NuVista Energy Ltd. Announces 48% Increase to Year End 2013 Reserves and Provides Operational Update

CALGARY, ALBERTA--(Marketwired - Feb 6, 2014) - NuVista Energy Ltd. (NVA.TO) ("NuVista" or the "Company") is pleased to announce a significant increase in our reserves as a result of the 2013 year end independent reserves evaluation by GLJ Petroleum Consultants Ltd ("GLJ") (the "GLJ Report"). We are also very pleased to provide an operational update with several new 30-day production results on wells recently drilled into our Wapiti Montney condensate-rich play. This play continues to meet and exceed expectations as our flagship play with line-of-sight to exceptional organic production, reserves, and value growth for shareholders of the Company.

Reserves Highlights

  • Increased proved plus probable reserves ("2P") by 48% to 139 MMBoe and total proved reserves ("1P") by 36% to 80 MMBoe, despite divestitures of non-core assets through the year. Excluding the effect of these divestitures, the 2P and 1P reserve increases were 64% and 53% respectively;

  • Increased condensate reserves by 2.7 times on a 2P basis to 24.8 MMBoe. Condensate volumes now represent 18% of total 2P reserves, up from 10% in 2012;

  • Achieved Company finding and development ("F&D") costs of $12.31/Boe on a 2P basis, including changes in future development costs ("FDC");

  • Increased Montney 2P operating recycle ratio to 2.3x with full year Montney operating netbacks of $27.88/Boe and Montney 2P F&D of $12.05/Boe;

  • Increased the before tax net present value discounted at 10% of 2P reserves by 70% to $1.3 billion including the effect of divestitures;

  • Organic 2P reserve additions replaced 950% of production in the year (almost 10 times 2013 annual production), while proved developed producing reserve additions alone replaced 147% of annual production; and

  • Increased our reserve life index(1) ("RLI") for 2P reserves from 14.6 years to 22.2 years and the 1P RLI from 9.2 years to 12.8 years.

(1) Production for the RLI was calculated using the mid-point of 2013 Q4 guidance (annualized) and 2012 actuals.

Operations Highlights

  • Achieved four new well 30-day initial production rates ("IP30"). These results continue to build momentum in the play, including a new record IP30 from NuVista's latest Elmworth (North) Block Development well at 2,115 Boe/d.

New Well IP30 Results(1)


Well

Raw Gas

Condensate

Total Sales

CGR
C5+/Raw


Notes

(MMcf/d)

(Bbls/d)

(Boe/d)

(Bbls/MMcf)

South Block Typecurve

5.8

435

1,361

75

Well 13 (South Block)

5.1

545

1,413

107

Post-intervention IP30

Well 14 (South Block)

5.2

532

1,400

103

Post-intervention IP30

Well 15 (South Block)

4.2

595

1,241

142

North Block Typecurve

5.8

261

1,222

45

Well 16 (North Block)

10.4

395

2,115

38

(1) Well numbering refers to the numbered wells in our corporate presentation available on our website. They are effectively in chronological order since our inception in the play. All numbers are based on field estimate data.