Category

Energy Valuation Insights

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October 25, 2019 Special Topics Valuation Issues

How to Perform a Purchase Price Allocation for an Oilfield Services Company

When performing a purchase price allocation for an oilfield services company, careful attention must be given to both the relevant accounting rules and the specific nuances of the oil and gas industry. Oilfield services companies can entail many unique characteristics that are not present in non-oilfield related businesses such as manufacturing, wholesale, non-energy related services, or retail. We will explore the unique factors in future entries. In this blog post, we discuss the guidelines for purchase price allocations that all companies must adhere.

October 18, 2019 Bakken Shale

M&A in the Bakken

Deals May Be Slow, But Production Remains Steady

Acquisition and divestiture activity in the Bakken for last twelve months has been minimal. The lack of deals, however, does not mean that activity or production hasn’t been meaningful. In fact, production has grown approximately 10% year-over-year through September with new well production per rig increasing over 29%. Also, while other major basins have been decreasing rig counts, the Bakken has remained steady year-over-year as of the end of September.

October 9, 2019 Bakken Shale

Bakken May Lack Flash, But Has Fundamentals

The economics of oil and gas production vary by region. The cost of producing oil and gas depends on the geological makeup of the reserve, depth of reserve, and cost to transport the raw crude to market. We can observe different costs in different regions depending on these factors. In this post, we take a closer look at the Bakken Shale.

October 1, 2019 Special Topics Valuation Issues

The Fair Market Value of Oil & Gas Reserves

Oil and gas assets represent the majority of value of an E&P company. The Oil and Gas Financial Journal describes reserves as “a measurable value of a company’s worth and a basic measure of its life span.” Thus, understanding the fair market value of a company’s PDP, PDNP, and PUDs is key to understanding the fair market value of the Company.

September 19, 2019 Domestic Production Mergers, Acquisitions, & Divestitures

Do Oil And Water Mix? The Biggest Energy IPO Of 2019 Might Answer That Question

Saltwater disposal and integrated water logistics companies have attracted a higher proportion of the sparsely available capital flowing into the sector, highlighted by the largest energy IPO of this year: Rattler Midstream LP.

September 12, 2019 Valuation Issues

How to Perform a Purchase Price Allocation for an E&P Company

When performing a purchase price allocation for an Exploration and Production (E&P) company, careful attention must be paid to both the accounting rules and the specialty nuances of the oil and gas industry. In this blog post, we discuss the guidelines for purchase price allocations that all companies must adhere.

August 26, 2019 Special Topics

Themes from Q2 2019 Earnings Calls

Will “Capital Efficiency” Prevent Bankruptcy and Maintain Production as E&P’s Reduce CapEx?

While large, rapid commodity price declines are certainly harmful for near-term profits and long-term planning, persistently low prices may be more ominous for industry operators and investors. Prices rebounded from a low of $45/bbl, but crude has been below $60 for nearly 3 months. Natural gas prices have similarly languished, remaining below $2.50/mmbtu in that time. Two Houston-based E&P companies (Halcon & Sanchez) recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy within days of each other, raising questions about the state of the industry. Size and operational efficiency may enable some players to stave off issues, while others may be forced into difficult decisions between preserving capital and investing over budget to produce enough debt-servicing cash flow.

August 19, 2019 Domestic Production Special Topics

An Overview of Saltwater Disposal

Part 2 | Economics of the Industry

In a prior blog post, we provided an overview of the saltwater disposal (SWD) industry, detailing the source of demand for SWD services, the impact of the shale boom, geographic distribution, site selection, construction, and regulation.  We now take a look at the economics of the SWD industry and the trends that impact the economics.

August 9, 2019 Mineral and Royalty Rights

Public Royalty Interests: Picking the Right Comparable

In previous posts, we have discussed the relationship between public royalty interests and their market pricing implications to royalty owners.  Here, we will define our group of royalty interests which can be used to gain valuation insights.  Specifically, we will look at mineral aggregators, natural gas focused trusts, and crude oil focused trusts and the statutory differences between them. We also consider how dividend yields and other public data can be used to imply value for private mineral interests while being judicious in our application of such metrics.

August 2, 2019 Mergers, Acquisitions, & Divestitures

Comstock’s Acquisition of Covey Park

A Valuation Analysis of the Multibillion-Dollar Haynesville Deal

On July 16, 2019, Comstock Resources, Inc (NYSE: CRK) finalized its acquisition of Haynesville operator Covey Park Energy LLC. Announced on June 10, 2019, the companies entered into an agreement under which Comstock would acquire Covey Park in a cash and stock transaction valued at approximately $2.2 billion, including assumption of Covey Park’s outstanding debt and retirement of Covey Park’s existing preferred units (totaling approximately $1.1 billion).

For the purposes of this post, we will be examining this deal from a few different vantage points and reviewing the fair value of the various components that make up total deal value. We’ll also look at how this transaction compares to industry valuation metrics and what kind of strategic advantages Comstock may have a result of the deal.

July 26, 2019 Valuation Issues

Challenges in Appraising Refinery Businesses

The appraisal of businesses involved in the refining of crude oil entails a number of challenges.  Some are unique to the industry, and others are more common.  The challenges arise primarily in two areas – assessing the level of uncertainty inherent in the entity’s future cash flows and forecasting the entity’s future operating results.

July 15, 2019 Special Topics

Natural Gas Takeaway Constraints

A Tale of Two Basins

Appalachia and the Permian are responsible for much of the United States’ surging natural gas production, resulting in relatively low benchmark prices. However, difficulties capturing, storing, and transporting natural gas mean that large regional price differentials can occur.

While Appalachia price differentials have narrowed significantly, Permian pricing differentials have widened, often resulting in $0 or sometimes negative realized prices. Going forward, futures prices imply a modest widening of the Appalachia basis over time, while the Permian basis will not stabilize until 2021.

July 12, 2019 Permian Basin

Valuations In The Permian

Gearing Up For The Long Haul Or Running In Place?

When it comes to the oil patch, the word “growth” can be a vague term. It’s a word that can be masqueraded around to suit the perspective of whomever utters it. What does it mean in an industry whose principle resources are constantly in a state of decline? When it comes to the Permian Basin these days, growth applies to resources, drilling locations and production. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for profits, free cash flow or new IPOs. Don’t misunderstand, the Permian is the king of U.S. oil plays and by some measures could be taking the crown as the biggest oil field in the world. However, various economic forces are keeping profits and valuations in check.

June 26, 2019 Special Topics

Q2 2019 Macro Overview

Uncertainties Engulf Global Oil Amid Political Tensions

Brent crude prices began the quarter around $69 per barrel and peaked at nearly $75 in late-April before declining to just below $60 on June 12th, 2019. Prices have since increased to $65, with WTI continuing to trail by about $8 per barrel. In this post, we will assess global supply and demand factors that have caused these price fluctuations.

June 18, 2019 Mergers, Acquisitions, & Divestitures Permian Basin

M&A in the Permian

Big Deals and Bigger Opportunities

Operators in the Permian Basin have had to pay a premium to access the black gold mine, and companies are still lining up for a chance to get in on the action. While the industry as a whole has been moving into a period of rapid consolidation, a substantial portion of this acquisitive activity has been in the Permian.

Targets with highly contiguous holdings and acreage have been of particular note to acquirers in the Permian. While acreage continuity has not always been the most important aspect of a potential deal, it has certainly become more of a focal point recently.

June 10, 2019 Special Topics

Forecasting Future Operating Results for an Oilfield Services Company

In our prior two blog posts, we detailed the specifics of “what is” and “what are the characteristics of” an oilfield equipment/services company (“OFS”), and detailed the typical approaches and methodologies utilized in valuing OFS companies.  This week, we’ll address some of the special considerations that must be given attention in the appraisal of OFS companies.  Specifically, the challenges in forecasting the future operating results for an OFS company.

June 3, 2019 Special Topics

How to Value an Oilfield Services Company

When valuing a business, it is critical to understand the subject company’s position in the market, its operations, and its financial condition. A thorough understanding of the oil and gas industry and the role of oilfield service (“OFS”) companies is important in establishing a credible value for a business operating in the space. Our blog strives to strike a balance between current happenings in the oil and gas industry and the valuation impacts these events have on companies operating in the industry. After setting the scene for what an OFS company does and their role in the energy sector, this post gives a peek under the hood at considerations used in valuing an OFS company.

May 24, 2019 Special Topics

What is an Oilfield Service Company?

This week’s post is the first in a series related to oilfield service companies. In this first post, we describe what an oilfield service company is, their place in the broader industry, and their key drivers.

May 17, 2019 Mineral and Royalty Rights

Royalty and Mineral Value Proposition Highlights Otherwise Underperforming Energy Sector

The burgeoning mineral market is leading the way for an energy sector that has lagged in returns for several years now. For this week’s post, we highlight the ascension of the estimated $400 to $600 billion onshore mineral market in the U.S, a topic discussed last month at the DUG Permian Basin Conference in Fort Worth.

May 6, 2019 Mergers, Acquisitions, & Divestitures Special Topics

Brigham Minerals IPO Brings Spotlight to Oil & Gas Market

Mineral Aggregators are Leading the Forefront in an Underwhelming Energy Sector

In this post, we will review the continued IPOs and valuation implications for the mineral aggregators market as well as examine Brigham’s operations and placement in this sector.

April 30, 2019 Eagle Ford Shale

2019 Eagle Ford Shale Economics

Challenging For Valuation Title Belt

Will the Eagle Ford win the profitability fight with other basins? It may not have the scale or heft of the Permian, but its profitability punches are as strong as anyone’s.

April 19, 2019 Domestic Production Special Topics

An Overview of Salt Water Disposal

Over the last 12 years the oilfield waste water disposal industry has grown exponentially, both on an absolute basis, and by rank of its importance/size among the oilfield services. This growth has been largely driven by the increased volumes of waste water generated in the production of oil from shale plays. This post discusses the basics of salt water disposal that has become so important given the rise of hydraulic fracturing.

April 8, 2019 Mineral and Royalty Rights

Considerations for Endowments Divesting Fossil Fuels

The purpose of an endowment is to provide a permanent source of funding that maintains the operations of colleges, universities, churches, etc.  To best serve its fiduciaries, an endowment should achieve the highest return possible.  Congruently, when divesting, the endowment must ensure it achieved a fair price for its investments. This post does not weigh in on the discussion of whether endowments should or should not liquidate fossil fuels.  Rather, we hope to educate and advise those who have decided to divest their fossil fuel assets and are unsure of how to proceed.

April 3, 2019 Mineral and Royalty Rights

From Enduro to Permianville

A Closer Look at Permianville Royalty Trust

In previous posts, we have discussed the relationship between public royalty trusts and their market pricing implications to royalty owners. Many publicly traded trusts are restricted from acquiring other interests, so they have relatively fixed resources, and the value of these trusts comes from generally declining distributions. In many cases, the royalty comes from a related operator, though this is neither required nor characteristic of all trusts. There are also other MLPs such as Kimbell Royalty Partners, Viper Energy Partners, Dorchester Minerals, and Black Stone Minerals that are aggregators consistently gobbling up new acreage. In this post, we explore the subject characteristics of Permianville Royalty Trust, formerly known as Enduro Royalty Trust.