Matador Resources Company Reports First Quarter 2024 Financial and Operating Results
DALLAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Matador Resources Company (NYSE: MTDR) (“Matador” or the “Company”) today reported financial and operating results for the first quarter of 2024. A short slide presentation summarizing the highlights of Matador’s first quarter 2024 earnings release is also included on the Company’s website at www.matadorresources.com on the Events and Presentations page under the Investor Relations tab.
Full-Year 2024 Guidance Update
Effective April 23, 2024, Matador anticipates achieving the high end of its full-year 2024 guidance range for total oil and natural gas equivalent production, oil production and natural gas production. For highlights of Matador’s first quarter 2024 operational and financial results, please see “First Quarter 2024 Matador Operational and Financial Highlights” on page 3 of this earnings release. For comparisons of our first quarter 2024 operational and financial results to prior periods, please see “Operational and Financial Update” on pages 4 to 6 of this earnings release. For a description of certain selected financial and operating items, please see “Selected Financial and Operating Items” on page 9 of this earnings release.
Management Summary Comments
Joseph Wm. Foran, Matador’s Founder, Chairman and CEO, commented, “Matador is pleased to report another quarter that exceeded our original expectations due to the excellent operational and financial execution by the Matador team. This outcome reflects a total team effort and a long-term approach to managing Matador’s business that has resulted in Matador outperforming the S&P 500, our peer group and the price of crude oil over the last three years (see Slide A). Going forward, we remain focused—as a team—on profitable growth at a measured pace, which has resulted in over 30% oil production growth annually since we became a public company in 2012 (see Slide B). Our Board, executive team and staff are increasingly excited about the outlook for the remainder of 2024 and beyond, as we continue to work together to build the value of Matador for our shareholders and other interest owners.
Better-Than-Expected Production and Cost Savings
“During the first quarter of 2024, Matador’s total oil and natural gas production averaged 149,760 barrels of oil and natural gas equivalent (‘BOE’) per day, which was 3% better than our announced guidance of an average of 145,750 BOE per day for the quarter (see Slide C). Matador’s average oil production of 84,777 barrels of oil per day during the first quarter of 2024 was 2% better than our announced guidance average of 83,500 barrels of oil per day for the quarter. This outperformance was primarily due to continued better-than-expected production from the wells in our Stateline asset area. We are pleased that, based upon this outperformance, we now expect full-year production for 2024 at the high end of our previously announced average production guidance for oil of 91,000 to 95,000 barrels of oil per day, natural gas of 370 to 386 million cubic feet of natural gas per day and total average 2024 production of 153,000 to 159,000 BOE per day.
“The third-party midstream force majeure and maintenance issues Matador experienced during the first quarter of 2024 were largely resolved by the beginning of the second quarter of 2024. Matador was pleased that the operated cryogenic natural gas processing plants owned by San Mateo Midstream, LLC (‘San Mateo’), our midstream joint venture, and Pronto Midstream, LLC (‘Pronto’), our wholly-owned midstream subsidiary, did not have any material downtime for maintenance during the first quarter. This quarter highlighted the importance and helpfulness of owning our own midstream assets in the Delaware Basin to provide consistent flow assurance for our oil and natural gas production (see Slide D).
“Notably, we achieved these better-than-expected production results while also reducing costs and increasing efficiencies. Matador’s drilling, completing and equipping (‘D/C/E’) capital expenditures for the first quarter of 2024 were approximately $35 million less than expected. Approximately $10 million of these cost savings in the first quarter of 2024 was due to continued operational and cost improvements by the drilling, completion, production and midstream teams.
Continued Operational Innovation and Midstream Execution
“As anticipated, we are also pleased to report during the first quarter of 2024 that the natural gas pipeline connections between Pronto and San Mateo and between Pronto and our Advance acreage were completed on time and on budget (see Slide D). Following the completion of these connections, Pronto and San Mateo now have a combined 595 miles of a three-stream pipeline system, including the midstream assets we acquired in the Advance acquisition. These connections not only help resolve the third-party midstream constraints we experienced in the first quarter of 2024 but also will be important as we gather and process the natural gas from our Dagger Lake South wells, which are a set of 21 gross (18.9 net) wells on our Advance acreage scheduled to begin producing in the second quarter of 2024.
“Planned construction of the expansion of Pronto’s Marlan cryogenic natural gas processing plant currently remains on time and on budget (see Slide D). The foundation work for the expansion has already started, and we expect to begin installation of structural steel and pipe racks during the second quarter of 2024. Matador continues to look forward to this expansion of the Marlan processing plant being completed during the first half of 2025. Once expanded, the Marlan processing plant will serve Matador’s growing operations as well as meet the needs of third-party producers as they expand their operations in northern Lea and Eddy Counties, New Mexico.
“Matador achieved approximately $10 million in cost efficiencies in 2023 by successfully drilling our first two ‘U-Turn’ wells in the Delaware Basin, which were drilled in record time and whose production to date has been comparable to conventional two-mile lateral wells. In the first quarter of 2024, our operations team also continued to achieve cost efficiencies through innovation by implementing one of the first ‘trimul-frac’ tests in the Delaware Basin (see Slide E). In this test, daily completed lateral footage increased 40% using ‘trimul-frac’ operations as compared to our average 2023 ‘simul-frac’ operations. In addition to reduced cycle times and accelerated production, Matador estimates that ‘trimul-frac’ operations will result in cost savings of $100,000 per well as compared to ‘simul-frac’ operations and $350,000 per well as compared to conventional ‘zipper-frac’ operations. Matador is continuing to explore other innovative ways to reduce costs as it relates to logistics, improved rig performance and well completions. We look forward to discussing these potential cost-saving innovations in more detail on our future earnings calls.
Strengthened Balance Sheet
“Matador took significant strides during and shortly after the first quarter of 2024 to strengthen its balance sheet and to position itself to take advantage of both operational and strategic opportunities. First, on March 22, 2024, we amended our credit facility to, among other things, (i) increase the maximum facility amount from $2.0 billion to $3.5 billion, (ii) increase the current elected borrowing commitment from $1.325 billion to $1.5 billion, and (iii) extend the maturity date of our credit facility to 2029. We are grateful for the agreement and approval of this amendment by each of the 19 banks that comprise our high-quality bank group, including the five new banks that joined in support of this new amendment this past quarter (see Slide F). As of April 23, 2024, Matador had only $25 million of outstanding borrowings under our credit facility and our leverage ratio was 0.75x. We expect our leverage ratio to remain 1.0x or less for the remainder of 2024.
“Second, on March 28, 2024, we completed an approximate $350 million offering of 5,250,000 shares of our common stock, or approximately 4% of our shares outstanding at the time of the offering (see Slide G). The net proceeds of our equity offering were used for general corporate purposes, including the repayment of amounts outstanding under our credit facility. A portion of the borrowings under our credit facility, along with our free cash flow, were used to complete a number of acquisitions since December 1, 2023. These acquisitions include producing oil and natural gas properties, undeveloped acreage and royalty interests in Eddy and Lea Counties, New Mexico and Ward County, Texas with an aggregate purchase price of approximately $281 million. These acquisitions contributed approximately 1,350 BOE per day (82% oil) in the aggregate to our production during the first quarter of 2024 and included numerous additional locations across our asset areas in the Delaware Basin. These transactions reflect Matador’s ‘brick-by-brick’ acquisition approach that has served us well in building our acreage position from only 7,500 net acres in the Delaware Basin when we became a public company in 2012 to over 150,000 net acres in the Delaware Basin today.
“Third, on April 2, 2024, we completed a private offering of $900 million of 6.50% senior notes due 2032, which was oversubscribed by over $2.5 billion (see Slide H). As a result of the high demand for these bonds, we increased the size of the offering from $800 million to $900 million. The net proceeds of our bond offering were used to repurchase and fund the announced redemption of our 5.875% senior notes due 2026 and for general corporate purposes, including the repayment of amounts outstanding under our credit facility.
“These successful transactions were made possible because of the years of teamwork and coordinated execution by our Board, staff, shareholders, bondholders, banking partners and other friends. We express our appreciation for all their extra effort and support that has put Matador in a position of operational and financial strength as we look forward to the future.”
First Quarter 2024 Matador Operational and Financial Highlights
(for comparisons to prior periods, please see the remainder of this press release)
- Average production of 149,760 BOE per day (84,777 barrels of oil per day)
- Net cash provided by operating activities of $468.6 million
- Adjusted free cash flow of $28.6 million
- Net income of $193.7 million, or $1.61 per diluted common share
- Adjusted net income of $206.2 million, or adjusted earnings of $1.71 per diluted common share
- Adjusted EBITDA of $505.4 million
- San Mateo net income of $39.7 million
- San Mateo Adjusted EBITDA of $58.2 million
- D/C/E capital expenditures of $350.7 million
- Midstream capital expenditures of $79.3 million
All references to Matador’s net income, adjusted net income, Adjusted EBITDA and adjusted free cash flow reported throughout this earnings release are those values attributable to Matador Resources Company shareholders after giving effect to any net income, adjusted net income, Adjusted EBITDA or adjusted free cash flow, respectively, attributable to third-party non-controlling interests, including in San Mateo Midstream, LLC (“San Mateo”). Matador owns 51% of San Mateo. For a definition of adjusted net income, adjusted earnings per diluted common share, Adjusted EBITDA and adjusted free cash flow and reconciliations of such non-GAAP financial metrics to their comparable GAAP metrics, please see “Supplemental Non-GAAP Financial Measures” below.
Operational and Financial Update
First Quarter 2024 Oil, Natural Gas and Total Oil Equivalent Production Above Expectations
While Matador’s average daily oil and natural gas production was 149,760 BOE per day in the first quarter of 2024, which was a 3% sequential production decrease from 154,261 BOE in the fourth quarter of 2023, Matador is pleased to report a 40% year-over-year increase from 106,654 BOE per day in the first quarter of 2023. Matador’s year-over-year increase is due not only to the Advance acquisition that closed in April 2023 but also to increased production from new wells drilled by Matador on its existing assets and undeveloped acreage. In fact, Matador’s production for the first quarter of 2024 of 149,760 BOE per day exceeded its announced expectations for oil and natural gas production during the first quarter of 2024 and grew significantly on a year-to-year basis as summarized in the table below.
|
Production |
Q1 2024 |
Q1 2024 |
Difference(2) |
Sequential(3) |
YoY(4) |
|
Total, BOE per day |
149,760 |
145,000 to 146,500 |
+3% Better than Guidance |
-3% |
+40% |
|
Oil, Bbl per day |
84,777 |
83,000 to 84,000 |
+2% Better than Guidance |
-4% |
+44% |
|
Natural Gas, MMcf per day |
389.9 |
372.0 to 375.0 |
+4% Better than Guidance |
-1% |
+36% |
|
(1) Production range previously projected, as provided on February 20, 2024. |
|
(2) As compared to midpoint of guidance provided on February 20, 2024. |
|
(3) Represents sequential percentage change from the fourth quarter of 2023. |
|
(4) Represents year-over-year percentage change from the first quarter of 2023. |
First Quarter 2024 Realized Commodity Prices
The following table summarizes Matador’s realized commodity prices during the first quarter of 2024, as compared to the fourth quarter of 2023 and the first quarter of 2023.
|
|
Sequential (Q1 2024 vs. Q4 2023) |
|
YoY (Q1 2024 vs. Q1 2023) |
||||||||
|
Realized Commodity Prices |
Q1 2024 |
|
Q4 2023 |
|
Sequential Change(1) |
|
Q1 2024 |
|
Q1 2023 |
|
YoY Change(2) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Oil Prices, per Bbl |
$77.58 |
|
$79.00 |
|
-2% |
|
$77.58 |
|
$75.74 |
|
+2% |
|
Natural Gas Prices, per Mcf |
$2.96 |
|
$3.01 |
|
-2% |
|
$2.96 |
|
$3.93 |
|
-25% |
|
(1) First quarter 2024 as compared to fourth quarter 2023. |
|
(2) First quarter 2024 as compared to first quarter 2023. |
First Quarter 2024 Operating Expenses
Matador’s lease operating expenses increased 11% sequentially from $5.06 per BOE in the fourth quarter of 2023 to $5.60 per BOE for the first quarter of 2024. This increase is due in part to the winterization of our assets in the first quarter of 2024 as well as workover operations on certain of the wells acquired in the Advance acquisition. The first quarter 2024 lease operating expenses of $5.60 per BOE were consistent with Matador’s expected full-year 2024 lease operating expenses range of $5.25 to $5.75 per BOE.
Matador’s general and administrative (“G&A”) expenses increased 5% sequentially from $2.08 per BOE in the fourth quarter of 2023 to $2.18 per BOE in the first quarter of 2024. This increase is due in part to the value of certain employee stock awards that are settled in cash, which are remeasured at each quarterly reporting period. These cash-settled stock award amounts increased due to the 17% increase in Matador’s share price from $56.86 at the end of the fourth quarter of 2023 to $66.77 at the end of the first quarter of 2024. The first quarter 2024 G&A expenses of $2.18 per BOE were consistent with Matador’s expected full-year 2024 G&A expenses range of $2.00 to $2.50 per BOE.
During the first quarter of 2024, Matador’s plant and other midstream operating expenses, which include the costs to operate San Mateo’s and Pronto’s assets, were $2.91 per BOE, a 14% increase from $2.56 per BOE in the fourth quarter of 2023. This increase was due to increased costs associated with weather, the expanding midstream footprint and the sequential decrease in production, which was also primarily due to weather and shut-in production pursuant to third-party midstream maintenance requirements. Matador continues to expect its midstream businesses to experience full-year 2024 plant and other midstream operating expenses to range from $2.25 to $2.75 per BOE.
First Quarter 2024 Capital Expenditures
Matador’s capital expenditures were $430 million during the first quarter of 2024, which were less than expected when compared to Matador’s announced expectation of $465 million for the quarter. Matador’s D/C/E capital expenditures of $350.7 million for the first quarter of 2024 were approximately $35 million lower than expected, which is a result of $10 million in actual D/C/E capital expenditure cost savings while the remaining $25 million was deferred due to the timing of Matador’s operated and non-operated projects. Midstream capital expenditures of $79.3 million for the first quarter of 2024 were consistent with Matador’s expectations of $80 million in total midstream capital expenditures for the quarter.
|
Q1 2024 Capital Expenditures ($ millions) |
Actual |
Guidance(1) |
Difference vs. Guidance(2) |
|
D/C/E |
$350.7 |
$385.0 |
-9% |
|
Midstream |
$79.3 |
$80.0 |
-1% |
|
(1) Midpoint of guidance as provided on February 20, 2024. |
|
(2) As compared to the midpoint of guidance provided on February 20, 2024. |
Midstream Update
San Mateo’s operations in the first quarter of 2024 were highlighted by better-than-expected operating and financial results. These strong results primarily reflect better-than-expected volumes delivered by third party customers into the San Mateo system. San Mateo’s net income of $39.7 million and Adjusted EBITDA of $58.2 million were each better than expected.
Operationally, San Mateo’s natural gas gathering volumes in the first quarter of 2024 were at an all-time quarterly high. The table below sets forth San Mateo’s throughput volumes, as compared to the fourth quarter of 2023 and the first quarter of 2024, in which all volume categories experienced significant increases in throughput volumes year-over-year, ranging from 13% to 27%.
|
|
Sequential (Q1 2024 vs. Q4 2023) |
|
YoY (Q1 2024 vs. Q1 2023) |
||||||||
|
San Mateo Throughput Volumes |
Q1 2024 |
|
Q4 2023 |
|
Change(1) |
|
Q1 2024 |
|
Q1 2023 |
|
Change(2) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Natural gas gathering, MMcf per day |
425 |
|
416 |
|
+2% |
|
425 |
|
334 |
|
+27% |
|
Natural gas processing, MMcf per day |
399 |
|
413 |
|
(3%) |
|
399 |
|
353 |
|
+13% |
|
Oil gathering and transportation, Bbl per day |
48,800 |
|
50,900 |
|
(4%) |
|
48,800 |
|
41,900 |
|
+16% |
|
Produced water handling, Bbl per day |
435,200 |
|
442,000 |
|
(2%) |
|
435,200 |
|
373,000 |
|
+17% |
|
(1) First quarter 2024 as compared to fourth quarter 2023. |
|
(2) First quarter 2024 as compared to first quarter 2023. |
Second Quarter 2024 Estimates
Second Quarter 2024 Estimated Oil, Natural Gas and Total Oil Equivalent Production Growth
As noted in the table below, Matador anticipates its average daily oil equivalent production of 149,760 BOE per day in the first quarter of 2024 to grow by 5% to a midpoint of approximately 157,250 BOE per day in the second quarter of 2024.
|
|
Q1 and Q2 2024 Production Comparison |
|||
|
Period |
Average Daily Total Production, BOE per day |
Average Daily Oil Production, Bbl per day |
Average Daily Natural Gas Production, MMcf per day |
% Oil |
|
Q1 2024 |
149,760 |
84,777 |
389.9 |
57% |
|
Q2 2024E |
156,500 to 158,000 |
92,500 to 93,500 |
384.0 to 387.0 |
59% |
Second Quarter 2024 Estimated Wells Turned to Sales
At April 23, 2024, Matador expects to turn to sales a record 43 gross (36.2 net) operated horizontal wells in the Delaware Basin during the second quarter of 2024, consisting of 29 gross (24.5 net) wells in the Antelope Ridge asset area, four gross (2.6 net) wells in the Arrowhead asset area, four gross (3.1 net) wells in the Rustler Breaks asset area and six gross (6.0 net) wells in the Stateline asset area.
Second Quarter 2024 Estimated Capital Expenditures
Matador is currently operating eight drilling rigs in the Delaware Basin. At April 23, 2024, Matador expects D/C/E capital expenditures for the second quarter of 2024 will be approximately $330 to $350 million, which is a 3% decrease as compared to $351 million for the first quarter of 2024. Matador estimates its proportionate share of midstream capital expenditures to be approximately $50 to $70 million in the second quarter of 2024, which is a 24% decrease as compared to $79 million in the first quarter of 2024, primarily due to the timing of Matador’s 2024 midstream projects and related efficiency gains.
Second Quarter 2024 Estimated Cash Taxes
Matador continues to expect to make cash tax payments of approximately 5 to 10% of pre-tax book net income for the year ended December 31, 2024. The Company’s cash tax payments will be dependent upon a variety of factors that will impact taxable income that cannot be calculated at this time, including commodity prices, weather, allowable tax deductions and any state or federal legislative changes thereon, acquisitions, activity of offset operators and pipeline restrictions as well as any deductions or tax credits generated and earned that would offset tax liabilities in 2024.
Conference Call Information
The Company will host a live conference call on Wednesday, April 24, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. Central Time to review its first quarter 2024 operational and financial results. To access the live conference call by phone, you can use the following link https://register.vevent.com/register/BI7bfe41fe32ef489da07e10206cdcee3c and you will be provided with dial in details. To avoid delays, it is recommended that participants dial into the conference call 15 minutes ahead of the scheduled start time.
The live conference call will also be available through the Company’s website at www.matadorresources.com on the Events and Presentations page under the Investor Relations tab. The replay for the event will be available on the Company’s website at www.matadorresources.com on the Events and Presentations page under the Investor Relations tab for one year.
About Matador Resources Company
Matador is an independent energy company engaged in the exploration, development, production and acquisition of oil and natural gas resources in the United States, with an emphasis on oil and natural gas shale and other unconventional plays. Its current operations are focused primarily on the oil and liquids-rich portion of the Wolfcamp and Bone Spring plays in the Delaware Basin in Southeast New Mexico and West Texas. Matador also operates in the Eagle Ford shale play in South Texas and the Haynesville shale and Cotton Valley plays in Northwest Louisiana. Additionally, Matador conducts midstream operations in support of its exploration, development and production operations and provides natural gas processing, oil transportation services, oil, natural gas and produced water gathering services and produced water disposal services to third parties.
For more information, visit Matador Resources Company at www.matadorresources.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. “Forward-looking statements” are statements related to future, not past, events. Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and include any statement that does not directly relate to a current or historical fact. In this context, forward-looking statements often address expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as “could,” “believe,” “would,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “estimate,” “expect,” “may,” “should,” “continue,” “plan,” “predict,” “potential,” “project,” “hypothetical,” “forecasted” and similar expressions that are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about guidance, projected or forecasted financial and operating results, future liquidity, the payment of dividends, results in certain basins, objectives, project timing, expectations and intentions, regulatory and governmental actions and other statements that are not historical facts.
Contacts
Mac Schmitz
Senior Vice President – Investor Relations
(972) 371-5225
[email protected]
