Encana to Sell Barnett Shale Assets

- Encana to Sell Barnett Shale Assets

Thursday, August 25, 2011
Encana Corp.

Encana has initiated a process to divest of its North Texas natural gas producing assets in the Fort Worth Basin located in the Barnett Shale play. Scotia Waterous (USA) Inc. has been retained as advisor to assist in the process.

"The initiation of the process to sell Encana's North Texas assets is a continuation of the company's ongoing divestiture program, which is well underway and is targeting net divestitures of between US $1 billion and $2 billion for 2011. Encana continuously looks for opportunities to manage its portfolio of producing assets and improve the long-term value creation capacity of its vast resource portfolio. These North Texas assets are high-quality, relatively mature producing properties that hold strong potential for future development. The assets currently produce about 125 million cubic feet equivalent per day (MMcfe/d) and include the associated processing and pipeline facilities on about 52,000 net acres of land in the Fort Worth Basin. We would expect this divestiture to be completed in late 2011 or early 2012," said Jeff Wojahn, Encana's Executive Vice-President & President, USA Division.

"We acquired our core position in the Barnett Shale play in 2004 as a result of a corporate acquisition that was focused on building a major land and production position in the U.S. Rockies. Alongside developing this strong asset, over the years we built a suite of high-growth, early-life resource plays in the Mid-Continent, led by about 295,000 net acres of land in the Haynesville Shale play, where our production is now more than 500 MMcfe/d. In East Texas, our production is about 250 MMcfe/d and our 240,000 net acres hold strong growth potential. Our Mid-Continent resource play teams and operations, based in Dallas, will continue to be a leading contributor to Encana's long-term growth strategy," Wojahn said.

As a leading North American natural gas shale property, the Barnett Shale has provided Encana with high-quality natural gas growth and foundational knowledge which the company has applied across its U.S. and Canadian portfolio of newer resource plays. That foundational knowledge will continue to provide Encana with operational expertise as the company applies multiple advanced technologies to manage costs over the long term and pursue maximizing the margins from all of its natural gas production.

A sale of Encana's North Texas assets would be subject to receiving an acceptable bid, the approval of the companies' boards of directors, normal closing conditions as well as regulatory approvals.

On other fronts, Encana is actively engaged with a number of parties in a competitive process to divest of midstream and producing assets in the U.S. and Canada that no longer fit with its development plans. The company is also in discussions with a number of potential partners looking to make third-party investments aimed at accelerating the value recognition of Encana's enormous resource potential on its undeveloped lands. Proceeds from these transactions are expected to supplement cash flow generation and strengthen the company's balance sheet, providing financial flexibility going into 2012.

Tremendous resource potential across Encana lands

Across North America, Encana has about 7 million net acres of undeveloped land holding tremendous resource potential. Based on an independent assessment of Encana's proved reserves and low estimate economic contingent resources, as of December 31, 2010, this natural gas inventory would last approximately 30 years based on 2010 annualized production.

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Encana Delivers Solid Financial Results on Hedging Gains

- Encana Delivers Solid Financial Results on Hedging Gains

Thursday, July 21, 2011
Encana Corp.

Encana delivered strong operational performance and solid financial results in the second quarter of 2011, growing natural gas and liquids production by 4 percent per share from the second quarter in 2010. Cash flow was US $1.1 billion, or $1.47 per share. Operating earnings were $166 million, or 22 cents per share. As a result of commodity price hedging in the second quarter, Encana's cash flow was $131 million, after tax, or 18 cents per share, higher than what the company would have generated without its commodity price hedging program. Second quarter total production was approximately 3.46 billion cubic feet equivalent per day (Bcfe/d), up 111 million cubic feet equivalent per day (MMcfe/d) from the same quarter in 2010.

"Encana delivered another quarter of strong operating performance and achieved solid cash flow and operating earnings in the face of natural gas prices that remain at levels that we believe are unsustainably low in the long term. We are on track to meet our annual guidance for cash flow and production, which is expected to grow between 5 and 7 percent per share in 2011. We remain firmly focused on being among the lowest-cost producers in the natural gas industry, diligently applying capital discipline, risk management and increased operational efficiencies in all of our decision making," said Randy Eresman, President & Chief Executive Officer.

Pursuing cost savings through operating efficiencies and supply chain optimization

"We have adapted to this prolonged period of soft natural gas prices by taking meaningful steps and applying advanced technologies to manage costs over the long term as we pursue margin maximization on all of the natural gas that we produce. On our Haynesville resource play hubs, we have reduced well drilling times in the last year by 20 percent to 40 days, and a number of wells this year have been drilled in 35 days. To counter the high demand and inflationary rates for well completion equipment, we have established long-term, efficiency-based contracts with four new, dedicated completions crews. In addition, by applying effective logistics management and leveraging Encana's demand, we have reduced our cost of commodities by self-sourcing steel, sand and fuel. These are proactive cost management programs that we expect will result in significant and ongoing cost savings. Our integrated supply chain approach also helps eliminate bottlenecks and optimize cycle times. We now have 15 rigs fueled by natural gas, about one-third of our current drilling complement, generating fuel savings of between $300,000 and $1 million per rig per year, depending on the rig's size and fuel system. While industry cost inflation this year is expected to average about 10 percent, we expect our inflation rate to average approximately half that level – which we expect will be more than offset by improvements in efficiencies," Eresman said.

Encana establishes sizable positions in two promising liquids rich plays – Duvernay and Tuscaloosa

In keeping with the company's first-mover strategy of quietly assembling meaningful land positions to capture large resource opportunities, Encana has established two more sizable land positions in prospective liquids rich plays. In western Alberta, the company has accumulated more than 365,000 net acres in the Duvernay play, where preliminary drilling results by Encana and other operators show significant potential. Two more Duvernay exploration wells are planned for this year. In Mississippi and Louisiana, Encana has captured more than 250,000 net acres of the Tuscaloosa marine shale lands and the company plans to evaluate the play's potential this year.

"Both of these plays are in their early days, but we are encouraged by our exploration results to date. Duvernay and Tuscaloosa are just two of a handful of exciting opportunities that we are pursuing on the more than 2.1 million net acres we hold with strong potential for liquids production. The Niobrara formation in Colorado and the Collingwood shale in Michigan, plus our well-established land positions in the Alberta Deep Basin and the Montney formation in Alberta and British Columbia, provide us with a diverse and promising portfolio of prospective opportunities to grow liquids production over the long term," Eresman said.

Several divestiture and joint venture initiatives moving forward

Encana's non-core divestiture program is well underway towards achieving the company's 2011 net divestitures goal of between $1 billion and $2 billion. Encana is actively engaged with a number of parties in a competitive process to divest of non-core midstream and upstream assets in Canada and the U.S. – transactions that include the northern portion of Encana's Greater Sierra resource play, midstream assets in the Cutbank Ridge resource play which straddles the British Columbia-Alberta border, the company's interest in the Cabin Gas Plant in Horn River and midstream assets in the Piceance basin of Colorado. In its joint venture initiatives to accelerate the value recognition of its enormous resource potential, Encana is also pursuing investment partners in its undeveloped Horn River lands and producing properties in the south portion of Greater Sierra. In addition, competitive marketing of joint venture opportunities on Encana's extensive undeveloped lands in its Cutbank Ridge resource play will commence this summer. Proceeds from these planned transactions are expected to supplement 2011 cash flow generation in the current low price environment and strengthen the company's balance sheet, providing financial flexibility going into 2012.

Deep Panuke project gearing up to begin production in fourth quarter

After sailing from its Abu Dhabi construction site in the Middle East, the production field center (PFC) for Encana's Deep Panuke natural gas development offshore Nova Scotia arrived in the port of Mulgrave on the Strait of Canso in late June. Crews are completing pre-commissioning work before the PFC is towed to the field location for installation about 250 kilometres southeast of Halifax. Deep Panuke is expected to deliver its first natural gas to market in the fourth quarter of 2011, with production ramping up to about 200 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d). Offshore work this fall includes commissioning of all the operational systems, hooking up the four production wells to the PFC and connecting production facilities to the 176 kilometer pipeline that will deliver natural gas to shore at Goldboro, Nova Scotia.

"Our Deep Panuke project is gearing up to begin delivering clean natural gas to prime markets along the Eastern seaboard of North America," said Michael Graham, Encana's Executive Vice-President & President, Canadian Division.

Natural gas hedges help protect cash flow generation

For the next 18 months, Encana has about half of its expected production hedged at attractive prices – about 1.8 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) at an average NYMEX price of $5.75 per thousand cubic feet (Mcf) for the last half of 2011 and approximately 2.0 Bcf/d of expected 2012 natural gas production at an average NYMEX price of about $5.80 per Mcf.

"Our risk management programs increase the certainty of our cash flow generation and help ensure stability for our capital programs and dividend payments – prudent measures that continue to underpin Encana's financial strength," Eresman said.

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Encana, Petrochina Call Off $5.43B Canadian Shale Deal

- Encana, Petrochina Call Off $5.43B Canadian Shale Deal

Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Encana Corp.

Encana and PetroChina have ended negotiations for a proposed joint venture concerning Encana's Cutbank Ridge business assets after the parties were unable to achieve substantial alignment with respect to key elements of the proposed transaction, including the joint operating agreement.

"After close to a year of exclusive negotiations with PetroChina, we were unable to reach alignment on the planned transaction. The disciplined and determined process we undertook on this one initiative in our multi-faceted and ongoing joint-venture strategy has gone a long way to demonstrate the tremendous value that we have created at Cutbank Ridge and it validates our plans to accelerate recognition of that value. As such, we have determined that the best way for us to advance our plans to unlock value from our Cutbank Ridge business assets is to offer up a variety of joint venture opportunities for portions of the undeveloped resources, and, separately, to examine a transaction with respect to our midstream pipeline and processing assets in the area. Each of these opportunities has the potential for strong long-term growth and value generation. We have an accomplished history of realizing significant value from our enormous resource potential through competitive processes that secure premium joint venture partners. We have retained RBC Capital Markets and Jefferies & Company, Inc. to conduct this process and we look forward to discussing these very attractive opportunities with an array of potential investors in the upcoming months," said Randy Eresman, Encana's President & Chief Executive Officer.

Horn River and Greater Sierra joint venture discussions well underway

In April 2011, Encana announced plans seeking investors in two joint ventures on Encana assets outside Cutbank Ridge in northeast British Columbia, one on undeveloped Horn River shale lands and one in the company's Greater Sierra resource play. Discussions are well underway on these potential transactions as well as a potential divestiture of producing assets in the northern portion of Greater Sierra. Encana expects that these transactions, plus other divestitures and joint venture pursuits that the company has initiated, will generate 2011 proceeds and joint venture investments of between US $1 billion and $2 billion, a level that exceeds Encana's net divestiture target for 2011 of $500 million to $1 billion. That estimate for higher 2011 divestiture and joint venture proceeds does not include any potential investments in Encana's Cutbank Ridge undeveloped resources and associated midstream assets. To reflect this increase, Encana has updated its 2011 guidance for net divestitures to between $1 billion and $2 billion. All other components of Encana's guidance remain unchanged.

Encana on track for 2011

"As we look ahead to the rest of this year, our strong operating performance in the first half of this year and our prudent risk management measures mean that we remain on track to achieve our 2011 production and financial guidance. We expect future natural gas prices to reflect the forward price curve, and, over time, to return to a long-term level of about $6 per thousand cubic feet (Mcf), which we believe reflects the cost of adding new supply. Across Encana, we are relentlessly focused on driving down supply costs, which this year we expect to average about $3.70 per Mcf. Over the next three to five years, we are targeting a supply cost of $3 per Mcf, based on 2011 cost structures. These low cost structures, combined with our continued emphasis on capital discipline and the high grading of our portfolio, help us maximize margins and maintain a healthy balance sheet through the lower end of the price cycle - a market condition that has persisted in North America during the past two years," Eresman said.

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