Pine Cliff Energy Ltd. Announces 2019 Year-End Reserves and 2020 Guidance

February 12, 2020 Newsfile

Calgary, Alberta–(Newsfile Corp. – February 12, 2020) – Pine Cliff Energy Ltd. (TSX: PNE) (“Pine Cliff“, or the “Company“) is pleased to announce 2019 year-end reserves and 2020 guidance.

Reserve Report Highlights

Pine Cliff’s independent reserve report was prepared by McDaniel & Associates Limited (“McDaniel“) in accordance with National Instrument 51-101 Standards of Disclosure for Oil and Gas Activities (“NI 51-101“) with the effective date of December 31, 2019.

Pine Cliff conducted a $10.3 million capital program in 2019 (excluding acquisitions and dispositions but including $2.5 million of major maintenance and other capital expenses, $5.5 million in development drilling, $0.4 million in seismic costs and $1.9 million in abandonment expenditures). Development capital included two gross (2.0 net) Pekisko oil drills.

In May 2019, Pine Cliff executed a strategic acquisition to acquire oil and natural gas assets in the Ghost Pine area of Central Alberta for net cash consideration of $8.8 million, after closing adjustments (the “Acquisition“). The Acquisition added eight gross (8.0 net) booked Pekisko oil locations in Pine Cliff’s 2019 Reserve Report.

Highlights of the McDaniel reserve report include:

Despite a decrease of 8.3 MMBoe from economic factors on a proved plus probable basis (“P+P“), Pine Cliff increased its 2019 P+P reserves by 3.2 MMBoe prior to adjusting for 2019 production, largely as a result of 4.4 MMBoe of positive technical revisions and 7.0 MMBoe from the Acquisition;
Remaining P+P reserves of 57.8 MMBoe (88% natural gas) at December 31, 2019 decreased by 3.8 MMBoe (6%) from 61.6 MMBOE (92% natural gas) at December 31, 2018, mainly as a result of economic factors;
Approximately 80% of total reserve volumes are classified as total proved (“1P“) reserves and approximately 20% are classified as probable reserves; and
Net present value for P+P reserves of $127.1 million, discounted at 10%, a decrease of $23.7 million, or 16%, from December 31, 2018, mainly as a result of decreases in forecast commodity prices.

New and Revised Reserves Evaluation Practices

For Pine Cliff’s 2019 year-end reserves report, Pine Cliff has included all abandonment, decommissioning and reclamation costs (“ADR“) for inactive wells and has also included inactive well operating costs (“IWC“) in order to provide greater transparency and accuracy of current values and future cash flows. This change was made based on new guidelines added to the Canadian Oil and Gas Handbook (“COGEH”) in 2019, which recommends including ADR and IWC as best practices. McDaniel’s evaluation of Pine Cliff’s net present value of future net revenue discounted at 10% before tax (“NPV10”) at December 31, 2019 for ADR related to 1P and P+P reserves was $69.4 million and $69.5 million respectively, an increase of $12.1 million and $17.0 million compared to equivalent ADR measures at year-end 2018.

Pine Cliff’s Reserves

McDaniel has used a three consultant average price (McDaniel, GLJ & Sproule) forecast, resulting in a price forecast of $2.04 and $2.32 per Mcf for AECO natural gas and US$61.00 and US$63.75 per Bbl for WTI oil in 2020 and 2021 respectively.

Summary of Remaining Working Interest Reserves, as of December 31, 2019

	Light, Medium and Heavy Oil	Natural Gas Liquids	Natural Gas and Coal Bed Methane	Oil Equivalent
Reserve Category	MBbl	MBbl	MMcf	MBoe
Proved
Developed Producing	1,003.6	3,106.8	237,602.1	43,710.8
Developed Non-Producing	13.4	36.6	2,221.5	420.3
Undeveloped	606.2	229.4	7,053.6	2,011.2
Total Proved	1,623.2	3,372.8	246,877.2	46,142.2
Probable	884.9	1,295.5	56,631.7	11,619.0
Total Proved plus Probable	2,508.1	4,668.3	303,508.9	57,761.2

Summary of Net Present Values of Future Net Revenue, Before Income Taxes, as of December 31, 2019

	Discounted at (% per year)
($millions)	0%	5%	10%	15%
Reserve Category
Proved
Developed Producing	(136.0)	21.0	62.0	70.9
Developed Non-Producing	3.6	2.9	2.3	1.9
Undeveloped	31.6	18.4	11.0	6.5
Total Proved	(100.8)	42.3	75.3	79.3
Probable	125.8	77.3	51.9	37.1
Total Proved plus Probable	25.0	119.6	127.1	116.4

Reconciliation of Gross Reserves by Principal Product Type, as of December 31, 2019

	Light, Medium, and Heavy Oil		Natural Gas Liquids		Natural Gas and Coal Bed Methane		Oil Equivalent
	Proved	Proved plus Probable	Proved	Proved plus Probable	Proved	Proved plus Probable	Proved	Proved plus Probable
	(MBbl)	(MBbl)	(MBbl)	(MBbl)	(MMcf)	(MMcf)	(MBoe)	(MBoe)
December 31, 2018	764.4	1,084.7	3,056.4	4,074.7	266,732.1	338,519.2	48,276.1	61,579.2
Extension	3.8	10.2	12.2	32.2	177.1	467.0	45.6	120.2
Technical Revisions	453.8	481.5	(44.8)	36.9	26,679.8	23,470.1	4,855.9	4,430.2
Acquisitions	821.0	1,353.1	626.7	828.4	22,274.5	28,701.0	5,160.0	6,965.0
Economic Factors	(13.0)	(14.6)	(129.1)	(155.3)	(30,398.8)	(49,060.9)	(5,208.6)	(8,346.7)
Total Changes	1,265.6	1,830.2	465.0	742.2	18,732.6	3,577.2	4,852.9	3,168.7
Production	(406.8)	(406.8)	(148.6)	(148.6)	(38,587.5)	(38,587.5)	(6,986.7)	(6,986.7)
December 31, 2019	1,623.2	2,508.1	3,372.8	4,668.3	246,877.2	303,508.9	46,142.2	57,761.2

2020 Guidance

Pine Cliff’s Board of Directors has approved a 2020 capital budget of $10.2 million that is expected to be funded from adjusted funds flow. Pine Cliff intends to spend approximately $2.6 million drilling one (1.0 net) Pekisko oil well in Central Alberta, $1.0 million drilling two (0.2 net) wells in the liquids rich Edson area of Alberta, $4.6 million on facilities and major maintenance capital and $2.0 million on abandonments and reclamation. Pine Cliff will monitor its capital spending throughout the year and may modify expenditures depending on commodity prices to target spending within adjusted funds flow.

Based on the $3.6 million development capital budget, Pine Cliff is budgeting 2020 annual production volumes to range from 18,500 to 19,000 Boe per day, weighted 91% to natural gas. Pine Cliff’s fourth quarter 2019 production averaged 19,660 Boe per day, weighted 92% to natural gas.

Pine Cliff will continue to consider additional opportunities to enhance its shareholders’ long term value which may include further asset acquisitions or dispositions, although maintaining a strong balance sheet will remain a prime focus.

About Pine Cliff

Pine Cliff is an oil and natural gas company with a long-term view of creating shareholder value. Pine Cliff’s current focus is on acquiring, developing and operating long life assets that are cash flow positive in a low commodity price environment. Further information relating to Pine Cliff may be found on www.sedar.com as well as on Pine Cliff’s website at www.pinecliffenergy.com.