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California Resources Corp. Third Quarter 2020 Results

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   |    Wednesday,November 11,2020

California Resources Corp. reported its Q3 2020 results.

The company reported a net loss attributable to common stock of $29 million for the third quarter of 2020, and adjusted net lossof $55 million. GAAP reporting requires the accounting return from the non-controlling interest in the Ares JV upon our emergence from bankruptcy to be taken into account in determining earnings per share. Accordingly, CRC reported net income of $2.20 per diluted share for the third quarter of 2020, or adjusted net income of $1.68 per diluted share.

Highlights:

• Completed a financial restructuring and emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy with $535 million of net debt² and $350 million of liquidity³
• Reported adjusted EBITDAX¹ of $103 million; adjusted EBITDAX margin¹ of 25%; net cash provided by operating activities of $48 million; and free cash flow¹ of $44 million after internally funded capital
• Delivered average net production of 106,000 barrels of oil equivalent (BOE) per day including 64,000 barrels per day of oil
• Optimized CRC and flattened the organization for a leaner structure, reducing costs to enhance profitability in the current Brent price environment
• Published third annual Sustainability Report showcasing 2030 Sustainability Goals and 2019 ESG Performance data

Todd A. Stevens, CRC's President and Chief Executive Officer, commented, "I am proud of our team's performance as we navigated through the recent Chapter 11 restructuring while continuing to safely operate amidst the ongoing worldwide pandemic. I strongly believe that our new capital structure and organizational design provide a solid foundation to create substantial value and deliver significant shareholder returns. We look forward to further developing our vast portfolio while generating free cash flow, advancing our sustainability projects and ensuring that we can continue to provide energy to California by Californians for decades to come."

Mr. Stevens continued, "Given the state's energy challenges, maintaining responsible California production without interruption is more important than ever. California currently imports over 70% of the oil and 90% of the natural gas it uses daily. California needs all of its native oil and gas for personal protective equipment, hand sanitizer, jet fuel and bunker fuel for ships in our ports, in addition to gasoline, diesel and many other products essential to our quality of life."

Third Quarter 2020 Results

For the third quarter of 2020, CRC reported a net loss attributable to common stock (CRC net loss) of $29 million, or net income of $2.20 per diluted share after accounting for a return from the noncontrolling interest in the Ares JV, compared to a net income attributable to common stock of $94 million, or $1.89 per diluted share, for the same period of 2019. Adjusted net loss¹ for the third quarter of 2020 was $55 million, or adjusted net income¹ of $1.68 per diluted share, compared to adjusted net income¹ of $17 million, or $0.35 per diluted share, for the same period in 2019. Third quarter 2020 adjusted net loss¹ excluded unusual and infrequent items including a net gain of $66 million from reorganization items, $15 million of Chapter 11 transaction costs, $10 million of severance expenses and other net charges of $15 million. Third quarter 2019 adjusted net income¹ excluded a net gain of $82 million on debt repurchases and non-cash losses on commodity derivatives of $6 million.

Adjusted EBITDAX¹ for the third quarter of 2020 was $103 million and cash provided by operating activities was $48 million. Free cash flow¹ was $44 million after taking into account CRC's internally funded capital of $4 million.

Total daily net production volumes decreased 17% year-over-year, from 128,000 BOE per day for the third quarter of 2019 to 106,000 BOE per day for the third quarter of 2020. The decrease from the same prior-year period over our mid-teens natural decline rate was primarily due to shut-in production driven by the collapse in commodity prices, power outages and reduced well repair work. PSC-type contracts positively impacted our oil production by nearly 1,000 barrels per day in the third quarter of 2020 compared to the same prior-year period. Oil volumes in the third quarter of 2020 averaged 64,000 barrels per day, NGL volumes averaged 14,000 barrels per day and natural gas volumes averaged 168 million cubic feet per day.

Our realized crude oil prices, including the effect of settled hedges, decreased by $26.26 per barrel from $68.41 in the third quarter of 2019 to $42.15 per barrel in the third quarter of 2020. Brent realized prices were lower in the three months ended September 30, 2020 compared to the same prior-year period due to the combination of the supply increase caused by the Saudi-Russia price war that began earlier in the year and the continuation of severe demand decline caused by COVID-19. In the third quarter of 2020, hedge settlements increased our realized crude oil prices by $0.32 per barrel compared to an increase of $5.56 per barrel in the same prior-year period. Realized NGL prices were $25.16 per barrel, up $1.61 per barrel over the prior-year period due to improvements in negotiated sales differentials along with stronger NGL values relative to crude. Realized natural gas prices were $2.22 per thousand cubic feet (Mcf) for the third quarter of 2020, $0.51 per Mcf lower than the same prior-year period increased natural gas production and higher inventories across the U.S. primarily due to shelter-in-place orders related to COVID-19, partially offset by fewer infrastructure constraints within local California markets in 2020 compared to 2019.

Production costs for the third quarter of 2020 were $141 million, compared to $221 million for the third quarter of 2019. The decrease was primarily due to efficiencies and streamlining of our operations, workforce reductions and reduced activity levels, such as well repair work, in response to the current economic environment. On a per barrel basis, for the same comparative periods, production costs were $14.52 and $18.82, respectively. Excluding the effect of PSC-type contracts, production costs per BOE¹ for the third quarter of 2020 and 2019 were $13.37 and $17.44, respectively.

G&A expenses were $64 million for the third quarter of 2020, compared to $66 million for the same prior-year period. Third quarter G&A expenses decreased primarily due to ongoing cost saving efforts, workforce reductions and a decline in spending across a number of cost categories. These reductions were offset by an increase in cash costs related to changes to our compensation plans prior to our bankruptcy filing and higher payout on pre-established performance metrics on the incentive portion of these awards in the third quarter of 2020. Excluding the cost of employee incentive awards, the 2020 third quarter G&A was $44 million, down $11 million from $55 million in the third quarter of 2019.

CRC reported taxes other than on income of $42 million for the third quarter of 2020, consistent with the same prior-year period. Exploration expense was $2 million for the third quarter of 2020, $3 million less than the same prior-year period due to lower activity.

Total internally funded capital invested during the third quarter of 2020 was $4 million.

Nine-Month 2020 Results

For the first nine months of 2020, CRC reported a net loss attributable to common stock (CRC net loss) of $2,096 million, or $39.64 per diluted share after accounting for a return from the noncontrolling interest in the Ares JV in the third quarter of 2020, compared to a net income attributable to common stock of $39 million, or $0.77 per diluted share, for the same period of 2019. Adjusted net loss¹ for the first nine months of 2020 was $265 million, or $2.57 per diluted share, compared to adjusted net income¹ of $34 million, or $0.69 per diluted share, for the same period in 2019. The first nine months of 2020 adjusted net loss¹ excluded unusual and infrequent items including $1,736 million of asset impairments, $64 million of Chapter 11 costs, a gain of $66 million on reorganization items, net, and other net losses of $97 million. The first nine months of 2019 adjusted net income¹ excluded a net gain of $108 million from debt repurchases, $99 million of non-cash derivative losses, and a net $4 million charge related to other unusual and infrequent items.

Adjusted EBITDAX¹ for the first nine months of 2020 was $373 million and cash provided by operating activities was $141 million. Free cash flow¹ was $104 million after taking into account CRC's internally funded capital of $37 million.

Total daily net production volumes decreased 13% year-over-year, from 130,000 BOE per day for the first nine months of 2019 to 113,000 BOE per day for the first nine months of 2020. The decrease over the same prior-year period was primarily due to very limited capital investment, approximately 3,000 BOE per day of average shut-in production during the 2020 period, the Lost Hills divestiture, lower well repair work and other factors. PSC-type contracts positively impacted our oil production by over 2,800 barrels per day in the first nine months of 2020 compared to the prior-year period. Oil volumes in the first nine months of 2020 averaged 70,000 barrels per day, NGL volumes averaged 14,000 barrels per day and natural gas volumes averaged 175 million cubic feet per day.

Our realized crude oil prices, including the effect of settled hedges, decreased by $24.89 per barrel from $68.16 in the first nine months of 2019 to $43.27 per barrel in the first nine months of 2020. In the first nine months of 2020, hedge settlements increased our realized crude oil prices by $2.00 per barrel compared to an increase of $3.13 per barrel in the same prior-year period. Realized NGL prices were $25.17 per barrel, down $5.87 per barrel over the prior-year period. Realized natural gas prices were $2.05 per thousand cubic feet (Mcf) for the first nine months of 2020, $0.77 per Mcf lower than the same prior-year period.

Production costs for the first nine months of 2020 were $460 million, compared to $684 million for the first nine months of 2019. The decrease was primarily due to efficiencies and streamlining of our operations, workforce reductions and reduced work schedules, as well as lower activity levels, such as well repair work, in response to the current environment. On a per barrel basis, for the same comparative periods, production costs were $14.85 and $19.32, respectively. Excluding the effect of PSC-type contracts, production costs per BOE¹ for the first nine months of 2020 and 2019 were $14.03 and $17.82, respectively.

G&A expenses were $193 million for the first nine months of 2020, compared to $228 million for the same prior-year period. The decrease was primarily attributable to cost saving efforts, workforce reductions and a decline in spending across a number of cost categories.

CRC reported taxes other than on income of $121 million for the first nine months of 2020, consistent with the same prior-year period. Exploration expense was $9 million for the first nine months of 2020, down from $25 million in the same prior-year period due to lower activity.

Total capital invested during the first nine months of 2020 was $131 million. CRC internally funded $37 million. CRC's JV partners Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets Inc. (MIRA) and Alpine invested an additional $1 million and $93 million, respectively, which are excluded from CRC's consolidated results.

Emergence and Balance Sheet Update

Subsequent to quarter-end, CRC emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy with a new balance sheet. The restructuring eliminated all pre-filing debt and the noncontrolling interests in CRC's midstream JV. As a result, CRC's new capital structure consists of a $1.2 billion reserve-based lending Revolving Credit Facility with a commitment level of $540 million, $300 million of Secured Notes and a $200 million Second Lien Term Loan. CRC has approximately $35 million drawn on the facility at emergence, net of unrestricted cash of approximately $72 million and $118 million used to cash collateralize on an interim basis certain letters of credit that were outstanding under CRC's senior debtor-in-possession credit facility at the time of our emergence. We expect these letters of credit will be transitioned to our new Revolving Credit Facility and will no longer need to be cash collateralized. We believe that our new Revolving Credit Facility provides CRC with ample liquidity for our operations.

Upon emergence from Chapter 11 bankruptcy on October 27th, 2020, seven new directors were appointed to the Board of Directors. Our Board of Directors currently consists of eight directors as follows: (i) our President and Chief Executive Officer, Todd A. Stevens and (ii) seven non-employee directors, including Douglas E. Brooks, Tiffany (TJ) Thom Cepak, James N. Chapman, Mark A. McFarland, Julio M. Quintana, William B. Roby and Brian Steck.

Operational Update

In the third quarter of 2020, CRC operated no drilling rigs. The San Joaquin basin produced 78,000 net BOE per day. The Los Angeles basin produced 22,000 net BOE per day, the Ventura basin produced 3,000 net BOE per day and the Sacramento basin produced 3,000 net BOE per day.

2020 Capital Budget

Given the current commodity environment, CRC continues to be disciplined with its capital investment and will hold its internally funded capital program to a level that maintains the mechanical integrity of its facilities to continue to operate them in a safe and environmentally responsible manner.

Sustainability Update

CRC remains committed to transparent reporting of our environmental, social and governance (ESG) data which enhances our stakeholder engagement, strengthens our performance, and further supports our role as a dependable and dedicated energy producer in the State of California. Accordingly, we have continued to expand our sustainability disclosures, and have published our third annual Sustainability Report on our website covering our accomplishments in 2019. CRC's 2030 Sustainability Goals and our ongoing sustainability strategy align with the climate goals of California, a signatory to the Paris Climate Accord, and support the state's sustainable development by providing safe, affordable and reliable energy that is essential for Californians. In addition, our new Board of Directors has reaffirmed the Sustainability - Health, Safety, Environment and Community Committee as a standing committee of the Board.

Hedging Update as of October 31, 2020

For the fourth quarter of 2020, CRC has protected the downside risk of approximately 39% of its volume of third quarter oil production, with approximately 74% of the hedges being in put spreads and put collars at an average Brent price of $44.84 and the remainder in swaps at an average Brent price of $44.75. For the first quarter of 2021, CRC has protected the downside risk of approximately 38% of its third quarter oil production, with approximately 75% of the hedges being in put spreads and put collars at an average Brent price of $45.00 and the remainder in swaps at an average Brent price of $44.75. For the second quarter of 2021, CRC has protected the downside risk of approximately 23% of its third quarter oil production, with approximately 60% of the hedges being in put spreads and put collars at an average Brent price of $40.00 and the remainder in swaps at an average Brent price of $44.75. For July 2021, CRC has protected the downside risk of approximately 22% of its third quarter oil production, with approximately 60% of the hedges being in put spreads and put collars at an average Brent price of $40.00 and the remainder in swaps at an average Brent price of $44.75.