Peyto Reports Strong Fourth Quarter and 2024 Annual Results

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Peyto Exploration & Development Corp.
Peyto Exploration & Development Corp.

CALGARY, Alberta, March 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Peyto Exploration & Development Corp. ("Peyto" or the "Company") is pleased to report operating and financial results for the fourth quarter and 2024 fiscal year, and senior management additions.

Full Year and Q4 2024 Highlights:

  • Delivered $199.0 million in funds from operations1,2 ("FFO"), or $1.00/diluted share, and $79.6 million of free funds flow3 in the quarter. Annual FFO totaled $712.8 million or $3.62/diluted share, and annual free funds flow totaled $246.7 million.

  • Annual capital expenditures4 of $457.6 million resulted in record production of 136 Mboe/d (720.7 MMcf/d gas, 15,708 bbl/d NGLs) in December, yielding a trailing 12-month capital efficiency5 of $9,700 boe/d. Peyto booked a record 6.0 Bcfe of Proved Developed Producing ("PDP") reserves per well in 2024, up 40% from 2023. Peyto delivered a 66% annual operating margin6 and a 24% annual profit margin7, resulting in a 9% return on capital employed8 ("ROCE") and a 10% return on equity8 ("ROE"), on a trailing 12-month basis.  

  • The Company's disciplined hedging and diversification program in 2024 protected revenues from the sharp decline in benchmark natural gas prices. The 2024 average price for the AECO daily benchmark sunk to an annual average of $1.38/GJ, yet Peyto realized an average price of approximately $2.89/GJ ($3.32/Mcf). The Company exited 2024 with a strong hedge position, which currently protects approximately 480 MMcf/d and 366 MMcf/d of natural gas production for 2025 and 2026, respectively, at prices greater than $4/Mcf. Peyto’s hedging and diversification program protects future revenues for the sustainability of the Company's dividends, capital program, and debt repayment. Additionally, this program minimizes the impacts of potential US tariffs.

  • Peyto generated earnings of $78.2 million, or $0.39/diluted share, in the quarter and $280.6 million, or $1.42/diluted share, in 2024. Approximately 92% of earnings, or a record $258.4 million ($1.32/share) of dividends were returned to shareholders in 2024. Since inception, Peyto has returned over $3 billion of dividends to shareholders or a cumulative $22.63/share.

  • As previously announced, Peyto developed a record 457 BCFe of PDP reserves and increased reserves by 7%, 5%, and 5% in the PDP, Total Proved ("TP"), and Total Proved plus Probable ("P+P") reserves categories, respectively. PDP Finding, Development and Acquisition9 ("FD&A") costs of $1.00/Mcfe are amongst the lowest in the industry. When combined with an average field netback of $3.26/Mcfe in 2024, this resulted in a 3.3 times recycle ratio10 (2.6 times on an after-tax cash netback11 basis), the Company's best recycle metrics over the last 20 years.   Refer to more details in the February 20, 2025 press release.

  • Fourth quarter production volumes averaged a record 133,426 boe/d (708.1 MMcf/d of natural gas, 15,409 bbls/d of NGLs), an 11% (7% per share) increase year over year, mainly due to strong well results from Peyto’s drilling program. Annual production averaged 125,202 boe/d during 2024, a 19% (9% per share) increase from 2023 due to the Company's drilling program and a full year of operations from the Repsol Canada Energy Partnership acquisition (the "Repsol Acquisition").

  • Quarterly cash costs12 totaled $1.36/Mcfe, including royalties of $0.21/Mcfe, operating expense of $0.50/Mcfe, transportation of $0.27/Mcfe, G&A of $0.05/Mcfe and interest expense of $0.33/Mcfe. Peyto achieved the 10% target reduction of operating expense announced earlier in 2024 in the quarter bringing costs of the Repsol assets closer to Peyto’s legacy assets.   Peyto continues to have the lowest cash costs of Canadian producers in the oil and natural gas industry.

  • Total capital expenditures were $117.5 million in the quarter. Peyto drilled 16 wells (16.0 net), completed 23 wells (23.0 net), and brought 23 wells (23.0 net) on production.