Reduced long-term debt to $1.9 billion
Reiterated full-year 2023 capital expenditure outlook of $960 – $980 million
Recent efficiency gains are expected to reduce 2024 drilling, completion, and facilities costs by more than 15% per well

HOUSTON, Nov. 1, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Callon Petroleum Company (NYSE: CPE) ("Callon" or the "Company") today reported third quarter 2023 financial and operating results. A conference call is planned for 8 a.m. CT, Thursday, November 2; participation details can be found in this release. Slides accompanying today's release are available at www.callon.com/investors.

Third Quarter Highlights:

• Generated $266.8 million of net cash provided by operating activities
• Adjusted free cash flow of $48.3 million, marking 14 consecutive quarters of adjusted free cash flow generation
• Total production was in line with expectations and averaged 101.7 MBoe/d (79% liquids), while oil production averaged 58.0 MBbls/d
• Capital expenditures of $251 million were at the low end of guidance
• Repurchased $15 million in common stock during the quarter
• Closed Eagle Ford sale and Percussion acquisition, recently commencing production from a five-well project on the Percussion acreage
• Completed land transactions to increase working interest and allow for capital efficient longer laterals

"The third quarter marked an important milestone for Callon as we completed a reorganization of our operations group into a business unit design to improve focus on capital efficiency and capital allocation," said Joe Gatto, President and Chief Executive Officer. "We have delivered tangible benefits from this move in a short period of time, especially in terms of structural drilling efficiency gains from well design changes. We now expect to complete approximately 50,000 more lateral feet and commence drilling an incremental five wells relative to our mid-year forecast. This additional activity will benefit 2024 production, all while staying within our existing budget. These gains position us well heading into 2024 and set the stage for incremental structural efficiency gains as the year progresses. We expect these improvements will reduce our 2024 average total well costs, including facilities, by over 15%. Our focus into next year remains unchanged -- generate free cash flow, reduce debt, lower costs and return cash to our owners under our share repurchase program."

Financial Results

Callon reported third quarter 2023 net income of $119.5 million, or $1.75 per share, (all share amounts are stated on a diluted basis),  and adjusted EBITDAX of $342.2 million. Adjusted income was $123.9 million, or $1.82 per share. The Company generated $266.8 million of net cash provided by operating activities in the third quarter. Total operational capital expenditures for the quarter were $251 million.

Operational Results

Third quarter total production was in line with guidance and averaged 101.7 MBoe/d (57% oil and 79% liquids). Oil production for the period was lower than expectations and averaged 58.0 MBbls/d. Oil volumes during the period were negatively impacted by weather-related power and midstream disruptions in August and September and a lower-than-expected oil mix from recent completions in the Delaware West area. Approximately half of the third quarter 2023 turned-in-lines (15 of 33) were in the Delaware West.

Average realized commodity prices during the third quarter were $82.18 per Bbl for oil (100% of NYMEX WTI), $22.40 per Bbl for natural gas liquids, and $2.14 per MMBtu for natural gas (80% of NYMEX HH). The total average realized price for the period was $54.50 per Boe on an unhedged basis.

2023 Outlook

Callon today revised its outlook for fourth quarter and full-year 2023 production and reiterated guidance for full-year 2023 capital expenditures.

For the fourth quarter, the Company expects that its total and oil production will average 100 – 103 MBoe/d (~79% liquids) and 56 – 59 MBbls/d (previous guidance was 104 – 108 MBoe/d and 63 – 65 MBbls/d, respectively). Full year 2023 total and oil production is now expected to average 102 – 104 MBoe/d and 59 – 61 MBbls/d (previous guidance was 103 – 106 MBoe/d and 62 – 64 MBbls/d, respectively).

Adjustments to the production outlook reflect the increased natural gas and NGL content from Delaware West and the ongoing optimization of Callon's artificial lift programs. In the third quarter, the Company accelerated a change in its Delaware Basin artificial lift program, previously planned to start in 2024, that will incorporate an increased proportion of gas lift to reduce production downtime, lower workover expense, and enhance longer-term resource recovery.

Guidance for capital expenditures for full-year 2023 is unchanged at $960 – $980 million, despite an increase in previously forecast drilled lateral feet and completion activity into year-end. The Company is currently running five drilling rigs, four in the Delaware Basin and one in the Midland Basin, as well as one completion crew.

Shareholder Returns

During the third quarter, Callon repurchased 386,719 shares of common stock at a weighted average purchase price of $38.72 per common share for a total cost of approximately $15 million. As of September 30, 2023, the remaining authorized repurchase amount under the Share Repurchase Program was $285 million. Callon intends to use 40% of the fourth quarter adjusted free cash flow to repurchase shares.

Capital Structure

Callon remains focused on using a majority of its adjusted free cash flow to reduce total debt. As of September 30, 2023, Callon has approximately $1.1 billion of liquidity and $1.9 billion of long-term debt, including a drawn balance on the revolving credit facility of $396 million.

Earnings Call Information

The Company plans to host a conference call on Thursday, November 2, 2023, to discuss its third quarter 2023 financial and operating results and outlook. 

Please join Callon Petroleum Company via the Internet for a webcast of the conference call:

An archive of the conference call webcast will be available at www.callon.com under the "Investors" section of the website.

About Callon Petroleum

Callon Petroleum Company is an independent oil and natural gas company focused on the acquisition, exploration and sustainable development of high-quality assets in the Permian Basin in West Texas.

Contact
Matthew Hesterberg
Callon Petroleum Company
ir@callon.com
(281) 589-5200

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Information
This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements include all statements regarding the Company's expectations and plans with respect to its share repurchase program; wells anticipated to be drilled and placed on production; future levels of development activity and associated production, capital expenditures and cash flow expectations and expected uses thereof; the Company's production and expenditure guidance; estimated reserve quantities and the present value thereof; future debt levels and leverage; the Company's initiatives to control costs and improve capital and structural drilling efficiency; and the implementation of the Company's business plans and strategy, as well as statements including the words "believe," "expect," "plans," "may," "will," "should," "could," and words of similar meaning. These statements reflect the Company's current views with respect to future events and financial performance based on management's experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions, anticipated future developments and other factors believed to be appropriate. No assurances can be given, however, that these events will occur or that these projections will be achieved, and actual results could differ materially from those projected as a result of certain factors. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which such statement is made and the Company undertakes no obligation to correct or update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. Some of the factors which could affect our future results and could cause results to differ materially from those expressed in our forward-looking statements include the volatility of oil and natural gas prices; changes in the supply of and demand for oil and natural gas, including as a result of actions by, or disputes among members of OPEC and other oil and natural gas producing countries with respect to production levels or other matters related to the price of oil; general economic conditions, including the availability of credit, inflation or rising interest rates; our ability to drill and complete wells; operational, regulatory and environment risks; the cost and availability of equipment and labor; our ability to finance our development activities at expected costs or at expected times or at all; rising interest rates and inflation; our inability to realize the benefits of recent transactions; currently unknown risks and liabilities relating to the newly acquired assets and operations; adverse actions by third parties involved with the transactions; risks that are not yet known or material to us; and other risks more fully discussed in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), including our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, available on our website or the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which such statement is made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to correct or update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures
This news release refers to non-GAAP financial measures such as "adjusted free cash flow," "adjusted EBITDAX," "adjusted income," and "adjusted income per diluted share." These measures, detailed below, are provided in addition to, and not as an alternative for, and should be read in conjunction with, the information contained in our financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP (including the notes), included in our filings with the SEC and posted on our website.

• Adjusted free cash flow is a supplemental non-GAAP measure that is defined by the Company as net cash provided by operating activities before net change in working capital, changes in accrued hedge settlements, merger, integration and transaction expense, and other income and expense, less capital expenditures before increase (decrease) in accrued capital expenditures. We believe adjusted free cash flow provides useful information to investors because it is a comparable metric against other companies in the industry and is a widely accepted financial indicator of an oil and natural gas company's ability to generate cash for the use of internally funding their capital development program and to service or incur debt. Adjusted free cash flow is not a measure of a company's financial performance under GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to net cash provided by operating activities, or as a measure of liquidity.
• Callon calculates adjusted EBITDAX as net income (loss) before interest expense, income tax expense (benefit), depreciation, depletion and amortization, (gains) losses on derivative instruments excluding net settled derivative instruments, (gain) loss on sale of oil and gas properties, impairment of oil and gas properties, non-cash share-based compensation expense, exploration expense, merger, integration and transaction expense, (gain) loss on extinguishment of debt, and certain other expenses. Adjusted EBITDAX is not a measure of financial performance under GAAP. Accordingly, it should not be considered as a substitute for net income (loss), operating income (loss), cash flow provided by operating activities or other income or cash flow data prepared in accordance with GAAP. However, the Company believes that adjusted EBITDAX provides useful information to investors because it provides additional information with respect to our performance or ability to meet our future debt service, capital expenditures and working capital requirements. Because adjusted EBITDAX excludes some, but not all, items that affect net income (loss) and may vary among companies, the adjusted EBITDAX presented above may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies.
• Adjusted income and adjusted income per diluted share are supplemental non-GAAP measures that Callon believes are useful to investors because they provide readers with a meaningful measure of our profitability before recording certain items whose timing or amount cannot be reasonably determined. These measures exclude the net of tax effects of these items and non-cash valuation adjustments, which are detailed in the reconciliation provided. Adjusted income and adjusted income per diluted share are not measures of financial performance under GAAP. Accordingly, neither should be considered as a substitute for net income (loss), operating income (loss), or other income data prepared in accordance with GAAP. However, the Company believes that adjusted income and adjusted income per diluted share provide additional information with respect to our performance. Because adjusted income and adjusted income per diluted share exclude some, but not all, items that affect net income (loss) and may vary among companies, the adjusted income and adjusted income per diluted share presented above may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies.
• Adjusted diluted weighted average common shares outstanding is a non-GAAP financial measure which includes the effect of potentially dilutive instruments that, under certain circumstances described below, are excluded from diluted weighted average common shares outstanding, the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure. When a net loss exists, all potentially dilutive instruments are anti-dilutive to the net loss per common share and therefore excluded from the computation of diluted weighted average common shares outstanding. The effect of potentially dilutive instruments are included in the computation of adjusted diluted weighted average common shares outstanding for purposes of computing adjusted income per diluted share.

Adjusted Income and Adjusted EBITDAX. The following tables reconcile the Company's adjusted income and adjusted EBITDAX to net income (loss):

Adjusted Free Cash Flow. The following table reconciles the Company's adjusted free cash flow to net cash provided by operating activities:

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SOURCE Callon Petroleum Company