XEC Cimarex Energy Co

DENVER, Nov. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --

• Generated Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities of $259 million
• Generated $139 million of free cash flow after dividend (Non-GAAP)
• Invested $83 million in the quarter
• Oil production averaged 71,600 barrels per day

Cimarex Energy Co. (NYSE: XEC) today reported a third quarter 2020 net loss of $292.7 million, or $2.94 per share, compared to net income of $123.8 million, or $1.21 per share, in the same period a year ago.  Third quarter results were negatively impacted by non-cash charges related to the impairment of oil and gas properties.  Third quarter adjusted net income (non-GAAP) was $52.4 million, or $0.51 per share, compared to third quarter 2019 adjusted net income (non-GAAP) of $96.0 million, or $0.94 per share¹.  Net cash provided by operating activities was $259.2 million in the third quarter of 2020 compared to $320.1 million in the same period a year ago.  Adjusted cash flow from operations (non-GAAP) was $236.7 million in the third quarter of 2020 compared to $360.7 million in the third quarter a year ago¹. 

Oil production averaged 71.6 thousand barrels (MBbls) per day. Total company production volumes for the quarter averaged 249.4 thousand barrels of oil equivalent (MBOE) per day.

Realized oil prices averaged $37.94 per barrel, up 94 percent from $19.57 in the previous quarter but down 28 percent from the $52.71 per barrel received in the third quarter of 2019.  Realized natural gas prices averaged $1.14 per thousand cubic feet (Mcf), up 25 percent sequentially from $0.91 per Mcf and up 30 percent from the third quarter 2019 average of $0.88 per Mcf.  NGL prices averaged $10.89 per barrel, up 45 percent from $7.52 per barrel in the second quarter of 2020 and up one percent from the $10.80 barrel received in the third quarter of 2019.

Cimarex's realized oil price was a negative differential to WTI of $2.99 per barrel in the quarter down from $8.28 per barrel in the previous quarter, with a negative oil price differential in the Permian of $2.71 per barrel in the third quarter, down sequentially from $8.12 per barrel.  The company realized a negative differential to Henry Hub on its Permian natural gas production of $1.15 per Mcf in the third quarter of 2020 compared to $1.83 per Mcf in the third quarter of 2019 and $1.09 in the second quarter of 2020.  In the Mid-Continent region, the company's average negative differential to Henry Hub was $0.31 per Mcf versus $0.66 per Mcf in the third quarter of 2019 and $0.31 per Mcf in the second quarter of 2020. 

Cimarex invested a total of $83 million during the quarter, of which $52 million was attributable to drilling and completion activities and $3 million to saltwater disposal assets.  Third quarter investments were funded with cash flow from operating activities.  Total debt at September 30, 2020 consisted of $2.0 billion of long-term notes, with no debt maturities until 2024.  Cimarex had no borrowings under its revolving credit facility and a cash balance of $273 million at quarter end.

The company has reduced staff by 20 percent year to date through a combination of an Early Retirement Program (ERIP), further staff reductions completed in the third quarter, and attrition.  Cimarex has incurred $31 million in severance expenses year to date, of which $15 million was expensed in the third quarter.  Cost savings are expected to total $40-50 million annually, beginning in 2021. 

Outlook

Improved oil prices in the third quarter allowed Cimarex to resume activity.  We are currently running four drilling rigs in the Permian basin and have had two completion crews working since September 1.  Cimarex continues to expect capital investment for the year to total approximately $600 million, as stated in guidance given in August.

Fourth quarter 2020 production volumes are expected to average 215 - 235 MBOE per day, with oil volumes estimated to average 62.5 - 68.5 MBbls per day.  Total 2020 daily production volumes are expected to average 250 - 255 MBOE per day, with annual oil volumes estimated to average 75.5 - 77.5 MBbls per day.

Expenses per BOE of production for 2020 are estimated to be:

Operations Update

Cimarex invested $83 million during the third quarter, with 95 percent invested in the Permian Basin and 5 percent in the Mid-Continent.  Cimarex brought 11 gross (1.4 net) wells on production during the quarter.  At September 30, 74 gross (39.0 net) wells were waiting on completion. 

Permian Region

Production from the Permian region averaged 180.3 MBOE per day in the third quarter, a nine percent decrease from third quarter 2019.  Oil volumes averaged 62.9 MBbls per day, a 16 percent decrease from third quarter 2019 and down nine percent sequentially.

Cimarex brought 7 gross (1.4 net) wells on production in the Permian region during the third quarter.  There were 51 gross (38.7 net) wells waiting on completion at September 30.  Cimarex currently is operating four drilling rigs and two completion crews in the region.

Mid-Continent Region

Production from the Mid-Continent averaged 68.8 MBOE per day for the third quarter, down 22 percent from third quarter 2019 and in line with the previous quarter. 

During the third quarter, 4 gross (nil net) wells were brought on production in the Mid-Continent region.  At the end of the quarter, 23 gross (0.3 net) wells were waiting on completion.  Cimarex currently is not operating drilling rigs or completion crews in the Mid-Continent.

Cimarex's average daily production and commodity price by region is summarized below:

Other

Cimarex received cash settlements of $10.8 million related to its oil hedges during the quarter.  Settlement of gas hedges resulted in cash receipts of $2.8 million .

The following table summarizes the company's current open hedge positions:

Conference call and webcast

Cimarex will host a conference call tomorrow, November 5, 2020 at 11:00 a.m. EST (9:00 a.m. MST).  The call will be webcast and accessible on the Cimarex website at www.cimarex.com.  To join the live, interactive call, please dial 866-367-3053 ten minutes before the scheduled start time (callers in Canada dial 855-669-9657 and international callers dial 412-902-4216).  A replay will be available on the company's website. 

Investor Presentation

For more details on Cimarex's third quarter 2020 results, please refer to the company's investor presentation available at www.cimarex.com.

About Cimarex Energy

Denver-based Cimarex Energy Co. is an independent oil and gas exploration and production company with principal operations in the Permian Basin and Mid-Continent areas of the U.S.

This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding projected results and future events. In particular, the disclosures under the heading "Outlook" contain projections for certain 2020 operational and financial metrics.  These forward-looking statements are based on management's judgment as of the date of this press release and include certain risks and uncertainties.  Please refer to the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, filed with the SEC, and other filings including our Current Reports on Form 8-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, for a list of certain risk factors that may affect these forward-looking statements.

Actual results may differ materially from company projections and other forward-looking statements and can be affected by a variety of factors outside the control of the company including among other things: oil, NGL and natural gas price levels and volatility, including those resulting from demand destruction from the COVID-19 pandemic; disruptions to the availability of workers and contractors due to illness and stay at home orders related to the COVID-19 pandemic; disruptions to gathering, pipeline, refining, transportation and other midstream and downstream activities, including due to the COVID-19 pandemic; disruptions to supply chains and availability of critical equipment and supplies, including as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; the effectiveness of controls over financial reporting; declines in the values of our oil and gas properties resulting in impairments; impairments of goodwill; higher than expected costs and expenses, including the availability and cost of services and materials, which may be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic; compliance with environmental and other regulations, including new regulations that may result from a change in federal and state administrations and legislatures; regulatory approvals, including regulatory restrictions on federal lands which may be negatively impacted by a change in administration; legislative or regulatory changes, including initiatives related to hydraulic fracturing, emissions and disposal of produced water, which may be negatively impacted by a change in administration; costs and availability of third party facilities for gathering, processing, refining and transportation; risks associated with concentration of operations in one major geographic area; environmental liabilities; the ability to receive drilling and other permits and rights-of-way in a timely manner, which may be negatively impacted by COVID-19 restrictions on regulatory personnel who process and approve those matters and by changes in federal and state administrations and legislatures; development drilling and testing results; the potential for production decline rates to be greater than expected; performance of acquired properties and newly drilled wells; unexpected future capital expenditures; economic and competitive conditions; the availability and cost of capital; the ability to obtain industry partners to jointly explore certain prospects, and the willingness and ability of those partners to meet capital obligations when requested; changes in estimates of proved reserves; derivative and hedging activities; the success of the company's risk management activities; title to properties; litigation; the ability to complete property sales or other transactions; and other factors discussed in the company's reports filed with the SEC.  Cimarex Energy Co. encourages readers to consider the risks and uncertainties associated with projections and other forward-looking statements.  In addition, the company assumes no obligation to publicly revise or update any forward-looking statements based on future events or circumstances.                                       

RECONCILIATION OF ADJUSTED CASH FLOW FROM OPERATIONS, FREE CASH FLOW AND FREE CASH FLOW AFTER DIVIDEND

The following table provides a reconciliation from generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) measures of net cash provided by operating activities to adjusted cash flows from operations (non-GAAP), free cash flow (non-GAAP) and free cash flow after dividend (non-GAAP) for the periods indicated.

Management uses the non-GAAP financial measures of adjusted cash flow from operations, free cash flow and free cash flow after dividend as means of measuring our ability to fund our capital program and dividends, without fluctuations caused by changes in current assets and liabilities, which are included in the GAAP measure of net cash provided by operating activities. Management believes these non-GAAP financial measures provide useful information to investors for the same reason, and that they are also used by professional research analysts in providing investment recommendations pertaining to companies in the oil and gas exploration and production industry.