Evolution Petroleum Corporation (NYSE American: EPM) ("Evolution" or the "Company") today announced its financial and operating results for its fiscal first quarter ended September 30, 2024. Evolution also declared its 45th consecutive quarterly cash dividend of $0.12 per common share for the fiscal 2025 second quarter.
- Fiscal Q1 production increased 16% year-over-year to 7,478 average barrels of oil equivalent per day ("BOEPD"), with oil increasing 27%, natural gas increasing 10%, and natural gas liquids ("NGLs") increasing 19%.
- $4.0 million returned to shareholders in the form of cash dividends during the fiscal first quarter of 2025.
- Seven SCOOP/STACK wells were brought online during the quarter.
Kelly Loyd, President and Chief Executive Officer, commented, "Building on the momentum from fiscal 2024, this quarter's strong financial results reflect the effectiveness of our strategy of strengthening and diversifying our portfolio. In fiscal Q1, total production increased 16% year-over-year to 7,478 average BOEPD, which included record quarterly oil production, driven by contributions from our SCOOP/STACK acquisitions and new wells drilled both there and at Chaveroo. Despite continued softness in natural gas prices, our diversified portfolio generated a 6% increase in revenue.
In SCOOP/STACK, we brought seven gross wells online during the quarter with results that have exceeded our expectations, and company-wide, we expect to bring an additional 13 gross wells online throughout the rest of this fiscal year. We are pleased with the performance at Chaveroo, where we will begin drilling our next round of four gross wells in January 2025 to allow for warmer fracking conditions while continuing to position us for high-impact drilling in the upcoming quarters. At Delhi, we are proceeding as planned with ExxonMobil on the development of Test Site V, with the first of three initial producer wells on track to be drilled by fiscal year-end. In addition, the CO2 supply line to the field was recently placed back in service after eight months of maintenance, allowing an increase in injection volumes that we expect will yield a positive impact on oil production and revenue, partially offset by the CO2 purchase cost. These initiatives will continue to strengthen and further diversify our organic growth portfolio."
Mr. Loyd concluded, "As we look to the future, we remain focused on executing our strategy to drive long-term shareholder value. Our asset base has been strengthened by acquiring high-quality, long-life, low-decline properties and by adding valuable drilling locations at favorable costs. We believe our track record of delivering both organic and inorganic growth at highly accretive valuations will support our dividend program for years to come."
Fiscal First Quarter 2025 Financial Results
Total revenues increased 6% to $21.9 million compared to $20.6 million in the year-ago period. The improvement was driven by an increase in production volumes largely due to the Company's SCOOP/STACK acquisitions in February 2024 and the ongoing drilling and completion activities occurring there, as well as our new wells at Chaveroo that came online at the same time. Decreases in commodity prices partially offset the increase in production volumes.
Lease operating costs ("LOE") decreased to $11.8 million compared to $11.9 million in the year-ago period. On a per unit basis, total LOE decreased 14% to $17.14 per BOE compared to $20.01 per BOE last year. The overall decrease was driven by the suspension of CO2 purchases at Delhi Field for the quarter due to maintenance on the pipeline that began in February 2024. CO2 purchases restarted in October. The increase in production from our SCOOP/STACK properties and Chaveroo wells, which incur lower relative operating costs than our other areas, has also driven down our LOE on a per-unit basis.
Depletion, depreciation, and accretion expense was $5.7 million compared to $4.3 million in the year-ago period. On a per BOE basis, the Company's current quarter depletion rate increased to $7.74 per BOE compared to $6.58 per BOE in the year-ago period due to an increase in depletable base related to the Company's SCOOP/STACK acquisitions and capital development expenditures added since the prior fiscal year.
General and administrative ("G&A") expenses, excluding stock-based compensation, decreased to $2.0 million compared to $2.1 million in the year-ago period. On a per BOE basis, G&A expenses were $2.86 compared to $3.59 in the year-ago period. The decrease was primarily due to a reduction in transaction and third-party consulting fees.
Net income increased 40% to $2.1 million or $0.06 per diluted share, compared to $1.5 million or $0.04 per diluted share in the year-ago period.
Adjusted EBITDA increased 21% to $8.1 million compared to $6.7 million in the year-ago period. The increase was primarily due to increased revenue and reduced operating costs from the year-ago period.
Production & Pricing
Total production for the first quarter of fiscal 2025 increased 16% to 7,478 net BOEPD compared to 6,457 net BOEPD in the year-ago period. Total production for the first quarter of fiscal 2025 included 2,217 barrels per day ("BOPD") of crude oil, 4,033 BOEPD of natural gas, and 1,228 BOEPD of NGLs. The increase in total production was driven by the closing of the Company's SCOOP/STACK acquisitions in February 2024 and production from the initial three wells in the Chaveroo oilfield coming online at the same time. Liquids production generated 80% of revenue for the quarter compared to 73% in the year-ago period.
The Company's average realized commodity price (excluding the impact of derivative contracts) decreased 8% to $31.83 per BOE compared to $34.68 per BOE in the year-ago period. These decreases were primarily driven by a decrease of approximately 30% in realized natural gas prices year-over-year.
Operations Update
At SCOOP/STACK, the Company's operators brought seven gross wells online during fiscal Q1 2025, and an additional three gross wells have been brought online since quarter-end. Additionally, Evolution has agreed to participate in five gross new horizontal wells across the acreage. Since the effective date of the acquisitions, a total of 32 gross wells (or 0.5 net wells) have commenced first production.
In the Chaveroo oilfield, Evolution plans to exercise its full 50% working interest in four horizontal wells located in Drilling Block 2 during fiscal 2025. These operations are expected to begin in early fiscal Q3 2025. The Company has preliminarily agreed to six additional horizontal wells in Drilling Block 3, which are anticipated to begin operations in early fiscal 2026.
In the Williston Basin, production was impacted by a few high-volume wells going offline. The production for these wells was quickly restored.
At Delhi, production was up quarter-over-quarter, attributed to the replacement of one of the CO2 recycle compressors that had limited CO2 injection in the prior quarter. Production was also affected by the CO2 purchase pipeline being down for preventative maintenance from the end of February 2024 through fiscal Q1 2025. CO2 purchases resumed in October 2024.
Balance Sheet, Liquidity, and Capital Spending
On September 30, 2024, cash and cash equivalents totaled $6.9 million, and working capital was $8.5 million. Evolution had $39.5 million of borrowings outstanding under its revolving credit facility, which was used to fund the acquisitions of SCOOP/STACK, and total liquidity of $17.4 million, including cash and cash equivalents. In fiscal Q1, Evolution paid $4.0 million in common stock dividends and $2.7 million in capital expenditures.
Cash Dividend on Common Stock
On November 11, 2024, Evolution's Board of Directors declared a cash dividend of $0.12 per share of common stock, which will be paid on December 31, 2024, to common stockholders of record on December 13, 2024. This will be the 45th consecutive quarterly cash dividend on the Company's common stock since December 31, 2013. To date, Evolution has returned approximately $122.5 million, or $3.69 per share, back to stockholders in common stock dividends.
