CALGARY, ALBERTA — (Marketwire) — 03/07/13 — Freehold Royalties Ltd. (Freehold) (TSX: FRU) today announced 2012 fourth quarter results and reserves as at December 31, 2012.
Results at a Glance
March Dividend Announcement
The Board of Directors has declared the March dividend of $0.14 per share, which will be paid on April 15, 2013 to shareholders of record on March 31, 2013. Including the April 15 payment, our 12-month trailing cash dividends total $1.68 per share. This dividend is designated as an eligible dividend for Canadian income tax purposes. Over the past 16 years, we have paid out over $1.1 billion to our shareholders.
2012 Fourth Quarter Highlights
Freehold delivered strong operational results in the fourth quarter of 2012. Robust production volumes drove increases in revenue and cash flow from operating activities despite lower average realized prices.
2012 Year-end Reserves and Land Highlights
Freehold–s reserves data is presented on a net basis (our share of working interest properties minus royalties payable to others, plus royalties receivable on our royalty lands). Freehold is unique in that the majority of our assets are royalty interests. However, under National Instrument 51-101, royalty interests cannot be included under gross reserves. This causes our gross reserves to be lower than our net reserves and makes it difficult for investors to compare our reserves to others in our industry. We believe the most appropriate measure of reserves for Freehold is net reserves. Reserve values do not include potential reserve additions that may occur as a result of future drilling on most of our royalty lands.
Royalty Interest Activity
On an equivalent net basis, 85% of the royalty wells drilled on our lands during 2012 were oil wells (2011 – 78%) due to the oil-prone nature of our lands. As well, over 66% of the equivalent net wells drilled on our royalty lands in 2012 were horizontal wells, up from 59% last year.
Our royalty lands give us exposure to several of the attractive resource plays employing horizontal drilling, including Bakken and Mississippian light oil in southeast Saskatchewan, heavy oil in the Lloydminster area, and Cardium light oil in west-central Alberta. Over one quarter of the royalty wells drilled in the fourth quarter of 2012 had a Cardium target. Continued success with horizontal drilling (for both oil and liquids-rich natural gas) is positive and bodes well for improved well productivity.
As at December 31, 2012, there were 99 (5.9 equivalent net) licensed drilling locations on our royalty lands, compared with 106 (5.4 equivalent net) at the same time last year. We view continued well licence activity as a positive indicator of the ongoing and future development potential on our royalty lands.
Working Interest Activity
Our development plans are primarily oil related, and are focused almost entirely on our own mineral title lands, where we have chosen to invest our own capital on attractive, low-risk opportunities.
In the fourth quarter of 2012, capital expenditures amounted to $7.7 million, the majority of which was spent to complete, equip, and tie-in wells drilled in southeast Saskatchewan during the third quarter. We participated in the drilling of seven (1.3 net) wells with a 100% success rate.
This drilling activity had little effect on production levels in the fourth quarter but is expected to add to our production base in 2013.
Operating Expense
Total operating expense of $4.8 million ($5.51 per boe) was 28% higher than the fourth quarter last year (4% higher on a per boe basis). The increase correlates to the increase in working interest production volumes, as we do not incur operating expense on our royalty interest production.
Fourth Quarter Production
Average production in the fourth quarter of 2012 was 1,737 boe per day higher than last year. Oil and natural gas liquids (NGL) production rose 22%, and natural gas production rose 26%.
Commodity Prices
In the fourth quarter of 2012, the benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil price averaged US$88.18 per barrel, 6% lower than the prior year. Prices deteriorated during the quarter, and WTI also continues to trade at a discount to Brent crude, the global benchmark. Historically, WTI has traded at a slight premium over Brent; however during the last two years, WTI has traded consistently at a discount to Brent as a result of market access constraints.
Crude oil supply in North America is growing, primarily from the Canadian oil sands and tight oil plays in western Canada, North Dakota, Montana, and Texas, and global demand remains strong. However, refinery outages and pipeline bottlenecks in the U.S. Midwest have severely reduced access to the Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coast where there is greater refinery demand.
Growing supplies of light crude oil from the United States and a lack of spare pipeline capacity has blends like Edmonton Par and Western Canadian Select (WCS) being steeply discounted against WTI. The widening differentials have been an ongoing issue for Canadian producers throughout 2012 and are expected to remain a concern in 2013.
Natural gas, because it is less readily transported abroad, is subject to supply and demand factors within North America. Although the low price environment of the past three years has served to curtail dry gas drilling, horizontal well technology in shale gas plays and liquids-rich gas development led to record North American production in 2012.
The average benchmark AECO natural gas price was 14% lower in the fourth quarter of 2012 versus Q4 2011. The pricing outlook is bearish in the near term due to the oversupply situation. Longer-term, we believe demand growth, driven by the phasing out of coal-fired power plants in favour of cleaner-burning natural gas, increasing transportation and industrial use, and developing offshore markets, will support stronger natural gas pricing.
Our average selling prices reflect product quality and transportation differences from benchmark prices. In the fourth quarter of 2012, our average realized oil price was $72.40 (Q4 2011 – $85.78) per barrel and our average realized natural gas price was $2.56 (Q4 2011 – $2.91) per Mcf.
Guidance Update
The following table compares changes in our key operating assumptions during 2012 to our actual results for the year. Compared to our November guidance:
2012 Key Operating Assumptions
2013 Key Operating Assumptions (1)
As 2012 capital was ahead of guidance, we have revised our 2013 capital budget to $30 million. Our development plans are primarily oil related, focused almost entirely on our mineral title lands, and include approximately 40 gross (13 net) wells. Roughly half of our capital will be deployed in southeast Saskatchewan (light oil), with the balance allocated to our expanding mineral title opportunity base in both the Lloydminster area (heavy oil) and western Alberta (Cardium oil). Almost half of our total capital for the year will be spent in the first quarter of 2013, with area allocations similar to our annual budget. Spending may be adjusted as the year progresses, depending on the operating environment and well results.
Based on this level of capital investment, anticipated drilling activity by lessees on our royalty lands, and normal production declines (and excluding any potential acquisitions), we expect 2013 production to average approximately 8,500 boe per day. On a boe basis, production volumes for 2013 are expected to be approximately 64% oil and NGL and 36% natural gas. We continue to maintain our royalty focus with royalty production accounting for 67% of forecasted 2013 production.
In February 2013, we remitted $23 million for estimated 2012 corporate taxes. We expect to pay approximately $25 million for the 2013 tax year by way of monthly instalments. The large cash outlay for income taxes in 2013 is an anomaly that we have prepared for and have the financial capacity to handle. We expect our tax bill will normalize in 2014, at approximately 20% of pre-tax cash flow.
As our results demonstrate, we continue to benefit from activity on our oil-weighted asset base, and from relatively strong, if somewhat volatile, crude oil pricing. Of significance, natural gas accounted for 36% of production volumes in the fourth quarter (Q4 2011 – 35%), but only 11% of gross revenue (Q4 2011 – 10%). Clearly, we would benefit from any improvement in natural gas prices. However, despite a significant decline in revenue from natural gas, we have been able to maintain a steady monthly dividend rate of $0.14 ($1.68 annually) per share since January 2010.
Recognizing the cyclical nature of the oil and gas industry, we continue to closely monitor commodity prices and industry trends for signs of deteriorating market conditions. We caution that it is inherently difficult to predict activity levels on our royalty lands since we have no operational control. As well, significant changes (positive or negative) in commodity prices (including Canadian oil price differentials), foreign exchange rates, or production rates may result in adjustments to the dividend rate. In particular, our 2013 forecast for Western Canada Select pricing assumes an improvement in the second half of the year, but it is possible that the North American infrastructure constraints will become a longer-term issue for western Canadian production.
Based on our current guidance and commodity price assumptions, and assuming there are no significant changes in the current business environment, we expect to maintain the current monthly dividend rate through 2013, subject to the Board–s quarterly review and approval.
Succession Planning
After more than 16 years with Freehold and 29 years with Rife Resources Ltd. (the Manager of Freehold), Mr. William O. Ingram has announced that he plans to retire as President and CEO in May 2013. Mr. Ingram will step down as a director of Freehold but will continue to serve on the boards of Rife and Canpar Holdings Ltd. As well, Dr. P. Michael Maher, who has been a director of Freehold since 1996, will be retiring from the Board in May. The directors of Freehold thank Dr. Maher and Mr. Ingram for their many years of service to Freehold, and wish them both well in their retirement.
Following the retirement of Mr. Ingram in May, the Board plans to appoint Mr. Thomas J. Mullane as President and CEO, and he will stand for election as a director of Freehold at the annual meeting of shareholders to be held on May 15, 2013. Mr. Mullane joined Freehold in 2012 as Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer, and brings a solid background of industry experience and knowledge at a senior level that will be an asset to Freehold in the years to come.
Land and Reserves
Freehold is unique in that the majority of our assets are royalty interests. However, under National Instrument 51-101, royalty interests cannot be included under gross reserves. This causes our gross reserves to be lower than our net reserves and makes it difficult for investors to compare our reserves and finding and development costs to others in our industry. We believe the most appropriate measure of reserves and finding and development costs for Freehold is on a net basis.
As at year-end 2012, our undeveloped land was independently valued at $80.2 million by Seaton-Jordan & Associates Ltd. Our total land holdings encompass approximately three million gross acres, 94% of which are royalties. Of this, our mineral title lands (including royalty assumption lands), which we own in perpetuity, cover more than 630,000 acres; all but approximately 107,000 gross acres of which are currently leased to third parties. In addition, we have gross overriding royalty interests in nearly 2.2 million acres.
These royalty interest lands are significant to Freehold. The majority of these lands are leased to third party operators. As a royalty owner, we have no operational control over the operator–s future development activities. As such, the extent of drilling and development activity in future years can be difficult to predict. However, these operators have historically invested significant amounts to generate future reserve additions, and production from which Freehold receives certain royalties. Reserve values do not include potential reserve additions that may occur as a result of future drilling on most of our royalty lands. In addition, based on an internal estimate, we have estimated the net present value of the future royalty revenue from our potash reserves at $20.7 million before tax (discounted at 10%).
Our oil and gas reserves were independently evaluated by Trimble Engineering Associates Ltd. (Trimble) as at December 31, 2012. The evaluation was conducted in accordance with the standards contained in the COGE Handbook and the reserve definitions contained in National Instrument 51-101. Our Reserves Committee met with Trimble to review the findings and procedures, and the reserves report has been accepted by our Board.
Summary oil and gas reserves information is provided below. Complete reserves disclosure as required under National Instrument 51-101 will be included in our Annual Information Form.
The reserves data below is presented on a net basis (our share of working interest properties minus royalties payable to others, plus royalties receivable on our royalty lands).
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release offers our assessment of Freehold–s future plans and operations as at March 7, 2013, and contains forward-looking statements that we believe allow readers to better understand our business and prospects. These forward-looking statements include our expectations for the following:
In addition, statements relating to “reserves” and the future net revenue associated with such reserves are deemed to be forward-looking statements as they involve the implied assessment, based on certain estimates and assumptions, that the reserves described exist in the quantities predicted or estimated and can be profitably produced in the future.
Such statements are generally identified by the use of words such as “anticipate”, “continue”, “estimate”, “expect”, “forecast”, “may”, “will”, “project”, “should”, “plan”, “intend”, “believe”, and similar expressions (including the negatives thereof). By their nature, forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, some of which are beyond our control, including the impact of general economic conditions, industry conditions, volatility of commodity prices, lack of pipeline capacity; currency fluctuations, imprecision of reserve estimates, royalties, environmental risks, taxation, regulation, changes in tax or other legislation, competition from other industry participants, the lack of availability of qualified personnel or management, stock market volatility, and our ability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources. Risks are described in more detail in our AIF.
In this news release, we make references to “flush” production rates, which is the first yield from a flowing oil well during its most productive period. Such “flush” production rates are not determinative of future production rates. Additionally, such rates may also include recovered “load oil” fluids used in well completion stimulation. Readers are cautioned not to place reliance on such rates in estimating future production rates for Freehold.
With respect to forward-looking statements contained in this news release, we have made assumptions regarding, among other things, future commodity prices, future capital expenditure levels, future production levels, future exchange rates, future tax rates, future participation rates in the DRIP and use of cash preserved through the DRIP, future legislation, the cost of developing and producing our assets, our ability and the ability of our lessees to obtain equipment in a timely manner to carry out development activities, our ability to market our oil and gas successfully to current and new customers, our expectation for the consumption of crude oil and natural gas, our expectation for industry drilling levels, our ability to obtain financing on acceptable terms, and our ability to add production and reserves through development and acquisition activities. The key operating assumptions with respect to the forward-looking statements referred to above are detailed in the body of this news release.
You are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. Our actual results, performance, or achievement could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements. We can give no assurance that any of the events anticipated will transpire or occur, or if any of them do, what benefits we will derive from them. The forward-looking information contained in this document is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. Our policy for updating forward-looking statements is to update our key operating assumptions quarterly and, except as required by law, we do not undertake to update any other forward-looking statements.
You are further cautioned that the preparation of financial statements in accordance with IFRS requires management to make certain judgments and estimates that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues, and expenses. These estimates may change, having either a positive or negative effect on net income, as further information becomes available and as the economic environment changes.
Conversion of Natural Gas To Barrels of Oil Equivalent (BOE)
To provide a single unit of production for analytical purposes, natural gas production and reserves volumes are converted mathematically to equivalent barrels of oil (boe). We use the industry-accepted standard conversion of six thousand cubic feet of natural gas to one barrel of oil (6 Mcf = 1 bbl). The 6:1 boe ratio is based on an energy equivalency conversion method primarily applicable at the burner tip. It does not represent a value equivalency at the wellhead and is not based on either energy content or current prices. While the boe ratio is useful for comparative measures and observing trends, it does not accurately reflect individual product values and might be misleading, particularly if used in isolation. As well, given that the value ratio, based on the current price of crude oil to natural gas, is significantly different from the 6:1 energy equivalency ratio, using a 6:1 conversion ratio may be misleading as an indication of value.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
Within this news release, references are made to terms commonly used as key performance indicators in the oil and gas industry, such as operating income, netback, funds from operations, funds from operations per share, finding, development and acquisition (FD&A) costs, recycle ratio, and net asset value. We believe that these measures are useful supplemental measures for management and investors to analyze operating performance, financial leverage, and liquidity, and we use these terms to facilitate the understanding and comparability of our results of operations and financial position. However, these terms do not have any standardized meanings prescribed by GAAP and therefore may not be comparable with the calculations of similar measures for other entities.
Operating income, which is calculated as gross revenue less royalties and operating expenses, represents the cash margin for product sold. Operating netback, which is calculated as average unit sales price less royalties and operating expenses, represents the cash margin for product sold, calculated on a per boe basis
Funds from operations is a financial term commonly used in the oil and gas industry. It is a key measure of our ability to generate cash, finance operations, and pay monthly dividends. Funds from operations as presented is not intended to represent operating cash flow or operating profits for the period nor should it be viewed as an alternative to net income or other measures of financial performance calculated in accordance with GAAP. We define funds from operations as net income adjusted for non-cash depletion and depreciation, share based and other compensation, deferred tax expense/recovery, accretion of asset retirement obligation, and management fee, and further adjusted for expenditures on reclamation. We consider funds from operations to be a key measure of operating performance as it demonstrates Freehold–s ability to generate the necessary funds to fund capital expenditures and repay debt. We believe that such a measure provides a better assessment of Freehold–s operations on a continuing basis by eliminating certain non-cash charges. From a business perspective, the most directly comparable measure of funds from operations calculated in accordance with GAAP is net income. Funds from operations per share is calculated based on the weighted average number of shares outstanding consistent with the calculation of net income per share. A reconciliation of funds from operations to net income is provided below.
In addition, we refer to various per boe figures, such as revenues and costs, operating netback, FD&A costs, and NAV, also considered non-GAAP financial measures, which provide meaningful information on our operational performance. We derive per boe figures by dividing the relevant revenue or cost figure by the total volume of oil and gas production during the period, with natural gas converted to equivalent barrels of oil as described above.
Availability on SEDAR
Freehold–s 2012 audited financial statements and accompanying Management–s Discussion and Analysis (MD&A) are being filed today with Canadian securities regulators and will be available at and on our website at . Our Annual Information Form (including reserves disclosure required under National Instrument NI 51-101) is expected to be filed next week.
Contacts:
Freehold Royalties Ltd.
Karen Taylor
Manager, Investor Relations and Corporate Secretary
403.221.0891 or Toll Free: 1.888.257.1873
403.221.0888 (FAX)