COUGAR TROUT CORE REGIONAL ACQUISITIONS
Over a period of 6 months in 2009 Cougar MGT, Inc negotiated commercial terms for properties that have the greatest upside through normal maintenance and enhanced recovery programs as well as future potential with additional drilling.
These negotiations culminated at the end of September and beginning of October 2009 with Cougar MGT, Inc successfully acquiring the Trout Core Area properties from two private oil and gas companies.
The Cougar team had already high graded many of the properties within these acquisitions and could foresee considerable potential to increase existing production in the first round of development – the proverbial “low hanging fruit”.
Operations commenced on these properties during the winter of 2009/10 consisting of a maintenance and work over programs. By December 31, 2009 we had reactivated 4 wells that were previously suspended.. By July 31, 2010 we had optimized the surface and bottom hole equipment on 9 wells and had 13 wells in production and completed a substantial geological evaluation on the properties.
The following represents a summary of the acquisitions completed over calendar year of 2009 – 2010 of producing and non-producing properties:
A. Private Company Production and Property Acquisition (completed October 1, 2009) Cougar MGT, Inc negotiated a purchase agreement with the private company consisting of cash for the P1 reserves and Cougar shares for the P2 reserves
2560 gross acres of land
65% working interest in six wells — 2 producing wells and 4 suspended wells located in the Kidney and Equisetum fields
Approximately 12 barrels per day (bbl/d) net production (20 bbl/d gross) of light oil at time of acquisition
B.Private Company Production and Property Acquisition (completed Sept. 30, 2009)
The agreed purchase price was CAD$6,000,000 with an initial payment of CAD$1,000,000 at closing. The purchase price was negotiated at $52.50 per barrel (bbl) when oil is currently selling at $75+/bbl
7,100 gross acres of mineral rights with an average 85% working interest (all continued through production, no expiry)
As of July 31, approximately 200 barrels per day (bbl/d) net production (275 bbl/d gross) — 85 bbl/d at time of acquisition
13 pumping wellbores — 8 at time of acquisition
1 observation wellbore and 21 suspended wellbores
8 single well batteries, 3 water disposal wellbores with associated facilities, 2 multi well batteries with existing fluid handling capacity in excess of 2500bbl/day (oil, gas and water handling and treating capability
Approximately 38.7 km of pipelines (oil and produced water)
Approximately 13 km2 of 3D seismic over the properties and approximately 84 km of 2D seismic over the properties and adjacent lands
After operating costs, there is an average of CAD $50 net back per barrel at current commodity prices. The cash portion of the acquisition cost was provided by Kodiak and subsequent guarantees by Kodiak and Cougar.
The majority of this acquisition is outside the boundary of the Peerless Trout Lake First Nations. The current surface facilities have a replacement value of CAD$6,500,000 with a depreciated value of CAD$1,000,000. The overall project has an estimated CAD$50,000,000 in sunk costs to date including wells, facilities, pipelines, roads and power lines.
Kodiak was able to borrow sufficient funds for the acquisition on behalf of Cougar by way of a bridge loan. Cougar then closed the acquisitions September 30 and October 1/2009.
This was a critical mass property acquisition as there is substantial infrastructure, resulting in lower overall operating costs, lower development costs and giving our schedule an enormous leap forward to achieve our goals of creating a 3 – 5,000 bbl/d company in a short period of time.
Without this kind of infrastructure, the initial production would have lower netbacks due to higher trucking costs and regular non-producing periods due to weather. In lieu of this acquisition, a large amount of capital would have to be spent to bring facilities to this baseline, which we now have. At current costs, the infrastructure replacement value would be substantially in excess of CAD$6,000,000. This capital will now be able to be spent on the drilling and development work — allowing for a more aggressive growth plan.
Additional details include:
- The existing area field personnel willingly transferred to Cougar and their many years of hands-on field expertise has already added value.
- The existing pipeline systems provides direct access to sales of oil products, which results in the access to sales being in our control and not third party pipeline operator dependent.
- There are 2 batteries for the handling and treating of oil and the disposal of the produced water. The batteries are capable of handling an estimated 2,500 bbl/d with nominal refit costs.
- Many of the wells are piped into the batteries to lower the need for trucking which is especially important for the higher water cut wells — these pipelines can be expanded to further lower operating costs.
- There are 37 wells, which 13 were producing as of July 31, 2010 — the 21 suspended wells have potential upside, as discussed below.
- The produced water can be used for future water floods — which regularly have been shown in the area to add substantial incremental production.
- As of July 31, 2010 year end – production is averaging 200 bbl/d net of light sweet crude oil from the Trout field at an average operating cost of CAD$20.00 to CAD$25.00/bbl. We have completed a substantial amount of due diligence and are comfortable with the projected estimated CAD$50.00 netbacks from these properties at current commodity prices, and this provides for a safety margin lower than the lowest price seen in the recent recession.
Subsequent Maintenance Programs
Prior to the acquisition, we conducted a detailed review of the acquired properties in public domain petroleum records over last 5 to 7 years and with a comparison to other operators in the area. Our operations and geological teams foresaw a considerable potential to increase production through normal maintenance activities.
Some of these normal maintenance activities include and are not limited to:
-
- Acid wash of perforations –
-
- Setting of bridge plugs to seal off water —
-
- Cleanouts —
-
- Re perforating —
-
- Drill out plugs and open up previously unproduced zones —
-
- Repairs to wells with separated rods —
-
- Plug off water sources with no resulting loss of production – ongoing
-
- Pump and well site equipment optimization, – ongoing
-
- Waterflood programs – future
-
- Horizontal drilling – future
- Use of Low damage drilling fluids – future
C. Private Company Production and Property Acquisition (completed October 1, 2009)
-
- 2 producing oil properties in the Crossfield and Alexander fields in Central Alberta
-
- 100% working interest in the Crossfield property — 1 producing well with single well battery with approximately 5 barrels per day (bbl/d) net production — production continues to be stable with no capital commitment required
-
- 90% BPO & 55% APO working interest in the Alexander property – 1 producing Wabamun oil well with a single well battery, 1 suspended well. The Alexander property had some minor repairs completed in June 2010 and was put back on production. Production is currently approximately 15 barrels per day net production
- We acquired these properties as part of the default on the previous Lucy farm out. See additional information in the Lucy discussion.
Production from the Company’s new proved reserves commenced on October 1, 2009 and recognition of the associated revenue and cash flow began on that date.
D. Public Company Production and Property Acquisition Completed May 28, 2010.
-
- The acquisition included additional working interest and a royalty interest in seven Cougar MGT operated wells and a royalty interest in one non-operated well. The acquisition added approximately 9 barrels of net oil production per day and approximately $450,000 of proved reserves (reserve value estimate based on Cougar MGT’s Dec. 31, 2009 independent reserve report). The updated ownership and reserve value will be included in the Corporations next independent reserve evaluation.
- The purchase price for the acquisition was Cdn $215,000 and was funded from cash flow and Cougar MGT’s previously announced credit facilities. The existing revenue and the new revenue from planned work programs will result in an expected payback of less than 12 months
E. Acquisition of Crown Leases completed July 12, 2010 —
These leases (mineral rights) are located immediately adjacent to Cougar Canada’s existing Trout leases and are all within the identified Trout Core area. The Corporation now holds approximately 15,000 acres of provincial mineral rights.
The lease types are a standard provincial 5 year Petroleum and Natural Gas lease including all formations from surface to basement. These leases will also benefit from the recently announced Alberta royalty incentives, which include a 5% New Well Royalty Rate for the first year of production.