Tracy W. Krohn, W&T’s Board Chair and Chief Executive Officer, stated, “We had another good quarter of positive operational and financial results. While production volumes were temporarily reduced to conduct a planned maintenance turnaround at our onshore facility in the Mobile Bay field, pipeline maintenance projects and other temporary unplanned downtime at non-operated fields, we continued to generate meaningful Adjusted EBITDA and Free Cash Flow. We delivered Adjusted EBITDA of $43.1 million in the first quarter and generated positive Free Cash Flow for the 21st consecutive quarter, totaling $12.4 million. We strengthened our balance sheet by issuing $275 million in new 2026 Senior Second Lien Notes and used the proceeds along with our considerable cash position to repurchase all $552.5 million principal amount of the outstanding 2023 Senior Second Lien Notes. This significantly reduces our interest payments by approximately $22 million per year, preserves our financial flexibility and improves our balance sheet moving forward. We have significant cash and cash equivalents of $177.4 million and our Net Debt to Adjusted EBITDA ratio is down to 0.4 times. We are increasingly better positioned to take advantage of potential acquisitions regardless of what the economic situation may be this year and poised to continue delivering on our strategic vision. Our commitment to enhancing shareholder value through a proven strategy focused on free cash flow generation and operational excellence has positioned us well for the future.”
Production, Prices, and Revenue: Production for the first quarter of 2023 was 32.5 MBoe/d, which was within the Company’s guidance range provided for the quarter. This represented a decrease of 16% from 38.6 Mboe/d for the fourth quarter of 2022 and a decrease of 14% from 37.8 MBoe/d for the corresponding period in 2022. The decrease in production was primarily driven by temporary unplanned downtime at non-operated fields and extended planned downtime associated with a maintenance project at the Company’s Mobile Bay onshore treatment facility to properly maintain, inspect, and clean out process vessels in the plant as well as pipeline maintenance, which shut in production at the Mobile Bay field for 35 days compared to 25 estimated in the guidance range provided for the first quarter of 2023. Shut-in production has mostly been fully restored and total Company production is currently averaging approximately 38.1 Mboe/d. First quarter 2023 production was comprised of 15.0 MBbl/d of oil (46%), 3.3 MBbl/d of natural gas liquids (“NGLs”) (10%), and 85.3 million cubic feet per day (“MMcf/d”) of natural gas (44%).
W&T’s average realized price per barrel of oil equivalent (“Boe”) before realized derivative settlements was $44.32 per Boe in the first quarter of 2023, a decrease of 16% from $52.82 per Boe in the fourth quarter of 2022 and a decrease of 20% from $55.29 per Boe in the first quarter of 2022. Crude oil, NGL, and natural gas prices, before realized derivative settlements for the first quarter of 2023, were $71.85 per barrel, $26.51 per barrel, and $3.23 per Mcf, respectively.
Revenues for the first quarter of 2023 were $131.7 million, which was lower than fourth quarter 2022 revenue of $189.7 million and lower than $191.0 million in the first quarter of 2022, due to a combination of lower realized prices and lower production volumes.
Lease Operating Expense: Lease operating expense (“LOE”), which includes base lease operating expenses, insurance premiums, workovers, facilities maintenance, and hurricane repairs, was $65.2 million in the first quarter of 2023, which was below the midpoint of the previously provided guidance range. This compared to $69.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2022 and $43.4 million for the corresponding period in 2022. On a component basis for the first quarter of 2023, base LOE and insurance premiums were $47.8 million, workovers were $5.0 million, and facilities maintenance and other expenses were $12.4 million. On a unit of production basis, LOE was $22.29 per Boe in the first quarter of 2023. This compares to $19.42 per Boe for the fourth quarter of 2022 and $12.78 per Boe for the first quarter of 2022.
Gathering, Transportation Costs, and Production Taxes: Gathering, transportation costs, and production taxes totaled $6.1 million ($2.10 per Boe) in the first quarter of 2023, compared to $8.5 million ($2.39 per Boe) in the fourth quarter of 2022 and $5.3 million ($1.55 per Boe) in the first quarter of 2022. Production taxes decreased due to lower realized natural gas prices during the first quarter of 2023.
Depreciation, Depletion, Amortization, and Accretion (“DD&A”): DD&A, including accretion expense related to asset retirement obligations (“ARO”), was $10.31 per Boe in the first quarter of 2023. This compares to $9.64 per Boe and $9.10 per Boe for the fourth quarter of 2022 and the first quarter of 2022, respectively.
General & Administrative Expenses (“G&A”): G&A was $19.9 million for the first quarter of 2023, which decreased compared to the fourth quarter of 2022 due to the $2.2 million employee retention credit received by the Company. This compares to $22.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2022 and $13.8 million in the first quarter of 2022. On a unit of production basis, G&A was $6.81 per Boe in the first quarter of 2023 compared to $6.18 per Boe in the fourth quarter of 2022 and $4.05 per Boe in the corresponding period of 2022.