oil production response from 2011 expenditures has already been observed, we expect continued production increases in calendar 2012. As previously noted, early in 2011, Denbury, the operator, began reinjecting produced water back into the main producing reservoirs to help maintain pressure instead of purchased CO2 volumes. Since purchased CO2 costs is a major factor in economics, producing the CO2 purchases increases profitability, that's major reason for the acceleration of the payout date we reported last summer. As fuel profitability increases, Denbury should reach that defined payout sooner and therefore, our incremental 24% reversionary work interest should kick in sooner. We continue to be very pleased with the progress and the results of this enhanced oil recovery project. It's performing better than original expectations in production rate, required volume of purchased CO2, produced CO2 rate and is exhibiting characteristics of reservoirs that have either, or both, higher ultimate recovery and greater original in plays than originally projected. All in all, our confidence level in both our probable reserves and the upside potential at Delhi continue to increase. As to our artificial lift technologies we prefer to trademark as GARP, we are very encouraged by the initial results of our first commercial demonstration of this patented gas-assisted rod pump technology. The first application was successfully installed and placed in production in the early part of December of 2011. Although production testing is still ongoing, initial rates suggest that the technology has significantly extended the life of the well and potentially added up to 25% oil recoverable reserves. Before the GARP installation, the well is producing at an uneconomic rate. Installation work is now underway on our second commercial demonstration with first production expected shortly. In both demonstration agreements, we're paying the installation costs of technology and operating the wells in return for an equity ownership equal to 50% net profit interest in the first well agreement, and a 99% before payout, 76.5% after payout working interest in the second application. These demonstrations are expected to assist us in accelerating the commercialization of this technology. Down in South Texas, our Lopez Field, we are continuing the production test of 2 producer wells that we drilled in the recent quarter, as well as the first producer that we drilled in late 2010. Now these wells target an oil production rate of 10 to 15 or more barrels a day, along with a large volume of produced water. Initial swabbing of the latest 2 producers suggest that our target oil content is present, thus supporting additional development in field during the remainder of this fiscal year. We are still experiencing some challenges to maintain consistently high reinjection rate into the associated water but we believe that one or more of our current operation options will be successful. While we have up to 40 locations to drill on our leases, our goal in this project is to extend this concept to similar fields in the regions and therefore, add hundreds of development locations. In the Giddings Field, we focused during the quarter on maintaining our production volumes but not investing significant capital. Consequently, we were able to actually increase sales volumes by 13% from the previous quarter to 198 barrels of oil equivalent per day. This was done through several planned workovers of certain wells. A portion of our acreage that is in Grimes County, which is part of the Giddings Field, is within the new Woodbine play. We are already participating through a form out of a portion of our leasehold on very favorable terms to the company. As for the rest of our underdeveloped locations, they averaged close to 50% natural gas in the reserves. Therefore, the profitability enduring in these locations or these proved locations is really below our acceptable threshold at current and expected near term gas prices. And we believe that more attractive opportunities are available elsewhere, and we're exploring options on how to maximize our value of these assets. With that, I'll turn it over to Sterling for some financial results.