Equus Subsidiary Morgan E&P Completes Two Horizontal Wells
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Insights
The completion of the two wells by Morgan E&P, a subsidiary of Equus Total Return, Inc. and the subsequent sale of a portion of the working interest for $5.6 million is a strategic move that can influence the company's financials and its position in the energy market. The successful drilling in the Middle Bakken formation and the commencement of production over 1,000 barrels per day are indicative of the company's operational efficiency and potential for growth in oil production. The use of Electronic Submersible Pumps (ESPs) to accelerate flowback suggests an innovative approach to optimizing well performance, which could lead to increased productivity and reduced time to market for oil production.
The transaction with Bakken Partners I, LLC not only injects capital but also strategically aligns with Morgan's future drilling plans within the first two Drilling Space Units. The option for Bakken Partners to participate in future wells could foster collaborative development and risk-sharing, which is a common practice in the energy sector to mitigate individual investment risks. This move could be seen as a positive indicator by investors, as it reflects a proactive management approach to capital expenditure and resource development.
The divestiture of working interests for $5.6 million provides immediate liquidity and can improve Equus' balance sheet by offsetting capital expenditures associated with the drilling and completion of the two wells. This financial maneuver may enhance investor confidence by demonstrating fiscal responsibility and the ability to monetize assets effectively. The anticipated publication of the initial IP 30 rate, which measures the production rate of a well after 30 days, will be a critical financial indicator for stakeholders. A higher IP 30 rate can signal the wells' prolific nature and may positively impact Equus' stock valuation in the short-term.
Long-term implications for stakeholders include the potential increase in oil production and reserves, which could translate into sustained revenue growth. However, the volatility of oil prices and the regulatory environment remain as external factors that could affect the profitability of these wells. The option provided to Bakken Partners to participate in future wells also suggests a potential dilution of future revenue, which should be weighed against the benefits of shared investment risks.
Equus' operational update regarding the oil production in North Dakota's Middle Bakken region can have broader implications on the market's perception of the company's growth trajectory. The Middle Bakken is a well-known and prolific oil-producing formation and successful exploitation of resources in this area can position Equus favorably among its peers. The industry norm for a successful well completion often includes multi-stage fracture stimulations and the 60-stage fracture stimulations used by Morgan are on the higher end, indicating an aggressive approach to maximize hydrocarbon extraction.
Market trends have shown that investors are particularly attentive to energy companies that demonstrate efficient resource management and strategic asset divestitures. Equus' sale of working interests and the subsequent capital reallocation could be perceived as a positive development, provided the company maintains a balance between divestitures and retaining sufficient interest to capitalize on future production revenue. The energy market's response to such news typically hinges on the projected increase in production capacity and the strategic implications of partnerships like the one with Bakken Partners.
- Completes Sale of Wellbore Working Interest For
$5.6 Million - Gross Oil Production Over 1,000 Barrels Per Day
HOUSTON, Feb. 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Equus Total Return, Inc. (NYSE: EQS) ("Equus") today announced that Morgan E&P, LLC ("Morgan"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Equus, has completed its first two wells in Billings County, North Dakota, the Baranko 1-28H and the Obrigewitch 1-33H. Morgan received its drilling permits from the North Dakota Industrial Commission (“NDIC”) in September 2023 and successfully completed drilling in October. Both wells, along with construction of production facilities, were completed by the end of November.
Morgan drilled both wells into their target zones of the Middle Bakken, with the Baranko achieving a total depth of 19,920 feet and the Obrigewitch achieving a total depth of 21,356 feet. The wells were completed with 60-stage fracture stimulations.
The wells began flowback procedures on December 3, 2023. To accelerate the flowback process, Electronic Submersible Pumps (ESPs) were installed in the wells. The installation was completed on January 26, 2024. The ESPs are still removing water used to fracture the formation, resulting in an increasing oil cut. Currently, the two wells are producing at a combined rate over 1,000 barrels of oil per day. Morgan anticipates further increases as the wells continue flowback for the next few weeks. Morgan expects to publish its initial IP 30 rate towards the end of Q1 2024.
Morgan has completed a Purchase and Sale Agreement (“PSA”) for the divestiture of certain of its working interests to Bakken Partners I, LLC (“BPI”) in the amount of
The PSA provides BPI with an option to participate up to
About Morgan E&P, LLC
Morgan E&P, LLC (www.morganep.com) is an upstream exploration and production company focused on the development of oil and gas assets throughout North America. Morgan is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Equus.
About Equus
Equus Total Return, Inc. is a business development company that trades as a closed-end fund on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "EQS". Additional information on the Company may be obtained from the Company's website at www.equuscap.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
The SEC permits oil and gas companies, in their filings with the SEC, to disclose only proved, probable and possible reserves that a company anticipates as of a given date to be economically and legally producible and deliverable by application of development projects to known accumulations. We use certain terms in this press release, such as EUR (estimated ultimate recovery) and total resource potential, that the SEC's rules strictly prohibit us from including in filings with the SEC. These measures are by their nature more speculative than estimates of reserves prepared in accordance with SEC definitions and guidelines and accordingly are less certain. We also note that the SEC strictly prohibits us from aggregating proved, probable and possible reserves in filings with the SEC due to the different levels of certainty associated with each reserve category. In addition, PV-10 is a non-GAAP financial measure, which differs from the GAAP financial measure of "Standardized Measure" because PV-10 does not include the effects of income taxes on future income. The income taxes related to the acquired properties are unknown at this time and are subject to many variables. As such, the Company has not provided the Standardized Measure of the acquired properties or a reconciliation of PV-10 to Standardized Measure.
While the Company believes its assumptions concerning future events are reasonable, a number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those expected, including, but not limited to: the risk that the assets acquired by Morgan do not perform consistent with our expectations, including with respect to future production or drilling inventory; conditions in the oil and gas industry, including supply/demand levels for crude oil and condensate, NGLs and natural gas and the resulting impact on price; changes in expected reserve or production levels; changes in political or economic conditions in the U.S., including interest rates, inflation rates and global and domestic market conditions; actions taken by the members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and Russia affecting the production and pricing of crude oil and other global and domestic political, economic or diplomatic developments, capital available for exploration and development; voluntary or involuntary curtailments, delays or cancellations of certain drilling activities; well production timing; liabilities or corrective actions resulting from litigation, other proceedings and investigations or alleged violations of law or permits; drilling and operating risks, lack of, or disruption in, access to storage capacity, pipelines or other transportation methods; availability of drilling rigs, materials and labor, including the costs associated therewith; difficulty in obtaining necessary approvals and permits, the availability, cost, terms and timing of issuance or execution of, competition for, and challenges to, mineral licenses and leases and governmental and other permits and rights-of-way, and our ability to retain mineral licenses and leases; non-performance by third parties of contractual or legal obligations; hazards such as weather conditions, a health pandemic (including COVID-19), acts of war or terrorist acts and the government or military response thereto, security threats, including cybersecurity threats and disruptions to our business and operations from breaches of our information technology systems, or breaches of the information technology systems, facilities and infrastructure of third parties with which we transact business, changes in safety, health, environmental, tax and other regulations, requirements or initiatives, including initiatives addressing the impact of global climate change, air emissions, or water management; impacts of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, and other geological, operating and economic considerations.
This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements regarding future circumstances, including statements or assumptions about actual or potential production, hydrocarbon reserves, recovery rates and amounts, drilling locations, capital expenditures, or operating results. These forward-looking statements are based upon the Company's current expectations and assumptions and are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in such forward-looking statements including, in particular, the performance of the Company, including our ability to achieve our expected financial and business objectives, changes in crude oil and natural gas prices, the pace of drilling and completion activity on properties or acreage rights owned by Morgan or other of the Company's subsidiaries, infrastructure constraints and related factors affecting such properties, cost inflation or supply chain disruptions, ongoing legal disputes, the Company's ability to acquire, whether through Morgan or other of the Company's subsidiaries, additional development opportunities, changes in reserves estimates or the value thereof, general economic or industry conditions, nationally and/or in the communities in which the Company or its subsidiaries conduct business, changes in the interest rate environment, legislation or regulatory requirements, conditions of the securities markets, increasing attention to environmental, social and governance matters, Morgan's ability to acquire additional acreage and development rights (including the transactions described herein), and the other risks and uncertainties described in the Company's filings with the SEC. Actual results, events, and performance may differ. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as to the date hereof. Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to release publicly any revisions to these forward-looking statements that may be made to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. The inclusion of any statement in this release does not constitute an admission by the Company or any other person that the events or circumstances described in such statements are material.
Contact:
Patricia Baronowski
Pristine Advisers, LLC
(631) 756-2486
FAQ
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What is the current gross oil production rate of the two wells drilled by Morgan E&P, LLC?
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