Gran Tierra Energy Inc. Announces Second Quarter 2017 Results Highlighted by Strong Financial Performance, 22% Increase in Production and Continued Success in Putumayo and Middle Magdalena Basins

CALGARY, ALBERTA--(Marketwired - Aug 3, 2017) - Gran Tierra Energy Inc. ("Gran Tierra" or the "Company") (NYSE American:GTE)(NYSE MKT:GTE)(GTE), a company focused on oil and gas exploration and production in Colombia, today announced its financial and operating results for the quarter ended June 30, 2017. All dollar amounts are in United States ("U.S.") dollars unless otherwise indicated. Per barrel of oil equivalent ("BOE") amounts are based on working interest ("WI") sales before royalties. For per BOE amounts based on net after royalty ("NAR") production, see Gran Tierra's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed August 3, 2017.

Key Highlights

  • Increased average WI production before royalties in the second quarter 2017 ("the Quarter") to 31,437 barrels of oil equivalent per day ("BOEPD"), 22% higher than second quarter 2016's average WI production before royalties of 25,744 BOEPD. The Quarter's average WI production before royalties was up 5%, or 1,558 BOEPD, relative to first quarter 2017 (the "Prior Quarter"), largely as a result of record production from development wells drilled in the Acordionero field and production deferred during the Prior Quarter to test new discoveries.

  • On June 30, 2017, the Company completed the disposition of its assets in Brazil for a purchase price of $35 million which, after certain interim closing adjustments, resulted in cash consideration of approximately $38 million.

  • Demonstrated ongoing strong financial performance in the second quarter 2017:

    • Net loss of $7 million compared with net income of $13 million in the Prior Quarter, and included loss on sale of the Company's Brazil business unit of $9 million;

    • Funds flow from operations(1) increased by 13% to $51 million compared with the Prior Quarter;

    • Operating netback(1) on a per BOE basis decreased by 8% relative to the Prior Quarter to $21.91 per BOE, but increased 9% relative to second quarter 2016;

    • Transportation expenses for the Quarter of $2.28 per BOE, a decrease of 12% compared with the Prior Quarter due to the use of transportation routes which had lower costs per BOE than the routes used in the Prior Quarter;

    • Operating expenses for the Quarter of $9.50 per BOE increased by 7% compared with the Prior Quarter, primarily as a result of increased workover expenses and the Mocoa landslides on April 1, 2017;

    • General and Administrative ("G&A") expenses for the Quarter decreased by 5% to $2.67 per BOE compared with the Prior Quarter;

    • Capital expenditures in the Quarter were $58 million, mainly funded by funds flow from operations;

    • The Company exited the Quarter with $145 million of undrawn capacity on its $300 million credit facility and $53 million of cash on the balance sheet. Gran Tierra's committed borrowing base increased by $50 million to $300 million effective June 1, 2017.

  • Demonstrated strong operational results during the Quarter and through July 2017:

    • Continued A-Limestone Success at Costayaco, 100% WI

      • Strong production performance continues from three vertical wells and one horizontal well

      • The second horizontal well in the field, CYC-29, has been successfully drilled and completed with acid injected into the first six of ten planned stages. The well was put onto natural flow over a two day period and stabilized at 1,200 barrels of fluid per day ("bfpd") with a 40% water cut (spent acid), 27° to 28° API oil, GOR of 337 scf/stb, 180 pounds per square inch ("psi") flowing wellhead pressure and flowing bottom hole pressure of 3,008 psi. These results were achieved with only 60% of the well stimulated; the productivity index is estimated to be 4 bfpd per psi ("bfpd/psi"), approximately double the CYC-28's productivity index of 1.9 bfpd/psi. The Company is in the process of running a high capacity electric submersible pump ("ESP")

    • Multi-Zone Discovery with Vonu-1 Exploration Well, Putumayo-1 ("PUT-1") Block, 55% WI

      • The well had successful short-term production tests from the A-Limestone and U Sand and was brought on production for a long-term test from the A-Limestone alone on July 21, 2017

    • Progress with N Sands Wells in Putumayo-7 ("PUT-7") Block, 100% WI

      • Cumplidor-1 and Confianza-1: both on production from the N Sand. As a result of pump failures, the PUT-7 Block only averaged 294 BOEPD during the Quarter but is currently producing approximately 1,866 BOEPD.

    • Continued Strong Performance at Acordionero Field, 100% WI

      • Four more development wells have been brought on production with one more development well successfully drilled and cased; production from the field averaged 8,362 BOEPD in the Quarter, up from 6,198 BOEPD in the Prior Quarter and 5,686 BOPED in the fourth quarter of 2016; Acordionero exited the Quarter at 10,005 BOEPD and is currently producing approximately 11,120 BOEPD.

  • On April 27, 2017, the Company closed the previously announced strategic acquisitions of the Santana and Nancy-Burdine-Maxine blocks, along with key pipeline and transportation infrastructure, for cash consideration of approximately $30 million.

  • Gran Tierra expects 2017 average WI production before royalties to be 33,300 to 34,300 BOEPD, adjusted for the sale of its Brazil business unit effective June 30, 2017, which would represent an increase of 23% to 27% from our 2016 average WI production before royalties of 27,062 BOEPD. The Company revised the top end of the guidance as a result of the testing of additional zones in the first and second quarters of 2017, operational delays in bringing onstream the CYC-28 and 29 A-Limestone horizontal wells and a pump failure in Cumplidor-1 in the PUT-7 Block. The Company disposed of 950 BOEPD of non-operated, low netback production in the fourth quarter of 2016 and an additional 1,400 BOEPD of non-core assets located in Brazil on June 30, 2017.

  • Gran Tierra is currently producing 34,178 BOEPD, and expects fourth quarter 2017 average WI production before royalties to be 35,000 to 37,000 BOEPD.

  • Gran Tierra has also narrowed the range of the Company's projected 2017 capital program to $200 million to $225 million, which is expected to be funded from cash flow from operations.