Canacol Energy Ltd. (“Canacol” or the “Corporation”) (TSX: CNE;
OTCQX: CNNEF; BVC: CNEC) is pleased to provide the following update
concerning its 2024 unaudited financial and operating results,
current drilling activities and results, and recent activity in
Bolivia.
2024 Financial Highlights
|
Q4 2024E |
|
Annual 2024E |
|
2024 Guidance |
|
Realized contractual oil and gas sales (MMcfe/d) |
163 |
|
165 |
|
160 to 177 |
|
EBITDAX ($MM) |
78 |
|
298 |
|
250 to 290 |
|
Cash capex ($MM) |
29 |
|
123 |
|
138 to 151 |
|
Leverage ratio |
2.3x |
|
2.3x |
|
2.4x to 2.8x |
|
The Corporation is pleased to report that the
fourth quarter of 2024 was another strong quarter, with EBITDAX
reaching approximately $78 million for the three months ended
December 31, 2024, resulting in an annual EBITDAX of approximately
$298 million for 2024, which is higher than the upper end of the
Corporation’s 2024 guidance (“2024 Guidance”). The strong EBITDAX
is mainly driven by tightening of Colombia’s natural gas supply
resulting in higher natural gas and electricity prices. Capex was
approximately $29 million and $123 million for the three months and
year ended December 31, 2024, respectively, which is lower than the
lower end of the 2024 Guidance, mainly due to the Corporation’s
drilling efficiencies and cost-reduction initiatives. The
Corporation ended 2024 with a leverage ratio of 2.3x, which is
lower than the lower end of the 2024 guidance.
Drilling Update
Natilla-2 ST1 Exploration Well (SSJN-7
Exploration and Production contract 100% Working
Interest)
Natilla-2 ST1 reached a total depth of 15,050
feet true vertical depth (“ft TVD”) near the base of the Porquero
Formation, the planned intermediate casing point of the well
situated just above the underlying Cienaga de Oro (“CDO”) sandstone
primary target. Drilling through the Porquero took longer than
anticipated due to high pressures and wellbore issues. The well
encountered an approximately 550 ft TVD gross section of
interbedded sandstone and shales within the Porquero with good
reservoir quality as indicated by sonic and resistivity logs
collected while drilling.
Formation pressures across this section of the
Porquero ranged from 12,500 – 13,500 psi based on the PWD (Pressure
While Drilling) tool, indicating gas at very high pressure, and
very high mud weights of up to 18.8 pounds per gallon while
drilling were required to prevent the influx of gas into the
wellbore. Despite the heavy mud weights used while drilling through
this section of the Porquero, total measured gas confirmed that the
sandstones are gas charged.
Casing is currently being run to isolate the
Porquero prior to continuing to drill to the primary Cienaga de Oro
target to a total planned depth of 16,510 ft TVD. Upon completion
of drilling, open hole and cased hole logs will be run across both
the CDO and Porquero respectively, and production tests will
subsequently be conducted across any potential gas producing
intervals.
Lulo-3 Appraisal Well (Esperanza
Exploration and Exploitation Contract, 100% Working
Interest)
The Lulo-3 appraisal well was spud on January
19, 2025, and reached a total depth of 8,209 ft MD on January 24,
2025. The well encountered 101 ft TVD of gas pay within the primary
CDO sandstone reservoir target. The well is currently being cased
and completed and will be placed on production the first week of
February 2025.
Clarinete 11 Development Well (VIM5
Exploration and Production Contract 100% Working
Interest)
The Clarinete 11 development well was spud on
December 21 2025 and reached a total depth of 8,695 ft MD on
January 1 2025. The well encountered approximately 205 ft TVD of
net gas pay within the CDO sandstone reservoir and was placed on
production at approximately 6 MMscfpd.,
Siku-2 Appraisal Well (VIM-5 Exploration and Production
Contract 100% Working Interest)
The Siku-2 appraisal well was spud on January
26, 2025, and is targeting an extension of the Siku gas field
discovered by the Corporation in 2020. The well is targeting gas
charged CDO reservoir sandstones within a part of the field located
approximately 500 meters to the southeast of the Siku-1 discovery
well. The Corporation anticipates that the well will be drilled,
completed and tied in within 3 weeks.
Pibe-2 Appraisal Well (VIM-21
Exploration and Exploitation Contract 100% Working
Interest)
The Pibe-2 appraisal well was spud on December
19, 2024, and reached a total depth of 9,392 ft TVD. Non commercial
gas was encountered within the CDO reservoir and the well was
subsequently abandoned.
Bolivia Update
The Corporation has now completed the signing of
four contracts with the Bolivian state through its National Oil
Company YPFB. The four contracts, Tita, Arenales, Ovai and Florida
Este, are located within the prolific sub-Andean basin in the
south-central part of Bolivia, and are all adjacent to producing
gas fields, gas export pipelines and other facilities. An aggregate
of approximately US$ 2 million in guarantees have been posted to
secure the 4 contracts.
Tita is a development contract that includes a
suspended gas condensate field discovered by Occidental Petroleum
in 1974. The field produced approximately 4.2 million barrels
of condensate and 112 Bcf of natural gas in the period 1978-1996,
with the gas being flared due to lack of pipeline infrastructure at
that time. A gas export pipeline connecting Bolivia to Brazil was
subsequently constructed in 1998 and is located approximately 10
kilometers to the north of the Tita field. The Corporation has
identified significant remaining gas resource potential within Tita
and plans to initially execute a number of recompletions of
existing wells in the first half of 2026 in order to restart
production.
Final approval of the four contracts by the
Bolivian Congress is anticipated in the fourth quarter of 2025
which will establish the effective date of the contracts and allow
for the initiation of development and exploration activities. The
minimum work program commitment associated with the four contracts
is approximately US$ 30 million spent over a period of 5 years.
About Canacol
Canacol is a natural gas exploration and
production company with operations focused in Colombia. The
Corporation's common stock trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange,
the OTCQX in the United States of America, and the Colombia Stock
Exchange under ticker symbol CNE, CNNEF, and CNE.C,
respectively.
Forward-looking Information and
Statements
This press release contains certain
forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable
securities law. Forward-looking statements are frequently
characterized by words such as “plan”, “expect”, “project”,
“target”, “intend”, “believe”, “anticipate”, “estimate” and other
similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions
“may” or “will” occur, including without limitation statements
relating to estimated production rates from the Corporation’s
properties and intended work programs and associated timelines.
Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates
of management at the date the statements are made and are subject
to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that
could cause actual events or results to differ materially from
those projected in the forward-looking statements. The Corporation
cannot assure that actual results will be consistent with these
forward looking statements. They are made as of the date hereof and
are subject to change and the Corporation assumes no obligation to
revise or update them to reflect new circumstances, except as
required by law. Information and guidance provided herein
supersedes and replaces any forward-looking information provided in
prior disclosures. Prospective investors should not place undue
reliance on forward looking statements. These factors include the
inherent risks involved in the exploration for and development of
crude oil and natural gas properties, the uncertainties involved in
interpreting drilling results and other geological and geophysical
data, fluctuating energy prices, the possibility of cost overruns
or unanticipated costs or delays and other uncertainties associated
with the oil and gas industry. Other risk factors could include
risks associated with negotiating with foreign governments as well
as country risk associated with conducting international
activities, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control
of the Corporation. Other risks are more fully described in the
Corporation’s most recent Management Discussion and Analysis
(“MD&A”) and Annual Information Form, which are incorporated
herein by reference and are filed on SEDAR+ at www.sedar.com.
Average production figures for a given period are derived using
arithmetic averaging of fluctuating historical production data for
the entire period indicated and, accordingly, do not represent a
constant rate of production for such period and are not an
indicator of future production performance. Detailed information in
respect of monthly production in the fields operated by the
Corporation in Colombia is provided by the Corporation to the
Ministry of Mines and Energy of Colombia and is published by the
Ministry on its website; a direct link to this information is
provided on the Corporation’s website. References to “net”
production refer to the Corporation’s working-interest production
before royalties.
Use of Non-IFRS Financial
Measures - Such supplemental measures should not
be considered as an alternative to, or more meaningful than, the
measures as determined in accordance with IFRS as an indicator of
the Corporation’s performance, and such measures may not be
comparable to that reported by other companies. This press release
also provides information on adjusted funds from operations.
Adjusted funds from operations is a measure not defined in IFRS. It
represents cash provided (used) by operating activities before
changes in non-cash working capital and the settlement of
decommissioning obligation, adjusted for non-recurring charges. The
Corporation considers adjusted funds from operations a key measure
as it demonstrates the ability of the business to generate the cash
flow necessary to fund future growth through capital investment and
to repay debt. Adjusted funds from operations should not be
considered as an alternative to, or more meaningful than, cash
provided by operating activities as determined in accordance with
IFRS as an indicator of the Corporation’s performance. The
Corporation’s determination of adjusted funds from operations may
not be comparable to that reported by other companies. For more
details on how the Corporation reconciles its cash provided by
operating activities to adjusted funds from operations, please
refer to the “Non-IFRS Measures” section of the Corporation’s
MD&A. Additionally, this press release references Adjusted
EBITDAX and operating netback measures. Adjusted EBITDAX is defined
as consolidated net income adjusted for interest, income taxes,
depreciation, depletion, amortization, exploration expenses and
other similar non-recurring or non-cash charges. Operating netback
is a benchmark common in the oil and gas industry and is calculated
as total natural gas, LNG and petroleum sales, net transportation
expenses, less royalties and operating expenses, calculated on a
per barrel of oil equivalent basis of sales volumes using a
conversion. Operating netback is an important measure in evaluating
operational performance as it demonstrates field level
profitability relative to current commodity prices. Adjusted
EBITDAX and operating netback as presented do not have any
standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS and therefore may not be
comparable with the calculation of similar measures for other
entities.
Operating netback is defined as revenues, net
transportation expenses less royalties and operating expenses.
Realized contractual sales is defined as natural
gas and LNG produced and sold plus income received from nominated
take-or-pay contracts without the actual delivery of natural gas or
LNG and the expiry of the customers’ rights to take the
deliveries.
The Corporation’s LNG sales account for less
than one percent of the Corporation’s total realized contractual
natural gas and LNG sales.
Boe Conversion
- The term “boe” is used in this news release. Boe may be
misleading, particularly if used in isolation. A boe conversion
ratio of cubic feet of natural gas to barrels oil equivalent is
based on an energy equivalency conversion method primarily
applicable at the burner tip and does not represent a value
equivalency at the wellhead. In this news release, we have
expressed boe using the Colombian conversion standard of 5.7 Mcf: 1
bbl required by the Ministry of Mines and Energy of Colombia. As
the value ratio between natural gas and crude oil based on the
current prices of natural gas and crude oil is significantly
different from the energy equivalency of 5.7 Mcf:1, utilizing a
conversion on a 5.7 Mcf:1 basis may be misleading as an indication
of value.
For further information please contact:
Investor Relations
South America: +571.621.1747 IR-SA@canacolenergy.com
Global: +1.403.561.1648 IR-GLOBAL@canacolenergy.com
http://www.canacolenergy.com
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