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Marathon Oil Second Quarter 2020 Results

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Marathon Oil Corp. reported its Q2 2020 results.

The company reported a second quarter 2020 net loss of $750 million, or $0.95 per diluted share, which includes the impact of certain items not typically represented in analysts' earnings estimates and that would otherwise affect comparability of results. The adjusted net loss was $477 million, or $0.60 per diluted share. Net operating cash flow was $9 million, or $86 million before changes in working capital.

Highlights:

• Second quarter capital expenditures of $137 million on successful and efficient pause in drilling and completion activity; reducing full year capital expenditure guidance to $1.2 billion on strong execution and capital efficiency
• Second quarter total Company oil production of 197,000 net bopd, inclusive of approximately 11,000 net bopd of curtailments
• Raising full year 2020 total Company oil production outlook to 190,000 net bopd at the midpoint of guidance, inclusive of year-to-date curtailments; prior guidance excluded production curtailments
• Second quarter U.S. unit production cost of $4.09 per boe; lowest level since becoming an independent exploration and production company
• $3.0 billion undrawn revolving credit facility and $522 million of cash and cash equivalents at end of second quarter; July 3^rd pro-forma cash balance of $611 million with receipt of Alternative Minimum Tax refund
• Positioned for free cash flow generation at commodity prices well below current forward curve with second half 2020 free cash flow breakeven in low $30/bbl WTI range

CEO Lee Tillman said: "Amid tremendous commodity volatility, our ongoing response to the COVID-19 global pandemic, and a challenging year for our industry, we have remained focused on the factors we can control: how we allocate capital, how we manage our cost structure, and how we execute. Second quarter results are a testament to that focus, highlighted by safety and operational excellence, lower than expected capital spending and cash costs, and capital efficiency outperformance. On the back of this strong execution, we are both lowering capital spending guidance and raising oil production guidance for the full year.

"We believe the Company is successfully positioned to generate free cash flow at commodity prices well below the current forward curve, while protecting operational momentum into 2021," Tillman continued. "Though premature to provide a specific business plan, our differentiated capital efficiency is illustrated by a 2021 benchmark maintenance scenario that we believe could deliver total Company oil production in-line with 4Q20 at a free cash flow breakeven of approximately $35/bbl."

United States (U.S.)

U.S. production averaged 307,000 net barrels of oil equivalent per day (boed) for second quarter 2020. Oil production averaged 182,000 net barrels of oil per day (bopd) inclusive of approximately 11,000 net bopd of curtailments. U.S. unit production costs were $4.09 per boe, a decline of approximately 20% in comparison to the 2019 average and the lowest quarterly average since Marathon Oil became an independent exploration and production company.

In the Eagle Ford, Marathon Oil's second quarter 2020 production averaged 108,000 net boed. Oil production averaged 66,000 net bopd on 20 gross Company-operated wells to sales. In the Bakken, production averaged 103,000 net boed in the second quarter 2020, including oil production of 80,000 net bopd. Marathon Oil brought 8 gross Company-operated wells to sales during second quarter in the Bakken. Marathon Oil's Oklahoma production averaged 60,000 net boed in the second quarter 2020, including oil production of 15,000 net bopd. The Company did not bring any gross Company-operated wells to sales during second quarter in Oklahoma. Marathon Oil's Northern Delaware production averaged 30,000 net boed in the second quarter 2020. Oil production averaged 16,000 net bopd on 6 gross Company-operated wells to sales.

In total, Marathon Oil brought 34 gross Company-operated wells to sales during second quarter, with 32 of those wells coming online in April. Following the pause in drilling and completion activity during second quarter, the Company has resumed activity in both the Eagle Ford and Bakken, currently running 3 rigs and 2 frac crews across the two plays. Consistent with previous disclosure, gross Company-operated wells to sales over the second half of 2020 will be weighted to the fourth quarter.

Marathon Oil has completed its 2020 Resource Play Exploration (REx) drilling program, which was primarily focused on continued delineation of the Company's contiguous 60,000 net acreage position in the Texas Delaware Oil Play. In the Texas Delaware, the Company has now successfully brought online four Woodford wells and two Meramec wells since entering the play. These wells have confirmed reservoir productivity and gas/oil ratio expectations while exhibiting high oil cut, shallow decline profiles, and low water/oil ratios.

International

Equatorial Guinea production averaged 83,000 net boed for second quarter 2020, including 15,000 net bopd of oil. Unit production costs averaged $1.88 per boe.

Guidance

Due to strong execution and capital efficiency improvement, Marathon Oil has reduced its full year 2020 capital spending guidance to $1.2 billion and raised its full year 2020 oil production guidance. The midpoint of revised, full year 2020 total Company oil production guidance is now 190,000 net bopd, inclusive of year-to-date curtailments. As a reminder, previously provided production guidance was on an underlying basis and excluded the impact from production curtailments. Revised full year guidance accounts for a sequential reduction in expected third quarter Equatorial Guinea production due to the impact of higher forward prices on net interest under the production sharing contract (PSC) and natural decline.

Corporate

Net cash provided by operations was $9 million during second quarter 2020, or $86 million before changes in working capital. Second quarter capital expenditures totaled $137 million.

Total liquidity as of June 30 was approximately $3.5 billion, which consisted of an undrawn revolving credit facility of $3.0 billion and $522 million in cash and cash equivalents. June 30 cash balance was reduced by a $261 million change in working capital associated with operating and investing activities. Second quarter working capital effects were primarily driven by the substantial drop in activity levels and should normalize over the second half of the year. Shortly after quarter end, Marathon Oil received an Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) refund, adjusting for which resulted in a July 3^rd pro-forma cash balance of $611 million.

The adjustments to net loss for second quarter 2020 totaled $273 million before tax, primarily due to the income impact associated with an equity method investment impairment, unrealized losses on derivative instruments, and non-recurring costs associated with organizational restructuring.