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W&T Offshore(WTI) - 2024 Q4 - Earnings Call Transcript
WTIW&T Offshore(WTI)2025-03-04 20:34

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - For the full year 2024, the company generated 154millioninadjustedEBITDAand154 million in adjusted EBITDA and 45 million in free cash flow [12] - Production delivered was 33,300 barrels of oil equivalent per day despite impacts from hurricanes and downtime related to the Cox acquisition [13] - At year-end 2024, total debt was 393millionandnetdebtwas393 million and net debt was 284 million, with liquidity of 159million[25]BusinessLineDataandKeyMetricsChangesTheacquisitionofsixshallowwaterGulfofMexicofieldsaddedapproximately3,500barrelsofoilequivalentperdaytoproductionin2024[11]TotalprovedreservesatSECpricingincreasedby3159 million [25] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The acquisition of six shallow water Gulf of Mexico fields added approximately 3,500 barrels of oil equivalent per day to production in 2024 [11] - Total proved reserves at SEC pricing increased by 3% year-over-year to 127 million barrels of oil equivalent, with oil reserves increasing by 39% [17] - The company expects a production midpoint of about 34,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day for full-year 2025, which is about 6% higher than Q4 2024 production [27] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - SEC natural gas pricing decreased by 19% in 2023, while SEC oil pricing declined by about 3% [18] - The PV-10 value of SEC proved reserves at year-end 2024 increased by almost 150 million or 14% to 1.2billiondespitelowerSECpricing[20]CompanyStrategyandDevelopmentDirectionThecompanyfocusesongeneratingfreecashflow,optimizinghighqualityconventionalassets,andcapitalizingonaccretiveopportunitiestobuildshareholdervalue[7]Themanagementemphasizesastrategyofacquiringproducingpropertiestoreduceriskcomparedtodrillingnewwells[46]Thecompanyispositionedtogrowin2025andbeyond,withasolidcashpositionandgoodliquiditytoevaluategrowthopportunities[31]ManagementsCommentsonOperatingEnvironmentandFutureOutlookManagementbelievesoilpricesarestabilizingaround1.2 billion despite lower SEC pricing [20] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company focuses on generating free cash flow, optimizing high-quality conventional assets, and capitalizing on accretive opportunities to build shareholder value [7] - The management emphasizes a strategy of acquiring producing properties to reduce risk compared to drilling new wells [46] - The company is positioned to grow in 2025 and beyond, with a solid cash position and good liquidity to evaluate growth opportunities [31] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management believes oil prices are stabilizing around 70 over the long term, with natural gas having potential for price increases [47] - The company is optimistic about returning fields to production in the second quarter of 2025, which will contribute to production growth [22] - Management expressed confidence in the company's ability to manage debt and position itself for growth despite market challenges [60] Other Important Information - The company has paid five quarterly cash dividends since initiating the dividend policy in late 2023 [13] - The company has implemented costless collars for 50 million per day from March to December to lock in favorable natural gas prices [16] Q&A Session Summary Question: Production guidance growth - The growth in production guidance is primarily from restarting well fields that were shut in and does not include new drilling [37][38] Question: Update on drilling partnership - The first well planned to drill is at Holy Grail, with another prospect lined up afterward, but potential acquisitions may affect drilling schedules [44][45] Question: Preference for acquisitions vs. drilling - The company prefers acquisitions that add immediate cash flow over drilling, which carries more risk [46][47] Question: Progress on refurbishment of Cox assets - Significant progress has been made on lease operating expenses, with ongoing work expected to be completed in 2025 [53] Question: Status of West Delta and Main Pass fields - Maintenance and work required for West Delta and Main Pass fields are mostly completed, and they are expected to come back online soon [56]