Sherri Brillon - Executive Vice President, Strategic Planning and Portfolio Management
Analyst
Thanks Randy, and good morning everyone. In 2007, EnCana added 3.6 trillion cubic feet equivalent of proved reserves. Overall, our reserve life index remained at about 12 years. Finding and development costs were $1.65 per 1,000 cubic feet equivalent, a decrease of 17% from 2006. EnCana’s three-year average finding and development cost is about $1.60 per 1,000 cubic feet equivalent, which we believe represents top quartile performance in our peer group and is representative of our longer-term track record. For our natural gas programs, finding and development cost were about $2.40 per 1,000 cubic feet, a decrease of 11% from 2006, again a very competitive result. Our reserves continue to be 100% externally evaluated by independent qualified reserve evaluators, not just reviewed or audited. By commodity and by geographical region, revisions to opening balances were positive. Substantial additions and positive revisions in Canada were largely attributable to development drilling and optimization activities in Cutbank Ridge, Bighorn, coalbed methane, and Shallow Gas with respect to natural gas, and in Christina Lake and Foster Creek with respect to crude oil. In the United States, substantial natural gas additions and positive revisions were largely attributable to development drilling and optimization activities in Jonah, Piceance, and Fort Worth. In total, drill bit additions, that is extensions, discoveries, and revisions, are 3.4 trillion cubic feet equivalent or about 10% higher than in 2006, while the associated capital expenditures in 2007 are $5.6 billion or down approximately 8% year-over-year. Natural gas related drill bit additions of some 2 trillion cubic feet were equally split between Canada and the United States, approximately 90% of which were from our key resource plays. While we are focused almost entirely on North America and predominantly in natural gas, our operations are diversified across the continent located within most of the major and emerging producing basins. This diversification reduces operating risk in our portfolio and exposes us to opportunities created by ourselves as well as others. This diversification is also reflected in the average production efficiency we achieved for our natural gas portfolio of about $6300 per thousand cubic feet per day. For 2008, this figure is estimated to be about $6100 per thousand cubic feet per day. Overall, I believe that this figure highlights the relatively low cost organic growth capability associated with our asset base. I will now turn the call over to Brian Ferguson, our Chief Financial Officer, who will discuss our financial results in more detail.