HOUSTON, May 10, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- W&T Offshore, Inc. (NYSE:WTI) ("W&T" or the "Company") today reported operational and financial results for the first quarter of 2024 and declared second quarter 2024 dividend of $0.01 per share. This press release includes non-GAAP financial measures, including Adjusted Net (Loss) Income, Adjusted EBITDA, Free Cash Flow and Net Debt, which are described and reconciled to the most comparable GAAP measures below in the accompanying tables under "Non-GAAP Information." Key highlights for the first quarter of 2024 and through the date of this press release include: Completed accretive acquisition of six shallow water Gulf of Mexico ("GOM") fields in January 2024 (the "Cox acquisition"); Paid $77.2 million for the Cox acquisition where W&T acquired and will operate 100% working interests in six fields that are located adjacent to existing W&T operations; Hired select Cox offshore personnel while completing all required regulatory transfers of operatorship, lease ownership and financial responsibility;         Integrated accounting, production reporting, cost tracking and other data into existing W&T systems, while integrating and inspecting fields to ensure W&T's health, safety and environmental standards are implemented; and Year-end 2023 proved reserves based on an independent engineering report prepared by Netherland Sewell and Associates ("NSAI") of 21.8 million barrels of oil equivalent ("MMBoe"), which is around 17% higher than W&T's expectation of 18.7 MMBoe at the time of acquisition announcement; Generated production of 35.1 thousand barrels of oil equivalent per day ("MBoe/d") (55% liquids) in the first quarter of 2024, an increase of approximately 3% over fourth quarter 2023 and above the midpoint of guidance; Three of the Cox fields, Mobile 916, West Delta 073, and Eugene Island 064, were shut-in during the first quarter 2024. As such, Adjusted EBITDA did not reflect the full potential of the Cox acquisition; Reported net loss of $11.5 million, or $(0.08) per diluted share; Adjusted Net Loss totaled $7.6 million, or $(0.05) per share, which excludes the net unrealized gain on outstanding derivative contracts and non-ARO plugging and abandonment ("P&A") costs; Reported Adjusted EBITDA in the first quarter of 2024 of $49.4 million, an increase of approximately 10% over the fourth quarter of 2023; Produced net cash from operating activities of $11.6 million and Free Cash Flow of $32.4 million in the first quarter of 2024, marking the 25th consecutive quarter of positive Free Cash Flow; Reported cash and cash equivalents of $94.8 million and Net Debt of $296.4 million at March 31, 2024, which reflects the impact of funding the Cox acquisition using cash on hand; Continued to maintain a low leverage profile with Net Debt to trailing twelve months ("TTM") Adjusted EBITDA of 1.6x; Adopted a quarterly cash dividend policy in November 2023 and paid dividends of $0.01 per common share in December 2023 and March 2024; Declared second quarter of 2024 dividend of $0.01 per share, which will be payable on May 31, 2024 to stockholders of record on May 24, 2024; Expanded the size of the Board to six members and appointed Mr. John D. Buchanan to fill the vacancy on the Board effective April 8, 2024; and Scheduled first quarter 2024 earnings conference call for 8:30 am central time on Monday, May 13, 2024. Tracy W. Krohn, W&T's Board Chair and Chief Executive Officer, commented, "Our ability to execute our strategic vision enabled W&T to deliver another quarter of solid results. We reported production above the midpoint of our guidance range and more importantly, we increased oil production by approximately 15% quarter-over-quarter primarily due to the Cox acquisition. This helped us increase Adjusted EBITDA to $49.4 million, a 10% increase quarter-over-quarter, which outpaced the 3% increase in production over the same period. In addition, we recorded lease operating expenses below the low end of our guidance, Some of this decrease in lease operating expenses was due to deferrals of workovers and facilities projects, further contributing to our increased Adjusted EBITDA. We have made good progress integrating these new assets into W&T, and we still have more work to do that should help to increase production from the new fields. We will continue to focus on increasing our production, particularly our oil production, and managing our operating costs. Our focus on free cash flow generation resulted in W&T reporting over $32 million in Free Cash Flow, the 25th consecutive quarter of positive Free Cash Flow, and more than double our Free Cash Flow in both the prior quarter and first quarter of 2023. "Our strong balance sheet allowed us to close on the Cox acquisition utilizing a portion of our cash on hand, and we remain focused on expanding our healthy cash balance of almost $100 million. We plan to continue to utilize our significant cash position and expertise in acquiring complementary GOM assets to enhance the scale of W&T. Acquisitions remain a key component of our success, and it is our ability to integrate and enhance the assets that we acquire that has allowed us to grow reserves and production over the past 40 years. We remain well positioned to enhance our portfolio through additional accretive acquisition opportunities. We also remain committed to increasing shareholder value and returning value to our shareholders through the quarterly dividend program that we initiated in November 2023. We believe in our proven strategy and expect to continue to execute operationally and financially in 2024 and beyond." Production, Prices and Revenue:   Production for the first quarter of 2024 was 35.1 MBoe/d compared with 34.1 MBoe/d for the fourth quarter of 2023 and 32.5 MBoe/d for the corresponding period in 2023. The increase in production compared to the fourth quarter of 2023 was primarily driven by the inclusion of the Cox acquisition, which closed in January 2024 and was partially offset by natural decline. First quarter 2024 production was comprised of 15.4 thousand barrels per day ("MBbl/d") of oil (44%), 3.8 MBbl/d of natural gas liquids ("NGLs") (11%), and 96.0 million cubic feet per day ("MMcf/d") of natural gas (45%). Production in the second quarter of 2024 will be negatively impacted by planned maintenance which required shut-ins of select fields and is reflected in second quarter guidance. W&T's average realized price per Boe before realized derivative settlements was $42.55 per Boe in the first quarter of 2024, an increase of 2% from $41.55 per Boe in the fourth quarter of 2023 and a decrease of 4% from $44.32 per Boe in the first quarter of 2023. First quarter 2024 oil, NGL and natural gas prices before realized derivative settlements were $76.44 per barrel, $21.78 per barrel, and $2.48 per Mcf, respectively. Revenues for the first quarter of 2024 were $140.8 million, which was approximately 6% higher than fourth quarter of 2023 revenue of $132.3 million due to higher production volumes coupled with slightly higher realized prices. First quarter 2024 revenue was approximately 7% higher than $131.7 million of revenue in the first quarter of 2023 due to higher production volumes, slightly offset by moderately lower realized natural gas and NGL prices. Lease Operating Expense: Lease operating expense ("LOE"), which includes base lease operating expenses, insurance premiums, workovers and facilities maintenance expenses, was $70.8 million in the first quarter of 2024, which was below the bottom end of the previously provided guidance range primarily due to some workovers and facilities maintenance expenses being deferred. LOE for the first quarter of 2024 was approximately 10% higher compared to $64.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2023, primarily due to higher base lease operating expenses related to the Cox acquisition and higher than the $65.2 million for the corresponding period in 2023. On a component basis for the first quarter of 2024, base LOE and insurance premiums were $61.0 million, workovers were $3.0 million and facilities maintenance and other expenses were $6.8 million. On a unit of production basis, LOE was $22.14 per Boe in the first quarter of 2024. This compares to $20.61 per Boe for the fourth quarter of 2023 and $22.29 per Boe for the first quarter of 2023. LOE per Boe is expected to be higher in the second quarter of 2024 due to the completion of deferred workovers and facilities projects. Overall, full year 2024 LOE is projected to be approximately $23.00 per Boe. Gathering, Transportation Costs and Production Taxes:   Gathering, transportation costs and production taxes totaled $7.5 million ($2.36 per Boe) in the first quarter of 2024, compared to $6.6 million ($2.11 per Boe) in the fourth quarter of 2023 and $6.1 million ($2.10 per Boe) in the first quarter of 2023. Gathering, transportation costs and production taxes increased due to additional production and assumption of commercial contracts related to the Cox acquisition. Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization ("DD&A"): DD&A was $10.61 per Boe in the first quarter of 2024. This compares to $10.73 per Boe and $7.74 per Boe for the fourth quarter of 2023 and the first quarter of 2023, respectively. Asset Retirement Obligations Accretion: Asset retirement obligations accretion was $2.49 per Boe in the first quarter of 2024. This compares to $2.35 per Boe and $2.57 per Boe for the fourth quarter of 2023 and the first quarter of 2023, respectively. General & Administrative Expenses ("G&A"): G&A was $20.5 million for the first quarter of 2024, which increased from $18.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2023 primarily due to higher payroll and benefits related costs. G&A increased by $0.6 million year-over-year from $19.9 million in the first quarter of 2023 due to higher medical claims offset by a decrease in legal expenses. On a unit of production basis, G&A was $6.41 per Boe in the first quarter of 2024 compared to $5.82 per Boe in the fourth quarter of 2023 and $6.81 per Boe in the corresponding period of 2023. G&A in the first quarter of 2024 included $3.0 million of non-cash compensation expense compared with $3.1 million in the fourth quarter of 2023 and $1.9 million in the first quarter of 2023. Derivative Gain: In the first quarter of 2024, W&T recorded a net gain of $4.9 million related to commodity derivative contracts comprised of a $1.1 million unrealized gain related to the increase in fair value of open contracts and $3.8 million of realized gains. W&T recognized a net gain of $13.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2023 and a net gain of $39.2 million in the first quarter of 2023 related to commodity derivative activities. As of March 31, 2024, W&T has approximately 65.0 MMcf/d of natural gas swaps for the second quarter of 2024 and no existing hedges for oil. A significant portion of W&T's natural gas hedges, in the form of sold swaps and purchased calls and puts, were entered into in conjunction with the non-recourse Mobile Bay term loan (the "Term Loan") entered into by borrowers owned by the Company's wholly-owned subsidiary Aquasition Energy LLC. W&T's natural gas hedges transition from swaps until first quarter of 2025 to exclusively puts thereafter. The $2.35/MMBtu volume-weighted average strike price on the cumulative puts provides downside protection while providing full upside potential should future natural gas prices increase as demonstrated by the current forward curve for 2025 and 2026. A summary of the Company's outstanding derivative positions is provided in the investor presentation posted on W&T's website. Interest Expense: Net interest expense in the first quarter of 2024 was $10.1 million compared to $9.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2023 and $14.7 million in the first quarter of 2023. The decrease in interest expense in the first quarter of 2024 compared with the first quarter of 2023 was primarily due to two offsetting factors related to the redemption of the $552.5 million 9.75% Senior Second Lien Notes and issuance of the new $275.0 million 11.75% Senior Second Lien Notes. Lower interest expense on the reduced principal balance was partially offset by a higher interest rate on the new notes as well as decreased interest income due to a lower cash balance. Other Expense: During 2021 and 2022, as a result of the declaration of bankruptcy by a third party that is the indirect successor in title to certain offshore interests that were previously divested by the Company, W&T recorded a contingent loss accrual related to anticipated non-ARO plugging and abandonment costs. During the first quarter of 2024, the Company reassessed its existing obligations and recorded an additional $5.3 million. Income Tax Expense: W&T recognized income tax expense of $1.0 million in the first quarter of 2024. This compares to the recognition of income tax expense of $1.9 million and $8.6 million for the quarters ended December 31, 2023 and March 31, 2023, respectively. Balance Sheet and Liquidity: As of March 31, 2024, W&T had available liquidity of $144.8 million comprised of $94.8 million in unrestricted cash and cash equivalents and $50.0 million of borrowing availability under W&T's first priority secured revolving facility provided by Calculus Lending LLC. As of March 31, 2024, the Company had total debt of $391.2 million and Net Debt of $296.4 million. Of W&T's total debt of $391.2 million, only $279.9 million is recourse to W&T. The remaining $111.3 million is held at W&T's subsidiary, Aquasition Energy LLC, and is non-recourse to W&T. As of March 31, 2024, Net Debt to TTM Adjusted EBITDA was 1.6x. Capital Expenditures: Capital expenditures on an accrual basis (excluding acquisitions) in the first quarter of 2024 were $3.2 million, and asset retirement settlement costs totaled $3.8 million. Investments related to acquisitions in the first quarter of 2024 totaled $80.5 million, which included $77.2 million for the Cox acquisition and $3.3 million of final purchase price adjustments related to W&T's acquisition of properties in September 2023. Cox Acquisition and Integration In January 2024, W&T was the successful bidder for six fields in the Gulf of Mexico, including Eugene Island 064, Main Pass 061, Mobile 904, Mobile 916, South Pass 049 and West Delta 073, all of which include a 100% working interest and an average 82% net revenue interest. They are located in water depths ranging between approximately 15 and 400 feet. W&T expects that the properties' proximity to W&T's areas of existing operations could provide the ability for W&T to capture operational synergies. The final purchase price for the assets was $77.2 million, including certain closing costs, which was funded from the Company's cash on hand. Key highlights of the transaction are as follows: Adds significant proved reserves of 21.8 MMBoe1 (60% liquids) based on an independent engineering report prepared by NSAI; Based on the cash consideration paid of $77.2 million, this equates to a price of $3.54 per Boe of proved reserves; Field logistics are being examined to see if more cost-effective tie-ins and throughput can be done with existing W&T facilities adjacent to the newly acquired fields; and In first quarter 2024 the net production from these six fields acquired was approximately 3.3 MBoe/d, which is approximately 50% below the assets' potential due to three of the six fields being shut-in. As it has done after prior acquisitions, W&T is inspecting and optimizing operations, and also negotiating midstream services at the newly acquired fields. This required temporarily shutting in Mobile 916, West Delta 073, and Eugene Island 064. W&T will provide additional information on these fields in the future. OPERATIONS UPDATE Well Recompletions and Workovers During the first quarter of 2024, the Company performed three workovers and three recompletions that positively impacted production for the quarter. W&T plans to continue performing these low cost, short payout operations that impact both production and revenue. Cash Dividend Policy The Company paid its first quarter 2024 dividend of $0.01 per share on March 25, 2024 to stockholders of record on March 18, 2024. The Board of Directors declared a second quarter 2024 dividend of $0.01 per share which is to be paid on May 31, 2024 to stockholders of record on May 24, 2024. Addition to W&T's Board of Directors In April 2024, W&T's Board of Directors voted to expand the size of the Board to six members and appointed Mr. John D. Buchanan to fill the vacancy on the Board effective April 8, 2024. He will stand for election in the upcoming annual meeting of shareholders. Mr. Buchanan has more than 30 years of experience as a seasoned oil and gas, commercial and banking attorney. He most recently served as an Assistant General Counsel at ExxonMobil and also has prior experience working at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, where he served as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary. Second Quarter and Full Year 2024 Production and Expense Guidance The guidance for the second quarter and full year 2024 in the table below represents the Company's current expectations. Please refer to the section entitled "Forward-Looking and Cautionary Statements" below for risk factors that could impact guidance.       Production Second Quarter 2024 Full Year 2024 Oil (MBbl) 1,225 – 1,400 5,100 – 5,800 NGLs (MBbl) 280 – 315 1,150 – 1,375 Natural gas (MMcf) 8,800 – 10,060 37,000 – 44,500 Total equivalents (MBoe) 2,972 – 3,392 12,417 – 14,592 Average daily equivalents (MBoe/d) 32.7 – 37.3 33.9 – 39.9 Expenses Second Quarter 2024 Full Year 2024 Lease operating expense ($MM) 83.0 – 92.0 295.0 – 332.0 Gathering, transportation & production taxes ($MM) 8.1 – 8.9 34.5 – 39.0 General & administrative – cash ($MM) 13.7 – 15.1 59.0 – 66.5 General & administrative – non-cash ($MM) 2.9 – 3.3 12.5 – 14.0 DD&A ($ per Boe)   11.4 – 12.9   W&T expects substantially all taxes in 2024 to be deferred.  Conference Call Information  W&T will hold a conference call to discuss its financial and operational results on Monday, May 13, 2024 at 8:30 a.m. Central Time (9:30 a.m. Eastern Time). Interested parties may dial 1-844-739-3797. International parties may dial 1-412-317-5713. Participants should request to connect to the "W&T Offshore Conference Call". This call will also be webcast and available on W&T's website at www.wtoffshore.com under "Investors". An audio replay will be available on the Company's website following the call. About W&T Offshore W&T Offshore, Inc. is an independent oil and natural gas producer with operations offshore in the Gulf of Mexico and has grown through acquisitions, exploration and development. As of March 31, 2024, the Company had working interests in 63 fields in federal and state waters (which include 54 fields in federal waters and nine in state waters). The Company has under lease approximately 693,900 gross acres (536,200 net acres) spanning across the outer continental shelf off the coasts of Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi and Alabama, with approximately 532,400 gross acres on the conventional shelf, approximately 153,500 gross acres in the deepwater and 8,000 gross acres in Alabama state waters. A majority of the Company's daily production is derived from wells it operates. For more information on W&T, please visit the Company's website at www.wtoffshore.com. Forward-Looking and Cautionary Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this release regarding the Company's financial position, operating and financial performance, business strategy, plans and objectives of management for future operations, projected costs, industry conditions, potential acquisitions, the impact of and integration of acquired assets, and indebtedness are forward-looking statements. When used in this release, forward-looking statements are generally accompanied by terms or phrases such as "estimate," "project," "predict," "believe," "expect," "continue," "anticipate," "target," "could," "plan," "intend," "seek," "goal," "will," "should," "may" or other words and similar expressions that convey the uncertainty of future events or outcomes, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. Items contemplating or making assumptions about actual or potential future production and sales, prices, market size, and trends or operating results also constitute such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on the Company's current expectations and assumptions about future events and speak only as of the date of this release. While management considers these expectations and assumptions to be reasonable, they are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, regulatory and other risks, contingencies and uncertainties, most of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the Company's control. Accordingly, you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, as results actually achieved may differ materially from expected results described in these statements. The Company does not undertake, and specifically disclaims, any obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of such statements, unless required by law. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially including, among other things, the regulatory environment, including availability or timing of, and conditions imposed on, obtaining and/or maintaining permits and approvals, including those necessary for drilling and/or development projects; the impact of current, pending and/or future laws and regulations, and of legislative and regulatory changes and other government activities, including those related to permitting, drilling, completion, well stimulation, operation, maintenance or abandonment of wells or facilities, managing energy, water, land, greenhouse gases or other emissions, protection of health, safety and the environment, or transportation, marketing and sale of the Company's products; inflation levels; global economic trends, geopolitical risks and general economic and industry conditions, such as the global supply chain disruptions and the government interventions into the financial markets and economy in response to inflation levels and world health events; volatility of oil, NGL and natural gas prices; the global energy future, including the factors and trends that are expected to shape it, such as concerns about climate change and other air quality issues, the transition to a low-emission economy and the expected role of different energy sources; supply of and demand for oil, natural gas and NGLs, including due to the actions of foreign producers, importantly including OPEC and other major oil producing companies ("OPEC Plus") and change in OPEC Plus's production levels; disruptions to, capacity constraints in, or other limitations on the pipeline systems that deliver the Company's oil and natural gas and other processing and transportation considerations; inability to generate sufficient cash flow from operations or to obtain adequate financing to fund capital expenditures, meet the Company's working capital requirements or fund planned investments; price fluctuations and availability of natural gas and electricity; the Company's ability to use derivative instruments to manage commodity price risk; the Company's ability to meet the Company's planned drilling schedule, including due to the Company's ability to obtain permits on a timely basis or at all, and to successfully drill wells that produce oil and natural gas in commercially viable quantities; uncertainties associated with estimating proved reserves and related future cash flows; the Company's ability to replace the Company's reserves through exploration and development activities; drilling and production results, lower–than–expected production, reserves or resources from development projects or higher–than–expected decline rates; the Company's ability to obtain timely and available drilling and completion equipment and crew availability and access to necessary resources for drilling, completing and operating wells; changes in tax laws; effects of competition; uncertainties and liabilities associated with acquired and divested assets; the Company's ability to make acquisitions and successfully integrate any acquired businesses; asset impairments from commodity price declines; large or multiple customer defaults on contractual obligations, including defaults resulting from actual or potential insolvencies; geographical concentration of the Company's operations; the creditworthiness and performance of the Company's counterparties with respect to its hedges; impact of derivatives legislation affecting the Company's ability to hedge; failure of risk management and ineffectiveness of internal controls; catastrophic events, including tropical storms, hurricanes, earthquakes, pandemics and other world health events; environmental risks and liabilities under U.S. federal, state, tribal and local laws and regulations (including remedial actions); potential liability resulting from pending or future litigation; the Company's ability to recruit and/or retain key members of the Company's senior management and key technical employees; information technology failures or cyberattacks; and governmental actions and political conditions, as well as the actions by other third parties that are beyond the Company's control, and other factors discussed in W&T Offshore's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q found at www.sec.gov or at the Company's website at www.wtoffshore.com under the Investor Relations section. W&T OFFSHORE, INC. Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (In thousands, except per share data) (Unaudited)                         Three Months Ended     March 31,    December 31,    March 31,         2024      2023      2023 Revenues:                   Oil   $ 107,015     $ 94,076     $ 97,000   NGLs     7,469       6,851       7,795   Natural gas     21,616       29,401       24,804   Other     4,687       2,012       2,126   Total revenues     140,787       132,340       131,725                       Operating expenses:                   Lease operating expenses     70,830       64,643       65,186   Gathering, transportation and production taxes     7,540       6,620       6,136   Depreciation, depletion, and amortization     33,937       33,658       22,624   Asset retirement obligations accretion     7,969       7,377       7,510   General and administrative expenses     20,515       18,251       19,919   Total operating expenses     140,791       130,549       121,375                       Operating (loss) income     (4 )     1,791       10,350                       Interest expense, net     10,072       9,729       14,713   Derivative gain, net     (4,877 )     (13,199 )     (39,240 ) Other expense, net     5,230       3,772       233   (Loss) income before income taxes     (10,429 )     1,489       34,644   Income tax expense     1,045       1,932       8,639   Net (loss) income   $ (11,474 )   $ (443 )   $ 26,005                       Net (loss) income per share:                   Basic   $ (0.08 )   $ —     $ 0.18   Diluted     (0.08 )     —       0.17                       Weighted average common shares outstanding                   Basic     146,857       146,578       146,418   Diluted     146,857       146,578       148,726                             W&T OFFSHORE, ...