MESSAGE TO SHAREHOLDERS
Gear successfully achieved its target of zero net debt at the end of April 2022, the first strategic step towards enhanced shareholder returns. Within approximately two years, Gear has eliminated over $80 million of net debt through a combination of 84 per cent free funds from operations and 16 per cent equity issuances. Now that this milestone has been accomplished, maintaining an exceptional balance sheet will continue to be a priority for the foreseeable future. Coincident with this achievement and as promised, Gear is pleased to provide clarity on the next steps in the plan for enhanced returns to shareholders.
Effective immediately, Gear will be implementing a variable quarterly dividend with target distributions of approximately 30 per cent of the free funds from operations generated from the previous quarter. For May, the inaugural quarterly dividend payment in relation to the free funds from operations generated through the first quarter of 2022 will be $0.01 per share. Gear believes this to be a unique and superior dividend strategy that will expose shareholders to the strength of the underlying business and commodity price upside, while minimizing any potential future risk of volatility to the balance sheet.
The remaining approximately 70 per cent of free funds from operations for the previous quarter is expected to be dedicated to a combination of share buybacks, growth capital, cash funded acquisitions, and special dividends. Share buybacks will be subject to certain strategic net asset value and debt adjusted trading multiple thresholds and are expected to commence in May with the formalization of an approved Normal Course Issuer Bid ("NCIB").
In parallel with these plans for immediate returns, Gear is also increasing the planned capital and abandonment expenditures for 2022 from $40 million to $55 million, targeting production and reserves growth from Gear's deep inventory of undeveloped opportunities into 2023 through a combination of incremental drilling in the fourth quarter of 2022 and expanded strategic waterflood investments.