HME Hemisphere Energy Corp

TSX-V: HME

VANCOUVER, June 27, 2019 /CNW/ - Hemisphere Energy Corporation (TSX-V: HME) ("Hemisphere" or the "Company") is pleased to announce it has started operations for its 2019 drilling program.

After posting record corporate revenue, production, and funds flow from operations for the first quarter, Hemisphere has now commenced its 2019 drilling program in southern Alberta with plans to drill up to 16 wells in the Atlee Buffalo area during the year.

Hemisphere is committed to taking a measured approach to capital spending in 2019 as it balances annual growth in production, reserves and cash flow with commodity price volatility and corporate debt.  The Company will continue to monitor oil and WCS differential pricing throughout the program and adjust drilling if required.

At present pricing, Hemisphere's Atlee Buffalo development oil wells have robust economics. Average production from the first 20 producing horizontal oil wells that Hemisphere has drilled in Atlee Buffalo since 2014 is over 60 bbl/d per well, with between eight months and over five years of production history per well. Operating and transportation costs for the area in the last 12 months averaged less than $11.00/boe, and royalties averaged less than 16% of total revenue at approximately $7.50/boe.

At this time, Hemisphere has completed drilling operations on the first well of the program and started drilling the second horizontal well targeting the Glauconitic sandstones of the Mannville Group. The first horizontal well encountered over 750 meters of oil pay and is awaiting completion and tie-in operations with production estimated to be on by mid-July.  Hemisphere has a 100% working interest in its Atlee Buffalo property.

Additional facility upgrades are underway to further expand the Atlee Buffalo G pool battery, where the number of producing oil wells is planned to more than double from eight to nineteen after this drilling program. Hemisphere currently has six water injectors in the G pool, and plans to drill one dedicated water injector as part of this program.

Based on field estimates from June 1^st to June 25^th, corporate production was approximately 1,445 boe/d (95% oil). The Company's strategy through 2019 is to further grow production, reserves, and free cash flow with significant focus on strengthening its balance sheet in order to generate greater shareholder value in the coming years.

About Hemisphere Energy Corporation

Hemisphere Energy Corporation is a producing Canadian oil and gas company focused on developing low risk conventional oil assets for minimal capital exposure through developing known pools of oil and optimizing waterflood projects. Hemisphere plans continual growth in production, reserves, and cash flow by drilling existing projects and executing strategic acquisitions.  Hemisphere trades on the TSX Venture Exchange as a Tier 1 issuer under the symbol "HME".

Forward-looking Statements

Certain statements included in this news release constitute forward-looking statements or forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as "anticipate", "continue", "estimate", "expect", "forecast", "may", "will", "project", "could", "plan", "intend", "should", "believe", "outlook", "potential", "target" and similar words suggesting future events or future performance. In particular, but without limiting the generality of the foregoing, this news release includes forward-looking statements regarding the Company's plans to drill up to 16 wells in its Atlee Buffalo Upper Mannville G pool; the Company's plans to continually monitor oil and WCS pricing throughout the period of its planned drilling program; the number of wells anticipated to be on production following the completion of the Company's planned drilling program; Hemisphere's plans to drill one dedicated water injector as part of its drilling program; Hemisphere's planned corporate strategy through 2019 to further grow production, reserves, and free cash flow with significant focus on strengthening its balance sheet in order to generate greater shareholder value in the coming years; and Hemisphere's plans for continual growth in production, reserves, and cash flow by drilling existing projects and executing strategic acquisitions.  In addition, statements relating to "reserves" are deemed to be forward-looking statements as they involve the implied assessment, based on certain estimates and assumptions, that the reserves described exist in the quantities predicted or estimated and can be profitably produced in the future.

Forward‐looking statements are based on a number of material factors, expectations, or assumptions of Hemisphere which have been used to develop such statements and information but which may prove to be incorrect. Although Hemisphere believes that the expectations reflected in such forward‐looking statements or information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on forward‐looking statements because Hemisphere can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. In addition to other factors and assumptions which may be identified herein, assumptions have been made regarding, among other things: that Hemisphere will continue to conduct its operations in a manner consistent with past operations; results from drilling and development activities are consistent with past operations; the quality of the reservoirs in which Hemisphere operates and continued performance from existing wells; the continued and timely development of infrastructure in areas of new production; the accuracy of the estimates of Hemisphere's reserve volumes; certain commodity price and other cost assumptions; continued availability of debt and equity financing and cash flow to fund Hemisphere's current and future plans and expenditures; the impact of increasing competition; the general stability of the economic and political environment in which Hemisphere operates; the general continuance of current industry conditions; the timely receipt of any required regulatory approvals; the ability of Hemisphere to obtain qualified staff, equipment and services in a timely and cost efficient manner; drilling results; the ability of the operator of the projects in which Hemisphere has an interest in to operate the field in a safe, efficient and effective manner; the ability of Hemisphere to obtain financing on acceptable terms; field production rates and decline rates; the ability to replace and expand oil and natural gas reserves through acquisition, development and exploration; the timing and cost of pipeline, storage and facility construction and expansion and the ability of Hemisphere to secure adequate product transportation; future commodity prices; currency, exchange and interest rates; regulatory framework regarding royalties, taxes and environmental matters in the jurisdictions in which Hemisphere operates; and the ability of Hemisphere to successfully market its oil and natural gas products.

The forward‐looking information and statements included in this news release are not guarantees of future performance and should not be unduly relied upon. Such information and statements, including the assumptions made in respect thereof, involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to defer materially from those anticipated in such forward‐looking information or statements including, without limitation: changes in commodity prices; changes in the demand for or supply of Hemisphere's products, the early stage of development of some of the evaluated areas and zones; unanticipated operating results or production declines; changes in tax or environmental laws, royalty rates or other regulatory matters; changes in development plans of Hemisphere or by third party operators of Hemisphere's properties, increased debt levels or debt service requirements; inaccurate estimation of Hemisphere's oil and gas reserve volumes; limited, unfavourable or a lack of access to capital markets; increased costs; a lack of adequate insurance coverage; the impact of competitors; and certain other risks detailed from time‐to‐time in Hemisphere's public disclosure documents, (including, without limitation, those risks identified in this news release and in Hemisphere's Annual Information Form). 

The forward‐looking information and statements contained in this news release speak only as of the date of this news release, and Hemisphere does not assume any obligation to publicly update or revise any of the included forward‐looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable securities laws.

Oil and Gas Advisories

A barrel of oil equivalent ("boe") may be misleading, particularly if used in isolation. A boe conversion ratio of 6 Mcf:1 Bbl is based on an energy equivalency conversion method primarily applicable at the burner tip and does not represent a value equivalency at the wellhead.  In addition, given that the value ratio based on the current price of crude oil as compared to natural gas is significantly different from the energy equivalency of 6:1, utilizing a conversion on a 6:1 basis may be misleading as an indication of value.  

Short-term and peak production rates disclosed herein are not determinative of the rates at which the wells will continue to produce and decline thereafter and may not necessarily be indicative of the long term performance or estimated ultimate recovery.

Definitions and Abbreviations

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

SOURCE Hemisphere Energy Corporation