A weekly update on issues important to the oil and gas industry
The oil industry is cruising. Producers are flocking to many oil rich plays, most notably the Permian Basin, Bakken, and Eagle Ford. Producers in these areas are all looking to exploit multi-zone payouts and gain significant efficiencies with new deep lateral and horizontal wells. While this strategy is working very well for oil producers, often lost in the oil excitement is the byproduct, additional dry and natural gas liquids. For producers targeting natural gas, this is not good news.
In previous posts, we have discussed the market pricing implications of publicly traded royalty trusts to royalty and mineral owners. We have explained the importance of understanding the specifics underlying those trusts before using them as a pricing benchmark. In this post, we will delve further into market prices of royalty and mineral interests and the important role of operators. We will look into the three publicly traded royalty trusts operated by SandRidge Energy: SandRidge Mississippian Trust I, SandRidge Mississippian Trust II, and SandRidge Permian Trust.
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, I hope to educate and advise those who have decided to divest their fossil fuel assets and are unsure of how to proceed.
In previous posts, we have discussed the existence of publicly traded royalty trusts & partnerships and their market pricing implications to royalty owners. Before using publicly traded royalty trusts as a pricing reference for your royalty interest, it is important to understand the economic rights and restrictions within those royalty trusts. In this post, we discuss the current market, the outperformance of the Whiting USA Trust II (WHZT), and importance of understanding the details about your royalty interest.
This week’s blog post discusses several observations: There has been steady A&D activity over past 12 months, with typical valuations between $8,000 – $10,000 per acre. The formation of Magnolia Oil & Gas Corporation from the deal between a blank check company & Enervest creates a pure play South Texas producer in the Eagle Ford and Austin Chalk. Lastly, producers are still divesting positions and re-allocating resources to Permian Basin.
Travis W. Harms, Senior Vice President of Mercer Capital, wrote a series of whitepapers that focused on demystifying corporate finance for board members and shareholders. The purpose of this whitepaper is to equip directors and shareholders to contribute to capital structure decisions that promote the financial health and sustainability of the company.
The oil and gas market continued to show improvement in the first quarter of 2018. Positive momentum in production growth in the U.S. continued and prices increased from an average of $55 in Q4 2017 to an average of $63 in Q1 2018. Oil prices are ticking up, domestic production has increased to a 50 year high, and the U.S. is exporting more crude oil than ever before. If you are like me, then you can’t ignore the wary feeling in your gut that makes you ask, “Is it too good to be true?”
There are many reasons that you may want to sell your oil and gas royalty interest, but a lack of knowledge regarding the worth of your royalty interest could be very costly. Whether an inflow of cash would help you make ends meet or finance a large purchase; you no longer want to deal with the administrative paperwork or accounting cost of reconciling monthly revenue payments; or you would prefer to diversify your portfolio or move your investments to a less volatile industry, understanding how royalty interests are valued will ensure that you maximize the value.
The economics of the Eagle Ford Shale have been steadily improving for the past year. While the Permian has been receiving the most attention given its low-cost economics and large well potential, the Eagle Ford (particularly its oil window) has increased well production whilst dropping its costs. However, based on recent announcements, many companies will be reducing the number of wells drilled in 2018 as compared to 2017.
A thorough understanding of the role of refineries in the oil and gas industry is important in establishing a credible value for a business operating in the refining space. In addition, it is critical to understand the subject company’s position in the market, its operations, and its financial condition. In this post, we walk through industry factors, three valuation approaches, and the importance of synthesizing these factors in order glean a holistic understanding of a company’s value.
