Reducing Full-Year 2019 Capital Guidance
In addition to strong production results, Devon maintained discipline and continued to achieve capital efficiencies across its retained U.S. oil business. This success was reflected in the company’s second-quarter capital spending, which was 9 percent below midpoint guidance, or $478 million. The most significant drilling and completion efficiencies were attained by the company’s Wolfcamp program in the Delaware Basin and infill development activity in the STACK play.
Due to these positive operating trends, Devon is lowering its E&P capital investment expectations by $50 million to a range of $1.8 billion to $1.9 billion in 2019. The reduced investment is driven primarily by drilling and completion efficiencies realizedyear-to-date. In an effort to further optimize returns, the company has also elected to reallocate approximately $50 million of STACK capital to the Delaware and Powder River in the second half of 2019.
For additional details on Devon’s E&P operating results and outlook, please refer to the company’s second-quarter 2019 operations report atwww.devonenergy.com.
Divestiture Program Accelerates Value Creation
In late June, Devon completed the sale of its Canadian business for CAD $3.8 billion, or USD $2.8 billion. Devon received net proceeds of USD $2.6 billion, after purchase-price adjustments associated with the sale. With the sale of Canada, financial results for the company’sheavy-oil business are now presented as discontinued operations in Devon’s consolidated financial statements.
To complete the company’s transformation to a high-return U.S. oil growth business, Devon continues to advance the divestiture process for its Barnett Shale gas assets in north Texas. Data rooms for the Barnett assets are currently open and initial bids are expected by the end of the third quarter.
Revenue Enhanced by Marketing and Hedging Strategy
Devon’s upstream revenue totaled $1.2 billion in the second quarter, with oil sales accounting for 72 percent of total commodity revenues. Oil sales advanced 14 percent compared to the prior quarter due to growth in oil production and improved price realizations. Combined with price protection from firm transportation and hedges, realized oil prices were 97 percent of the West Texas Intermediate benchmark in the quarter.
A contributing factor to second-quarter oil pricing was advantaged marketing agreements in the Delaware Basin. Devon has secured multi-year contractual guarantees that ensure gravity protection up to60-degree oil, which minimizes the potential for price deducts associated with the new West Texas Light index. With these advantaged contracts Delaware Basin oil realizations improved by 12 percent from the previous quarter.
In early August, Devon’s remaining commodity hedges had a positive fair-market valuation of approximately $185 million. This attractive hedging position represents about 75 percent of forecasted oil and gas production in the second half of 2019, mitigating the impact of lower gas and natural gas liquids pricing.
Cost Savings Initiatives Driving Improved Outlook
As previously disclosed, Devon has cost-reduction initiatives underway targeting at least $780 million of annual savings associated with its retained U.S. oil business. Due to the substantial progress achievedyear-to-date, the company is on track to attain more than 70 percent of targeted savings by the end of the year, which is resulting in an improved outlook for several expense line items for the remainder of 2019.