PetroQuest Energy Announces Third Quarter Results

LAFAYETTE, La., Nov. 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- PetroQuest Energy, Inc (Nasdaq: PQUE - News) announced today net income for the quarter ended September 30, 2003 of $229,000 or $0.01 per share, compared to third quarter 2002 net income of $950,000 or $0.02 per share. Net cash flow provided by operating activities for the third quarter of 2003 was $3,817,000 as compared to $12,557,000 for the comparable 2002 period. Net cash flow provided by operating activities before working capital changes for the third quarter of 2003 was $5,788,000, as compared to $7,694,000 for the comparable 2002 period. For the first nine months of 2003, the Company reported net income of $1,524,000 or $0.03 per share. Net income for the first nine months of 2003 includes an after tax gain of $849,000 for the cumulative effect of a change in accounting principle related to the adoption of Statement of Accounting Standards No. 143, "Accounting for Asset Retirement Obligations." The Company reported net income of $841,000 or $0.02 per share for the first nine months of 2002. For the first nine months of 2003, net cash flow provided by operating activities was $16,868,000 and net cash flow provided by operating activities before working capital changes was $22,836,000. Net cash flow provided by operating activities and net cash flow provided by operating activities before working capital changes for the first nine months of 2002 were $26,725,000 and $21,829,000, respectively. See the attached schedule for a reconciliation of net cash flow provided by operating activities to net cash flow provided by operating activities before working capital changes.

Oil and gas sales during the third quarter of 2003 decreased 13% to $9,800,000 as compared to $11,220,000 in the third quarter of 2002. For the first nine months of 2003, sales increased 6% to $35,014,000 from $33,085,000 in the first nine months of 2002. Stated on an Mcfe basis, unit prices received during the third quarter and first nine months of 2003 were 24% and 49% higher, respectively, than the prices received during the comparable 2002 periods.

During the third quarter the well at the Company's East Cameron 222 Knight Prospect (24% net revenue interest) began producing and is currently at a gross rate of approximately 10,000 Mcfe per day. In addition, PetroQuest drilled wells at its Pinot Grigio, Trout and Riesling Prospects. Pinot Grigio, located in Ship Shoal 72 Field, (46% net revenue interest) began producing in October and is currently at a gross rate of approximately 11,000 Mcfe per day. The Trout Prospect well, located in Terrebonne Parish, (29% net revenue interest) began producing last week at a gross rate of approximately 4,500 Mcfe per day and is expected to move up to approximately 10,000 Mcfe per day. The well at the Riesling Prospect, located in Ship Shoal 72 Field, (47% net revenue interest) is expected to begin production in the next several days and reach a gross rate of approximately 3,000 Mcfe per day.

The following table sets forth certain information with respect to the oil and gas operations of the Company for the three and nine-month periods ended September 30, 2003 and 2002:

                           Three Months Ended        Nine Months Ended
                              September 30,             September 30,
                            2003         2002         2003         2002

    Production:
      Oil (Bbls)           166,385      237,167      584,249      688,801
      Gas (Mcf)          1,031,679    1,461,924    3,483,927    5,763,714
      Total Production
       (Mcfe)            2,029,989    2,884,923    6,989,421    9,896,520

    Sales:
      Total oil sales   $4,552,094   $6,339,813  $16,801,189  $16,732,483
      Total gas sales   $5,247,711   $4,879,750  $18,212,501  $16,352,614

    Average sales prices:
      Oil (per Bbl)         $27.36       $26.73       $28.76       $24.29
      Gas (per Mcf)          $5.09        $3.34        $5.23        $2.84
      Per Mcfe               $4.83        $3.89        $5.01        $3.36


    The following initiates guidance for the fourth quarter of 2003:


                                                 Guidance for
     Description                               4th Quarter 2003

    Production volumes (MMcfe/d)                   21.5-23.5

    Percent gas                                       60%

    Expenses:
      Lease operating expenses (per Mcfe)         $1.15-$1.25
      Production taxes (per Mcfe)                 $0.11-$0.12
      Depreciation, depletion and
       amortization (per Mcfe)                    $2.90-$3.00
      General and administrative (in millions)    $1.15-$1.35
      Interest expense (in millions)             $0.075-$0.100

    Effective tax rate (all deferred)                 35%


PetroQuest Energy Inc. is an independent energy company engaged in the exploration, development, acquisition and production of oil and natural gas reserves in the Gulf Coast Basin, both onshore and in shallow waters offshore.

This press release contains "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. These forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks, trends and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Among those risks, trends and uncertainties are our estimate of the sufficiency of our existing capital sources, our ability to raise additional capital to fund cash requirements for future operations, the uncertainties involved in estimating quantities of proved oil and natural gas reserves, in prospect development and property acquisitions and in projecting future rates of production, the timing of development expenditures and drilling of wells, and the operating hazards attendant to the oil and gas business. In particular, careful consideration should be given to cautionary statements made in the various reports PetroQuest has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. PetroQuest undertakes no duty to update or revise these forward-looking statements.

                           PETROQUEST ENERGY, INC.
                    Consolidated Statements of Operations
                                 (unaudited)
                (Amounts In Thousands, Except Per Share Data)

                                              Three Months      Nine Months
                                                  Ended            Ended
                                              September 30,    September 30,
                                              2003    2002     2003     2002
    Revenues:
            Oil and gas sales               $9,800  $11,220  $35,014  $33,085
            Interest and other income           57       30      108       68
                                             9,857   11,250   35,122   33,153

    Expenses:
            Lease operating expenses         2,235    2,487    7,501    7,240
            Production taxes                   289      119      623      441
            Depreciation, depletion and
             amortization                    6,197    5,916   20,549   19,638
            General and administrative       1,171    1,016    3,519    3,758
            Accretion of asset retirement
             obligation                        169      ---      445      ---
            Interest expense                    30       25      283      252
            Derivative expense                (586)     226    1,163      530
                                             9,505    9,789   34,083   31,859

    Income from operations                     352    1,461    1,039    1,294

            Income tax expense                 123      511      364      453

    Income before cumulative effect of
     change in accounting principle           $229     $950     $675     $841

    Cumulative effect of change in
     accounting principle                      ---      ---      849      ---

    Net income                                $229     $950   $1,524     $841

    Earnings per common share:
      Basic
           Income before cumulative effect
            of change in accounting
            principle                        $0.01    $0.03    $0.02    $0.02
           Cumulative effect of change in
            accounting principle               ---      ---     0.02      ---
           Net income                        $0.01    $0.03    $0.04    $0.02
      Diluted
           Income before cumulative effect
            of change in accounting
            principle                        $0.01    $0.02    $0.01    $0.02
           Cumulative effect of change in
            accounting principle               ---      ---     0.02      ---
           Net income                        $0.01    $0.02    $0.03    $0.02

    Weighted average number of common
     shares:
            Basic                           44,333   37,852   43,366   36,815
            Diluted                         44,729   39,820   44,167   38,575


                           PETROQUEST ENERGY, INC.
                      Non-GAAP Disclosure Reconciliation
                            (Amounts In Thousands)

                                             Three Months      Nine Months
                                                 Ended            Ended
                                             September 30,    September 30,
                                             2003    2002     2003     2002
    Net cash flow provided by operating
     activities                             $3,817  $12,557  $16,868  $26,725
    Changes in working capital accounts      1,971   (4,863)   5,968   (4,896)
    Net cash flow provided by operations
     before working capital changes         $5,788   $7,694  $22,836  $21,829

     Note:  Management believes that net cash flow provided by operating
            activities before working capital changes is relevant and useful
            information, which is commonly used by analysts, investors and
            other interested parties in the oil and gas industry as a
            financial indicator of an oil and gas company's ability to
            generate cash used to internally fund exploration and development
            activities and to service debt.  Net cash flow provided by
            operating activities before working capital changes is not a
            measure of financial performance prepared in accordance with
            generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") and should not
            be considered in isolation or as an alternative to net cash flow
            provided by operating activities.  In addition, since net cash
            flow provided by operating activities before working capital
            changes is not a term defined by GAAP, it might not be comparable
            to similarly titled measures used by other companies.



Source: PetroQuest Energy, Inc.

 

Contact:

PetroQuest Energy Inc.
Robert R. Brooksher, 337/232-7028

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