RE:Q3 financials available. Vital Energy Q3 2022 Results. Ending September 30, 2022 (All Information Available on Sedar)
Ticker Symbol: VUX
Price: $0.31
Common Shares: 82,249,971
Warrants: Nil
Options: 1,250,000 @ $0.25
Market Cap: $25 million
Insider Holdings: 55,311,353 or 67.3% of the float
Tax Pools: $51 million (Less Q1-Q3 2022 earnings. Available in 2021 audited results)
2021 Reserves: 1,340,100 barrels (Breakdown Available on Sedar)
Financials
ASSETS
Cash: $639,870
Short-Term Investments: $4,115,385
Trade & Receivables: $1,814,897
Prepaid Expenses: $136,659
Deposits: $566,229
Exploration & Evaluation Assets: $3,059,241
Right Of Use Assets: $150,807
Property & Equipment: $15,158,295
Total Assets: $25,641,383
LIABILITIES
Accounts Payable & Accrued Liabilities: $4,576,791
Contract Liabilities: $133,670
Lease Liability: $52,058
Current Decommissioning Liabilities: $305,739
Bank Loan: $60,000
Lease Liability: $103,921
Decommissioning Liabilities: $1,578,818
Total Liabilities: $6,810,997
Nine Month Performance
Revenue: $15,715,827
Net Income: $6,693,694 or $0.081c EPS
Project Updates
Properties
The Company’s strategical plan included further drilling in 2022. As such, in Q3 2022, the Company successfully completed its 2022 new drill program on three (3) Saskatchewan properties where the Company holds a 100% working interest on each property. The properties are located in Steelman, Lampman and Hume. In total, five (5) wells were drilled and completed - Steelman three (3) wells, Lampman one (1) well and Hume one (1) well.
The initial production on the three (3) new wells at Steelman are meeting the Company’s economic expectation. The one (1) new well at Lampman is on production with a lower production rate than expected. The one (1) new well at Hume is uneconomic.
The Company revised the 2022 drilling project from the original plan of eight (8) new wells to five (5) new wells due to (1) the drilling costs of the wells being higher than expected, (2) the reservoirs are more complicated than expected and the Company requires more time to mitigate the risks and uncertainties to an acceptable level and (3) the cost of surface pipeline and infrastructure is higher than planned.
The operational results of the properties for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 were positively impacted by work completed on the properties in 2021. In Q3 2021, the Company completed three horizontal wells at Lampman with production from all wells commencing in September 30, 2021.
In the first nine months of 2021, the Company completed a review of their other properties. As a result, workovers were performed at thirteen (13) wells including two (2) wells at Sullivan lake, three (3) wells at Gull Lake, three (3) wells at Pennant, four (4) wells at Baxter Lake, and one (1) well at Standard Hill. The Company also replaced the desulfurization tower at Sullivan Lake with a desulfurization tower with increased capacity. This assisted in the resumption of operations and allowed the Company to maintain a stable production.
Core Properties
Lampman
Three (3) Frobisher horizontal (“Hz”) wells drilled in July 2021 were from the same surface location and were completed in August 2021. All three (3) Hz wells has been demonstrating stable production rates with very reasonable natural production declines. All wells are fully equipped with electrical primer drivers and pipelines and are periodically tested with Vital’s own onsite 2 phase separator (satellite).
For the nine months ended September 30,2022, the average production wass 278 bbls/d, (sweet light oil, API ranging from 32.5 -36.0)
In Q3 of 2022, the Company drilled one additional Hz well in the southern part of the Lampman property in order to produce the remaining Frobisher reserves. The well was put on production in August 2022. The initial production rate is lower than expected as the well is geologically located on the edge of reservoir, and the limestone target zone changes in both lateral and vertical directions. In order to increase productivity, the Company has initiated a full-scale production optimization analysis. Future work may entail a frac or acid squeeze to stimulate production.
Sullivan Lake
This property has two (2) Ellerslie Hz producing wells and one (1) Banff Hz producing well which were drilled in 2018 and 2019. These Hz wells have a stable production rate with a natural production decline. This property has completed surface facilities including a desulfurization tower and a gas pipeline. There are 6 potential Banff Hz development wells
This area produced 87 boe/d for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 compared to 104 boe/d for the same period in 2021.
Gull Lake
In one of the Company’s core areas of operations, Gull Lake, Saskatchewan, Vital is the designated operator and maintains a 50% working interest. The property is covered with 3D seismic data and has 9 wells producing, or capable of producing, crude oil from the Roseray , Cantuar and Upper Shaunavon formations. This project has a salt-water disposal facility and a gas collection pipeline system. In the Company’s opinion, future drilling opportunities remain on these lands.
At Gull Lake, Vital’s net daily oil and natural gas production for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 was 189 boe/d (2021 – 197 boe/d). The decrease in production was attributable to natural declines in the property. A Waterflood Project (Enhanced Oil Recovery) has been undertaken and it should be completed in Q4 2022.
In order to better evaluate the oil development potential, the Company has utilized the 3D seismic survey which covers all of its Gull Lake lands. As of December 31, 2021, the reserves evaluator, Trimble Engineering, assigned 160,400 boe of proven oil and natural gas reserves net to the Company and 79,400 boe of probable oil reserves net to the Company.
Pennant
Vital is the Operator and maintains a 100% working interest in 12 contiguous sections of land. To date one (1) vertical well and six (6) horizontal wells have been drilled. Four of the horizontal wells and the vertical well have had production. The Company has commenced abandonment and reclamation work on some well site.
3D seismic coverage on about 35% of Vital’s lands indicates the potential for additional drilling locations.
The company’s crude oil production was 26 bbls/d for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 as compared to 33 bbls/d in the comparable period in 2021 when the property was shut-in for a considerable time period due to depressed oil prices, 2 wells workover will be completed in Q4 2022
Steelman
Vital acquired a quarter section of crown land in Saskatchewan in April 2022 and drilled 3 Frobisher Hz wells from the same surface location in Q3 2022. The facility equipment has been installed and the tie-in to the pipeline completed. The average initial production from the three (3) wells is 80 bbl/d which is meeting the Company’s economic expectation and production targets.
Ante Creek
The Company purchased 2.5 sections of crown land in Alberta in Q1 2021. As part of the Company’s 2023 strategic plan, the Montney play in Ante Creek will be the Company’s main focus. Currently, the Company has been working on a detailed geological study and finalizing development plan. The preliminary development plan indicates there are up to 25 development wells.
Evaluation Properties
Hume
The property comprises 6 LSDs of crown land in Saskatchewan with a potential for three (3) Frobisher Hz development wells. In Q3 2022, one Frobisher Hz wells was drilled and was considered uneconomic. The drilling result showed the Frobisher limestone target zone changes in both lateral and vertical directions that indicated that the risks of both geology and drilling engineering would be higher than expected. There were indications that main geological fractures might be encountered which could result in a much higher water cut and be uneconomic to produce. As a result, the well was abandoned after swab test.
The Company will continue to review the results of the first drilled well with the plan of drilling future wells.
Gainsborough
The company acquired 3 LSDs of crown land in Saskatchewan in April 2022 and had planned to drill 2 Hz wells in Q3 2022. The Gainsborough 2022 drilling project was postponed due to the risks and uncertainties related to the geology and projected higher costs than initially planned for drilling operation, surface pipeline and infrastructure.
The Company will continue work on the reservoirs and the geology and will re-evaluate the feasibility of the project at a later date. The drilling program will be resumed if risks and uncertainties are mitigated to an acceptable level.
Non-core Properties
Baxter Lake
The Company performed remedial work in 2021 to reactivate certain wells in the Baxter Lake area as oil prices have improved. In 2022, this area produced 25 boe/d.
Pembina
The Company acquired a quarter section of crown land in Alberta in Q3 2021 and another adjoining quarter section of crown land in June 2022. The Company is currently working on a detailed geology study and development plan. This may allow the drilling of up to 4 Hz Cardium development wells.