CALGARY, ALBERTA — (Marketwired) — 05/23/13 — Mart Resources, Inc. (TSX VENTURE: MMT) (“Mart” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce its financial and operating results (all amounts in United States dollars unless noted) for the three months ended March 31, 2013 (“Q113”):
THREE MONTHS ENDED MARCH 31, 2013
FINANCIAL AND OPERATING RESULTS
The following table provides a summary of Mart–s selected financial and operating results for the three months ended March 31, 2013 and 2012 and the twelve months ended December 31, 2012:
OUTLOOK AND OPERATIONS UPDATE:
Dividend
On March 12, 2013, Mart declared a quarterly cash dividend of CDN $0.05 per common share that was paid to shareholders on April 9, 2013 for an aggregate amount of CDN $17.8 million.
UMU-10 Well
The Company announced on November 5, 2012 that the UMU-10 well encountered 479 feet of gross hydrocarbon pay in 20 sands. The results of the well tests conducted have been previously press released.
The operator of the Umusadege field plans to return to the UMU-10 well after drilling the UMU-11 well (discussed below) to carry out the remaining testing operations on sands XXb and XIX in the long string as a coiled tubing unit is required. Multirate flow testing will then be performed on all sands completed in the long string: XIX, XXb, and XXI.
Umusadege Field Development Activity Update
It is anticipated that drilling activities on the Umusadege field will include at least one additional vertical development well, one horizontal development well and one exploration well.
Umusadege field development is continuing with the UMU-11 well, to be drilled from the same surface location as UMU-9 and UMU-10. The rig has been skidded to the last drill slot on the existing drill pad and the rig is being set up and upgraded to prepare for the UMU-11 well. The well is expected to spud in the second quarter of 2013. The oil reservoirs expected to be completed in the UMU-11 well are the XIIb, XIIc, XVIa, and XVIb sands, which had a combined 79 feet of oil pay in UMU-10.
The horizontal well is planned to be the sidetrack well from the existing UMU-3 vertical wellbore. It will develop the shallow oil reservoirs in the main accumulation using a second rig.
The exploration drilling is planned for the East prospect within the Umusadege farmout area.
The new Central Production Facility is expected to be commissioned during the second quarter of 2013. This facility has been designed to handle the full field capacity anticipated from the existing reserves, as well as the potential for production from prospective resources in the Umusadege farmout area.
Umugini Pipeline and Trans Forcados Export Pipeline
Mart and its co-venturers are currently constructing a second independent export pipeline (known as the Umugini Pipeline) for Umusadege field production. The pipeline contractor is currently working from two locations: one near the Umusadege field and one near the midpoint between Umusadege and the Trans Forcados export pipeline station. The Umugini pipeline will connect the Umusadege field to the Trans Forcados export pipeline. The Trans Forcados export pipeline will deliver Umusadege crude to the Forcados export terminal. Negotiations regarding the crude handling agreement with the export pipeline owners and terminal operators are continuing.
Production Update
Production from the Umusadege field that was shut down on February 24, 2013 resumed on April 17, 2013 following notice given by Nigerian Agip Oil Company, the pipeline operator, that maintenance and repairs to the export pipeline have been completed.
Umusadege field production during April 2013 averaged 4,148 bopd. Umusadege field downtime during April 2013 totaled 18.5 days. The average field production based on producing days was 10,864 bopd in April 2013.
Total crude oil deliveries into the export pipeline from the Umusadege field for April 2013 were approximately 150,500 bbls before pipeline losses, of which 124,500 bbls were from new production from the Umusadege field with the additional amount being deliveries from storage tanks injected into the export pipeline when pipeline operations resumed.
Loan facility
On March 26, 2013, Mart, through its wholly-owned Nigerian subsidiary, Mart Umusadege Resources Nigeria Limited, arranged a $100 million secured term loan facility with Guaranty Trust Bank PLC. The finalization of the facility is subject to completion of a facility agreement and customary security documents. The facility is comprised of a $75 million, 5-year term loan facility and a $25 million, 1-year revolving loan facility. The facilities are intended to finance capital expenditures required for further Umusadege field development activities and the Umugini Pipeline and Mart–s ongoing working capital requirements. Interest is based on 90 day LIBOR, plus 4 percent (floor of 8.25 percent) and is secured by all assets of Mart Umusadege Resources Nigeria Limited.
ANNUAL GENERAL AND SPECIAL MEETING OF MART SHAREHOLDERS
Mart is pleased to announce that its Annual General and Special Meeting of Shareholders will be held at 3:00pm on Thursday, June 27, 2013 at the Calgary Petroleum Club. The Meeting will be webcast for shareholders and others unable to attend the Meeting in person. Full details of the Meeting and webcast will be provided prior to the Meeting date.
CHAIRMAN–S COMMENT:
Wade Cherwayko, Chairman & CEO of Mart said, “In the first quarter of 2013 Mart experienced production shutdowns that were far above normal due to maintenance and repairs to the export pipeline performed by the pipeline operator. This resulted in much lower production and revenue in Q113 compared to Q112 and Mart–s revenue for Q113 was $19.8 million with a net income after taxes of $1.9 million. The export pipeline resumed normal operations on April 17, 2013, and production and injection into the export pipeline has been at levels at or nearing the maximum allocation. The Company declared a quarterly cash dividend of CAD $0.05 per common share that was paid to shareholders on April 9, 2013 for an aggregate amount of CAD $17.8 million. The Umusadege field–s production capacity remains strong, and despite significant interruptions to production in Q113 the potential of the field continues to be very positive. The Company continues to work towards maximizing production and increasing reserves. The construction of the additional export pipeline will also enable the Umusadege co-venturers to fully exploit the potential of the Umusadege field. The drilling program scheduled for 2013 includes the UMU-11 well, expected to begin drilling operations in Q213, and additional development drilling activities are planned for the remainder of 2013.”
Mart will hold a conference call to discuss the operational and financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2013. The conference call is scheduled for May 24, 2013 at 8:30 AM Mountain Daylight Time (10:30 Eastern Daylight Time). Wade Cherwayko, Chairman & CEO of Mart, and Dmitri Tsvetkov, Chief Financial Officer of Mart, will host the call and be available during the question-and-answer session. To access the conference call, please dial 1- 800-769-8320 or 416-695-6616. An instant replay of the call will be available until June 1, 2013 by dialing 1-800-408-3053 or 905-694-9451 and entering pass code 6207792.
Mart Presenting at Oil Council Africa Assembly in Paris, Earth–s Resources Forum 2013 in Hong Kong and Oil & Gas Finance Forum 2013 in New York
Wade Cherwayko, Chairman and CEO of Mart, will be a presenter at the Oil Council Africa Assembly in Paris on June 11-12, 2013 and Earth–s Resources Forum 2013 in Hong Kong on June 19-20, 2013. Dmitri Tsvetkov, CFO of Mart, will be a presenter at the Oil & Gas Finance Forum 2013 in New York on June 12-13, 2013. Links containing the locations and details of the conferences will be available on Mart–s website under News & Presentations / Corporate Presentations – .
Additional information regarding Mart is available on the Company–s website at and under the Company–s profile on SEDAR at .
Notes: Except where expressly stated otherwise, all production figures set out in this press release, including bopd, reflect gross Umusadege field production rather than production attributable to Mart. Mart–s share of total gross production before taxes and royalties from the Umusadege field fluctuates between 82.5% (before capital cost recovery) and 50% (after capital cost recovery).
This news release provides information regarding the Company–s possible reserves. Possible reserves are those additional reserves that are less certain to be recovered than probable reserves. There is a 10% probability that the quantities actually recovered will be equal or exceed the sum of the proved plus probable plus possible reserves.
Information Regarding Reserves and Net Present Value of Future Net Revenues
All information contained in this press release regarding reserves and the net present value of future net revenue has been derived from the Company–s Form 51-101 F1-Statement of Reserves Data and Other Oil and Gas Information for the year ended December 31, 2011 (“Statement of Reserves Data”) which report, along with the Form 51-101F2-Report on Reserves Data and Form 51-101F3-Report of Management and Directors on Reserves Data and Other Information are available for review at and on the Company–s website at .
Forward Looking Statements
Certain statements contained in this press release constitute “forward-looking statements” as such term is used in applicable Canadian and US securities laws. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or are not statements of historical fact and should be viewed as “forward-looking statements”. These statements relate to analyses and other information that are based upon forecasts of future results, estimates of amounts not yet determinable and assumptions of management. Such forward looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.
In particular, statements (express or implied) contained herein or in Mart–s Management–s Discussion and Analysis (“MD&A”) regarding the following should be considered forward-looking statements: the Company–s goals and growth strategy, estimates of reserves and future net revenues, exploration and development activities in respect of the Umusadege field, the Company–s ability to finance its drilling and development plans with cash flows from operations, the ability of the Company to successfully drill and complete future wells, the ability of the Company to commercially produce, transport and sell oil from the Umusadege field, future anticipated production rates, export pipeline capacity available to the Company, the expectation of the Company that production and export pipeline disruptions will not have a lasting impact on the Company–s future production, timing of completion of the Company–s upgrading of the central production facility, the construction and completion of an alternative export pipeline, the acceptance of the Company–s tax filings by the Nigerian taxing authorities, treatment under government regulatory regimes including royalty and tax laws, projections of market prices and costs, supply and demand for oil, timing for receipt of government approvals, and the ability of the Company to satisfy its current and future financial obligations to its banks and other creditors.
In addition, information regarding the reserve and resource estimates attributable to Mart–s oil and gas properties should be considered forward looking statements, as they involve the implied assessment, based on certain estimates and assumptions, that the reserves and resources described exist in the quantities predicted or estimated and that the reserves and resources can be profitably produced in the future. Readers are referred to the heading “Forward Looking Statements” in the Company–s Statement of Reserves Data for a more detailed discussion of risks associated with forward looking statements regarding reserves. In addition, past production performance, sales volumes and prices from the Umusadege field are not necessarily indicative of future performance, sales volumes and prices.
There can be no assurance that such forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could vary or differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements contained in this news release. This cautionary statement expressly qualifies the forward-looking statements contained herein.
Forward-looking statements are made based on management–s beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date the statements are made and the Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements and if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, except as required by applicable law.
NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THE RELEASE.
Contacts:
Mart Resources, Inc.
Wade Cherwayko / Dmitri Tsvetkov
England office # +44 207 351 7937
/
Mart Resources, Inc.
Investor Relations
Toll Free 1-888-875-7485