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Harvest Natural Resources Announces 2008 Fourth Quarter and Year-End Results

HOUSTON, March 5, 2009 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX News Network/ -- Harvest Natural Resources, Inc. (NYSE: HNR) today announced 2008 fourth quarter and year-end earnings.

Harvest posted a fourth quarter loss of $19.7 million, or $0.60 per share, compared to net income of $68.1 million, or $1.86 per share, for the 2007 fourth quarter. For the year ending December 31, 2008, Harvest's net loss was $24.3 million, or $0.71 per share, compared to net income of $60.1 million, or $1.59 per share for 2007.

Included in the fourth quarter and year-end results is $10.8 million, or $0.32 per share, in dry hole costs related to the Harvest Hunter #1 well, which is Harvest's exploratory well in its Gulf Coast AMI that was plugged and abandoned on January 9, 2009. Also included in the fourth quarter and year-end results is $16.4 million, or $0.48 per share, in exploration expense related to seismic in Indonesia, Gabon and the United States. For the year 2008, dry-hole costs and exploration expense totaled $27.2 million, or $0.80 per share.

Highlights for 2008 include:

    --  Petrodelta's self-funding drilling program increased oil production
        from a low of 12,200 barrels of oil per day (BOPD) in April 2008 to a
        current rate in excess of 20,000 BOPD;
    --  To date, Petrodelta has drilled and completed ten new wells since
        re-commencing drilling operations in April 2008, eight of which were
        drilled in 2008;
    --  Seismic data acquisition to support oil exploration projects in
        Indonesia and Gabon has been completed and processing and interpretation
        are underway;
    --  Preliminary engineering is completed and Harvest has submitted a permit
        application to the US Army Corps of Engineers for drilling the
        Company's second Gulf Coast AMI prospect in Texas State waters;
    --  Harvest acquired leases in the Company's Antelope project area in
        the Uintah Basin, Utah, resulting in a land position for Harvest and its
        partner of approximately 44,000 net acres as of the end of February 2009
        (Harvest's net acreage position is 22,000 acres); and
    --  Harvest's balance sheet at year end remains debt-free.

Harvest President and Chief Executive Officer, James A. Edmiston, said, "Harvest took several major steps in 2008 towards realizing the value in its portfolio through production growth in Venezuela and further diversification of its portfolio through our exploration programs in the US, Indonesia and Gabon. We have demonstrated through our drilling program in Venezuela that significant production growth can be attained with internally generated cash flow, preserving Harvest's ability to execute our exploration and diversification program. Petrodelta was able to grow daily production 64% from 12,200 BOPD to in excess of 20,000 BOPD in less than a year from initiation of drilling. Notably, Petrodelta's first two wells drilled in the Temblador Field, which is one of the three fields awarded to Petrodelta in the conversion process, have met with outstanding results with each of the two wells producing in excess of 2,000 BOPD with very low water cut."

Edmiston continued, "Outside of Venezuela, we continue to make progress towards maturing our high impact exploration portfolio. In 2008, we completed seismic data acquisition projects in Indonesia and Gabon. Processing and interpretation of this data and of existing onshore and offshore 3D seismic from the US Gulf Coast, is currently underway. With our land acquisition program nearly complete, we look forward to drilling our first well in Utah on our Antelope project late in the second quarter."

EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION PROGRAMS

Venezuela

During 2008, Petrodelta drilled and completed eight development wells and produced approximately 5.5 million barrels of oil, an increase of two percent over the previous year. Petrodelta also sold 10.7 billion cubic feet of natural gas, a decrease of 20 percent from 2007. The average sales price for Petrodelta's crude oil production was $83.22 per barrel and the average sales price received for natural gas was $1.54 per thousand cubic feet.

Petrodelta has been advised by the Venezuelan Government that production output will remain at approximately 16,000 BOPD effective January 1, 2009, consistent with OPEC production quotas. However, Petrodelta receives ongoing instructions from the Venezuelan authorities and has thus far been permitted to produce in excess of 20,000 BOPD. For the foreseeable future, Petrodelta will continue to receive and comply with such instructions from the authorities as they seek to balance supply to meets its OPEC quota.

United States- Gulf Coast

Harvest drilled the Harvest Hunter #1 exploratory well in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana in the fourth quarter of 2008 and undertook a testing program to evaluate three prospective reservoir horizons. On January 9, 2009, the well was determined not to be commercial and was plugged and abandoned. The cost of drilling and testing the well was $10.8 million and was written off to dry hole costs at December 31, 2008.

During 2008, 3-D seismic re-processing, site surveying and preparation of preliminary engineering documents were undertaken on the West Bay Prospect, the second exploratory prospect in the Gulf Coast AMI. In December 2008, Harvest filed an Application to Install Structures to Drill and Produce Oil and Gas with the US Army Corps of Engineers - Galveston District. At year-end 2008, the permit application was under review by the Corps of Engineers, and drilling is expected to commence in late 2009 or early 2010, upon receipt of the requisite permit from the Corps of Engineers. Harvest is continuing to re-process and refine the interpretation of its existing proprietary 3-D seismic data over the prospect in preparation for drilling of the initial test well.

United States- Antelope

The Antelope project is targeted to explore for and develop oil and natural gas from multiple reservoir horizons in the Uintah Basin, Utah. Harvest will drill a deep gas exploration test well in 2009 and expects to spud the well during the second quarter. To date, Harvest and its partner have acquired approximately 44,000 acres (Harvest's net acreage position is 22,000 acres) in the Antelope project area and continue to build their land position. Harvest is the operator and has a 50% working interest in the project. Harvest will fund 100% of the cost of the first test well.

Indonesia- Budong-Budong

Harvest opened a field office in Jakarta, Indonesia and completed a 2-D seismic data acquisition program in the fourth quarter of 2008 in the Budong PSC. Data processing and interpretation is currently underway. It is expected that the first of two planned onshore exploration wells will be spud in the second half of 2009.

Gabon- Dussafu Marin

In the fourth quarter of 2008, the acquisition of 650 kilometers of 2-D seismic was completed. The data is presently being processed to determine the hydrocarbon potential of the syn-rift play on the license. The play produces in the adjacent Lucina and M'Bya fields. Also during 2008, Harvest began reprocessing 1,076 square kilometers of existing 3-D seismic to depth image the sub-salt structure and determine the potential of the prolific Gamba play that is producing to the north of the Dussafu license in the Etame fields. Based on the results of the seismic processing, Harvest expects to make a decision later this year regarding the drilling of an exploration well in 2010.

2009 PLANNED EXPENDITURES

Planned exploration expenditures for 2009 are $38.8 million to evaluate the Company's US and international prospect portfolio. Operations in Venezuela will be funded by internal cash flow. Harvest has sufficient financial resources to fund planned expenditures and maintain a cash reserve without having to raise additional capital.

Edmiston continued, "In spite of the current environment within our industry, Harvest will continue to invest in and add to our growth portfolio in 2009. Further, we expect that Petrodelta will continue to build on its string of success as it continues to develop and appraise its substantial portfolio of opportunities. The strength of Harvest's balance sheet coupled with the underlying robust economics of Petrodelta allows us to continue to move forward in this difficult, low-price environment."

Conference call

Harvest will hold a conference call at 10:00 a.m. Central Standard Time on Thursday, March 5, 2009, during which management will discuss Harvest's 2008 fourth quarter and year-end results. The conference leader will be James A. Edmiston, President and Chief Executive Officer. To access the conference call, dial 719-325-4760 or 877-723-9517, five to ten minutes prior to the start time. At that time you will be asked to provide the conference number, which is 5004366. A recording of the conference call will also be available for replay at 719-457-0820, passcode 5004366, until March 14, 2009.

The Company intends to file its 2008 Form 10-K with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday, March 5, 2009. A copy of the Form 10-K will be available on the Company's website at www.harvestnr.com.

The Conference call will also be transmitted over the internet through the Company's website at www.harvestnr.com. To listen to the live webcast, enter the web site fifteen minutes before the call to register, download and install any necessary audio software. For those who cannot listen to the live broadcast, a replay of the webcast will be available beginning shortly after the call, and will remain on the web site for approximately 90 days.

About Harvest Natural Resources

Harvest Natural Resources, Inc., headquartered in Houston, Texas, is an independent energy company with principal operations in Venezuela, exploration assets in the United States, Indonesia, West Africa and China and business development offices in Singapore and the United Kingdom. For more information visit the Company's website at www.harvestnr.com.

This press release may contain projections and other forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. They include estimates and timing of expected oil and gas production, oil and gas reserve projections of future oil pricing, future expenses, planned capital expenditures, anticipated cash flow and our business strategy. All statements other than statements of historical facts may constitute forward-looking statements. Although Harvest believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to have been correct. Actual results may differ materially from Harvest's expectations as a result of factors discussed in Harvest's 2008 Annual Report on Form 10-K and other public filings.


                          HARVEST NATURAL RESOURCES, INC.
                            CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
                             (in thousands, unaudited)


                                                    December 31,  December 31,
                                                           2008          2007
                                                                     Restated
    ASSETS:
    CURRENT ASSETS:
      Cash and cash equivalents                         $97,165      $120,841
      Restricted cash                                         -         6,769
      Accounts and notes receivable, net                 11,570         9,418
      Advances to equity affiliate                        3,732        16,352
      Prepaid expenses and other                          3,964         1,032
        Total current assets                            116,431       154,412

    OTHER ASSETS                                          3,316         4,301

    INVESTMENT IN EQUITY AFFILIATES                     215,380       254,775

    PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT, net                          23,537         3,583

          TOTAL ASSETS                                 $358,664      $417,071


    LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY:
    CURRENT LIABILITIES:
      Accounts payable, trade and other                  $1,662        $5,949
      Accounts payable, related party                         -        10,093
      Accrued expenses                                   12,241        11,895
      Advance from equity affiliate                      20,750             -
      Accrued Interest                                    4,691         5,136
      Income taxes payable                                   77           503
      Short-term debt                                         -         9,302
        Total current liabilities                        39,421        42,878

    MINORITY INTEREST                                    48,882        57,546

    STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY:
      Common stock and paid-in capital                  209,259       202,323
      Retained earnings                                 126,470       150,815
      Treasury stock                                    (65,368)      (36,491)
        Total stockholders' equity                      270,361       316,647

      TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY       $358,664      $417,071



                          HARVEST NATURAL RESOURCES, INC.
                      CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
               (in thousands except per share amounts, unaudited)

                                         Three months         Twelve months
                                      Ended December 31,    Ended December 31,
                                        2008      2007        2008      2007
                                                Restated             Restated
    REVENUE:
     Oil Sales                            $-    $11,217        $-    $11,217
                                           -     11,217         -     11,217

    EXPENSES:
      Depreciation                        60         42       201        384
      Dry hole costs                  10,828          -    10,828          -
      Exploration expense              7,350        314    16,402        850
      General and administrative       7,881      9,644    27,215     29,096
      Taxes other than on income         301        (65)     (206)       423
                                      26,420      9,935    54,440     30,753
    LOSS FROM OPERATIONS             (26,420)     1,282   (54,440)   (19,536)

    OTHER NON-OPERATING
     INCOME (EXPENSE)
      Gain on financing
       transactions                        -     34,581     3,421     49,623
      Investment earnings and other      659      1,493     3,663      9,051
      Interest expense                    11     (1,015)   (1,730)    (8,224)
                                         670     35,059     5,354     50,450
    NET INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE
     INCOME TAXES AND
      MINORITY INTERESTS             (25,750)    36,341   (49,086)    30,914
      Income tax expense (benefit)       (56)     5,283        25      6,312
    NET INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE
     MINORITY INTERESTS              (25,694)    31,058   (49,111)    24,602
      Minority interest in
       consolidated
       subsidiary companies            1,433     18,630     6,208     19,781
    NET INCOME (LOSS) FROM
     CONSOLIDATED COMPANIES          (27,127)    12,428   (55,319)     4,821
      Net income (loss) from
       unconsolidated equity
       affiliates                      7,447     55,708    30,974     55,297
    NET INCOME (LOSS)               $(19,680)   $68,136  $(24,345)   $60,118


    NET INCOME (LOSS) PER
     COMMON SHARE:
      Basic                           ($0.60)     $1.95    ($0.71)     $1.65
      Diluted                         ($0.60)     $1.86    ($0.71)     $1.59
    Weighted average shares
     outstanding:
      Basic                             32.9       35.0      34.1       36.5
      Diluted                           32.9       36.7      34.1       37.9



                        HARVEST NATURAL RESOURCES, INC.
                     CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
                           (in thousands, unaudited)

                                      Three months Ended   Twelve months Ended
                                        December 31,           December 31,
                                       2008       2007       2008       2007
                                               Restated               Restated
    Cash Flows From Operating
     Activities:
      Net loss                      $(19,680)   $68,136   $(24,345)   $60,118
      Adjustments to reconcile
       net loss to net cash
       provided by (used in)
       operating activities:
        Depletion, depreciation
         and amortization                 60         42        201        384
        Dry hole costs                10,828          -     10,828          -
        Gain on financing
         transactions                      -    (34,581)    (3,421)   (49,623)
        Net (income) loss from
         unconsolidated equity
         affiliate                    (7,447)   (55,708)   (30,974)   (55,297)
        Non-cash compensation
         related charges               2,000      1,724      6,061      6,108
        Minority interest in
         consolidated subsidiary
         companies                     1,433     18,630      6,208     19,781
        Deferred taxes                            5,608                 5,608
      Dividends received from
       unconsolidated equity
       affiliate                           -                72,530          -
      Changes in operating assets
       and liabilities:
        Accounts and notes
         receivable                     (573)       299        548        393
        Advances to equity
         affiliate                      (496)    (3,363)    12,620      2,794
        Prepaid expenses and other    (2,653)       (14)    (5,632)       214
        Accounts payable               1,397      1,868     (2,957)     2,122
        Accounts payable, related
         party                             -        108    (10,093)       456
        Accrued expenses                 291      2,337     (1,073)    (1,251)
        Advance from equity
         affiliate                    20,750          -     20,750          -
        Accrued Interest                 (25)       113       (445)    (1,714)
        Deferred taxes                          (11,217)         -    (11,217)
        Income taxes payable            (100)      (383)      (426)       469
        Net Cash Provided By
         (Used In) Operating
         Activities                    5,785     (6,401)    50,380    (20,655)
    Cash Flows From Investing
     Activities:
      Additions of property and
       equipment                      (9,078)      (307)   (26,317)      (647)
      Investment in equity
       affiliate                      (2,161)    (2,791)    (2,161)    (7,388)
      Decrease in restricted cash          -     49,005      6,769     82,120
      Investment costs                  (205)    (4,125)    (1,346)    (4,125)
        Net Cash Provided By
         (Used In) Investing
         Activities                  (11,444)    41,782    (23,055)    69,960
    Cash Flows From Financing
     Activities:
      Net proceeds from issuances
       of common stock                   220      1,397      1,565      1,938
      Purchase of treasury stock      (1,023)      (666)   (29,416)   (32,755)
      Payments on notes payable            -    (23,093)    (7,211)   (45,726)
      Financing costs                   (152)         -     (1,075)         -
      Dividends paid to minority
       interest                      (14,506)         -    (14,864)         -
        Net Cash Used In
         Financing Activities        (15,461)   (22,362)   (51,001)   (76,543)
        Net Decrease in Cash         (21,120)    13,019    (23,676)   (27,238)
    Cash and Cash Equivalents at
     Beginning of Period             118,285    107,822    120,841    148,079
    Cash and Cash Equivalents at
     End of Period                   $97,165   $120,841    $97,165   $120,841



                                  PETRODELTA, S. A.
                              STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
              (in thousands except per BOE and per share amounts, unaudited)

                                    Three months Ended    Twelve months Ended
                                     December 31, 2008      December 31, 2008

    Barrels of oil sold              1,562                  5,505
    MCF of gas sold                  1,636                 10,700
          Total BOE                  1,835                  7,288
          Total BOE - Net of 30%
           Royalty                   1,366                  5,637

    Average price/barrel            $46.57                 $83.22
    Average price/mcf                $1.54                  $1.54

                                      $     $/BOE - net      $    $/BOE - net
    REVENUES:
      Oil sales                    $72,746               $458,113
      Gas sales                      2,514                 16,506
       Royalties                   (32,833)              (168,790)
                                    42,427        31.06   305,829       54.25
    EXPENSES:
      Operating expenses            13,469         9.86    52,946        9.39
      Workovers                     10,870         7.96    24,663        4.38
      Depletion                      7,822         5.73    24,778        4.40
      Depreciation                     212         0.15       731        0.12
      General and administrative    11,952         8.75     5,974        1.06
      Windfall profits tax                                 56,377       10.00
      Taxes other than on income   (10,629)       (7.78)        -           -
                                    33,696        24.67   165,469       29.35
    INCOME FROM OPERATIONS           8,731         6.39   140,360       24.90

    Interest Expense                 2,329         1.70     2,329        0.41

    Income before income tax         6,402         4.69   138,031       24.49

      Current income tax expense     9,163         6.71    69,374       12.31
       Deferred income tax
        (benefit)                  (27,089)      (19.83)  (52,560)      (9.32)
    NET INCOME                      24,328        17.81   121,217       21.50
    Adjustment to reconcile to
     reported Net Income from
        Unconsolidated Equity
         Affiliate:
              Deferred income
               tax benefit          18,844                 43,835
              Net income (loss)
               equity affiliate      5,484                 77,382
    Equity interest in
     unconsolidated equity
     affiliate                          40%                    40%
    Income (loss) before
     amortization of excess
     basis in equity affiliate       2,194                 30,953
        Amortization of excess
         basis in equity
         affiliate                    (290)                (1,155)
        Conform depletion
         expense to GAAP             4,307                  2,533
        Reserve for interest
         receivable                  2,428                      -
    Net income from
     unconsolidated equity
     affiliate                      $8,639                $32,331

As discussed in Note 1 of our 2008 Annual Report on Form 10K, we are restating our historical financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2007, and revising quarterly information for the quarters ended December 31, 2007, March 31, 2008, June 30, 2008 and September 30, 2008. The restatement and resulting revisions relate to the deferred tax adjustment to reconcile our share of Petrodelta's net income reported under International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS") to that required under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP") and recorded within Net income from unconsolidated equity affiliates. We are presenting this restatement in our 2008 Annual Report on Form 10-K.

The adjustment to record our share of Petrodelta's net income under GAAP should only include deferred tax related to non-monetary temporary differences impacted by inflationary adjustments under Venezuela law. In 2008, we determined that since October 1, 2007, all deferred tax recorded in Petrodelta's IFRS financial statements had been adjusted in error. Accordingly, we had misstated our Net income from unconsolidated equity affiliates with a resulting direct impact on our Net Income.

The following tables set forth the effect of the adjustments described above on Net Income for the year ended December 31, 2007.

Consolidated Statement of Income


                                              Year ended December 31, 2007

                                              As Previously
    (Dollars in thousands, except per            Reported          Restated
     share  information)
    Net income (loss)                            $  57,237        $  60,118

    Net Income (Loss) Per Common
     Share:
      Basic                                      $    1.57        $    1.65
      Diluted                                    $    1.51        $    1.59

SOURCE Harvest Natural Resources, Inc.

http://www.harvestnr.com

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