Exhibit
99.2
For Information
Brent A.
Collins
303-861-8140
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ST.
MARY PROVIDES OPERATIONS UPDATE
DENVER, February 21, 2008 –
St. Mary Land & Exploration Company (NYSE: SM) today provides an update of
its operations.
Tony
Best, President and CEO, commented, “I am very pleased with our strong start
this year in executing our 2008 business plan. We currently have 13
rigs operating across our five regions, and the pace of our development programs
will increase through the year. Our key projects are progressing
well, and we continue to pursue new opportunities that will add to our
multi-year inventory. I have high confidence in this year’s program
and believe that it will deliver growth and value that will reward our
stockholders.”
MID-CONTINENT
REGION
In the
Mid-Continent region, the Company is currently operating two rigs in the
horizontal Woodford program and three rigs throughout the Anadarko
Basin.
In the
horizontal Woodford program, recent results reflect the improvement of the
Company’s understanding of some of the geotechnical aspects of the play and
better completion techniques. The Company is currently evaluating
recently obtained 3D seismic data covering 75 percent of the Company’s acreage
position in the Woodford. The Company’s current average estimated
ultimate recovery (EUR) for horizontal Woodford wells is 2.7 BCFE, with a recent
operated completion having an EUR in excess of 5 BCFE based on several months of
production data. The two most recent completions with meaningful
production histories are performing in line with better wells in the
play. The Wilma Hampton 1-5 (SM 34% WI) had an initial ten day sales
rate of 1.5 MMCFED and is currently producing 2.0 MMCFED. The Carman
3-11 (SM 71% WI) had an initial ten day sales rate of 1.8 MMCFED and
is currently producing 2.5 MMCFED. To date, St. Mary has
drilled and completed 15 horizontal wells in the Woodford out of an inventory of
several hundred potential wells. Two operated wells are currently
being completed, and the Company is participating in a number of wells with our
operating partners in the play.
St. Mary
continues to be active in the Anadarko Basin. The Company recently
completed the Joy 1-34 (SM 38% WI) well, which had an initial ten day sales rate
of 3.3 MMCFED and recently acheived a ten day sales average of 6.0
MMCFED. This well utilized an optimized completion design which
also reduced the cost of the completed well. The Western Oklahoma
Washes program which targets the Atoka and
Granite
Wash formations has one operated rig running at this time. Elsewhere
in the Anadarko Basin, we have two rigs operating that are working on a program
testing deeper sections of the basin.
ARKLATEX
REGION
There are
two St. Mary operated rigs running in the ArkLaTex region currently, and the
Company continues to participate in two significant Cotton Valley programs that
are operated by others.
In the
horizontal James Lime program, there are two operated drilling rigs currently
active in the play. As of year-end, the Company has increased its
acreage position in the James Lime trend to roughly 50,300 net
acres. Leasing efforts by the Company are ongoing and competition in
the area has increased markedly. Drilling operations are
focused on both proven development areas as well as potential extension
acreage. Two recent notable wells were the Johnson 7-1 Alt. and the
Ricks 9-3 Alt. (both SM 100% WI) at Spider Field which had initial ten day sales
rates of 2.6 MMCFED and 2.8 MMCFED, respectively. Management
continues to believe that the James Lime offers attractive economic
returns.
The
Company recently drilled its first horizontal Cotton Valley well in the Carthage
area, which is scheduled to be completed in early March. Two more
horizontal wells are planned for the remainder of the year.
The
programs operated by others at Elm Grove and Terryville fields continue to be
active areas of significant capital investment. The horizontal Killen
13-3H (SM 20% WI) at Elm Grove, which targets a section of the Cotton Valley
formation, had an impressive initial production rate of 16.5 MMCFED according to
public comments by the operator. The well continues to produce at meaningful
rates based on field reports from the operator. An offset horizontal
well is currently being drilled, and if successful could substantiate the
viability of further development in the field through horizontal
drilling. At Terryville, there is currently one drilling rig
operating on acreage in which we have an interest.
ROCKY
MOUNTAIN REGION
In the
Rockies region there is one operated rig running in the region. The
Company also continues to participate in a number of projects with operating
partners.
The
Company recently participated in a horizontal Bakken well in eastern McKenzie
County, North Dakota that had an initial ten day sales rate of 356
BOED. This well is due west of the prolific Parshall Field and
utilized new drilling and fracturing techniques that previously have not been
used by the Company in developing the Bakken formation. The Company
plans to participate in several North Dakota Bakken wells in
2008. St. Mary has roughly 35,000 net acres in Burke, Mountrail, and
eastern
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McKenzie
counties in North Dakota that the Company believes could be prospective for the
Bakken formation.
At
Hanging Woman Basin, St. Mary recently completed a three rig drilling
program. The focus for the remainder of the first half of 2008 is the
completion and connection of wells drilled in recent months, and then the
monitoring and evaluation of those wells. Results from this technical
work will determine the future pace and scope of our development program at
Hanging Woman Basin.
The
Company plans to continue to concentrate its property base in the Rocky Mountain
region. A divestiture package of properties and acreage in the Green
River Basin is currently being marketed. The Company is also
conducting a thorough review of its Rockies acreage position and similar
divestitures of non-core assets are anticipated in the region in the
future.
PERMIAN
REGION
St. Mary
is operating three drilling rigs in the Permian region, with the primary focus
being on the Wolfberry assets at Sweetie Peck and Halff East. All of
the operated drilling rigs are running at Sweetie Peck and at Halff East the
Company continues to participate in the two rig program the operating partner
has implemented for 2008. Throughout 2007, the Company high graded
the rig fleet at Sweetie Peck. Additionally, the Permian office now
has a fully staffed drilling group that has taken over operations from contract
service providers. The expectation is that the combination of more
efficient rigs and crews together with in-house management of the asset by
St. Mary personnel will improve our operational execution. This
should result in cost and efficiency improvement, which ultimately will enhance
the economics of this successful program. The Company is currently in
the process of drilling and completing wells in one of the 40 acre pilot test
areas.
GULF
COAST REGION
There are
three rigs being operated by St. Mary in the shallow Olmos gas project in South
Texas. Additionally, the Company continues to participate with
operating partners on Gulf of Mexico projects.
The
region is continuing its efforts to evaluate and exploit the Rockford and
Catarina acquisitions, and is in the process of reprocessing 54 square miles of
seismic data over this acreage. In mid-March 2008, a workover program
will begin during which 66 recompletion operations are scheduled for the
year.
SIGNIFICANT
PROGRAM INVENTORY UPDATE
As of
December 31, 2007, St. Mary had proved reserves of 1,087 BCFE, 56 percent of
which were natural gas and 23 percent were proved undeveloped. This
represents a 17% increase over year-end 2006 proved reserves. The
Company’s proved, probable,
3
and
possible (3P) reserves at year-end were approximately 2,800 BCFE, 74 percent of
which were natural gas.
The
schedule below presents the Company’s drilling inventory, comprised of proved
undeveloped (PUD), probable, and possible locations, and the associated reserves
at the end of 2007, and is intended to provide visibility to some of the larger
multi-year drilling programs. See the section “Information About
Reserves and Resources” below for more detailed information regarding these
terms.
Program
|
|
Region
|
|
3P
Net Drilling Potential (BCFE)
|
|
%
of 3P Potential Booked as PUD
|
|
Potential
Gross
Locations
|
Elm
Grove
|
|
ArkLaTex
|
|
171
|
|
32%
|
|
580
|
James
Lime
|
|
ArkLaTex
|
|
62
|
|
17%
|
|
86
|
Olmos
Gas
|
|
Gulf
Coast
|
|
115
|
|
47%
|
|
382
|
Wolfberry
Tight Oil
|
|
Permian
|
|
143
|
|
27%
|
|
310
|
Atoka/Granite
Wash
|
|
Mid-Continent
|
|
147
|
|
1%
|
|
537
|
Horizontal
Arkoma
|
|
Mid-Continent
|
|
571
|
|
3%
|
|
521
|
TOTAL
|
|
|
|
1,209
|
|
|
|
2,416
|
The table
above no longer includes reserves associated with the Hanging Woman Basin
coalbed methane project. A significant portion of those reserves were
reclassified as contingent resources as of the end of 2007. The
Company’s estimated proved reserves at year-end 2007 related to Hanging Woman
Basin of 40.2 BCFE, 75% of which were proved developed. Total 3P
reserves, including proved developed reserves, for the project were 395 BCFE at
the end of 2007.
INFORMATION
ABOUT FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS
This
release contains forward looking statements within the meaning of securities
laws, including forecasts and projections. The words “will,”
“believe,” ”budget,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “estimate,” “forecast,” ”plan,” and
“expect” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward looking
statements. These statements involve known and unknown risks, which
may cause St. Mary’s actual results to differ materially from results expressed
or implied by the forward looking statements. These risks include
such factors as the volatility and level of oil and natural gas prices, the
uncertain nature of the expected benefits from the acquisition and divestiture
of oil and gas properties, the potential effects of increased levels of debt
financing, the imprecise nature of estimating oil and gas reserves, the
availability of additional economically attractive exploration, development, and
property acquisition opportunities for future growth and any necessary
financings, unexpected drilling conditions and results, unsuccessful exploration
and development drilling, drilling and operating service availability, and other
such matters discussed in the “Risk Factors” section of St. Mary’s 2006 Annual
Report on Form 10-K/A filed with the SEC and the 2007 Annual Report on Form 10-K
expected to be filed with the SEC on or about February 22,
2008. Although St. Mary may from
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time to
time voluntarily update its prior forward looking statements, it disclaims any
commitment to do so except as required by securities laws.
INFORMATION
ABOUT RESERVES AND RESOURCES
The SEC
permits oil and gas companies to disclose in their filings with the SEC only
proved reserves, which are reserve estimates that geological and engineering
data demonstrate with reasonable certainty to be recoverable in future years
from known reservoirs under existing economic and operating
conditions. St. Mary uses in this press release the terms “probable”,
“possible”, and “3P” reserves, “estimated ultimate recovery (EUR)”, and
“contingent resources”, which SEC guidelines prohibit from being included in
filings with the SEC. Probable reserves are unproved reserves which
are more likely than not to be recoverable. Possible reserves are
unproved reserves which are less likely to be recoverable than probable
reserves. EUR means those quantities of petroleum which are estimated
to be potentially recoverable from an accumulation, plus those quantities
already produced therefrom. Contingent resources are those quantities
of petroleum estimated to be potentially recoverable from known accumulations by
application of development projects but which are not currently considered to be
commercially recoverable due to one or more contingencies. Estimates
of unproved reserves and sub-commercial contingent resources which may
potentially be recoverable through additional drilling or recovery techniques
are by their nature more uncertain than estimates of proved reserves and
accordingly are subject to substantially greater risk of not actually being
realized by the Company. In addition, our production forecasts and
expectations for future periods are dependent upon many assumptions, including
estimates of production decline rates from existing wells and the undertaking
and outcome of future drilling activity, which may be affected by significant
commodity price declines or drilling cost increases.
3P
Drilling Potential should be thought of as reserves net to St. Mary and
characterized as of December 31, 2007, as PUD, probable, or possible reserves
that could be produced through future drilling or capital
spending. Potential Gross Locations should be thought of as the
number of gross drilling locations categorized as PUD, probable, or possible
reserves as of December 31, 2007.
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