EOG EOG Resources Inc

HOUSTON, Feb. 27, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

• Delivers 20 Percent U.S. Crude Oil Production Growth and Pays Dividend within Cash Flow
• Lowers Per-Unit Transportation and DD&A Expenses Below Targets
• Increases Proved Reserves 18 Percent and Replaces 201 Percent of 2017 Production at Low Finding Costs
• Raises Common Stock Dividend 10 Percent
• Targets 18 Percent Crude Oil Production Growth and 16 Percent Total Production Growth for 2018 with Significant Free Cash Flow at $60 Oil
• Expects to Earn Double-Digit ROCE in 2018

EOG Resources, Inc. (NYSE: EOG) (EOG) today reported fourth quarter 2017 net income of $2,430 million, or $4.20 per share. This compares to a fourth quarter 2016 net loss of $142 million, or $0.25 per share.  For the full year 2017, EOG reported net income of $2,583 million, or $4.46 per share, compared to a net loss of $1,097 million, or $1.98 per share, for the full year 2016. 

Adjusted non-GAAP net income for the fourth quarter 2017 was $401 million, or $0.69 per share, compared to an adjusted non-GAAP net loss of $7 million, or $0.01 per share, for the same prior year period.  Adjusted non-GAAP net income for the full year 2017 was $648 million, or $1.12 per share, compared to an adjusted non-GAAP net loss of $893 million, or $1.61 per share, for the full year 2016.  Adjusted non-GAAP net income (loss) is calculated by matching hedge realizations to settlement months and making certain other adjustments in order to exclude non-recurring and certain other items.  One of the adjusting items in the fourth quarter and full year 2017 was a non-cash reduction in income tax expense of $2.2 billion, or $3.75 per share, related to the revaluation of EOG's deferred tax liability and certain other items resulting from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.  For a reconciliation of non-GAAP measures to GAAP measures, please refer to the attached tables.

Higher commodity prices, increased production volumes, well productivity improvements and per-unit cost reductions resulted in significant increases to adjusted non-GAAP net income, discretionary cash flow and EBITDAX for the fourth quarter 2017 compared to the fourth quarter 2016.  For a reconciliation of non-GAAP measures to GAAP measures, please refer to the attached tables.

Operational Highlights
Crude oil and condensate volumes in the U.S. increased 20 percent in 2017 to 335,000 barrels of oil per day (Bopd).  Increased development activity and well productivity improvements supported the volume increase.  Total company natural gas liquids (NGLs) volumes grew 8 percent while natural gas volumes decreased 6 percent primarily due to the sale of the company's Barnett and Haynesville Shale dry gas assets in late 2016.  Transportation expenses decreased 11 percent and depreciation, depletion and amortization expenses decreased 12 percent, on a per-unit basis.

Increased development activity drove substantial volume increases in the Eagle Ford and Delaware Basin during the fourth quarter.  Total company crude oil and condensate volumes increased 40,200 Bopd compared to the third quarter 2017.  Natural gas liquids volumes grew 15 percent while natural gas volumes increased 6 percent, compared to the third quarter 2017. 

"EOG emerged from the industry downturn in 2017 with unprecedented levels of efficiency and productivity, driving oil production volumes to record levels with capital expenditures approximately one half the prior peak," said William R. "Bill" Thomas, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.  "EOG's integrated teams demonstrated superb operational performance, overcoming a major hurricane and other challenges to deliver record production volumes and cost savings which surpassed original targets set at the beginning of the year."

2018 Capital Plan
EOG's disciplined capital plan is designed to achieve strong returns on capital employed and healthy growth while spending within cash flow.  The company expects to grow total company crude oil volumes by 18 percent, generate double-digit ROCE and cover capital investment and dividend payments within discretionary cash flow.  EOG can deliver on its 2018 plan at oil prices below $50 and generates significant free cash flow at a $60 oil price.

EOG's return-based culture continues to drive cost reductions.  The company targets lower well costs and per-unit operating expenses in 2018 despite a potentially inflationary operating environment.  EOG is also focused on driving continued improvements in well productivity and pursuing exploration efforts in new plays. 

Capital expenditures for 2018 are expected to range from $5.4 to $5.8 billion, including production facilities and gathering, processing and other expenditures, and excluding acquisitions.  EOG expects to complete approximately 690 net wells in 2018, compared to 536 net wells in 2017.  Capital will be allocated primarily to EOG's highest rate-of-return oil assets in the Delaware Basin, Eagle Ford, Rockies, Woodford and the Bakken.  

At least 90 percent of the wells completed in 2018 are expected to be premium.  EOG has an inventory of approximately 8,000 such wells, which have a direct after-tax rate of return of at least 30 percent assuming $40 flat crude oil prices and $2.50 flat natural gas prices. 

"EOG enters 2018 better positioned than ever to generate significant shareholder value through the development of its large and diverse inventory of high rate-of-return premium wells," Thomas said.  "We are determined to maintain the discipline, record-level operational efficiency and performance gained through the downturn.  Our deep inventory of premium wells across the U.S. offers flexibility to adjust to changing conditions.  We also see significant opportunities to increase our premium well inventory through organic exploration and development technology to further extend EOG's return on capital advantage."

Dividend Increase
The board of directors increased the cash dividend on the common stock by 10.4 percent.  Effective with the dividend payable April 30, 2018, to stockholders of record as of April 16, 2018, the board declared a quarterly dividend of $0.185 per share on the common stock.  The indicated annual rate is $0.74 per share.

Delaware Basin
2017 was a watershed year for EOG in the Delaware Basin, where it successfully integrated the Yates acquisition, identified 1,240 additional net premium well locations, added the First Bone Spring as its fourth premium play and reduced completed well costs by $800,000 per well.  Delaware Basin crude oil and condensate volumes increased over 80 percent in 2017 and exceeded 100,000 Bopd in the fourth quarter 2017. 

EOG continued active development of its 416,000 net acre position in the Delaware Basin in the fourth quarter 2017, completing 65 wells. 

In the Delaware Basin Wolfcamp, in Lea County, NM, EOG completed a four-well package, the Calm Breeze 2 Fed Com #701-704H, with an average treated lateral length of 7,100 feet per well and average 30-day initial production rates per well of 2,605 Bopd, 440 barrels per day (Bpd) of NGLs and 3.7 million cubic feet per day (MMcfd) of natural gas.

In the Delaware Basin First Bone Spring, in Lea County, NM, EOG completed the Righteous 6 State Com #301H with a treated lateral length of 7,100 feet and 30-day initial production rate of 1,305 Bopd, 170 Bpd of NGLs and 1.4 MMcfd of natural gas. 

In the Delaware Basin Leonard, in Loving County, TX, EOG completed a four-well package, the State Atlas A#3H – D#6H, with an average treated lateral length of 9,800 feet per well and average 30-day initial production rates per well of 1,215 Bopd, 270 Bpd of NGLs and 2.3 MMcfd of natural gas. 

South Texas Eagle Ford and Austin Chalk
EOG continues to enhance the productivity of its bellwether asset in the South Texas Eagle Ford.  Eight years after initiating development, EOG further reduced well costs and improved well performance during 2017 in its 520,000 net acre position in the crude oil window of this world class play.  EOG also expanded its enhanced oil recovery program, adding 56 wells last year.  For the full year 2017, crude oil production in the Eagle Ford and Austin Chalk increased one percent year-over-year despite interruption to producing volumes as a result of Hurricane Harvey.

In the fourth quarter, EOG completed 74 wells in the Eagle Ford.  These included 13 wells with lateral lengths of more than 10,000 feet.  In LaSalle County, EOG completed a four-well package, the White 5H-8H, with an average treated lateral length of 12,900 feet per well and average 30-day initial production rates per well of 1,545 Bopd, 80 Bpd of NGLs and 0.5 MMcfd of natural gas.  In DeWitt County, EOG completed a four-well package, the Hendrix 8H-10H and the Hendrix 12H, with an average treated lateral length of 6,700 feet per well and average 30-day initial production rates per well of 2,545 Bopd, 420 Bpd of NGLs and 2.4 MMcfd of natural gas. 

EOG continued to test its position in the South Texas Austin Chalk, a geologically complex formation which lies above the South Texas Eagle Ford, completing four net wells in the fourth quarter.

Rockies
EOG's Wyoming Powder River Basin and DJ Basin activity both contributed to the company's 2017 crude oil production growth.  In the Powder River Basin, EOG continued exploration activity on its 400,000 net acre position in the core of the play.  The company tested the prospectivity of multiple target zones and also tested the aerial extent of various targets in the Powder River Basin during the year.  In the DJ Basin, EOG achieved significant well cost reductions during 2017 through a focus on efficiency improvements in drilling and completion operations.

In the fourth quarter, EOG completed nine wells in the Powder River Basin.  In Converse County, EOG completed the Mary's Draw 453-0310H and 455-0310H wells with an average treated lateral length of 7,300 feet per well and average 30-day initial production rates per well of 1,280 Bopd, 610 Bpd of NGLs and 7.6 MMcfd of natural gas.  In the DJ Basin, EOG completed three wells in the fourth quarter.  This included the Big Sandy 522-2536H with a treated lateral length of 8,800 feet and 30-day initial production rate of 1,100 Bopd, 110 Bpd of NGLs and 0.2 MMcfd of natural gas.

Reserves
At year-end 2017, total company net proved reserves were 2,527 million barrels of oil equivalent (MMBoe), an increase of 18 percent compared to year-end 2016.  Net proved reserve additions from all sources, excluding revisions due to price, replaced 201 percent of EOG's 2017 production at a finding and development cost of $8.71 per barrel of oil equivalent.  Revisions due to price increased net proved reserves by 154 MMBoe and asset divestitures decreased net proved reserves by 21 MMBoe.  (For more reserves detail and a reconciliation of non-GAAP measures to GAAP measures, please refer to the attached tables.)

For the 30^th consecutive year, internal reserves estimates were within 5 percent of estimates independently prepared by DeGolyer and MacNaughton.

Hedging Activity
During the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2017, EOG entered into crude oil financial price swap contracts and differential basis swap contracts.  A comprehensive summary of crude oil and natural gas derivative contracts is provided in the attached tables.  

Capital Structure and Asset Sales
At December 31, 2017, EOG's total debt outstanding was $6.4 billion with a debt-to-total capitalization ratio of 28 percent. Considering cash on the balance sheet at the end of the fourth quarter, EOG's net debt was $5.6 billion with a net debt-to-total capitalization ratio of 25 percent.  For a reconciliation of non-GAAP measures to GAAP measures, please refer to the attached tables.

Proceeds from asset sales for the full year 2017 totaled $227 million.

Conference Call February 28, 2018
EOG's fourth quarter and full year 2017 results conference call will be available via live audio webcast at 8 a.m. Central time (9 a.m. Eastern time) on Wednesday, February 28, 2018.  To access the live audio webcast and related presentation materials, log on to the Investors Overview page on the EOG website at http://investors.eogresources.com/overview.  

EOG Resources, Inc. is one of the largest independent (non-integrated) crude oil and natural gas companies in the United States with proved reserves in the United States, Trinidad, the United Kingdom and China.  EOG Resources, Inc. is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and is traded under the ticker symbol "EOG."  For additional information about EOG, please visit www.eogresources.com.

This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.  All statements, other than statements of historical facts, including, among others, statements and projections regarding EOG's future financial position, operations, performance, business strategy, returns, budgets, reserves, levels of production, costs and asset sales, statements regarding future commodity prices and statements regarding the plans and objectives of EOG's management for future operations, are forward-looking statements.  EOG typically uses words such as "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "project," "strategy," "intend," "plan," "target," "goal," "may," "will," "should" and "believe" or the negative of those terms or other variations or comparable terminology to identify its forward-looking statements.  In particular, statements, express or implied, concerning EOG's future operating results and returns or EOG's ability to replace or increase reserves, increase production, reduce or otherwise control operating and capital costs, generate income or cash flows or pay dividends are forward-looking statements.  Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of performance.  Although EOG believes the expectations reflected in its forward-looking statements are reasonable and are based on reasonable assumptions, no assurance can be given that these assumptions are accurate or that any of these expectations will be achieved (in full or at all) or will prove to have been correct.  Moreover, EOG's forward-looking statements may be affected by known, unknown or currently unforeseen risks, events or circumstances that may be outside EOG's control.  Furthermore, EOG has presented or referenced herein or in its accompanying disclosures certain forward-looking, non-GAAP financial measures, such as free cash flow and discretionary cash flow, and certain related estimates regarding future performance, results and financial position.  These forward-looking measures and estimates are intended to be illustrative only and are not intended to reflect the results that EOG will necessarily achieve for the period(s) presented.  EOG's actual results may differ materially from the measure and estimates presented or referenced herein.  Important factors that could cause EOG's actual results to differ materially from the expectations reflected in EOG's forward-looking statements include, among others:

• the timing, extent and duration of changes in prices for, supplies of, and demand for, crude oil and condensate, natural gas liquids, natural gas and related commodities;
• the extent to which EOG is successful in its efforts to acquire or discover additional reserves;
• the extent to which EOG is successful in its efforts to economically develop its acreage in, produce reserves and achieve anticipated production levels from, and maximize reserve recovery from, its existing and future crude oil and natural gas exploration and development projects;
• the extent to which EOG is successful in its efforts to market its crude oil and condensate, natural gas liquids, natural gas and related commodity production;
• the availability, proximity and capacity of, and costs associated with, appropriate gathering, processing, compression, transportation and refining facilities;
• the availability, cost, terms and timing of issuance or execution of, and competition for, mineral licenses and leases and governmental and other permits and rights-of-way, and EOG's ability to retain mineral licenses and leases;
• the impact of, and changes in, government policies, laws and regulations, including tax laws and regulations; environmental, health and safety laws and regulations relating to air emissions, disposal of produced water, drilling fluids and other wastes, hydraulic fracturing and access to and use of water; laws and regulations imposing conditions or restrictions on drilling and completion operations and on the transportation of crude oil and natural gas; laws and regulations with respect to derivatives and hedging activities; and laws and regulations with respect to the import and export of crude oil, natural gas and related commodities;
• EOG's ability to effectively integrate acquired crude oil and natural gas properties into its operations, fully identify existing and potential problems with respect to such properties and accurately estimate reserves, production and costs with respect to such properties;
• the extent to which EOG's third-party-operated crude oil and natural gas properties are operated successfully and economically;
• competition in the oil and gas exploration and production industry for the acquisition of licenses, leases and properties, employees and other personnel, facilities, equipment, materials and services;
• the availability and cost of employees and other personnel, facilities, equipment, materials (such as water) and services;
• the accuracy of reserve estimates, which by their nature involve the exercise of professional judgment and may therefore be imprecise;
• weather, including its impact on crude oil and natural gas demand, and weather-related delays in drilling and in the installation and operation (by EOG or third parties) of production, gathering, processing, refining, compression and transportation facilities;
• the ability of EOG's customers and other contractual counterparties to satisfy their obligations to EOG and, related thereto, to access the credit and capital markets to obtain financing needed to satisfy their obligations to EOG;
• EOG's ability to access the commercial paper market and other credit and capital markets to obtain financing on terms it deems acceptable, if at all, and to otherwise satisfy its capital expenditure requirements;
• the extent to which EOG is successful in its completion of planned asset dispositions;
• the extent and effect of any hedging activities engaged in by EOG;
• the timing and extent of changes in foreign currency exchange rates, interest rates, inflation rates, global and domestic financial market conditions and global and domestic general economic conditions;
• political conditions and developments around the world (such as political instability and armed conflict), including in the areas in which EOG operates;
• the use of competing energy sources and the development of alternative energy sources;
• the extent to which EOG incurs uninsured losses and liabilities or losses and liabilities in excess of its insurance coverage;
• acts of war and terrorism and responses to these acts;
• physical, electronic and cyber security breaches; and
• the other factors described under ITEM 1A, Risk Factors, on pages 14 through 23 of EOG's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017, and any updates to those factors set forth in EOG's subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q or Current Reports on Form 8-K.

In light of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, the events anticipated by EOG's forward-looking statements may not occur, and, if any of such events do, we may not have anticipated the timing of their occurrence or the duration and extent of their impact on our actual results.  Accordingly, you should not place any undue reliance on any of EOG's forward-looking statements. EOG's forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made, and EOG undertakes no obligation, other than as required by applicable law, to update or revise its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, subsequent events, anticipated or unanticipated circumstances or otherwise.

The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) permits oil and gas companies, in their filings with the SEC, to disclose not only "proved" reserves (i.e., quantities of oil and gas that are estimated to be recoverable with a high degree of confidence), but also "probable" reserves (i.e., quantities of oil and gas that are as likely as not to be recovered) as well as "possible" reserves (i.e., additional quantities of oil and gas that might be recovered, but with a lower probability than probable reserves).  Statements of reserves are only estimates and may not correspond to the ultimate quantities of oil and gas recovered. Any reserve estimates provided in this press release that are not specifically designated as being estimates of proved reserves may include "potential" reserves and/or other estimated reserves not necessarily calculated in accordance with, or contemplated by, the SEC's latest reserve reporting guidelines.  Investors are urged to consider closely the disclosure in EOG's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017, available from EOG at P.O. Box 4362, Houston, Texas 77210-4362 (Attn: Investor Relations). You can also obtain this report from the SEC by calling 1-800-SEC-0330 or from the SEC's website at www.sec.gov.  In addition, reconciliation and calculation schedules for non-GAAP financial measures can be found on the EOG website at www.eogresources.com.