EX-99.1 2 h29592exv99w1.htm PRESS RELEASE DATED OCTOBER 27, 2005 exv99w1
 

(BURLINGTON RESOURCES INC. LOGO)   NEWS RELEASE          

                         
To:   Daily Papers, Trade Press   For:   Immediate   Company Contacts:
 
  Financial and Security Analysts       Release   Financial:   Lee Ahlstrom   713-624-9548
 
              Media:   James Bartlett   713-624-9354
Burlington Resources Web site: www.br-inc.com           BR0529
BURLINGTON RESOURCES ANNOUNCES QUARTERLY PERFORMANCE
Houston, Texas, Oct. 27, 2005 — Burlington Resources Inc. (NYSE: BR) today reported estimated income of $748 million during the third quarter of 2005, compared to $394 million during the same quarter of 2004. Earnings per diluted share were $1.96, up 96 percent from $1 per diluted share during the prior year’s third quarter. The increase resulted from higher commodity prices, increased equivalent production, share repurchases and an after-tax gain on the sale of Permian Basin Royalty Trust units of $0.19 per share.
Net cash provided by operating activities increased to $1,170 million from $930 million, and discretionary cash flow(1) increased to $1,175 million from $821 million during the prior year’s third quarter. Burlington also achieved an annualized return on capital employed(1) of 35 percent during the third quarter of 2005.
Total volumes increased 1 percent to 2,843 million cubic feet of natural gas equivalent per day (MMcfed) from 2,815 MMcfed during the third quarter of 2004. Natural gas production increased from Canada and the Bossier trend in East Texas, and oil production increased from the Cedar Creek Anticline and Bakken programs in North Dakota and Montana. Storm-related production curtailments and repairs caused volume decreases in South Louisiana and several adjacent areas, and in offshore China, while maintenance shutdowns of outside-operated pipelines and processing plants reduced production in the San Juan Basin. Volumes also decreased from Algeria’s MLN Field due to provisions in the production sharing contract that reduce Burlington’s share of production at certain oil price thresholds.
“Our company performed extremely well during a very turbulent quarter that will be remembered for the unprecedented commodity price volatility that resulted from the devastating hurricanes along the Gulf Coast,” said Bobby S. Shackouls, chairman, president and chief executive officer. “Burlington’s facilities sustained only minor damage and we are working to rapidly repair damaged facilities and restore the production that was curtailed. At the same time, we are helping our employees and neighbors affected by the storms recover from these tragic events, while reinvesting a substantial portion of our increased cash flow to bring more supply of natural gas to the North American market. Meanwhile, our operations in other areas are performing strongly. In the current overheated market for industry services, we continue to benefit

 


 

from our focus in lower-cost areas such as the San Juan Basin, our large inventory of existing development projects and our ongoing efforts to mitigate cost increases.”
Production curtailments resulting from hurricanes Katrina and Rita, which peaked at 180 MMcfed, have now declined to approximately 30 MMcfed. Full restoration of the shut-in volumes will depend on the pace of repairs to producing facilities, resumption of industry pipeline and natural gas processing services and availability of local electrical power and other infrastructure.
Key operational events included two exploratory discoveries in the Bossier trend in East Texas, one of which is now onstream producing 8 MMcfed while the second has tested at 18 MMcfed with tests pending of several other prospective intervals. A sixth drilling rig was added under long-term lease in the San Juan Basin to accelerate development of the company’s large inventory there. Burlington also continued pursuing acquisitions in existing core areas during the quarter, increasing its year-to-date commitments to approximately $325 million for six transactions. These will add properties in the Barnett Shale and Cotton Valley trends in Texas and the San Juan Basin in New Mexico, while expanding Burlington’s interests in two existing producing blocks in Ecuador. Additionally, the sale of 8.4 million units (approximately one-third of Burlington’s holdings) in the Permian Basin Royalty Trust yielded gross proceeds of $129 million with an after-tax gain of $73 million.
During the quarter, Burlington repurchased about 3.7 million shares of its common stock for approximately $249 million, or $66.94 per share. The number of shares outstanding decreased during the quarter from approximately 381 million shares to 378 million shares. On Oct. 26, 2005, Burlington’s board of directors restored the company’s current share repurchase authorization level to $1 billion.
Natural gas production during the third quarter was 1,888 million cubic feet per day (MMcfd), compared to 1,906 MMcfd during the prior year’s third quarter. Natural gas liquids (NGLs) production was 66.1 thousand barrels per day (Mbd), compared to 66.5 Mbd during the prior year’s third quarter. Crude oil production increased by 9 percent to 93.0 Mbd, from 85.1 Mbd during the prior year’s third quarter.
Price realizations for natural gas increased to $7.19 per Mcf, from $5.29 per Mcf during the same quarter in 2004. Price realizations for NGLs increased to $34.69 per barrel, from $26.26 per barrel during the prior year’s third quarter. Crude oil price realizations increased to $55.86 per barrel, from $41.06 per barrel during the prior year’s third quarter.
2005 Outlook
Production — Burlington expects full-year 2005 production to average within the range of 2,840 MMcfed to 2,890 MMcfed. This guidance range includes the impact of weather-related production curtailments in several operating areas, and price-related international volume adjustments. The range assumes no volumes from the Rivers facility in the U.K.

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    4th-Quarter 2005     Full-Year 2005  
    Estimate     Estimate  
Gas (MMcfd)
U.S.
    970             995       945             955  
Canada
    790             800       805             810  
International
    155             165       150             155  
         
Total
    1,915             1,960       1,900             1,920  
Natural Gas Liquids (Mbd)
U.S.
    41.0             43.0       42.0             43.0  
Canada
    23.0             25.0       24.0             24.5  
International
    0.0             0.0       0.0             0.0  
         
Total
    64.0             68.0       66.0             67.5  
Crude Oil (Mbd)
U.S.
    52.0             56.0       48.5             50.0  
Canada
    6.0             7.0       5.5             6.5  
International
    30.0             34.0       37.0             37.5  
         
Total
    88.0             97.0       91.0             94.0  
 
                                               
Total Equiv. Prod. (MMcfed)
    2,830             2,950       2,840             2,890  
         
North American Natural Gas Hedges — As of Sept. 30, 2005, Burlington had hedged the following volumes of future North American natural gas production using costless price collars or fixed price contracts. All prices are weighted averages adjusted to a NYMEX equivalent price.
             
    4th-Q. 2005   1st-Q. 2006   2nd-Q. 2006
Costless collar volumes
  449 MMcfd   416 MMcfd   105 MMcfd
Floor price
  $6.33/Mcf   $7.69/Mcf   $8.29/Mcf
Ceiling price
  $8.09/Mcf   $9.98/Mcf   $10.09/Mcf
Sell swap
  11 MMcfd   4 MMcfd   4 MMcfd
Sales price
  $4.32/Mcf   $4.82/Mcf   $4.45/Mcf
Additional information on North American natural gas hedging subsequent to the second quarter of 2006, as well as on natural gas hedging in the U.K. and crude oil hedging, is available on Burlington’s Web site at www.br-inc.com/docs/hedge.pdf.
Other 2005 Financial Parameters — Estimated expenses for the fourth quarter and full year are:
         
    4th-Q. 2005   Full-Year 2005
Operating costs
  $0.66 to $0.69/Mcfe   $0.62 to $0.66/Mcfe
Administrative costs
  $0.15 to $0.19/Mcfe   $0.19 to $0.22/Mcfe
Transportation expense
  $0.48 to $0.52/Mcfe   $0.46 to $0.50/Mcfe
Depreciation, depletion & amortization
  $1.22 to $1.27/Mcfe   $1.20 to $1.30/Mcfe
Interest expense
  $68 MM to $72 MM   $270 MM to $290 MM
Exploration costs
  $85 MM to $105 MM   $265 MM to $285 MM

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In addition, Burlington anticipates an effective income tax rate of 33 to 37 percent for the full year of 2005. The breakdown between current and deferred taxes for the year could vary widely depending on commodity prices and other factors.
A financial statement, as well as statistics and non-GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles) reconciliation tables, accompany this release.
Burlington will webcast a conference call to discuss its third-quarter earnings and results, as well as future operations, on Friday, October 28 at 8 a.m. Central time. All materials and information related to the conference call, this press release and a package of financial and statistical information may be accessed from the Burlington Resources Web site home page (www.br-inc.com) by selecting the link entitled “Q3 2005 Conference Call Info” and then selecting the resource desired.
Burlington Resources ranks among the world’s largest independent oil and gas companies, and holds one of the industry’s leading positions in North American natural gas reserves and production. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, the company conducts exploration, production and development operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, Africa, China and South America. For additional information see the Burlington Resources Web site at www.br-inc.com.
(1)   See the accompanying tables for a reconciliation of GAAP and non-GAAP measures utilized in calculating discretionary cash flow and return on capital employed, as well as statements of why management believes these measures are useful information for investors.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This press release may contain projections and other forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Any such projections or statements reflect the company’s current views with respect to future events and financial performance. No assurances can be given, however, that these events will occur or that such projections will be achieved and actual results could differ materially from those projected. A discussion of important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected is included in the company’s periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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Burlington Resources Inc.
Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Measure (a)
Discretionary Cash Flow
($ in Millions)
Below is a reconciliation of net cash provided by operating activities to discretionary cash flow.
                                 
    Third Quarter     Nine Months  
    2005     2004     2005     2004  
 
                               
Net cash provided by operating activities
  $ 1,170     $ 930     $ 2,963     $ 2,474  
Adjustments:
                               
Working capital
    49       (118 )     188       9  
Changes in other assets and liabilities
    (44 )     9       (53 )     (25 )
 
               
Discretionary cash flow
  $ 1,175     $ 821     $ 3,098     $ 2,458  
 
               
(a) GAAP — Generally Accepted Accounting Principles
Management believes that the Non-GAAP measure of discretionary cash flow is useful information for investors because it is used internally and accepted by the investment community as a means of measuring the company’s ability to fund its capital and dividend programs and to service its debt. Discretionary cash flow is also useful because it is widely used by professional research analysts in valuing, comparing ratings and providing investment recommendations of companies in the oil and gas exploration and production industry. Many investors use this published research in making investment decisions.

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Burlington Resources Inc.
Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Measure (a)
Net Debt to Total Capital Ratio
($ in Millions)
Below is a reconciliation of total debt to total capital ratio to net debt to total capital ratio.
                 
    September 30,
2005
    December 31,
2004
 
         
 
               
Total debt
  $ 3,894     $ 3,889  
Stockholders’ equity
    8,031       7,011  
 
       
Total capital
  $ 11,925     $ 10,900  
 
       
 
               
Total debt
  $ 3,894     $ 3,889  
Adjustment:
               
Less: Cash and cash equivalents
    2,816       2,179  
 
       
Net debt
  $ 1,078     $ 1,710  
 
       
 
               
Net debt
  $ 1,078     $ 1,710  
Stockholders’ equity
    8,031       7,011  
 
       
Total adjusted capital
  $ 9,109     $ 8,721  
 
       
 
               
Total debt to total capital ratio
    33 %     36 %
Adjustment:
               
Less: Impact of cash and cash equivalents
    21 %     16 %
 
       
Net debt to total capital ratio
    12 %     20 %
 
       
(a) GAAP — Generally Accepted Accounting Principles
Total debt to total capital ratio is calculated by dividing total debt by total debt plus stockholders’ equity. Management believes that total debt to total capital ratio is useful to investors because it is helpful in determining a company’s leverage. Management also believes that since it has the ability to and may elect to use a portion of cash and cash equivalents to retire debt or incur additional expenditures without increasing debt, it is appropriate to apply cash and cash equivalents to debt in calculating net debt to total capital (Non-GAAP).

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Burlington Resources Inc.
Return on Capital Employed (ROCE) Annualized
Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Measure
($ in Millions)
         
Net income (For the third quarter ended 9/30/05)
  $ 2,993  
Add: Interest expense after tax
    188  
 
   
Earnings before interest expense (after tax)
  $ 3,181  
 
   
                         
    September 30,
2005
    June 30,
2005
    Average  
             
Total debt (GAAP)
  $ 3,894     $ 3,888     $ 3,891  
Less: Cash and cash equivalents
    2,816       2,385       2,600  
 
           
Net debt (Non-GAAP)
    1,078       1,503       1,291  
 
                       
Stockholders’ equity
    8,031       7,397       7,714  
 
           
Total capital net of cash and cash equivalents
    9,109       8,900       9,005  
Plus: Cash and cash equivalents
    2,816       2,385       2,600  
 
           
Total capital (GAAP)
  $ 11,925     $ 11,285     $ 11,605  
 
           
         
ROCE (GAAP)-9/30/05
    27.4 %
Impact of cash and cash equivalents
    7.9 %
 
   
ROCE (Non-GAAP)-9/30/05
    35.3 %
 
   
ROCE is defined as net income plus after-tax interest expense divided by average capital (total debt plus stockholders’ equity). Above is a reconciliation of ROCE calculated using net debt (total debt less cash and cash equivalents) in the average capital calculation (considered Non-GAAP) compared to ROCE calculated using total debt in average capital calculation.
Management believes that ROCE is a useful measure because it indicates the return on all capital, which includes equity and debt, employed in the business. Management believes that since it has the ability to and may elect to use a portion of the cash and cash equivalents to retire debt, the debt balance has been reduced for cash and cash equivalents. Management also believes that ROCE is an additional measure of efficiency when considered in conjunction with return on equity which measures the return on only the shareholders’ equity component of total capital employed.
(Note: interest expense is taxed based on the company’s effective tax rate.)

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BURLINGTON RESOURCES INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF INCOME
(UNAUDITED)
                                 
    Third Quarter     Nine Months  
    2005   2004   2005   2004
    (In Millions, Except per Share Amounts)  
 
                               
Revenues
  $ 1,953     $ 1,419     $ 5,215     $ 4,060  
 
               
 
                               
Costs and Other Income — Net
                               
Taxes Other than Income Taxes
    94       67       250       188  
Transportation Expense
    127       112       364       329  
Operating Costs
    176       152       490       426  
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization
    325       284       975       831  
Exploration Costs
    65       55       183       177  
Administrative
    76       54       176       153  
Interest Expense
    70       71       210       211  
(Gain)/Loss on Disposal of Assets
    (117 )           (117 )     10  
Other Expense (Income) — Net
    18       (5 )     21       19  
 
               
Total Costs and Other Income — Net
    834       790       2,552       2,344  
 
               
 
                               
Income Before Income Taxes
    1,119       629       2,663       1,716  
Income Tax Expense
    371       235       907       589  
 
               
 
                               
Net Income
  $ 748     $ 394     $ 1,756     $ 1,127  
 
               
 
                               
Basic Earnings per Common Share
  $ 1.98     $ 1.00     $ 4.60     $ 2.87  
 
               
 
                               
Diluted Earnings per Common Share
  $ 1.96     $ 1.00     $ 4.56     $ 2.84  
 
               
This statement should be read in conjunction with the attached press release.

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BURLINGTON RESOURCES INC.
SALES VOLUMES AND PRICES
                                         
    Third Quarter     Year Ended  
    2005     2004     2004     2003     2002  
Sales Volumes
                                       
Gas (MMCF/Day)
                                       
U.S.
    952       935       908       865       949  
Canada
    799       796       819       867       802  
International
    137       175       187       167       165  
 
                             
Worldwide
    1,888       1,906       1,914       1,899       1,916  
 
                             
NGLs (MBBLS/Day)
                                       
U.S.
    41.7       41.4       41.7       37.4       32.7  
Canada
    24.4       25.1       23.6       27.4       27.4  
 
                             
Worldwide
    66.1       66.5       65.3       64.8       60.1  
 
                             
Oil (MBBLS/Day)
                                       
U.S.
    50.7       39.3       37.2       29.3       35.4  
Canada
    6.5       5.0       5.5       5.1       7.8  
International
    35.8       40.8       42.5       12.1       5.9  
 
                             
Worldwide
    93.0       85.1       85.2       46.5       49.1  
 
                             
Total Equivalent (MMCFE/D)
    2,843       2,815       2,817       2,567       2,571  
 
                             
 
                                       
Average Realized Prices
                                       
Gas ($/MCF)
                                       
U.S.
  $ 7.69     $ 5.28     $ 5.54     $ 4.87     $ 3.39  
Canada
    7.47       5.68       5.85       5.12       3.17  
International
    4.19       3.40       3.64       3.07       2.27  
 
                             
Combined including hedging
    7.19       5.29       5.49       4.83       3.20  
Hedging loss (gain)
    0.19       (0.02 )     0.01       0.09       (0.16 )
 
                             
Combined before hedging
  $ 7.38     $ 5.27     $ 5.50     $ 4.92     $ 3.04  
 
                             
NGLs ($/BBL)
                                       
U.S.
  $ 29.31     $ 24.19     $ 22.87     $ 18.42     $ 13.23  
Canada
    42.91       29.68       29.79       23.08       15.92  
 
                             
Combined
  $ 34.69     $ 26.26     $ 25.38     $ 20.40     $ 14.46  
 
                             
Oil ($/BBL)
                                       
U.S.
  $ 57.59     $ 37.15     $ 36.31     $ 28.08     $ 23.16  
Canada
    60.26       40.68       37.70       31.11       28.32  
International
    55.56       44.58       35.94       23.49       24.30  
 
                             
Combined including hedging
    55.86       41.06       36.25       27.22       24.11  
Hedging loss (gain)
    1.79       1.51       0.99       0.09       (0.18 )
 
                             
Combined before hedging
  $ 57.65     $ 42.57     $ 37.24     $ 27.31     $ 23.93  
 
                             

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