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AGM Statement

25th Jun 2015 07:00

MAGNOLIA PETROLEUM PLC - AGM Statement

MAGNOLIA PETROLEUM PLC - AGM Statement

PR Newswire

London, June 24

Magnolia Petroleum Plc / Index: AIM / Epic: MAGP / Sector: Oil & Gas

25 June 2015

Magnolia Petroleum Plc (‘Magnolia’ or ‘the Company’)

Annual General Meeting Statement

Magnolia Petroleum Plc, the AIM quoted US focused oil and gas exploration and production company, is holding its Annual General Meeting (‘AGM’) later today. At the meeting, CEO Steven Snead will make the following statement:

“As our recent full year results demonstrate, Magnolia Petroleum is a cash generative, asset-backed oil and gas company focused on proven US onshore formations. From what was effectively a standing start in November 2011, by 1 January 2015 our net production stood at 281 boepd while our proven reserves were independently estimated at 985 Mbbls of oil and 2,905 MMcf of gas, and valued at US$26.65 million. In terms of our financial performance, we reported a 58% increase in FY revenues to US$3.85 million and in addition we received US$1.3 million income from one-off consulting services and the sale of non-core assets leading to adjusted EBITDA of US$2.60 million, a 212% increase on the previous year. Clearly there is excellent momentum behind the business despite the fall in the oil price, and we are working hard to maintain this in the year ahead.

At the time of our Admission to AIM in Q4 2011, we set out how the management team has in the past generated considerable value in the US onshore sector, and how we planned to do so again, this time for shareholders in Magnolia. Our proven strategy involves acquiring both non-operated and operated leases in historic US onshore formations where geological risk is low, and then proving up the reserves through drilling, either by participating alongside established oil and gas companies or operating our own wells with 50% plus interests. At the last count, Magnolia had interests in 193 producing wells on leases covering approximately 13,500 net mineral acres.

The non-operated side of our business is driven by the number of proposals we receive to drill on our leases. Last year we received 83. Of these, 48 matched our investment criteria which we duly elected to participate in at an average cost of US$65,000 per well. Lower oil prices have inevitably impacted drilling activity, which has had a knock on effect on the number of proposals for new wells on our leases in Q1 2015, compared to the same period last year. However, we continue to receive a sufficient level of proposals to grow the business, as highlighted by our participation in 16 new wells (see announcement of 2 June 2015), which brings the total for H1 2015 to 25, in line with the 48 we participated in FY 2014. In our view this not only highlights the excellent address of our leases in terms of geology, but also the attractive economics of drilling, even in the current low oil price environment.

While the non-operated side of our business is ticking along nicely after an understandably slow start to the year, H2 2015 will see us resume our own drilling programme as operator. By adding recoverable reserves of up to 56,500 boe to Magnolia in 2013, the Roger Swartz#1 well showed how drilling our own wells in which we retain a large interest can significantly add to net proven reserves. Working with a highly experienced geologist, we have identified multiple low cost drilling locations on our operated leases, and we plan to drill at least one of these in the second half of the year.

The drilling of Magnolia’s first well this year, Shimanek#2, is due to commence within the next few months and is located in an established field and therefore associated with low geological risk. The Shimanek #2 well can be drilled at a relatively low cost of approximately US$550,000. With such low costs, a 94% / 76.5% working / net revenue interest and relatively gentle decline curves, this well, subject to flow rates, has an attractive payback even at US$55 oil prices, which will enable capital to be recycled into further drilling activity. With a long pipeline of drilling targets on our operated leases, we are therefore well placed to scale up our revenue and reserves growth profile, as we look to deliver on our objective and prove up the value of our reserves.

Notably, leases which generate income from production and where reserves have been de-risked, such as the ones Magnolia holds, remain highly sought after in the US, particularly among the investment community. As demonstrated by our sale of 24 non-core interests in producing leases in August 2014, these typically sell for multiples of book value. There is therefore a tried and tested route to realising the true value of our growing reserves at any point in time, one which is independent of Magnolia’s prevailing market valuation. As a result, we remain on course to generate substantial value for all our shareholders, and we look forward to providing further updates on our progress.”

* * ENDS * *

For further information on Magnolia Petroleum Plc visithttp://www.magnoliapetroleum.com/ or contact the following:

Steven SneadMagnolia Petroleum Plc+1 918 449 8750
Rita WhittingtonMagnolia Petroleum Plc+1 918 449 8750
Jo Turner / James CaithieCairn Financial Advisers LLP +44 207 1487900
Jamie Vickers / Max BascombeSanlam Securities UK Limited+44 207 280 8700
Colin RowburyCornhill Capital Limited+44 207 710 9610
Lottie Brocklehurst / Frank BuhagiarSt Brides Partners Ltd+44 207 236 1177

Notes

Magnolia Petroleum Plc is an AIM quoted, US focused, oil and gas exploration and production company. Its portfolio includes interests in 193 producing and non-producing assets, primarily located in the highly productive Bakken/Three Forks Sanish hydrocarbon formations in North Dakota as well as the oil rich Mississippi Lime and the substantial and proven Woodford and Hunton formations in Oklahoma.

Summary of Wells

CategoryNumber of wells
Producing195
Being drilled / completed3
Elected to participate / waiting to spud28
TOTAL226

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