Unit Corporation's Oil &
Natural Gas Subsidiary's Reserves Reach Record 412.1 Bcfe
February 8, 2006
Tulsa, Oklahoma….Unit Corporation (NYSE - UNT)
today announced the following information regarding the results of the
operations of its wholly owned subsidiaries.
Unit Petroleum Company
Unit Petroleum Company replaced 261% of its 2005 oil and natural gas
production and increased its proved oil and natural gas reserves 19%
to 412.1 Bcfe. At December 31, 2005, Unit’s net proved oil and
natural gas reserves, as reviewed by its Independent Petroleum Engineers,
Ryder Scott, are 412.1 Bcfe of natural gas, which includes 9.9 million
barrels of oil and natural gas liquids and 352.8 Bcf of natural gas.
This increase resulted from certain acquisitions during the year and
our participation in the drilling of 192 gross wells (with a success
rate of 92%) during 2005. Seventy-eight percent of these reserves are
proved developed and 86% of the total proved reserves are natural gas.
2005 marks the 22nd consecutive year that Unit has met its goal of replacing
more than 150% of its annual production with new oil and natural gas
reserves. The net present value, discounted at 10%, of these reserves
as of December 31, 2005 is approximately $1.3 billion. Future net revenue
from these properties, before income taxes, is estimated to be $2.3
billion. This value is based on unescalated prices of $61.04 per barrel
of oil and $8.07 per Mcf of natural gas for the life of the properties
per SEC regulations.
During 2005, Unit produced a record 1,084,000 barrels
of oil and 34.1 Bcf of natural gas, or an equivalent Bcf of 40.6. This
is an increase of 21% from the equivalent production for 2004 when Unit
produced 1,048,000 barrels of oil and 27.1 Bcf of natural gas for an
equivalent Bcf of 33.4.
Unit Petroleum has budgeted capital expenditures of $240 million, excluding
acquisitions, for 2006, of which $215 million is planned for exploration
and development drilling. This budget represents a 42% increase over
the company’s estimated 2005 capital expenditures, excluding acquisitions.
Unit Petroleum currently plans to participate in the drilling of 235
wells during 2006, an increase of 22% over 2005.
Unit Drilling Company
Unit Drilling Company’s dayrates for the fourth quarter averaged
$14,626 per day, which is $1,509 per day or 12% higher than the company’s
third quarter 2005 dayrate average. Current dayrates average $17,129
per day, or $2,503 per day higher than the fourth quarter average and
$1,486 per day higher than the December average.
“This increase in the company’s dayrates from the third
quarter to the fourth quarter is the result of the strong demand for
drilling rigs,” said Larry Pinkston, President and Chief Executive
Officer. “Strong demand for drilling rigs is still evident by
the continued increase in dayrates into 2006.”
Fourth quarter rig utilization averaged 106.2 rigs and rig utilization
for 2005 averaged 102.1, an increase of 12% and 16%, respectively, over
the comparable periods in 2004. Currently, Unit has 111 rigs, 110 of
which are operating under contract. As previously announced, in January
2006, Unit lost a drilling rig in a blow-out fire. In January 2006,
the company acquired a 1,000 horsepower electric rig that requires some
modifications, but this rig is expected to be operational in March.
Unit is currently constructing two additional 1,500
horsepower SCR rigs. The first of these rigs should be completed and
operational in April, and the second in June. Unit has also ordered
two new 1,500 horsepower SCR rigs. The first of these rigs should be
operational by mid March, and the second rig is expected to be placed
into operation in April. The addition of these four drilling rigs should
bring Unit’s total rig fleet to 116 by the end of the second quarter
of 2006.
Unit Drilling has budgeted capital expenditures of $185 million for
2006, which represents an increase of 107% over estimated 2005 capital
expenditures, excluding acquisitions. The company plans to add at least
10 rigs during 2006, including the five rigs discussed above. The additional
rigs will be added through a combination of new rigs purchased and internal
construction.
Unit will release its fourth quarter and year-end 2005 earnings and
host a conference call on Wednesday, February 22, 2006. The webcast
will be broadcast live over the Internet at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time
at www.unitcorp.com.
Unit Corporation is a Tulsa-based, publicly held energy company engaged
through its
subsidiaries in oil and gas exploration, production, contract drilling
and natural gas gathering and processing. Unit’s Common Stock
is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol UNT. For more
information about Unit Corporation, visit our website at http://www.unitcorp.com.
This news release contains forward-looking statements
within the meaning of the Securities
Litigation Reform Act that involve risks and uncertainties, including
the amount of the company’s oil and natural gas reserves, the
value of the company’s oil and natural gas reserves, the number
of future wells the company plans to drill, productive capabilities
of the wells, future demand for oil and natural gas, oil and natural
gas reserve information, anticipated production rates from company wells,
the prospective capabilities of offset acreage, timing of acquisition
or construction of new drilling rigs, anticipated oil and natural gas
prices, anticipated operational dates for newly constructed or acquired
drilling rigs, future rates to be paid for the company’s drilling
rigs as well as other development, operational, implementation and opportunity
risks, and other factors described from time to time in the company’s
publicly available SEC reports, which could cause actual results to
differ materially from those expected.