Maha Energy
Fourth Quarter and year-end 2023 report
(all amounts are in US dollars unless otherwise noted)
Fourth Quarter 2023
- Maha Energy signed in October 2023 an exclusivity agreement to invest and acquire 24% of indirect equity interest in PetroUrdaneta, a Venezuelan oil company;
- The Company announced the sale of the Oman subsidiary for a total consideration of up to 14 million, with a cash payment of 2 million plus 12 million earnout, to be paid upon achievement of agreed the earnout milestone;
- As a result of Oman Asset Held for Sale, Maha records a non-cash impairment of 25.2 million (Note 5). Oman is presented as discountinued operations in this report;
- Daily oil production for Q4 2023 from continuing operations averaged 165 BOEPD (Q4 2022: 281 BOEPD). Including non-consolidated production from investment in associate 3R Offshore of 2,051 BOEPD, total production amounted to 2,217 BEOPD;
- Revenue from continuing operations of 1.2 million (Q4 2022: 2.0 million) following lower sales volumes and lower realized oil price;
- Operating Netback from continuing operations of 0.6 million (Q4 2022: 1.0 million) following lower sales volumes;
- EBITDA from continuing operations of -1.5 million (Q4 2022: -0.9 million);
- Continuing operations Net Result of -0.5 million (Q4 2022: -3.1 million);
- Discontinued operations Net Result of -26.1 million (Q4 2022: 3.7 million);
- Earnings per share basic and diluted of 0.00 (Q4 2022: -0.03);
Full Year 2023
- Daily oil production from continuing operations averaged 197 BOEPD (Full Year 2022: 399 BOEPD). Including non-consolidated production from investment in associate 3R Offshore of 1,745 BOEPD, total production amounted to 1,942 BOEPD;
- Revenue from continuing operations of 5.2 million (Full Year 2022: 12.3 million) following lower sales volumes and lower realized oil price;
- Operating netback from continuing operations of 2.2 million (Full Year 2022: 6.5 million) following lower sales volumes and lower realized oil price;
- EBITDA from continuing operations of -2.9 million (Full Year 2022: 0.8 million);
- Continuing operations Net Result of -5.3 million (Full Year 2022: -11.3 million);
- Discontinued operations Net Result of -28.6 million (Full Year 2022: 30.6 million);
- Earnings per share basic and diluted of -0.03 (Full Year 2022: -0,09);
- Total cash balance on 31 December 2023 of 131.1 million, including restricted cash of 42.8 million (31 December 2022: 15.2 million, excluding cash from assets held for sale).
Reserves
- Maha’s Gross Reserves before income tax in Illinois Basin, USA, as per 31 December 2023 amount to 2.8 million barrels of oil of proven and probable Reserves (2P).
Subsequent Events
- Maha Energy acquires 5% of equity interest of the Brazilian junior oil and gas company 3R Petroleum Óleo e Gás S.A. (“3R Petroleum”);
- Final agreement for the sale the Oman asset to Mafraq executed in January 2024. The transaction is still subject to government approval.
- Earnout from Brazil sale of 1.5 million to be received during Q1 of 2024.
Financial Summary
The table below presents the highlights of the continuing operations:
Financial Summary (TUSD) | Q4 2023 | Q4 2022 | Full Year 2023 | Full Year 2022 |
Average (BOEPD) | 165 | 281 | 197 | 399 |
Revenue | 1,165 | 1,991 | 5,226 | 12,327 |
Operating Netback | 552 | 1,002 | 2,197 | 6,523 |
EBITDA | -1,459 | -896 | -2,905 | 799 |
Net Result | -515 | -3,135 | -5,307 | -11,298 |
Earnings per share (basic & diluted) | 0.00 | -0.03 | -0.03 | -0.09 |
Cash and cash equivalents incl. restricted cash | 131,119 | 15,218 | 131,119 | 15,218 |
Regarding the discontinued operations of Maha Brazil in Q4 2022 and Oman in Q4 2023:
Financial Summary (TUSD) | Q4 2023 | Q4 2022 | Full Year 2023 | Full Year 2022 |
Average (BOEPD) | 0 | 2,341 | 1,562 | 2,812 |
Revenue | 0 | 15,280 | 9,049 | 77,450 |
Operating Netback | 0 | 8,794 | 6,755 | 54,206 |
EBITDA | -992 | 9,661 | 4,272 | 54,302 |
Net Result | -26,097 | 3,228 | -28.646 | 34,231 |
Earnings per share (basic & diluted) | 0.00 | 0.03 | -0.01 | 0.28 |
Cash and cash equivalents incl. restricted cash | 356 | 8,010 | 5,998 | 8,010 |
Continuing and discontinuing operation combined:
Financial Summary (TUSD) | Q4 2023 | Q3 2023 | Q2 2023 | Q1 2023 | Q4 2022 | Full Year 2023 | Full Year 2022 |
Average (BOEPD) | 165 | 179 | 211 | 233 | 2,622 | 197 | 3,211 |
Revenue | 1,165 | 1,250 | 1,325 | 10,535 | 17,271 | 14,275 | 89,777 |
Operating Netback | 552 | 527 | 470 | 7,403 | 9,796 | 8,952 | 60,729 |
EBITDA | -2,451 | -323 | -1,788 | 5,929 | 8,765 | 1,367 | 55,101 |
Net Result | -26,612 | -3,406 | 90 | -4,025 | 93 | -33,953 | 22,933 |
Earnings per share (basic & diluted) | -0.01 | -0.02 | 0.00 | -0.02 | 0.00 | -0.20 | 0.19 |
Cash and cash equivalents incl. restricted cash | 131,475 | 142,785 | 102,406 | 110,395 | 23,228 | 137,117 | 23,228 |
Letter to shareholders
Dear Friends and Fellow Shareholders,
In January Maha took the lead of an exciting new chapter in the Brazilian energy industry. We acquired five percent of one of the most prominent independent oil and gas companies in Brazil - 3R Petroleum Óleo e Gás S.A. (“3R Petroleum”) - and outlined our thoughts on an initiation of a consolidation plan within the Brazilian onshore segment. We propose a carve out of 3R Petroleum's onshore assets and a business combination with another onshore player, which we foresee PetroRecôncavo as the best candidate. The extensive existing synergies between the two companies will unlock significant value for all shareholders involved. 3R Petroleum will be able to focus on enhancing its offshore assets, which Maha already holds 15 % interest in. I, together with members of our board of directors, have been intimately involved in the founding and early growth of 3R Petroleum, and possess a profound understanding of the value residing within 3R Petroleum's assets. In our public letter to 3R Petroleum, published 17 January 2023, we set up a 2024 timetable for the implementation of our strategy. As an initiation of this plan, we made in February a request for an EGM in 3R Petroleum to resolve upon a new board of directors.
Our project in Venezuela is also progressing. We have set up a very qualified team in Venezuela. The team is headed by our COO, and our CFO will also be based in Venezuela in the near future. We continue to closely monitor the political development in Venezuela and remain very optimistic about the possibility to conduct sustainable operations in the country. The sanction relief on Venezuela runs to 18 April 2024, but we expect to continue to receive any general or specific U.S. sanctions licensing that may be required for the continuation of activities beyond that. Going forward, we will continue to work on closing agreements and conduct all necessary due diligence to confirm the financial, legal, regulatory, and operational feasibility. We are eager to get all paperwork done and to start operations in order to create value for both our shareholder and the people of Venezuela.
Production from our existing projects increased 14% from the third to the fourth quarter 2023 driven by the production growth on Papa Terra. During the year, an extensive maintenance program has gradually improved the operational efficiency of Papa Terra. And in the fourth quarter, we also saw a new well in the intervention campaign being completed. More wells will undergo interventions and one new sidetrack well is also planned during the spring. We therefore expect the production to continue to increase, albeit with monthly fluctuations. In addition, we have concluded a three well drilling program in our US assets in Illinois Basin. In January we started see the production ramp-up and recorded an increase of over 100% by end of January compared to average in the fourth quarter.
In December, we announced the divestment of our Omani asset Block 70 for a consideration of up to USD 14 million, including earnouts. Block 70 turned out to have an oil with higher viscosity than expected, and the project would probably require significant investments going forward. For the new Maha, it is better to focus on projects in our home turf in Latin America and preserve a share of Block 70 project’s upside through our earnouts. We close our engagement in Oman with a non-cash write-down of USD 25 million. With this divestment, I am also happy and proud of concluding the complete turn-around we have implemented in a little over a year. We have maintained the same production level, sold several assets, gained a substantial cash position, acquired new assets, re-allocated the Company main office to Rio in Brazil and substantially closed the Canadian office.
We report revenue from our consolidated production of TUSD 1,165 and share of income from investment in associate, Maha’s net non-cash income portion from the Papa Terra and Peroá assets, of TUSD 1,825 for the fourth quarter. Our EBITDA decreased to TUSD -1,459, compared to TUSD -896 for the fourth quarter last year. Our net result from continuing operations increased from -3,135 in the fourth quarter 2022 to TUSD -515 in fourth quarter 2023. Our total cash balance (including restricted cash) decreased from USD 143 million last of September 2023 to USD 131 million following mainly investments in Illinois Basin and repayment of bank debt. The average oil price in 2023 stayed above USD 80 per barrel, securing us an earnout of TUSD 1,470, to be received later in the first quarter 2024. General and administration expenses were higher compared to previous year, mainly due to extraordinary costs and one-offs related to divestments and acquisitions and the closing of the Canadian office. The move to Rio has however reduced our running costs and we expect General and administration costs in 2024 to stabilize at a lower level.
I am also happy to welcome our country manager in Venezuela, Javier Gremes Cordero, to his new position as Chief Operating Officer ("COO") of Maha. He will strengthen the existing management team with his substantial experience, and we are confident that he will help us achieve our strategic objectives.
With the structural changes we have made this year, Maha Energy AB is strategically transformed and fully equipped to pursue growth and profitability in Latin America. We have an experienced management and board in place, and clear plans and resources to pursue the paths towards value creation for our shareholders. As we advance our projects, we are equally committed to boosting the visibility of our assets' fair market value, benefiting all stakeholders, including myself and fellow board members with substantial shareholdings, both personally and through our companies. Thank you for taking this journey with us!
Kjetil Braaten Solbraekke (CEO)
Q4 Webcast today at 14:00 CET
The Company invites all interested parties to a live webcasted presentation today at 14.00 CET. Kjetil Solbraekke, CEO, and Guilherme Guidolin de Campos, CFO, will present the report and recent developments.
The webcast will be held in English and will be broadcasted live. An on-demand version will also be available on Maha’s website and YouTube channel. Questions to the presenters can be emailed in advance to the Company at info@maha-energy.com or be made directly on the day of the presentation in the YouTube Comments/Questions field.
Link to webcast: https://youtube.com/live/QsmLF8VvxEo?feature=share
Datum | 2024-02-27, kl 07:30 |
Källa | MFN |
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