Petrobank Reports Q3 2013 Financial and Operating Results, Updated Corporate Strategy and Investor Conference Call

CALGARY, ALBERTA--(Marketwired - Nov 12, 2013) - Petrobank Energy and Resources Ltd. (PBG.TO) announces our 2013 third quarter financial and operating results and updated corporate strategy.

The consolidated financial statements as at and for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012 represent the operations of the assets and liabilities transferred to Petrobank pursuant to the corporate reorganization with PetroBakken Energy Ltd. (now renamed Lightstream Resources Ltd.) completed December 31, 2012. These assets and liabilities previously comprised the 'Petrobank Standalone' operating segment in our 2012 financial disclosure.

This news release includes forward-looking statements and information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Readers are advised to review "Forward-Looking Statements" at the conclusion of this news release. A full copy of our 2013 Third Quarter Financial Statements and MD&A have been filed on our website at www.petrobank.com and under our profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

In this report, quarterly comparisons are third quarter 2013 compared to third quarter 2012 unless otherwise noted. All financial figures are unaudited and in Canadian dollars ($) unless otherwise noted.

OVERVIEW

Q3 2013 Financial and Operating Highlights

  • Average sales oil production at our Kerrobert THAI® project was 152 barrels of oil per day ("bopd") in Q3 2013, an increase from 135 bopd in Q2 2013 and a decrease from 305 bopd in Q3 2012. Kerrobert THAI® production averaged 195 bopd in October 2013 based on field estimates.

  • Petrobank reported expenditures on exploration and evaluation assets of $9.4 million in Q3 2013 compared to $9.6 million in Q3 2012. Our Q3 2013 expenditures were primarily related to drilling and completing two multi-THAI® air injection wells at Kerrobert and two horizontal conventional cold heavy oil production wells in the Luseland area.

  • We renewed our Normal Course Issuer Bid which will allow us to repurchase up to 7,544,206 of our shares until September 29, 2014.

OPERATIONAL UPDATE

Kerrobert THAI® Project

Third quarter 2013 sales oil production averaged 152 bopd, an increase from second quarter 2013 production of 135 bopd and a decrease from 305 bopd in the third quarter of 2012. October 2013 production was 195 bopd based on field estimates.

We continue to believe that our biggest technical challenge at Kerrobert is to form a large and expanding THAI® combustion front at the top of the reservoir which results in gravity drainage of the heated, upgraded heavy oil into the horizontal production wells. We also believe that permeability channels have been created from the upper combustion zone to the bottom of the reservoir and that injected air and combustion gas preferentially follow these channels rather than staying at the top of the reservoir, slowing the growth of the THAI® combustion zone. In the third quarter we drilled two multi-THAI® air injection wells associated with two separate horizontal production wells to help increase the amount of reservoir that is being impacted by combustion. Air injection commenced in early September and we have not yet seen additional production associated with these new injection wells.