Pioneer Drilling Reports Fiscal Third Quarter Results

Third quarter revenues were up 76%

Feb 7, 2005

FEBRUARY 7, 2005 – SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – Pioneer Drilling Company (AMEX: PDC) today reported results for the third quarter and nine months ended December 31, 2004.

 

Revenues for the third quarter of the fiscal year ending March 31, 2005 grew to $46.4 million, compared to revenues of $26.4 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2004. This 76% increase in revenues was due to an improvement in rig revenue rates, a 43% increase in the average number of rigs in Pioneer’s fleet and a 10% increase in Pioneer’s rig utilization rate.

 

Net earnings in the third quarter of 2005 were $4.2 million, or $0.11 per diluted share, versus a net loss of $522,000, or $0.02 loss per share, during the third quarter of fiscal 2004.

 

Revenue days during the third quarter of fiscal 2005 grew 57% to 3,524, compared to 2,246 revenue days for the third quarter of fiscal 2004. Revenue days by type of contract in the third quarter of 2005 were 2,421 days for daywork contracts, 1,024 for turnkey contracts and 79 for footage contracts. Pioneer’s rig utilization rate for the third quarter increased to 98%, up from 88% in the corresponding period last year.

 

Wm. Stacy Locke, Pioneer’s President and Chief Executive Officer, stated, “We are pleased to have produced such solid third-quarter results and look forward to continued strong performance over the next several quarters. Average dayrates for daywork contracts increased approximately $1,150 per day, or 13%, to approximately $10,250, up from average dayrates of approximately $9,100 for the quarter ending September 30, 2004. We anticipate that average dayrates will continue to increase in our fiscal fourth quarter ending March 31, 2005. Turnkey contracts comprised 29% of our revenue days in our fiscal third quarter, down from 43% from the quarter ended September 30, 2004.”

 

Revenues for the first nine months of fiscal year 2005 were $129.9 million, compared to revenues of $74.5 million for the first nine months of fiscal year 2004. Net earnings during the first nine months of 2005 were $5.3 million, or $0.16 per diluted share, compared to a net loss of $2.2 million, or $0.10 loss per share, during the first nine months of fiscal 2004.

 

Revenue days were 9,687 days during the first nine months of fiscal 2005, compared to 6,268 days for the comparable period of fiscal 2004. Pioneer’s rig utilization rate for the first nine months of fiscal 2005 was 96%, up from 87% in last year’s nine-month period.

 

Pioneer’s management team will be holding a conference call on Tuesday, February 8, 2005, at 11:00 a.m., eastern time (10:00 a.m., central), to discuss these results. To participate in the call, dial (303) 262-0068 at least ten minutes before the conference call begins and ask for the Pioneer Drilling conference call. A replay of the call will be available approximately two hours after the call ends and will be accessible until February 15, 2005. To access the replay, dial (303) 590-3000 and enter the pass code 11023541#. Investors, analysts and the general public will also have the opportunity to listen to the conference call over the Internet by accessing Pioneer Drilling’s Website at http://www.pioneerdrlg.com . To listen to the live call on the Internet, please visit Pioneer&E at (713)529-kcroan@drg-e.com.

 

Pioneer Drilling Company provides land contract drilling services to independent and major oil and gas operators drilling wells in North, East and South Texas, Western Oklahoma and in the Rocky Mountain region. Pioneer’s fleet consists of 49 land drilling rigs that drill in depth ranges between 6,000 and 18,000 feet.


This press release contains various forward-looking statements and information that are based on management’s belief, as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to management. Forward-looking information includes statements regarding the anticipated continuing increases in average dayrates and the gradual decline in turnkey contract revenue days as dayrates improve. Although the management of Pioneer Drilling believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, Pioneer Drilling can give no assurance that those expectations will prove to have been correct. Such statements are subject to various risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including, among other matters, risks and uncertainties relating to turnkey drilling contracts in progress. Should one or more of those risks materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those expected. These risks, as well as others, are discussed in greater detail in Pioneer’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2004.

                          -  Tables to Follow -



                       PIONEER DRILLING COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARIES
                    Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations
                         (in thousands, except per share data)
                                      (Unaudited)

                                  Three Months Ended      Nine Months Ended
                              12/31/04 12/31/03  9/30/04  12/31/04 12/31/03

  Contract drilling revenues   $46,388  $26,414  $42,783  $129,889  $74,509

  Costs and Expenses:
    Contract drilling           32,357   21,600   34,591   100,802   61,757
    Depreciation                 5,770    4,119    5,306    16,124   11,671
    General and administrative   1,215      687      926     2,911    2,027
    Bad debt expense               342      ---      ---       342      ---
     Total operating costs      39,684   26,406   40,823   120,179   75,455

  Operating income (loss)        6,704        8    1,960     9,710     (946)

  Other income (expense):
    Interest expense              (159)    (683)    (398)   (1,275)  (2,117)
    Loss on early
     extinguishment of debt        ---      ---     (101)     (101)     ---
    Interest income                 55       10       40       119       87
    Other                            7       25       12        22       65
    Total other                    (97)    (648)    (447)   (1,235)  (1,965)

  Income (loss) before taxes     6,607     (640)   1,513     8,475   (2,911)

  Income tax benefit (expense)  (2,428)     118     (590)   (3,157)     712

  Net earnings (loss)           $4,179    $(522)    $923    $5,318  $(2,199)

  Earnings (loss) per share:
     Basic                       $0.11   $(0.02)   $0.03     $0.16   $(0.10)
     Diluted                     $0.11   $(0.02)   $0.03     $0.16   $(0.10)

  Weighted average number
   of shares outstanding:
     Basic                      38,428   22,203   33,211    33,001   21,984
     Diluted                    39,535   22,203   34,271    37,167   21,984



                       PIONEER DRILLING COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARIES
                                 Operating Statistics
                        (in thousands, except averages per day)
                                      (Unaudited)

                                   Three Months Ended      Nine Months Ended
                               12/31/04 12/31/03  9/30/04  12/31/04 12/31/03

     Average number of rigs       39.7     27.7     36.0      37.1     26.2
     Utilization rate              98%      88%      96%       96%      87%

     Revenue days by contract:
        Daywork contracts        2,421    1,524    1,674     5,680    4,072
        Turnkey contracts        1,024      594    1,347     3,667    1,913
        Footage contracts           79      128      145       340      283
        Total                    3,524    2,246    3,166     9,687    6,268

     Revenues by contract:
        Daywork contracts      $26,824  $14,524  $17,277  $ 59,277  $36,152
        Turnkey contracts       18,544   10,624   23,821    66,235   35,185
        Footage contracts        1,020    1,266    1,685     4,377    3,171
        Total                  $46,388  $26,414  $42,783  $129,889  $74,508

     Drilling costs by
      contract:
        Daywork contracts      $18,146  $11,912  $13,743  $ 44,401  $30,761
        Turnkey contracts       13,582    8,575   19,476    53,153   28,444
        Footage contracts          628    1,112    1,372     3,248    2,552
        Total                  $32,356  $21,599  $34,591  $100,802  $61,757

     Average revenues per day:
        Daywork contracts      $11,080  $ 9,530  $10,321   $10,436   $8,878
        Turnkey contracts       18,109   17,886   17,684    18,062   18,393
        Footage contracts       12,911    9,891   11,621    12,874   11,205
        Total                  $13,163  $11,760  $13,513   $13,409  $11,887

     Average costs per day:
        Daywork contracts      $ 7,495  $ 7,816  $ 8,210   $ 7,817  $ 7,554
        Turnkey contracts       13,264   14,436   14,459    14,495   14,869
        Footage contracts        7,949    8,688    9,462     9,553    9,018
        Total                  $ 9,182  $ 9,617  $10,926   $10,406  $ 9,853

     Capital expenditures:
        Rig additions          $39,027  $ 5,874  $ 1,628   $43,270  $19,170
        Other                    5,972    1,640    7,296    19,069    5,889
                               $44,999  $ 7,514  $ 8,924   $62,339  $25,059



                           PIONEER DRILLING COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARIES
                             Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
                                         (in thousands)

                                              (Unaudited)
                                               12/31/2004        03/31/2004
                 Assets
  Current assets:
     Cash and cash equivalents                  $  6,713          $  6,366
     Receivables, net                             19,924            10,902
     Contract drilling in progress                 7,351             9,131
     Current deferred income taxes                   426               285
     Prepaid expenses                              2,061             1,336
        Total current assets                      36,475            28,020

  Net property and equipment                     160,262           115,342
  Other assets                                     1,337               369
  Total assets                                  $198,074          $143,731

         Liabilities and Equity
  Current liabilities:
     Notes payable                              $  1,086          $    558
     Current long-term debt                        5,951             3,865
     Accounts payable                             11,207            13,271
     Federal income taxes payable                     70               ---
     Accrued expenses                              6,318             4,298
        Total current liabilities                 24,632            21,992
  Long-term debt                                  29,380            44,892
  Other non-current liability                        400               ---
  Deferred taxes                                   9,116             6,011
        Total liabilities                         63,528            72,895
  Total shareholders' equity                     134,546            70,836
                                                $198,074          $143,731

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