EQT Corporation (NYSE: EQT) today reported year-end 2009 total natural
gas proved reserves of 4,068 Bcfe. This represents a 31% net increase
over the 3,110 Bcfe the company reported last year. Proved reserves
increased primarily in the Marcellus and Huron/Berea plays as a result
of its 2009 drilling program. In addition, the application of new
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) oil and gas reporting rules
permitted the booking of proved undeveloped reserves (PUDs) in locations
more than one offset away from existing wells. Partially offsetting
these reserve additions, EQT also reported a reduction of CBM/other
reserves as a result of removing previously booked vertical locations.
EQT estimates year-end 2009 total natural gas reserves, including
proved, probable and possible reserve categories (3P), at 12.5 Tcfe.
This marks a 32% net increase over EQT's 2008 total of 9.5 Tcfe. This
increase was driven mainly by the success of the company's Marcellus and
Huron/Berea horizontal drilling programs. Probable reserves increased by
69% to 5.6 Tcfe and include 2.1 Tcfe of reserves from locations that
would have been classified as proved, however their presumptive
scheduled development is beyond the five year SEC requirement.
The company's drill bit reserve replacement ratio was 1,104% from 1,159
Bcfe of extensions, discoveries and other additions, with a drill bit
reserve replacement cost of approximately $697.1 million, or $0.60 per
Mcfe. The company's total proved reserve replacement ratio, including
revisions, was 1,013% from 1,063 Bcfe of additions. All-in replacement
costs, including $24.9 million in acquisitions of unproved properties in
Pennsylvania, totaled $722 million, or $0.68 per Mcfe. For the three
year period from 2007 through 2009, EQT's drill bit reserve replacement
ratio was 741% at a drill bit reserve replacement cost of $0.79 per
Mcfe. The three-year total proved reserve replacement ratio, including
revisions, was 664% at an all-in replacement cost of $0.94 per Mcfe.
Summarized below are the company's estimated 3P reserves broken out by
play:
|
Reserve Estimates
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Bcfe)
|
|
Huron/Berea
|
|
Marcellus
|
|
CBM / Other
|
|
Total
|
|
Proved Developed
|
|
1,014
|
|
153
|
|
906
|
|
2,073
|
|
Proved Undeveloped
|
|
1,002
|
|
908
|
|
85
|
|
1,995
|
|
Total Proved
|
|
2,016
|
|
1,061
|
|
991
|
|
4,068
|
|
Probable
|
|
3,618
|
|
1,870
|
|
88
|
|
5,576
|
|
Possible
|
|
1,103
|
|
1,028
|
|
705
|
|
2,836
|
|
TOTAL
|
|
6,737
|
|
3,959
|
|
1,784
|
|
12,480
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
* 100% of the company's proved reserves have been audited by Ryder Scott
Company, petroleum consultants. The company's 3P reserves have been
determined in accordance with the SEC guidelines.
* Proved reserves are limited to reserves that are anticipated to be
developed in five years. EQT's five year plan is based on a capital
development investment budget totaling $2.9 billion.
The company has also made an assessment of its total resource potential,
including 3P reserves and its estimate of the potential resources beyond
the 3P totals. This resource potential is estimated to be:
|
Emerging Plays - Resource Potential
|
|
|
Total (Tcfe)
|
|
Huron/Berea
|
|
|
13
|
|
Marcellus
|
|
|
11
|
|
CBM/Other
|
|
|
2
|
|
TOTAL
|
|
|
26
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reserves by Play
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Years Ended
|
|
|
|
|
December 31,
|
|
(Tcfe)
|
|
|
2009
|
|
|
2008
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Huron/Berea
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Proved Developed
|
|
|
1,014
|
|
|
868
|
|
Proved Undeveloped
|
|
|
1,002
|
|
|
688
|
|
Total Proved
|
|
|
2,016
|
|
|
1,556
|
|
Probable
|
|
|
3,618
|
|
|
2,716
|
|
Possible
|
|
|
1,103
|
|
|
2,308
|
|
|
|
Marcellus
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Proved Developed
|
|
|
153
|
|
|
23
|
|
Proved Undeveloped
|
|
|
908
|
|
|
54
|
|
Total Proved
|
|
|
1,061
|
|
|
77
|
|
Probable
|
|
|
1,870
|
|
|
368
|
|
Possible
|
|
|
1,028
|
|
|
458
|
|
|
|
CBM/Other
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Proved Developed
|
|
|
906
|
|
|
1,004
|
|
Proved Undeveloped
|
|
|
85
|
|
|
473
|
|
Total Proved
|
|
|
991
|
|
|
1,477
|
|
Probable
|
|
|
88
|
|
|
221
|
|
Possible
|
|
|
705
|
|
|
289
|
|
|
|
Totals
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Proved Developed
|
|
|
2,073
|
|
|
1,895
|
|
Proved Undeveloped
|
|
|
1,995
|
|
|
1,215
|
|
Total Proved
|
|
|
4,068
|
|
|
3,110
|
|
Probable
|
|
|
5,576
|
|
|
3,305
|
|
Possible
|
|
|
2,836
|
|
|
3,055
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reserve Replacement Calculations
Drill bit reserve replacement ratio is the sum of extensions,
discoveries and other additions, divided by production. The per unit
drill bit reserve replacement cost is the total cost incurred related to
natural gas and oil production activities calculated in accordance with
Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification
932 (ASC 932) less property acquisition costs for unproved properties,
divided by the extensions, discoveries and other additions. Total proved
reserve replacement ratio is the sum of purchases, sales, extensions,
discoveries and other additions, and revisions, divided by production.
The all-in replacement cost is the total cost incurred related to
natural gas and oil production activities calculated in accordance with
ASC 932, divided by the total net reserve additions, which include
purchases, sales, extensions, discoveries and other additions, and
revisions.
SEC Oil and Gas Reporting Requirements
On December 29, 2008, the United States Securities and Exchange
Commission (SEC) adopted final rules amending and modernizing its oil
and gas reporting requirements. The new rules are effective for annual
reports on Form 10-K for fiscal years ending on or after December 31,
2009. Key aspects of the new rules for EQT include the following:
-
Oil and gas companies may classify proved undeveloped reserves
("PUDs") any distance from known proved reserves (rather than only in
immediately offsetting units) based on a "reasonable certainty"
standard; and
-
PUD wells scheduled for drilling more than five years from the
original date reserves were booked, including reserves presently
booked, are subject to being reduced to non-proved status.
Cautionary 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 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 presentation, such as
"resource potential," that the SEC's rules strictly prohibit us from
including in filings with the SEC. We caution you that the SEC views
such "resource potential" estimates as inherently unreliable and these
estimates may be misleading to investors unless the investor is an
expert in the gas industry. 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.
The company's calculations of replacement ratios and replacement costs
may differ significantly from the calculations used by other companies
who report similar measures. As a result, our measures may not be
comparable to similar measures reported by other companies. The data
used to calculate these measures is preliminary and, in some cases,
remains subject to audit. Final data will be included in the company's
2009 Form 10-K, which will be filed with the SEC.
Disclosures in this press release contain forward-looking statements.
Statements that do not relate strictly to historical or current facts
are forward-looking. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing,
forward-looking statements contained in this press release specifically
include the expectations of resource potential. These statements involve
risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ
materially from projected results. Accordingly, investors should not
place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as a prediction of
actual results. The company has based these forward-looking statements
on current expectations and assumptions about future events. While the
company considers these expectations and assumptions to be reasonable,
they are inherently subject to significant business, economic,
competitive, regulatory and other risks and uncertainties, most of which
are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the company's
control. The risks and uncertainties that may affect the operations,
performance and results of the company's business and forward-looking
statements include, but are not limited to, those set forth under Item
1A, "Risk Factors" of the company's Form 10-K filed for the year ended
December 31, 2008 and in the company's 10-K for the year ended December
31, 2009 to be filed with the SEC, as updated by any subsequent Form
10-Qs.
Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which such
statement is made and the company does not intend to correct or update
any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information,
future events or otherwise.
EQT Corporation is an integrated energy company with emphasis on
Appalachian area natural gas production, gathering, processing,
transmission and distribution. Additional information about the company
can be obtained through the company's web site, http://www.eqt.com;
Investor information is available on that site at http://ir.eqt.com.
EQT Corporation uses its web site as a channel of distribution of
important information about the company, and routinely posts financial
and other important information regarding the company and its financial
condition and operations on the Investors web pages.
