OKLAHOMA CITY, Aug. 7, 2018 /PRNewswire/ –/PRNewswire/ Continental Resources, Inc. today announced second quarter operating and financial results. The Company reported net income of $242.5 million, or $0.65 per diluted share, for the quarter ended June 30, 2018. The Company’s net income includes certain items typically excluded by the investment community in published estimates, the result of which is referred to as “adjusted net income.” In second quarter 2018, these typically excluded items in aggregate represented $30.4 million, or $0.08 per diluted share, of Continental’s reported net income. Adjusted net income for second quarter 2018 was $272.9 million, or $0.73 per diluted share.
Net cash provided by operating activities for second quarter 2018 was $753.8 million. EBITDAX for second quarter 2018 was $896.7 million. Definitions and reconciliations of adjusted net income, adjusted net income per share, free cash flow, EBITDAX, net debt, net sales prices and cash general and administrative (G&A) expenses per barrel of oil equivalent (Boe) presented herein to the most directly comparable U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) financial measures are provided in the supporting tables at the conclusion of this press release.
As of June 30, 2018, the Company’s balance sheet included approximately $130.0 million in cash and cash equivalents and $6.17 billion in total debt. During June, the Company achieved its short-term goal to drop below $6 billion in net debt. On June 30, 2018, net debt was slightly higher at $6.04 billion due to working capital changes and incremental acquired minerals. On July 12, 2018, the Company announced a partial call of its 5% Senior Notes Due 2022. This represents 20% ($400 million) of the $2 billion in aggregate principal amount of these notes currently outstanding. The Company continues to pursue its $5 billion long-term net debt goal. The Company’s second quarter annualized net-debt-to-EBITDAX ratio was 1.68x and continues to approach the historically low levels seen prior to the three-year commodity down cycle.
The Company’s second quarter 2018 crude oil differential was $4.55 per barrel below the NYMEX daily average for the period, an improvement of $1.76 per barrel compared to second quarter 2017. The realized wellhead natural gas price for second quarter 2018 was $0.15 per Mcf below the average NYMEX Henry Hub benchmark price. The Company expects to realize improved crude oil differentials in third quarter 2018 based on widening Brent/WTI spread and lower Cushing inventories.
$220 Million Minerals Divestiture & Strategic Mineral Relationship Formed
The Company announced yesterday the formation of a strategic minerals relationship with Franco-Nevada. The Company expects to receive approximately $220 million in net proceeds at closing in fourth quarter 2018. In addition, the parties have also committed, subject to satisfaction of agreed upon development thresholds, to spend up to a combined $125 million per year over the next three years to acquire additional minerals through the newly-formed subsidiary. With a carry component on capital acquisition costs, the Company is to fund 20% of future mineral acquisitions. The Company will be entitled to between 25% and 50% of total revenues generated by the minerals subsidiary based upon performance relative to certain predetermined targets. This new relationship is expected to enhance the value of minerals by targeting areas of the Company’s future development in Oklahoma.
Production Update
Second quarter 2018 production totaled 25.8 million barrels of oil equivalent (Boe), or 284,059 Boe per day, up 26% from second quarter 2017. Total production for second quarter included 157,116 barrels of oil (Bo) per day and 761.7 million cubic feet (MMcf) of natural gas per day. The following table provides the Company’s average daily production by region for the periods presented.
Bakken: Record Results and Type Curve Uplifted to 1.2 MMBoe per Well
The Company uplifted its type curve EUR for the Bakken 9% to 1,200 MBoe per well in the second quarter. This increase reflects the Company’s move from 40-stage to 60-stage completions, based on improved performance observed from 70 wells completed with the Company’s 60-stage optimized completion techniques. A 60-stage completion increases the cost of a typical Bakken well by approximately $0.5 million for a total completed well cost of $8.4 million. At this cost, the 1,200 MBoe type curve delivers a 175% rate of return (ROR) at $70 WTI and approximately $0.4 million of incremental cash flow per well in the first year, as compared to the Company’s previous 1,100 MBoe type curve.
“Our Bakken team continues to unlock value for our shareholders through innovative thinking and advanced technologies,” said Gary Gould, Senior Vice President of Production & Resource Development. “Over the past year, our team increased our Bakken type curve twice, cumulatively raising the EUR 22%, doubling the rate of return, and adding $3.5 million of incremental first-year cash flow per well for an additional cost of only $1.4 million per well. This step change in performance is uplifting Bakken economics throughout the field. With 4,000 wells of operated inventory still ahead of us, the Bakken will be a growth vehicle for Continental for many years to come.”
The Company’s Bakken production averaged 158,119 Boe per day in second quarter 2018, up 32% versus second quarter 2017. During the quarter, the Company completed 35 gross (19 net) operated wells flowing at an average initial 24-hour rate of 2,282 Boe per day. Four of the wells ranked as top ten 30-day rate Bakken wells for the Company, including the first 30-day Bakken well to average over 3,000 Boe per day (Mountain Gap 7-10H in Dunn County, 3,104 Boe per day).
SCOOP: Project SpringBoard Phase I and Phase II Underway
The Company’s SCOOP production averaged 64,786 Boe per day in second quarter 2018, up 6% versus second quarter 2017. The Company completed 16 gross (13 net) operated wells with first production in second quarter 2018.
The Company previously announced Project SpringBoard, which is a massive, multi-year, stacked pay, oil development project that covers approximately 70-square miles and includes 45,000 gross (31,000 net) contiguous acres. SpringBoard holds up to 400 MMBoe of gross unrisked resource potential, with wells expecting to average 70%-85% oil across both phases. The Company estimates up to 100 Springer and 250 Woodford and Sycamore potential locations and will operate SpringBoard with an average working interest of approximately 75%. In addition, SpringBoard is expected to benefit from the Company’s row development operational efficiencies and production will benefit from access to premium markets through existing pipeline infrastructure.
Drilling is underway in both Phase I and Phase II of Project SpringBoard, with 7 rigs targeting the Springer reservoir (Phase I) and 4 rigs, ramping up to 6 rigs by year end, targeting the Woodford and Sycamore reservoirs (Phase II). The Company expects first production from the Springer wells in Project SpringBoard to begin late third quarter 2018, with up to 18 Springer wells producing by year end 2018. First production from the Woodford and Sycamore wells is expected to begin in first quarter 2019.
“Project SpringBoard is an outstanding, high impact oil project for Continental and its shareholders,” said Jack Stark, President. “This project alone has the potential to increase Continental’s oil production by as much as 10% over the next 12 months.”
STACK: Oil Window Drilling Accelerated with Strong Well Results
The Company’s STACK production increased 62% to 51,722 Boe per day in second quarter 2018, compared to second quarter 2017. Continental completed 26 gross (13 net) operated wells with first production in second quarter 2018. The top Company-operated STACK oil wells in second quarter include the Swaim 3-14H: 3,476 Boepd (2,596 Bopd), Madeline 2-4-9XH: 3,540 Boepd (2,548 Bopd), Lugene 1-33H: 3,600 Boepd (2,004 Bopd), Nelda 1-3-10XH: 4,032 Boepd (1,886 Bopd) and Brown Family 1-13-24XH: 3,065 Boepd (1,443 Bopd).
