The gradual strengthening of demand in the North American drilling industry, that began in 2021 as oil and gas prices increased, accelerated in the latter part of 2021 and into the first quarter of 2022. Activity in the Company's Canadian division increased 47% with 722 operating days in the first quarter of 2022, compared to 490 operating days in the first quarter of 2021. The Company's US division experienced a similar increase with 1,017 operating days in the first quarter of 2022, up 44% year over year (Q1 2021 – 704 operating days). In the first quarter of 2022, the Company recorded a net loss of
With activity levels continuing to rise, the Company is anticipating meaningful day rate increases as current contracts are renewed throughout the remainder of the year. These rate increases will be most impactful in the second half of the year and are expected to result in significantly improved results.
CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
($ thousands except per share amounts) | |||||||
For the three months ended | 2022 | 2021 | Change | % Change | |||
Revenue | 44,986 | 27,171 | 17,815 | 66% | |||
Operating and maintenance expenses | 36,254 | 20,012 | 16,242 | 81% | |||
Operating margin | 8,732 | 7,159 | 1,573 | 22% | |||
Margin % | 19% | 26% | (7%) | (27%) | |||
Net cash from (used in) operating activities | 247 | (5,692) | 5,939 | 104% | |||
Adjusted funds flow from operations(1) | 4,996 | 3,719 | 1,277 | 34% | |||
Per share | 0.13 | 0.09 | 0.04 | 44% | |||
Net loss | (2,933) | (3,651) | 718 | 20% | |||
Per share | (0.07) | (0.09) | 0.02 | 22% | |||
Capital expenditures | 6,411 | 1,604 | 4,807 | 300% | |||
Weighted average shares outstanding | 39,608 | 39,608 | - | 0% | |||
Total assets | 261,348 | 252,771 | 8,577 | 3% | |||
Total debt | 94,521 | 79,258 | 15,263 | 19% | |||
(1) See "Non-GAAP and Supplementary Financial Measures" near the end of this news release for further detail.. |
Canadian Drilling Division
$Thousands except per day amounts | ||||||
For the three months ended | 2022 | 2021 | Change | % Change | ||
Revenue | 16,242 | 8,242 | 8,000 | 97% | ||
Revenue from joint venture drilling rigs | 5,903 | 5,878 | 25 | 0% | ||
Flow through charges(1) | (1,082) | (814) | (268) | (33%) | ||
Adjusted revenue | 21,063 | 13,306 | 7,757 | 58% | ||
Operating and maintenance expenses | 12,423 | 5,314 | 7,109 | 134% | ||
Operating and maintenance expenses from joint venture drilling rigs | 4,517 | 5,010 | (493) | (10%) | ||
Flow through charges(1) | (1,082) | (814) | (268) | 33% | ||
Adjusted operating and maintenance expenses | 15,858 | 9,510 | 6,348 | 67% | ||
Adjusted operating margin | 5,205 | 3,796 | 1,409 | 37% | ||
Margin %(1) | 25% | 29% | (4%) | (14%) | ||
Operating days | 722 | 490 | 232 | 47% | ||
Adjusted revenue per operating day(1) | 29,173 | 27,155 | 2,018 | 7% | ||
Adjusted operating and maintenance per operating day(1) | 21,964 | 19,408 | 2,556 | 13% | ||
Adjusted operating margin per operating day(1) | 7,209 | 7,747 | (538) | (7%) | ||
Utilization(1) | 40% | 27% | 13% | 48% | ||
Rig count | 20 | 20 | - | 0% | ||
(1) See "Non-GAAP and Supplementary Financial Measures" near the end of this news release for further detail. | ||||||
During the first quarter of 2022, AKITA achieved 722 operating days in
Adjusted revenue in
Higher revenue in the quarter was offset by higher adjusted operating and maintenance expenses which increased 67% to
United States Drilling Division
$ Thousands except per day amounts (CAD) | ||||||
For the three months ended | 2022 | 2021 | Change | % Change | ||
Revenue US | 28,744 | 18,929 | 9,815 | 52% | ||
Flow through charges(1) | (2,211) | (1,741) | (470) | (27%) | ||
Adjusted revenue US(1) | 26,533 | 17,188 | 9,345 | 54% | ||
Operating and maintenance expenses US | 23,831 | 14,698 | 9,133 | 62% | ||
Flow through charges(1) | (2,211) | (1,741) | (470) | (27%) | ||
Adjusted operating and maintenance expenses US(1) | 21,620 | 12,957 | 8,663 | 67% | ||
Adjusted operating margin US(1) | 4,913 | 4,231 | 682 | 16% | ||
Margin % (1) | 19% | 25% | (6%) | (24%) | ||
Operating days | 1,017 | 704 | 313 | 44% | ||
Adjusted revenue per operating day(1) | 26,089 | 24,415 | 1,674 | 7% | ||
Adjusted operating and maintenance per operating day(1) | 21,259 | 18,405 | 2,854 | 16% | ||
Adjusted operating margin per operating day(1) | 4,830 | 6,010 | (1,180) | (20%) | ||
Utilization (1) | 66% | 46% | 20% | 44% | ||
Rig count | 16 | 17 | (1) | (6%) | ||
(1)See "Non-GAAP and Supplementary Financial Measures" near the end of this news release for further detail. | ||||||
With the demand for drilling services increasing in the US gradually throughout 2021 and into 2022, operating days increased in the US division by 44%, to 1,017 (69% utilization) in the first quarter of 2022 from 704 (46% utilization) in the same period of 2021.
The results in the US were similar to
Operating and maintenance costs are correlated to activity levels and increased to
FURTHER INFORMATION
This news release shall be used as preparation for reading the full disclosure documents. AKITA's unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements and management's discussion and analysis for the quarter ended
Non-GAAP and Supplementary Financial Measures
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
Adjusted Revenue and Adjusted Operating and Maintenance Expenses in
Adjusted revenue and adjusted operating and maintenance expenses in AKITA's Canadian operating segment include revenue and expenses from AKITA's wholly-owned drilling rigs as well as its share of joint venture revenue and expenses. Excluded from the adjusted revenue and adjusted operating and maintenance expenses in AKITA's Canadian operating segment are flow through charges that are billed to operators and repaid to the Company. The volume and timing of the flow through charges can artificially impact the operational per day analysis and as a result management and certain investors may find the comparability between periods is improved when these flow through charges are excluded from adjusted revenue per day and adjusted operating and maintenance expense per day. The flow through charges do not have any impact on the Company's net earnings as the amounts offset each other.
Adjusted Revenue and Operating and Maintenance Expenses in
Excluded from adjusted revenue and adjusted operating and maintenance expenses in AKITA's US operating segment are flow through charges that are billed to operators and repaid to the Company. The volume and timing of the flow through charges can artificially impact the operational per day analysis and as a result management and certain investors may find the comparability between periods is improved when these flow through charges are excluded from adjusted revenue per day and adjusted operating and maintenance expense per day. The flow through charges do not have any impact on the Company's net earnings as the amounts offset each other.
Adjusted Funds Flow from Operations
Adjusted funds flow from operations is not a recognized GAAP measure under IFRS and readers should note that AKITA's method of determining adjusted funds flow from operations may differ from methods used by other companies, and includes cash flow from operating activities before working capital changes, equity income from joint ventures, and income tax amounts paid or recovered during the period. Nonetheless, management and certain investors may find adjusted funds flow from operations to be a useful measurement to evaluate the Company's operating results at year-end and within each year, since the seasonal nature of the business affects the comparability of non-cash working capital changes both between and within periods.
$Thousands | ||
For the three months ended | 2022 | 2021 |
Net cash from (used in) operating activities | 247 | (5,692) |
Income tax recoverable (payable) | - | - |
Interest paid | 1,030 | 810 |
Interest expense | (1,069) | (888) |
Post-employment benefits paid | 69 | 23 |
Equity income from joint ventures | 1,296 | 753 |
Change in non-cash working capital | 3,423 | 8,713 |
Adjusted funds flow from operations | 4,996 | 3,719 |
Non-GAAP Ratios
"Adjusted funds flow from operations per share" is calculated on the same basis as net loss per class A and class B share basic and diluted, utilizing the basic and diluted weighted average number of class A and class B shares outstanding during the periods presented.
"Adjusted revenue per operating day" may be useful to analysts, investors, other interested parties and management as a measure of pricing strength and is calculated by dividing adjusted revenue by the number of operating days for the period.
"Adjusted operating and maintenance expenses per operating day" may be useful to analysts, investors, other interested parties and management as it demonstrates a degree of cost control and provides a proxy for specific inflation rates incurred by the Company
FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION:
Certain statements contained in this news release may constitute forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "anticipate", "plan", "estimate", "expect", "may", "will", "intend", "should", and similar expressions. In particular, forward-looking information in this news release includes, but is not limited to, references to the outlook for the drilling industry (including activity levels and day rates), the Company's relationships and customers and vendors, and the renewal of drilling contracts.
Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information.
Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable based on the information available on the date such statements are made and processes used to prepare the information, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct. By their nature, these forward-looking statements involve numerous assumptions, inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, and therefore carry the risk that the predictions and other forward-looking statements will not be realized. Readers of this news release are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these statements as a number of important factors could cause actual future results to differ materially from the plans, objectives, estimates and intentions expressed in such forward-looking statements.
The Company's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of, among other things, prevailing economic conditions (including as may be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic); the level of exploration and development activity carried on by AKITA's customers, world crude oil prices and North American natural gas prices; global liquefied natural gas (LNG) demand, weather, access to capital markets; and government policies. We caution that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive and that while relying on forward-looking statements to make decisions with respect to AKITA, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors, as well as other uncertainties and events, prior to making a decision to invest in AKITA. Except where required by law, the Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time by it or on its behalf.
SOURCE
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