Exhibit 99.1
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News Release |
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SM ENERGY ANNOUNCES PLANS TO FURTHER CORE-UP PORTFOLIO
WITH THE SALE OF DIVIDE COUNTY ASSETS
DENVER, CO January 10, 2017 - SM Energy Company (NYSE: SM) today announced that it has engaged Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co. to run a formal bid process for sale of the Company’s Divide County area assets in the Williston Basin. Assuming an acceptable offer is received, the Company expects to close the sale transaction around mid-year of 2017. Associated December 2016 production for the Divide County assets was 10,700 Boe/d.
President and Chief Executive Officer Jay Ottoson comments: “This sale process continues our drive to generate differential shareholder value through concentrating our capital spending on top tier asset development. Over the next few years, we intend to focus on generating significant high margin production growth from our operated acreage positions in the Midland Basin and Eagle Ford. We expect that the sale proceeds from this planned exit of the Williston Basin and from the pending sale of our non-operated Eagle Ford assets will allow us to fully fund our drilling program, while providing us with significant liquidity and the ability to reduce our outstanding debt.”
FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS
This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of securities laws. These statements involve known and unknown risks, which may cause SM Energy’s actual results to differ materially from results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this release include, among other things, timing and expected use of funds from pending asset sales. General risk factors include the availability, proximity and capacity of gathering, processing and transportation facilities; the volatility and level of oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids prices, including any impact on the Company’s asset carrying values or reserves arising from price declines; uncertainties inherent in projecting future rates of production or other results from drilling and completion activities; the imprecise nature of estimating oil and gas reserves; uncertainties inherent in projecting future drilling and completion activities, costs or results, including from pilot tests; the uncertainty of negotiations to result in an agreement or a completed transaction; the uncertain nature of divestiture, joint venture, farm down or similar efforts and the ability to complete any such transactions; the uncertain nature of expected benefits from the actual or expected divestiture, joint venture, farm down or similar efforts; the availability of additional economically attractive exploration, development, and acquisition opportunities for future growth and any necessary financings; unexpected drilling