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Pioneer Completes 55 Permian Wells; Weather Dampens Eagle Ford Completions

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   |    Wednesday,July 22,2015

Pioneer Natural Resources Company provided updates on the Company’s expected production for the second quarter of 2015 as well as expected production for full-year 2015.

Second Quarter 2015 Production

Pioneer’s production averaged 197 thousand barrels oil equivalent per day (MBOEPD) in the second quarter of 2015, of which 51% was oil production. Oil sales averaged 101 thousand barrels per day (MBPD), natural gas liquids (NGLs) sales averaged 37 MBPD and gas sales averaged 356 million cubic feet per day. The Company’s production guidance for the quarter was 198 MBOEPD to 203 MBOEPD.

Strong Spraberry/Wolfcamp production performance in the second quarter (119 MBOEPD) was partially offset by lower-than-expected production in the Eagle Ford Shale (46 MBOEPD). The shortfall in the Eagle Ford Shale was primarily due to (i) fewer wells being placed on production during the quarter as a result of weather delays and (ii) well performance issues in LaSalle County, an area outside of Pioneer’s core acreage in Karnes and Dewitt counties. Second quarter production in the West Panhandle field (7 MBOEPD) was also negatively impacted by a longer-than-expected turnaround at the Fain gas processing plant and weather impacts.

Spraberry/Wolfcamp

Spraberry/Wolfcamp production grew 7 MBOEPD in the second quarter, or 6%, compared to the first quarter of 2015, driven by the Company’s successful horizontal drilling program in this play. Fifty-five horizontal wells were placed on production during the second quarter as expected, of which 28 wells were in Pioneer’s extensive Northern Spraberry/Wolfcamp acreage position and 27 wells were in the Southern Wolfcamp joint venture area. The majority of the horizontal wells drilled across Pioneer’s northern acreage position were Wolfcamp B interval wells. The average production from these wells is tracking estimated ultimate recoveries (EURs) of more than 1 million barrels oil equivalent (MMBOE). Five Lower Spraberry Shale horizontal wells were also placed on production across the northern acreage during the second quarter with average production results tracking EURs of 1 MMBOE.

Eagle Ford

In the Eagle Ford Shale, Pioneer’s second quarter production was approximately 3 MBOEPD below the Company’s forecast for the quarter. The Company expected to place 42 wells on production in the Eagle Ford Shale during the second quarter. However, due to record rainfall and flooding in this area during the quarter, only 33 wells were placed on production in Karnes and DeWitt counties where Pioneer has continued to drill some of the most productive wells in the Eagle Ford Shale and has successfully implemented a downspacing and staggering program. The reduced number of wells placed on production impacted second quarter production by approximately 2 MBOEPD.

Pioneer placed 15 Eagle Ford Shale wells on production on the Washburn Ranch lease (approximately nine thousand net acres) in LaSalle County during 2014. Due to a fire in May of 2014 at the central gathering plant for this area, production from these wells was significantly curtailed until year-end 2014. As a result of the fire, the production forecast that was developed for 2015 was based on limited production data and actual production for these 15 wells came in approximately 1 MBOEPD below this forecasted level in the second quarter. The Company has postponed any further drilling in this area until it has a better understanding of well performance to date.

West Panhandle

In the West Panhandle area, the Fain gas processing plant had a scheduled one-week turnaround in mid-May that actually lasted approximately four weeks before normal operations were restored. In addition, production was curtailed during part of the quarter as a result of the record rainfall and flooding that occurred across Texas. The result of the extended turnaround and weather impacts was a production loss of approximately 1 MBOEPD for the second quarter.

Second quarter 2015 production by asset in barrels oil equivalent per day (BOEPD) was as follows:

Full-Year 2015 Production Update

Pioneer is maintaining its full-year 2015 production growth forecast at 10%+. Although production growth in the Eagle Ford Shale is now forecasted to be nominal in 2015, production from the Spraberry/Wolfcamp is forecasted to grow by 22% to 24% in 2015 compared to the 20%+ previously forecasted. The reduction in the Eagle Ford Shale growth rate is primarily due to the delays in placing wells on production and performance issues during the first half of 2015, while the increase in the Spraberry/Wolfcamp growth rate reflects the continuing strong performance of the horizontal drilling program, especially in Pioneer’s northern acreage.