HOUSTON, May 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- U.S. Energy Corporation (NASDAQ:USEG, "U.S. Energy" or the "Company")), a growth-focused energy company engaged in operating a portfolio of high-quality producing oil and natural gas assets, today reported financial and operating results for the three months ended March 31, 2024.  FIRST QUARTER 2024 HIGHLIGHTS Net daily production of 1,207 barrels of oil equivalent per day ("Boe/d"); Oil production of 68,599 barrels, or 62% of total production; Lease Operating Expense of $3.2 million, or $29.02 per Boe, a 28% and 2% decrease, respectively, from first quarter of 2023; Adjusted EBITDA of $0.2 million; Repurchased approximately 0.3 million shares of common stock, representing nearly 1.5% of outstanding shares, for approximately $0.3 million; Ended the quarter with an outstanding debt balance of $5.0 million, $2.0 million of cash, and total liquidity of $17.0 million. MANAGEMENT COMMENTS "I'm pleased with U.S. Energy's first quarter, with our operations team rebounding quickly against highly adverse weather conditions while the Company continues to uphold its balance sheet strength and actively executes our stock repurchase plan," said Ryan Smith, U.S. Energy's Chief Executive Officer.  "While the heavy rains and flooding significantly affected our East Texas and Gulf Coast operations during the quarter, much of the production was brought back online without any negative long-term effects in late March and early April.  As we continue through 2024, U.S. Energy's balance sheet and liquidity position affords the Company a high degree of optionality as we continue to pursue value enhancing initiatives with a clear focus of maximizing total returns for our shareholders." PRODUCTION UPDATE During the first quarter of 2024, the Company produced 109,800 Boe, or an average of 1,207 Boe/d.  Weather related downtime, primarily attributed to heavy flooding throughout East Texas and the Gulf Coast, caused an estimated of 125-150 boe/d of temporarily shut-in production during the quarter.  The first quarter of 2024 was the first period since the Company divested substantially all of its non-operated assets during the fourth quarter of 2023.     Three months ended March 31,       2024     2023                     Sales volume                 Oil (Bbls)     68,599       91,311   Natural gas and liquids (Mcfe)     247,209       384,031   BOE     109,800       155,316   Average daily production (BOE/Day)     1,207       1,726                     Average sales prices:                 Oil (Bbls)   $ 68.91     $ 77.70   Natural gas and liquids (Mcfe)   $ 2.69     $ 3.06   BOE   $ 49.10     $ 53.26                     FIRST QUARTER 2024 FINANCIAL RESULTS Total oil and gas sales during the first quarter of 2024 were approximately $5.4 million, compared to $8.3 million in the first quarter of 2023.  The decrease in revenue was primarily due to a decrease in our production quantities related to the asset divestiture and the weather-related events described above, combined with an 8% decrease in realized prices.  Sales from oil production represented 88% of total revenue during the quarter, an increase from 86% in the first quarter of 2023. Lease operating expense ("LOE") for the first quarter of 2024 was approximately $3.2 million, or $29.02 per Boe, as compared to $4.4 million, or $28.39, in the first quarter of 2023.  The decrease in the total amount of LOE was due primarily to a reduction in workover activity period over period. Cash general and administrative ("G&A") expenses were approximately $2.0 million during the first quarter of 2024, a reduction from the $2.1 million reported during the first quarter of 2023. Adjusted EBITDA was $0.2 million in the first quarter of 2024, compared to adjusted EBITDA of $1.2 million in the first quarter of 2023.  The Company reported a net loss of $9.5 million, or a loss of $0.38 per diluted share, in the first quarter of 2024, compared to net loss of $1.3 million, or $0.05 per share, in the first quarter of 2023.  The largest contributor to the net loss was a non-cash impairment taken during the first quarter of $5.4 million primarily driven by a reduction in SEC reserve pricing. BALANCE SHEET UPDATE As of March 31, 2024, the Company had debt outstanding of $5.0 million on its revolving credit facility with availability of $15.0 million and a cash balance of approximately $2.0 million. HEDGING PROGRAM UPDATE The Company previously entered into fixed priced crude oil swaps with outstanding settlement dates from the second quarter of 2024 through the fourth quarter of 2024 with a weighted average swap price of $80.01/bbl oil.  On April 2, 2024, the Company entered into fixed price crude oil swaps with outstanding settlement dates from the first quarter of 2025 to the fourth quarter of 2025 with a weighted average swap price of $73.71/bbl oil.  The following table reflects the Company's hedged volumes under commodity derivative contracts and the average floor and ceiling or fixed swap prices at which production is hedged as of May 9, 2024:   Swaps   Period Commodity   Volume(Bbls)     Price($/bbl)   Q2 2024 Crude Oil     48,600     $ 81.76   Q3 2024 Crude Oil     45,000     $ 79.80   Q4 2024 Crude Oil     40,720     $ 78.15   Q1 2025 Crude Oil     45,000     $ 75.73   Q2 2025 Crude Oil     43,225     $ 74.19   Q3 2025 Crude Oil     39,100     $ 72.82   Q4 2025 Crude Oil     36,800     $ 71.64                       ABOUT U.S. ENERGY CORP. We are a growth company focused on consolidating high-quality producing assets in the United States with the potential to optimize production and generate free cash flow through low-risk development while maintaining an attractive shareholder returns program.  We are committed to being a leader in reducing our carbon footprint in the areas in which we operate. More information about U.S. Energy Corp. can be found at www.usnrg.com. INVESTOR RELATIONS CONTACT Mason McGuire 993-3200www.usnrg.com FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS Certain of the matters discussed in this communication which are not statements of historical fact constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Words such as "strategy," "expects," "continues," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "would," "will," "estimates," "intends," "projects," "goals," "targets" and other words of similar meaning are intended to identify forward-looking statements but are not the exclusive means of identifying these statements. Important factors that may cause actual results and outcomes to differ materially from those contained in such forward-looking statements include, without limitation, risks associated with the integration of the recently acquired assets; the Company's ability to recognize the expected benefits of the acquisitions and the risk that the expected benefits and synergies of the acquisition may not be fully achieved in a timely manner, or at all; the amount of the costs, fees, expenses and charges related to the acquisitions; the Company's ability to comply with the terms of its senior credit facilities; the ability of the Company to retain and hire key personnel; the business, economic and political conditions in the markets in which the Company operates; fluctuations in oil and natural gas prices, uncertainties inherent in estimating quantities of oil and natural gas reserves and projecting future rates of production and timing of development activities; competition; operating risks; acquisition risks; liquidity and capital requirements; the effects of governmental regulation; adverse changes in the market for the Company's oil and natural gas production; dependence upon third-party vendors; risks associated with COVID-19, the global efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19, potential downturns in the U.S. and global economies due to COVID-19 and the efforts to stop the spread of the virus, and COVID-19 in general; economic uncertainty relating to increased inflation and global conflicts; the lack of capital available on acceptable terms to finance the Company's continued growth; the review and evaluation of potential strategic transactions and their impact on stockholder value; the process by which the Company engages in evaluation of strategic transactions; the outcome of potential future strategic transactions and the terms thereof; and other risk factors included from time to time in documents U.S. Energy files with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, but not limited to, its Form 10-Ks, Form 10-Qs and Form 8-Ks. Other important factors that may cause actual results and outcomes to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements included in this communication are described in the Company's publicly filed reports, including, but not limited to, the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023. These reports and filings are available at www.sec.gov. The Company cautions that the foregoing list of important factors is not complete. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to the Company or any person acting on behalf of any Sale Agreement Parties are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements referenced above. Other unknown or unpredictable factors also could have material adverse effects on U.S. Energy's future results. The forward-looking statements included in this press release are made only as of the date hereof. U.S. Energy cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Finally, U.S. Energy undertakes no obligation to update these statements after the date of this release, except as required by law, and takes no obligation to update or correct information prepared by third parties that are not paid for by U.S. Energy. If we update one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be drawn that we will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS   U.S. ENERGY CORP. AND SUBSIDIARIESUNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS(in thousands, except share and per share amounts)       March 31, 2024     December 31, 2023                     ASSETS                 Current assets:                 Cash and equivalents   $ 2,006     $ 3,351   Oil and natural gas sales receivables     2,088       2,336   Marketable equity securities     179       164   Commodity derivative asset -current     59       1,844   Other current assets     929       527   Real estate assets held for sale, net of selling costs     139       150                     Total current assets     5,400       8,372                     Oil and natural gas properties under full cost method:                 Unevaluated properties     -       -   Evaluated properties     171,339       176,679   Less accumulated depreciation, depletion and amortization     (108,250 )     (106,504 )                   Net oil and natural gas properties     63,089       70,175                     Other Assets: