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Hess Corp. Second Quarter 2021 Results

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   |    Wednesday,July 28,2021

Hess Corp. reported its Q2 2021 results.

Hess reported a net loss of $73 million, or $0.24 per common share, in the second quarter of 2021, compared with a net loss of $320 million, or $1.05 per common share, in the second quarter of 2020. On an adjusted basis, net income in the second quarter of 2021 was $74 million, or $0.24 per common share. The improvement in adjusted after-tax results compared with the prior-year period primarily reflects higher realized selling prices in the second quarter of 2021.

CEO John Hess said: "Our company is uniquely positioned to deliver industry leading cash flow growth over the next decade. In July, we paid down half of our $1 billion term loan maturing in March 2023 and, depending on market conditions, we plan to repay the balance in 2022. This debt reduction, combined with increasing cash flows from our Guyana developments, will allow us to significantly increase cash returns to shareholders in the coming years through dividend increases and opportunistic share repurchases."

Exploration & Production

E&P net loss was $25 million in the second quarter of 2021, compared with a net loss of $249 million in the second quarter of 2020. On an adjusted basis, E&P's second quarter 2021 net income was $122 million. The Corporation's average realized crude oil selling price, including the effect of hedging, was $59.79 per barrel in the second quarter of 2021, compared with $38.46 per barrel in the prior-year quarter. The average realized natural gas liquids (NGL) selling price in the second quarter of 2021 was $23.12 per barrel, compared with $7.32 per barrel in the prior-year quarter, while the average realized natural gas selling price was $4.05 per mcf, compared with $2.41 per mcf in the second quarter of 2020.

Net production, excluding Libya, was 307,000 boepd in the second quarter of 2021, compared with 334,000 boepd in the second quarter of 2020, or 322,000 boepd pro forma for assets sold. Net production for Libya was 21,000 boepd in the second quarter of 2021 compared with zero in the second quarter of 2020 due to force majeure declared by the Libyan National Oil Corporation.

Cash operating costs, which include operating costs and expenses, production and severance taxes, and E&P general and administrative expenses, were $11.63 per boe (excluding Libya: $12.16 per boe) in the second quarter of 2021, compared with $8.81 per boe (excluding Libya: $8.64 per boe) in the prior-year quarter. The increase was due to higher maintenance and workover activity and production and severance taxes. The increase in the effective tax rate in the second quarter of 2021 compared with the year-ago period was primarily driven by higher production in Libya.

Operational Highlights for Q2

Bakken (Onshore U.S.)

Net production from the Bakken was 159,000 boepd compared with 194,000 boepd in the prior-year quarter, primarily due to lower drilling activity caused by a reduction in rig count from six to one last year, and lower NGL and natural gas volumes received under percentage of proceeds contracts due to higher commodity prices. Net oil production was 79,000 barrels of oil per day (bopd) in the second quarter of 2021 and 108,000 bopd in the prior year quarter. NGL and natural gas volumes received under percentage of proceeds contracts were 14,000 boepd in the second quarter of 2021 compared with 22,000 boepd in the second quarter of 2020 due to higher realized NGL prices lowering volumes received as consideration for gas processing fees. The Corporation added a second rig in February 2021 and drilled 17 wells, completed 9 wells, and brought 9 new wells online during the second quarter. In September, the Corporation plans to add a third rig in the field.

In April, the Corporation completed the sale of its Little Knife and Murphy Creek nonstrategic acreage interests in the Bakken for net proceeds of $297 million, after closing adjustments. The sale consisted of approximately 78,700 net acres, which were located in the southernmost portion of the Corporation's Bakken position and not connected to Hess Midstream LP infrastructure.

Gulf of Mexico (Offshore U.S.)

Net production from the Gulf of Mexico was 52,000 boepd, compared with 68,000 boepd in the prior-year quarter, primarily due to the sale of the Corporation's interest in the Shenzi Field in the fourth quarter of 2020. Net production from the Shenzi Field was 12,000 boepd in the second quarter of 2020.

Guyana (Offshore)

At the Stabroek Block (Hess - 30%), the operator, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited, announced a significant new oil discovery at Whiptail. The Whiptail-1 well encountered 246 feet (75 meters) of net pay in high quality oil bearing sandstone reservoirs. Drilling is also ongoing at the Whiptail-2 well, which is located 3 miles northeast of Whiptail-1 and has encountered 167 feet (51 meters) of net pay in high quality oil bearing sandstone reservoirs. Drilling continues at both wells to test deeper targets, and results will be evaluated for future development. The Whiptail discovery is located approximately 4 miles southeast of the Uaru-1 discovery that was announced in January 2020 and approximately 3 miles west of the Yellowtail Field.

The Corporation's net production from the Liza Field was 26,000 bopd in the second quarter of 2021 compared with 22,000 bopd in the prior-year quarter. Startup of Phase 2 of the Liza Field development, which will utilize the Liza Unity floating production, storage and offloading vessel (FPSO) with an expected capacity of 220,000 gross bopd, remains on track for early 2022. The third development, Payara, will utilize the Prosperity FPSO with an expected capacity of 220,000 gross bopd; first oil is expected in 2024. A fourth development, Yellowtail, has been identified on the Stabroek Block with anticipated startup in 2025, pending government approvals and project sanctioning. The Mako-2 appraisal well completed in the second quarter confirmed the quality, thickness and areal extent of the reservoir. When integrated with the previously announced results at Uaru-2, the combined discovered resource at Mako and Uaru is expected to support a fifth FPSO on the Stabroek Block. We expect to have at least six FPSOs on the Stabroek Block by 2027 with the potential for up to 10 FPSOs to develop the current discovered recoverable resource base.

The Longtail-3 well encountered 230 feet of net pay, including newly identified, high quality hydrocarbon bearing reservoirs below the original Longtail-1 discovery intervals. The well was drilled in more than 6,100 feet of water and is located approximately 2 miles south of the Longtail-1 well.

The Koebi-1 exploration well was drilled to a depth of 20,700 feet and did not encounter commercial quantities of hydrocarbons. Second quarter results include a charge of $12 million in exploration expenses for well costs incurred.

The Stena DrillMax is continuing drilling operations at Whiptail-1 and the Noble Don Taylor is continuing drilling operations at Whiptail-2. The Stena Carron is performing a drill stem test on the Uaru-1 well. The Noble Tom Madden, the Noble Bob Douglas and the Noble Sam Croft are drilling and completing Phase 2 development wells.

South East Asia (Offshore)

Net production at the North Malay Basin and JDA was 66,000 boepd, compared with 44,000 boepd in the prior-year quarter, reflecting higher natural gas nominations due to a recovery in economic activity.

Midstream

The Midstream segment had net income of $76 million in the second quarter of 2021, compared with net income of $51 million in the prior-year quarter, primarily due to higher revenue from minimum volume commitments and tariff rates.

Hess Midstream LP today announced an agreement to purchase approximately 31 million Class B units of its consolidated subsidiary, Hess Midstream Operations LP, from its sponsors, Hess Corporation and Global Infrastructure Partners, for approximately $750 million. The Corporation is expected to receive net proceeds of approximately $375 million. After giving effect to this transaction, which is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2021, the Corporation will own an approximate 45% interest in Hess Midstream LP, on a consolidated basis.

Corporate, Interest and Other

After-tax expense for Corporate, Interest and Other was $124 million in the second quarter of 2021, compared with $122 million in the second quarter of 2020.

Capital and Exploratory Expenditures

E&P capital and exploratory expenditures were $429 million in the second quarter of 2021 compared with $453 million in the prior-year quarter, primarily due to lower drilling activity in the Bakken and Gulf of Mexico, partially offset by increased exploration and development activity in Guyana. Midstream capital expenditures were $47 million in the second quarter of 2021, down from $79 million in the prior-year quarter.

Liquidity

Excluding the Midstream segment, Hess Corporation had cash and cash equivalents of $2.42 billion and debt and finance lease obligations totaling $6.6 billion at June 30, 2021. The Midstream segment had cash and cash equivalents of $6 million and total debt of $1.8 billion at June 30, 2021. The Corporation's debt to capitalization ratio as defined in its debt covenants was 47.2% at June 30, 2021 and 47.5% at December 31, 2020. The Corporation has no material near-term debt maturities aside from the $1.0 billion term loan, which matures in March 2023. In July 2021, the Corporation prepaid $500 million principal amount of the term loan, which was classified as current maturities of long-term debt, in the consolidated balance sheet at June 30, 2021.

Net cash provided by operating activities was $785 million in the second quarter of 2021, up from $266 million in the second quarter of 2020 primarily due to higher realized selling prices. Net cash provided by operating activities before changes in operating assets and liabilities2 was $659 million in the second quarter of 2021, compared with $301 million in the prior-year quarter. Changes in operating assets and liabilities increased cash flow from operating activities by $126 million during the second quarter of 2021 and decreased cash flow from operating activities by $35 million during the prior-year quarter.


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