Ring Energy has reported operational and financial results for the fourth quarter and full year 2020 including Ring’s year-end 2020 reserves and affirmed 2021 guidance.

Highlights and Recent Key Items

• Exceeded high end of guidance and sold 9,307 barrels of oil equivalent per day (“Boe/d”), or 856,271 barrels of oil equivalent (“Boe”) (86% oil), in the fourth quarter of 2020, despite no new wells coming online during the quarter;
• Reported a net loss for full year 2020 of $253.4 million, or $3.48 per diluted share, and a net loss of $160.3 million, or $1.83 per diluted share, in the fourth quarter of 2020;
• Reported Adjusted Net Income1 of $20.7 million, or $0.28 per diluted share, for full year 2020 and Adjusted Net Income of $6.5 million, or $0.07 per diluted share, in the fourth quarter of 2020;
• Generated Adjusted EBITDA1 of $86.1 million for full year 2020 and $24.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2020;
• Produced significant Free Cash Flow1 of $39.7 million for full year 2020, including $12.7 million in the fourth quarter;
• Remained cash flow positive for the fifth consecutive quarter even with the recent resumption of development drilling in Q4 2020;
• Utilized Free Cash Flow and cash on hand to pay down $75 million of debt from the maximum amount drawn during full year 2020, including $47 million in the fourth quarter;   
• Performed eight conversions from electrical submersible pumps to rod pumps (“CTR”) in Q4 2020, and 29 CTR conversions in 2020, reducing future overall operating costs and diminishing costly workovers;
• Decreased lifting cost2 by 8% to $10.52 per Boe for full year 2020 compared to $11.42 per Boe for full year 2019;
• Reported year-end 2020 proved reserves3 of 76.5 million barrels of oil equivalent (“MMBoe”), compared with 81.1 MMBoe at year-end 2019;
• Additions, improved well performance and technical revisions led to net upward revisions of 1.3 MMBoe in 2020;
• Reduced SEC pricing led to downward revisions of 2.7 MMBoe and production for 2020 was 3.2 MMBoe;
• Completed public and registered direct offerings aggregating $20.8 million of gross proceeds with net proceeds of $19.4 million that provided the necessary liquidity to resume drilling operations;  
• In early December 2020, initiated a targeted Northwest Shelf drilling program of eight to ten wells that focuses on the Company’s most attractive drilling inventory in Yoakum County, Texas, in response to a rising oil price environment;
• Appointed Paul D. McKinney as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and welcomed new executive team and three new Board members during the fourth quarter of 2020; and
• Affirmed full year 2021 sales volumes, operating expense and capital spending guidance.

Mr. Paul D. McKinney, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, commented, 
“We ended 2020 with strong fourth quarter operational and financial results, including sales volumes of 9,307 Boe/d that exceeded our guidance. The continued execution of our targeted CTR program and other high rate of return workover projects significantly contributed to our performance during the period. These projects reduce our operating costs and help stabilize our production levels. As a result of these actions and other strategic initiatives to enhance our operational performance and control costs, we generated $12.7 million of free cash flow, marking the fifth consecutive quarter of free cash flow. We used this free cash flow to help pay down $47 million on our revolving credit facility.

“Looking back at full year 2020, I am pleased with our overall results given the unprecedented challenges Ring and our industry faced due to the pandemic and its impact on the global oil demand and supply environment. I want to thank all our employees for their hard work and tireless efforts. Our focus and dedication to executing our updated strategic vision has developed renewed enthusiasm within the Company. We are building a culture focused on operational excellence, sustainability and profitability with a clear mandate that every employee has a responsibility to ensure we operate safely and with the highest regards toward the environment. We are excited about the progress we’ve made and believe Ring is well positioned for success in 2021 and beyond.”

“As I have said in the past, we remain committed to operational excellence to steady production levels and control costs while pursuing rigorous capital discipline by investing in our highest risk-adjusted return opportunities. A clear example is our recently initiated Northwest Shelf drilling program. The first well we drilled, the Badger 709 B 6XH, was brought online January 29th and has averaged so far this month 363 BOPD, continuing to increase and currently producing over 400 BOPD. The other three wells are in early stages of cleaning up as well and are coming in equal to or ahead of our expectations. When compared to unconventional shale producers, we benefit from long life, low-decline reserves, which further support our ability to generate free cash flow even during lower oil price environments. We will continue to leverage our unique position in the marketplace to further pay down debt and potentially capitalize on accretive acquisitions that add value for our shareholders.”

For the fourth quarter of 2020, the Company reported a net loss of $160.3 million, or $1.83 per diluted share, which included before tax adjustments of $129.6 million for a non-cash ceiling test impairment primarily due to lower oil pricing, a $15.2 million non-cash unrealized commodity derivative loss, and $2.8 million for share-based compensation. Excluding the estimated after-tax impact of these adjustments and adding back the full valuation against its deferred tax assets of $50.6 million, the Company’s Adjusted Net Income was $6.5 million, or $0.07 per diluted share. In the third quarter of 2020, the Company reported a net loss of $2.0 million, or $0.03 per diluted share, and Adjusted Net Income of $3.4 million, or $0.05 per diluted share. In the fourth quarter of 2019, Ring reported net income of $5.0 million, or $0.07 per diluted share, and Adjusted Net Income of $10.3 million, or $0.15 per diluted share.

Adjusted EBITDA totaled $24.5 million for the fourth quarter 2020 compared to $19.9 million in the third quarter of 2020 and $34.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2019. The year-over-year reduction was driven by lower realized pricing and sales volumes.

Free Cash Flow for the fourth quarter of 2020 totaled $12.7 million compared with $11.3 million in the third quarter of 2020 and $16.2 million for the fourth quarter of 2019.

Adjusted Net Income, Adjusted EBITDA and Free Cash Flow are non-GAAP financial measures, which are described in more detail and reconciled to the most comparable GAAP measures, in the tables shown later in this release under “Non-GAAP Information.”

Sales Volumes, Prices and Revenues: Sales volumes for the fourth quarter of 2020 were 9,307 Boe/d (86% oil), or 856,271 Boe, a slight decrease of 3% compared to 9,549 Boe/d (89% oil) in the third quarter of 2020 and 11,448 Boe/d (88% oil) in the fourth quarter of 2019. Sales volumes for the fourth quarter of 2020 were above the high end of the Company’s guidance primarily due to CTR conversions, reactivations and the results of workovers. Fourth quarter 2020 sales volumes were comprised of 734,548 barrels (“Bbls”) of oil and 730,337 thousand cubic feet (“Mcf”) of natural gas.

For the fourth quarter of 2020, the Company realized an average sales price of $40.48 per barrel for crude oil and $2.21 per Mcf for natural gas. The combined average realized sales price for the period was $36.61 per Boe versus $35.82 per Boe for the third quarter of 2020 and $49.59 per Boe in the fourth quarter of 2019. The average price differential the Company experienced from WTI posting4 price in the fourth quarter of 2020 was approximately ($2.00) per barrel of crude oil.  

Revenues of $31.4 million for the fourth quarter of 2020 were essentially flat with the third quarter of 2020 and down 40% from the fourth quarter of 2019 due to lower sales volumes and realized pricing.

KeyFacts Energy Industry Directory: Ring Energy