Insignia Energy Ltd. announces its 2012 first quarter financial and operating results

CALGARY, May 9, 2012 /CNW/ - Insignia Energy Ltd. ("Insignia" or the "Company") (TSX: ISN) is pleased to announce its financial and operating results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2012.

FINANCIAL AND OPERATING HIGHLIGHTS 

• First quarter production averaged 3,316 boe/d; consisting of 14,685 mcf/d of natural gas and 868 bbls/d of crude oil and NGL's.  On a boe basis, this is down seven per cent from the same quarter in 2011 and six per cent from the previous quarter;
  
  
• In two separate transactions, the Company successfully closed and sold four (3.9 net) sections of undeveloped land for gross proceeds of $5.6 million.  The Company had no production or reserves assigned to these lands;
  
  
• Funds from operations for the first quarter were $4.4 million, down 15% from the same quarter a year ago.  The decrease in funds from operations is largely due to a 39% drop in realized natural gas prices in the first quarter of 2012 compared to the first quarter of 2011;
  
  
• During the quarter, the Company's focus was on the drilling of two (2.0 net) Cardium horizontal wells on its Pembina property, the drilling of one (0.5 net) and completion of two (1.0 net) Lower Doig horizontal wells on its Pouce Coupe property, and the completion of one (0.5 net) Montney horizontal well also on its Pouce Coupe property, all with 100% success.  All of these wells are expected to be on production prior to the end of the second quarter or early in the third quarter; and,
  
  
• Below are the financial and operating Statistics for the first quarter of 2012:

	Three months ended
	Mar 31, 2012	Dec 31, 2011	Mar 31, 2011
Financial
($ thousands, except per share amounts)
Oil and natural gas sales	9,936	13,721	11,643
Funds from operations^(1)	4,359	7,581	5,149
Per share - Basic and diluted^(1)	0.07	0.17	0.17
Net earnings (loss)	1,048	(9,747)	(1,492)
Per share - Basic and diluted	0.02	(0.22)	(0.05)
Net debt^(1)	10,243	9,742	37,903
Total assets	160,366	161,217	166,232
Weighted average common shares outstanding (thousands):       Basic and diluted	58,962	43,888	30,660
Operating (boe conversion - 6:1 basis)
Average daily production
Natural gas (mcf/d)	14,685	14,488	16,515
Oil and NGL (bbls/d)	868	1,096	824
Total (boe/d)	3,316	3,511	3,577
Product prices^(2)
Natural gas ($/mcf)	2.46	3.51	4.01
Oil and NGL ($/bbl)	84.07	89.59	76.63
Total ($/boe)	32.93	42.48	36.17
Operating netback ($/boe)^(1)	17.70	26.85	20.25

(1)

Funds from operations, funds from operations per share and operating netback are not defined by IFRS in Canada and are referred to as non-IFRS measures.  Funds from operations is cash provided by operating activities before changes in non-cash working capital and before abandonment and reclamation costs.  Funds from operations per share is calculated by dividing funds from operations by the weighted average number of shares outstanding, consistent with the calculation of net loss per share.  Operating netback per boe is calculated as total oil and natural gas revenue less royalties, operating costs, transportation costs and net of any realized income on financial derivative contracts, calculated on a boe basis.  Net debt is the sum of bank indebtedness and working capital but excludes financial derivative contracts.

(2)

The average selling prices reported are before transportation charges.

Additional First Quarter 2012 Results

• Insignia exited the quarter with net debt of $10.2 million on its current credit facility with a borrowing base of $45 million.  The facility was renewed subsequent to the quarter with our next review expected in October 2012;
• Capital expenditures for the quarter were $10.4 million.  The majority of this capital, $9.0 million, was related to drilling and completion expenditures.  The Board of Directors of Insignia had previously approved a first half 2012 capital budget of $16.5 million and, based on expenditures to date in 2012, Insignia expects its capital expenditures to be within budget;
• Q1 2012 drilling activity:
• At Pembina, the Company successfully drilled two (2.0 net) horizontal wells targeting the oil potential in the Cardium formation.  The wells are expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2012;
• At Pouce Coupe, the Company:
• Successfully drilled its first horizontal well (0.5 net) targeting the resource potential in the Montney formation in the fourth quarter of 2011.  In the first quarter of 2012, the Company successfully completed this well.  The well was completed in 9 stages and after 5 days of flow testing had a final production test rate of 4.9 mmcf/d (average rate over the test period of 4.8 mmcf/d) at approximately 1,120 psi pressure (initial pressure of 3,350 psi).  It is anticipated that this well will commence production late in the second quarter or early in the third quarter of 2012.  This was the first horizontal evaluation of the Montney formation on Insignia's 35 net sections of Montney rights in this area and was the only horizontal well in the Montney formation included in the Company's yearend 2011 independent reserve evaluation;
• Successfully drilled one (0.5 net) horizontal well in the fourth quarter of 2011 targeting the Lower Doig formation.  In the first quarter of 2012, the Company successfully completed this well.  The well was completed in 8 stages and, after four days of flow testing had a final production test rate of 4.2 mmcf/d (average rate over the test period of 4.1 mmcf/d) at approximately 580 psi pressure (initial pressure of 3,160 psi).  It is anticipated that this well will commence production late in the  second quarter or early in the third quarter of 2012; and,
• Successfully drilled and completed one (0.5 net) horizontal well targeting the Lower Doig formation.  The well was completed in 4 stages and after three days of flow testing had a final production test rate of 1.6 mmcf/d (average rate over the test period of 4.1 mmcf/d) at approximately 170 psi pressure (initial pressure of 2,240 psi).  The well is expected to commence production late in the  second quarter or early in the third quarter of 2012.

Outlook

Natural gas commodities continue to experience a supply/demand imbalance and, coupled with the high storage levels has resulted in the price of this commodity hitting 15 years lows. Although there are many positive signs for future price improvement, natural gas prices will likely continue to be soft for the next few quarters.

During this period, Insignia will continue to reduce its natural gas drilling in favor of oil opportunities.  In addition, the Company will continue to manage a conservative balance sheet and keep a close eye on its cost structure.  In short, Insignia is well positioned to weather a prolonged downturn in natural gas prices and it is not our intention to accelerate the production of our quality, long life natural gas assets at the expense of eroding our balance sheet. Over the coming quarters our focus will continue to shift to oil opportunities and on opportunistic natural gas acquisitions in this natural gas cycle low.

Advisories

The discussion of our oil and natural gas production and related performance measures is presented on a working-interest, before royalties basis.  For the purpose of calculating unit information, natural gas is converted to a barrel of oil equivalent ("boe") using six thousand cubic feet of natural gas equal to one barrel of oil.  Readers are cautioned that boe's may be misleading, particularly if used in isolation.  A conversion ratio of six thousand cubic feet of natural gas to one barrel of oil is based on an energy equivalency conversion method primarily applicable at the burner tip and does not represent a value equivalency at the wellhead.  In addition, as the value ratio between natural gas and crude oil based on the current prices of natural gas and crude oil is significantly different from the energy equivalency of 6:1, utilizing a conversion on a 6:1 basis may be misleading as an indication of value.  In this press release:  boe/d means boe per day; mcf/d means thousand cubic feet per day, bbl means barrel, mbbl means thousand barrels, mmcf means million cubic feet; mboe means thousand boe's and NGLs means natural gas liquids.

Any reference to production tests or final production test rates included in this press release are not necessarily indicative of long-term performance or ultimate recovery.

Investors are further cautioned that the preparation of financial statements in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards as adopted by Canadian generally accepted accounting principles ("Canadian GAAP") requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of our assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and our revenues and expenses during the reporting period.  Our management reviews these estimates, including those related to accruals, environmental and asset retirement obligations, income taxes, and the determination of proved reserves on an ongoing basis.  Changes in facts and circumstances may result in revised estimates and actual results may differ from these estimates.

Certain financial measures referenced to in this news release are not prescribed by Canadian GAAP.  These non-GAAP financial measures do not have any standardized meaning and therefore are unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies.  We include these measures because management utilizes them to analyze operating and financial performance.  The additional information should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with the Canadian GAAP. We use funds from operations which is cash provided by operating activities before changes in non-cash working capital and before abandonment and reclamation costs.  Funds from operations per share is calculated by dividing funds from operations by the weighted average number of shares outstanding, consistent with the calculation of net loss per share.  Operating netback per boe is calculated as total oil and natural gas revenue less royalties, operating costs, transportation costs and net of any realized financial instrument income calculated on a boe basis.  Net debt is the sum of bank indebtedness and working capital but excludes financial derivative contracts. 

Forward Looking Statements

Statements throughout this Press Release that are not historical facts may be considered to be "forward looking statements". These forward looking statements sometimes include words to the effect that management believes or expects a stated condition or result. All estimates and statements that describe the Company's objectives, goals, or future plans, including, without limitation, management's assessment of future plans and operations, anticipated commodity prices and their impact, anticipated demand for commodity prices, budgeted capital expenditures and the nature of those expenditures drilling plans and the timing of drilling and wells to be brought on production, completion and tie-in of wells and the timing thereof and the timing of the next review of the credit facility, may constitute forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws and necessarily involve risks including, without limitation, risks associated with oil and gas exploration, development, exploitation, production, marketing and transportation, volatility of commodity prices, imprecision of reserve estimates, environmental risks, competition from other producers, incorrect assessment of the value of acquisitions, failure to complete and/or realize the anticipated benefits of acquisitions, delays resulting from or inability to obtain required regulatory approvals and ability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources and changes in the regulatory and taxation environment. As a consequence, the Company's actual results may differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements or information are based on a number of factors and assumptions which have been used to develop such statements and information but which may prove to be incorrect.  Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements or information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements because the Company can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. In addition to other factors and assumptions which may be identified in this document, assumptions have been made regarding, among other things: the ability of the Company to obtain equipment and services in a timely and cost efficient manner; drilling results; the ability of the operator of the projects which the Company has an interest in to operate the field in a safe, efficient and effective manor; field production rates and decline rates; the ability to replace and expand oil and natural gas reserves through development of exploration; future oil and natural gas prices; interest rates; the regulatory framework regarding royalties, and the ability of the Company to successfully market its oil and natural gas products. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. Additional information on these and other factors that could affect the Company's operations and financial results are included elsewhere herein and in reports on file with Canadian securities regulatory authorities and may be accessed through the SEDAR website (www.sedar.com, or at the Company's website www.insigniaenergy.ca). Furthermore, the forward-looking statements contained in this Press Release are made as at the date of this Press Release and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be expressly required by applicable securities laws.

Insignia is a publicly listed junior oil and gas exploration and development company based in Calgary, Alberta. Insignia's shares trade on the TSX under the symbol "ISN".

Copies of the Financial Statements and Management's Discussion and Analysis for the period ended March 31, 2012 will be filed with Canadian securities regulators and on SEDAR on May 9, 2012 and accessible at www.sedar.com or by visiting Insignia's website at www.insigniaenergy.ca.

 

Jeff Newcommon
President & CEO
[phone]
[email protected]