UNITED
STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON,
D.C. 20549
|
x
ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO
SECTION 13 OR 15 (d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF
1934
|
|
For
the fiscal year ended December 31,
2008
|
|
o
TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO
SECTION 13 OR 15 (d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF
1934
|
|
Commission
file number: 000-51719
|
LINN
ENERGY, LLC
(Exact
name of registrant as specified in its charter)
|
Delaware
|
65-1177591
|
|
(State
or other jurisdiction of
incorporation
or organization)
|
(I.R.S.
Employer
Identification
No.)
|
|
600
Travis, Suite 5100
Houston,
Texas
|
77002
|
|
(Address
of principal executive offices)
|
(Zip
Code)
|
Registrant’s
telephone number, including area code
(281)
840-4000
Securities
registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
|
Title of each class
|
|
Name of each exchange on which
registered
|
|
Units
Representing Limited Liability Company Interests
|
|
The
NASDAQ Stock Market LLC
|
Securities registered pursuant to
Section 12(g) of the Act
:
None
Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in
Rule 405 of the Securities
Act. Yes
x
No
o
Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to
Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange
Act. Yes
o
No
x
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to
be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the
registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to
such filing requirements for the past
90 days. Yes
x
No
o
Indicate
by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of
Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the
best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements
incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any
amendment to this
Form 10-K.
o
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an
accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting
company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,”
“accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the
Exchange Act.
Large
accelerated filer
x
Accelerated
filer
o
Non-accelerated
filer
o
Smaller reporting company
o
Indicate
by check-mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule
12b-2 of the Act).
Yes
o
No
x
The
aggregate market value of voting and non-voting common equity held by
non-affiliates of the registrant was approximately $2,717,556,563 on
June 30, 2008, based on $24.85 per unit, the last reported sales price of
the units on The NASDAQ Global Market on such date.
As of
January 30, 2009, there were 114,025,866 units outstanding.
Documents
Incorporated By Reference:
Certain
information called for in Items 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 of Part III are
incorporated by reference from the registrant’s definitive proxy statement for
the annual meeting of unitholders to be held on May 5, 2009.
As
commonly used in the oil and gas industry and as used in this Annual Report on
Form 10-K, the following terms have the following meanings:
Bbl.
One stock
tank barrel or 42 United States gallons liquid volume.
Bcf.
One billion
cubic feet.
Bcfe.
One billion
cubic feet equivalent, determined using a ratio of six Mcf of gas to one Bbl of
oil, condensate or natural gas liquids.
Btu.
One British
thermal unit, which is the heat required to raise the temperature of a one-pound
mass of water from 58.5 to 59.5 degrees Fahrenheit.
Development
well.
A well drilled within the proved area of an oil or gas
reservoir to the depth of a stratigraphic horizon known to be
productive.
Dry hole
or
well.
A well
found to be incapable of producing hydrocarbons in sufficient quantities such
that proceeds from the sale of such production would exceed production expenses
and taxes.
Field.
An area
consisting of a single reservoir or multiple reservoirs all grouped on or
related to the same individual geological structural feature and/or
stratigraphic condition.
Gross acres
or
gross wells.
The
total acres or wells, as the case may be, in which a working interest is
owned.
MBbls.
One
thousand barrels of oil or other liquid hydrocarbons.
MBbls/d.
MBbls per
day.
Mcf.
One thousand
cubic feet.
Mcfe.
One thousand
cubic feet equivalent, determined using the ratio of six Mcf of gas to one Bbl
of oil, condensate or natural gas liquids.
MMBbls.
One
million barrels of oil or other liquid hydrocarbons.
MMBtu.
One million
British thermal units.
MMcf.
One million
cubic feet.
MMcf/d.
MMcf per
day.
MMcfe.
One million
cubic feet equivalent, determined using a ratio of six Mcf of gas to one Bbl of
oil, condensate or natural gas liquids.
MMcfe/d.
MMcfe per
day.
MMMBtu.
One
billion British thermal units.
Net acres
or
net wells.
The
sum of the fractional working interests owned in gross acres or gross wells, as
the case may be.
NGL.
Natural gas
liquids, which are the hydrocarbon liquids contained within gas.
Productive well.
A
well that is found to be capable of producing hydrocarbons in sufficient
quantities such that proceeds from the sale of such production exceeds
production expenses and taxes.
Proved developed
reserves.
Reserves that can be expected to be recovered
through existing wells with existing equipment and operating
methods. Additional oil and gas expected to be obtained through the
application of fluid injection or other improved recovery techniques for
supplementing the natural forces and mechanisms of primary recovery are included
in “proved developed reserves” only after testing by a pilot project or after
the operation of an installed program has confirmed through production response
that increased recovery will be achieved.
Proved
reserves.
Proved oil and gas reserves are the estimated
quantities of oil, gas and natural gas liquids which geological and engineering
data demonstrate with reasonable certainty to be recoverable in future years
from known reservoirs under existing economic and operating conditions, i.e.,
prices and costs as of the date the estimate is made. Prices include
consideration of changes in existing prices provided only by contractual
arrangements, but not on escalations based on future conditions.
Proved undeveloped drilling
location.
A site on which a development well can be drilled
consistent with spacing rules for purposes of recovering proved undeveloped
reserves.
Proved undeveloped reserves
or
PUDs.
Reserves that are expected to be recovered from new
wells on undrilled acreage or from existing wells where a relatively major
expenditure is required for recompletion. Reserves on undrilled
acreage are limited to those drilling units offsetting productive units that are
reasonably certain of production when drilled. Proved reserves for
other undrilled units are claimed only where it can be demonstrated with
certainty that there is continuity of production from the existing productive
formation. Estimates for proved undeveloped reserves are not
attributed to any acreage for which an application of fluid injection or other
improved recovery technique is contemplated, unless such techniques have been
proved effective by actual tests in the area and in the same
reservoir.
Recompletion.
The
completion for production of an existing wellbore in another formation from that
which the well has been previously completed.
Reservoir.
A
porous and permeable underground formation containing a natural accumulation of
economically productive oil and/or gas that is confined by impermeable rock or
water barriers and is individual and separate from other reserves.
Royalty
interest.
An interest that entitles the owner of such interest
to a share of the mineral production from a property or to a share of the
proceeds there from. It does not contain the rights and obligations
of operating the property and normally does not bear any of the costs of
exploration, development and operation of the property.
Standardized measure of discounted
future net cash flows.
The present value of estimated future
net revenues to be generated from the production of proved reserves, determined
in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange
Commission (using prices and costs in effect as of the date of estimation)
without giving effect to non-property related expenses such as general and
administrative expenses, debt service, future income tax expenses or
depreciation, depletion and amortization; discounted using an annual discount
rate of 10%.
Tcfe.
One trillion
cubic feet equivalent, determined using the ratio of six Mcf of gas to one Bbl
of oil, condensate or natural gas liquids.
Undeveloped
acreage.
Lease acreage on which wells have not been drilled or
completed to a point that would permit the production of commercial quantities
of oil and gas regardless of whether such acreage contains proved
reserves.
Unproved
resources.
Resources that are considered less certain to be
recovered than proved reserves. Unproved resources may be further
sub-classified to denote progressively increasing uncertainty of
recoverability.
Working
interest.
The operating interest that gives the owner the
right to drill, produce and conduct operating activities on the property and a
share of production.
Workover.
Maintenance
on a producing well to restore or increase production.
This
Annual Report on Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements based on
expectations, estimates and projections as of the date of this
filing. These statements by their nature are subject to risks,
uncertainties and assumptions and are influenced by various
factors. As a consequence, actual results may differ materially from
those expressed in the forward-looking statements. For more
information see “Forward-Looking Statements” included at the end of this
Item 1. “Business” and see also Item 1A. “Risk Factors.”
References
When
referring to Linn Energy, LLC (“Linn Energy” or the “Company”), the intent is to
refer to Linn Energy and its consolidated subsidiaries as a whole or on an
individual basis, depending on the context in which the statements are
made.
A
reference to a “Note” herein refers to the accompanying Notes to Consolidated
Financial Statements contained in Part II. Item 8. “Financial
Statements and Supplementary Data.”
Overview
Linn
Energy is an independent oil and gas company focused on the development and
acquisition of long life properties which complement its asset profile in
producing basins within the United States. Linn Energy began
operations in March 2003 and completed its initial public offering (“IPO”) in
January 2006. The Company’s properties are currently located in the
Mid-Continent and California.
Proved
reserves at December 31, 2008 were 1,660 Bcfe, of which approximately 51%
were gas, 31% were oil and 18% were natural gas liquids
(“NGL”). Approximately 68% were classified as proved developed, with
a total standardized measure of discounted future net cash flows of $1.42
billion. At December 31, 2008, the Company operated 4,453, or
66%, of its 6,716 gross productive wells. Average proved
reserves-to-production ratio, or average reserve life, is approximately 21
years.
Strategy
The
Company’s primary goal is to provide stability and growth of distributions for
the long-term benefit of its unitholders. The following is a summary
of the key elements of the Company’s business strategy:
|
|
·
|
efficiently
operate and develop acquired
properties;
|
|
|
·
|
reduce
cash flow volatility through commodity price and interest rate hedging;
and
|
|
|
·
|
grow
through acquisition of long life, high quality
properties.
|
The
Company’s business strategy is discussed in more detail below.
Efficiently
Operate and Develop Acquired Properties
The
Company has aligned the operation of its acquired properties into defined
operating regions to minimize operating costs and maximize production and
capital efficiency. The Company maintains a large inventory of
drilling and optimization projects within each region to achieve organic growth
from its capital development program. The Company seeks to be the
operator of its properties so that it can develop drilling programs and
optimization projects that not only replace production, but add value through
reserve and production growth and future operational synergies. The
development program is focused on lower risk, repeatable drilling opportunities
to maintain and/or grow cash flow. Many of the wells are completed in
multiple producing zones with commingled production and long economic
lives. The number, types and location of wells drilled varies
depending on the Company’s capital budget, the cost of each well, anticipated
production and the estimated recoverable reserves attributable to each
well. In addition, the Company seeks to deliver attractive financial
returns by leveraging its experienced workforce and scalable
infrastructure. For 2009, the Company estimates its total drilling
and development capital expenditures will be approximately $150.0
million. This estimate is under
continuous
review and is subject to on-going adjustment. The Company expects to
fund these capital expenditures with cash flow from operations.
Reduce
Cash Flow Volatility Through Commodity Price and Interest Rate
Hedging
An
important part of the Company’s business strategy includes hedging a significant
portion of its forecasted production to reduce exposure to fluctuations in the
prices of oil, gas and NGL. By removing a significant portion of the
price volatility associated with future oil, gas and NGL production, the Company
expects to mitigate, but not eliminate, the potential effects of declining
commodity prices on cash flows from operations for those
periods. These transactions are in the form of swap contracts,
collars and put options. A put option requires the Company to pay the
counterparty a premium equal to the fair value of the option at the purchase
date and receive from the counterparty the excess, if any, of the fixed floor
over the floating market price. The Company has derivative contracts
in place through 2014 covering a significant portion of forecasted production
volumes through 2012 to provide long-term cash flow predictability to pay
distributions, service debt and manage its business.
In
addition, the Company enters into derivative contracts in the form of interest
rate swaps to minimize the effects of fluctuations in interest
rates. Currently, the Company utilizes London Interbank Offered Rate
(“LIBOR”) swaps to convert the borrowing rate on indebtedness under its credit
facility from a floating to fixed rate. At January 30, 2009,
with the new interest rate swap contracts discussed below in “Recent
Developments,” the Company had swapped LIBOR on approximately 88% of debt
outstanding under its credit facility at an average fixed rate of 3.80% through
January 2014. For additional details about the Company’s interest
rate swap agreements and commodity derivative contracts, see Part II.
Item 7. “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and
Results of Operations” and Item 7A. “Quantitative and Qualitative
Disclosures About Market Risk.” See also Note 9 and
Note 10.
Grow
Through Acquisition of Long Life, High Quality Properties
The
Company’s acquisition program targets oil and gas properties which offer long
life, high quality production with relatively predictable decline curves, as
well as lower risk development opportunities. The Company evaluates
acquisitions based on decline profile, reserve life, operational efficiency,
field cash flow and development costs. As part of this strategy, the
Company continually seeks to optimize its asset portfolio, including
divestitures of non-core assets. This allows the Company to redeploy
capital into projects to develop lower risk, long life and low decline
properties which are better suited to its business strategy.
From
inception through the date of this report, the Company has completed 25
acquisitions of working and royalty interests in oil and gas properties and
related gathering and pipeline assets. Excluding the Appalachian
Basin properties sold in July 2008 (discussed in “Asset Sales” below), total
acquired proved reserves were approximately 1.7 Tcfe at an acquisition cost of
approximately $2.17 per Mcfe. The Company finances acquisitions with
a combination of proceeds from the issuance of its units, bank borrowings and
cash flow from operations. See Note 3 for additional details
about the Company’s recent acquisitions.
Asset
Sales
During
the fourth quarter of 2008, the Company completed a year-long portfolio
optimization project. The Company carefully analyzed its asset base
to determine which properties best fit the Linn Energy business model with high
quality reserves and long life production. During 2008, the Company
sold approximately $1.0 billion (contract price) of properties that were
non-core to its business strategy, primarily due to high capital requirements
and high decline characteristics. The Company strategically
capitalized on opportunities to monetize Marcellus Shale acreage in the
Appalachian Basin, high-decline acreage in the Verden area in Oklahoma and
Woodford Shale acreage in Oklahoma.
A summary of
these transactions is as follows:
|
|
·
|
On
July 1, 2008, the Company completed the sale of its interests in oil
and gas properties located in the Appalachian Basin to XTO Energy, Inc.
(“XTO”) for a contract price of $600.0 million. The assets
include approximately 197 Bcfe of proved reserves at December 31,
2007. Net proceeds were $566.5 million
and
|
the
carrying value of net assets sold was $405.8 million, resulting in a gain on the
sale of $160.7 million. The results of the Company’s Appalachian
Basin operations are classified as discontinued operations for all periods
presented (see Note 2).
|
|
·
|
On
August 15, 2008, the Company completed the sale of certain properties
in the Verden area in Oklahoma to Laredo Petroleum, Inc. (“Laredo”) for a
contract price of $185.0 million, subject to closing
adjustments. The assets include approximately 50,000 net acres
and 45 Bcfe of proved reserves at December 31, 2007. Net
proceeds and the carrying value of net assets sold were $169.4
million.
|
|
|
·
|
On
December 4, 2008, the Company completed the sale of its deep rights
in certain central Oklahoma acreage, which includes the Woodford Shale
interval, to Devon Energy Production Company, LP (“Devon”) for a contract
price of $202.3 million, subject to closing
adjustments. The sale included approximately 34,000 net acres
and no producing reserves. Net proceeds were $153.2 million and
the carrying value of net assets sold was $54.2 million, resulting in a
gain on the sale of $99.0 million. In January 2009, certain
post closing matters were resolved and the Company received additional
proceeds of $11.5 million, which will be reported as a gain in the first
quarter of 2009. Pending resolution of title issues, the
Company estimates it may receive additional proceeds ranging from $12.0
million to $18.0 million during the first quarter of
2009.
|
Interest
Rate Swap Restructuring
In
January 2009, the Company amended and extended its interest rate swap
portfolio. The Company canceled, in a cashless transaction, its
existing interest rate swap agreements that settled at a fixed rate of 5.06%
through 2011 (see Note 9) and entered into new agreements that settle at a
fixed rate of 3.80% through 2014. See Note 8 for details about the
Company's credit facility and senior notes. The following presents the
settlement terms of the interest rate swaps:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(dollars
in thousands)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Notional
Amount
|
|
$
|
1,250,000
|
|
|
$
|
1,250,000
|
|
|
$
|
1,250,000
|
|
|
$
|
1,250,000
|
|
|
$
|
1,250,000
|
|
|
$
|
1,250,000
|
|
|
Fixed
Rate
|
|
|
3.80
|
%
|
|
|
3.80
|
%
|
|
|
3.80
|
%
|
|
|
3.80
|
%
|
|
|
3.80
|
%
|
|
|
3.80
|
%
|
|
(1)
|
Represents
interest rate swaps that settle in January
2014.
|
Distributions
In
January 2009, the Company’s Board of Directors declared a cash distribution of
$0.63 per unit with respect to the fourth quarter of 2008. The
distribution totaled approximately $72.5 million and was paid on
February 13, 2009 to unitholders of record as of the close of business on
February 6, 2009.
Unit
Repurchase Plan
In
October 2008, the Board of Directors of the Company authorized the repurchase of
up to $100.0 million of the Company’s outstanding units. During the
year ended December 31, 2008, 1,076,900 units were purchased at an average
unit price of $12.09, for a total cost of approximately $13.0
million. All units were subsequently canceled. The Company
may purchase units from time to time on the open market or in negotiated
purchases. The timing and amounts of any such repurchases will be at
the discretion of management, subject to market conditions and other factors,
and will be in accordance with applicable securities laws and other legal
requirements. The repurchase plan does not obligate the Company to
acquire any specific number of units and may be discontinued at any
time. Units are purchased at fair market value on the date of
purchase.
Credit
and Capital Market Disruptions
Multiple
events during 2008 involving numerous financial institutions have effectively
restricted current liquidity within the capital markets throughout the United
States and around the world. Despite efforts by treasury and banking
regulators in the United States, Europe and other nations to provide liquidity
to the financial sector, capital
markets
currently remain constrained. To the extent the Company accesses
credit or capital markets in the near term, its ability to obtain terms and
pricing similar to its existing terms and pricing may be
limited. During 2009, the Company plans to renegotiate its credit
facility, which matures in August 2010. Entry into a new credit
facility is expected to result in increased interest expense and there can be no
assurance that the borrowing base will remain at the current
level. In addition, the Company cannot be assured that counterparties
to the Company’s derivative contracts will be able to perform under these
contracts. For additional information about these and other risk
factors that could affect the Company, see Item 1A. “Risk
Factors.”
Operating
Regions
The
Company’s properties are located in three regions in the United
States:
|
|
·
|
Mid-Continent
Deep, which includes the Texas Panhandle Deep Granite Wash formation and
deep formations in Oklahoma;
|
|
|
·
|
Mid-Continent
Shallow, which includes the Texas Panhandle Brown Dolomite formation and
shallow formations in Oklahoma; and
|
|
|
·
|
Western,
which includes the Brea Olinda Field of the Los Angeles Basin in
California.
|
Mid-Continent
Deep
The
Mid-Continent Deep region includes properties in the Deep Granite Wash formation
in the Texas Panhandle, which produces at depths ranging from 8,900 feet to
16,000 feet, as well as properties in Oklahoma which produce at depths over
8,000 feet. Mid-Continent Deep proved reserves represented
approximately 54% of total proved reserves at December 31, 2008, of which
69% were classified as proved developed reserves. This region
produced 136 MMcfe/d, or 64%, of the Company’s 2008 average daily
production. During 2008, the Company invested approximately $218.3
million to drill in this region. During 2009, the Company anticipates
spending approximately 70% of its total capital budget for development
activities in the Mid-Continent Deep region.
Mid-Continent
Shallow
The
Mid-Continent Shallow region includes properties producing from the Brown
Dolomite formation in the Texas Panhandle, which produces at depths of
approximately 3,200 feet, as well as properties in Oklahoma which produce at
depths under 8,000 feet. Mid-Continent Shallow proved reserves
represented approximately 33% of total proved reserves at December 31,
2008, of which 60% were classified as proved developed reserves. This
region produced 63 MMcfe/d, or 30%, of the Company’s 2008 average daily
production. During 2008, the Company invested approximately $70.7
million to drill in this region. During 2009, the Company anticipates
spending approximately 25% of its total capital budget for development
activities in the Mid-Continent Shallow region.
In order
to more efficiently transport its gas in the Mid-Continent Deep and
Mid-Continent Shallow regions to market, the Company owns and operates a network
of gas gathering systems comprised of approximately 900 miles of pipeline and
associated compression and metering facilities which connect to numerous sales
outlets in the Texas Panhandle.
Western
The
Western region consists of the Brea Olinda Field of the Los Angeles Basin in
California. The Brea Olinda Field was discovered in 1880 and produces
from the shallow Pliocene formation to the deeper Miocene
formation. Western proved reserves represented approximately 13% of
total proved reserves at December 31, 2008, of which 87% were classified as
proved developed reserves. This region produced 13 MMcfe/d, or 6%, of
the Company’s 2008 average daily production. During 2008, the Company
invested approximately $3.1 million to drill in this region. During
2009, the Company anticipates spending approximately 5% of its total capital
budget for development activities in the Western region.
The
Western region also includes the operation of a gas processing facility which
processes produced gas from Company and third party wells. Processed
gas is utilized to generate electricity which is used in the field to power
equipment, resulting in reduced operating costs. Revenues are also
generated from the sale of excess power.
Drilling
and Acreage
The
following sets forth the wells drilled in the Mid-Continent Deep, Mid-Continent
Shallow and Western operating regions during the periods indicated (“gross”
refers to the total wells in which the Company had a working interest and “net”
refers to gross wells multiplied by its working interest):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gross
wells:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Productive
|
|
|
304
|
|
|
|
136
|
|
|
|
3
|
|
|
Non-productive
|
|
|
2
|
|
|
|
2
|
|
|
|
1
|
|
|
Total
|
|
|
306
|
|
|
|
138
|
|
|
|
4
|
|
|
Net
development wells:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Productive
|
|
|
189
|
|
|
|
112
|
|
|
|
1
|
|
|
Non-productive
|
|
|
1
|
|
|
|
2
|
|
|
|
1
|
|
|
Total
|
|
|
190
|
|
|
|
114
|
|
|
|
2
|
|
|
Net
exploratory wells:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Productive
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
Non-productive
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
Total
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
The total
wells above exclude 45, 115 and 155 gross wells (45, 105 and 150 net wells)
drilled in the Appalachian Basin during the years ended December 31, 2008,
2007 and 2006, respectively. The totals above do not include 23 and
25 lateral segments added to existing vertical wellbores in the Mid-Continent
Shallow region during the years ended December 31, 2008 and 2007,
respectively. At December 31, 2008, the Company had 7 gross (4
net) wells in process.
The
information should not be considered indicative of future performance, nor
should it be assumed that there is necessarily any correlation between the
number of productive wells drilled, quantities of reserves found or economic
value. Productive wells are those that produce commercial quantities
of oil, gas or NGL, regardless of whether they generate a reasonable rate of
return.
The
following sets forth information about the Company’s drilling locations and net
acres of leasehold interests as of December 31, 2008:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Proved
undeveloped
|
|
|
1,259
|
|
|
Other
locations
|
|
|
2,810
|
|
|
Total
drilling locations
|
|
|
4,069
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Leasehold
interests – net acres (in thousands)
|
|
|
737
|
|
(1)
Does
not include optimization projects.
As shown
in the table above, as of December 31, 2008, the Company had 1,259 proved
undeveloped drilling locations (specific drilling locations as to which the
independent engineering firm, DeGolyer and MacNaughton, assigned proved
undeveloped reserves as of such date) and the Company had identified 2,810
additional unproved drilling locations (specific drilling locations as to which
DeGolyer and MacNaughton has not assigned any proved reserves) on acreage that
the Company has under existing leases. As successful development
wells frequently result in the reclassification of adjacent lease acreage from
unproved to proved, the Company expects that a significant number of its
unproved drilling locations will be reclassified as proved drilling locations
prior to the actual drilling of these locations.
Productive
Wells
The
following table sets forth information relating to the productive wells in which
the Company owned a working interest as of December 31,
2008. Productive wells consist of producing wells and wells capable
of production, including wells awaiting pipeline or other connections to
commence deliveries. “Gross” wells refers to the total number of
producing wells in which the Company has an interest, and “net” wells refers to
the sum of its fractional working interests owned in gross wells. The
number of wells below does not include approximately 2,200 productive wells in
which the Company owns a royalty interest only.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operated
(1)
|
|
|
1,969
|
|
|
|
1,647
|
|
|
|
2,484
|
|
|
|
2,271
|
|
|
|
4,453
|
|
|
|
3,918
|
|
|
Non-operated
(2)
|
|
|
1,313
|
|
|
|
205
|
|
|
|
950
|
|
|
|
54
|
|
|
|
2,263
|
|
|
|
259
|
|
|
Total
|
|
|
3,282
|
|
|
|
1,852
|
|
|
|
3,434
|
|
|
|
2,325
|
|
|
|
6,716
|
|
|
|
4,177
|
|
|
(1)
|
10
operated wells had multiple completions at December 31,
2008.
|
|
(2)
|
3
non-operated wells had multiple completions at December 31,
2008.
|
Developed
and Undeveloped Acreage
The
following sets forth information as of December 31, 2008, relating to
leasehold acreage:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(in
thousands)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Leasehold
acreage
|
|
|
1,555
|
|
|
|
664
|
|
|
|
116
|
|
|
|
73
|
|
|
|
1,671
|
|
|
|
737
|
|
Production,
Price and Cost History
The
results of the Company’s Appalachian Basin and Mid Atlantic Well Service, Inc.
(“Mid Atlantic”) operations are classified as discontinued operations for all
periods presented (see Note 2). Unless otherwise indicated,
results of operations information presented herein relates only to Linn Energy’s
continuing operations.
The
Company’s gas production is primarily sold under market sensitive price
contracts, which typically sell at differentials to The New York Mercantile
Exchange (“NYMEX”) or Panhandle Eastern Pipeline (“PEPL”) gas prices due to the
Btu content and the proximity to major consuming markets. The
Company’s gas production is sold to purchasers under percentage-of-proceeds
contracts, percentage-of-index contracts or spot price contracts. By
the terms of the percentage-of-proceeds contracts, the Company receives a
percentage of the resale price received by the purchaser for sales of residual
gas and NGL recovered after transportation and processing of
gas. These purchasers sell the residual gas and NGL based primarily
on spot market prices. Under percentage-of-index contracts, the price
per MMBtu the Company receives for gas is tied to indexes published in
Gas Daily
or
Inside FERC Gas Market Report.
Although exact percentages vary daily, as of December 31, 2008,
approximately 90% of the Company’s gas and NGL production was sold under
short-term contracts at market-sensitive or spot prices. At
December 31, 2008, the Company had gas throughput delivery commitments
under long-term contracts of approximately 5,797 MMcf, 2,102 MMcf, 1,045 MMcf
and 784 MMcf for the years ended December 31, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012,
respectively.
The
Company’s oil production is primarily sold under market sensitive
percentage-of-index contracts and percentage-of-proceeds contracts and as of
December 31, 2008, approximately 80% of its oil production was sold under
short-term contracts. At December 31, 2008, the Company had no
delivery commitments for oil production.
As
discussed in the “Strategy” section above, the Company enters into derivative
contracts in the form of swap contracts, collars and put options to reduce the
impact of commodity price volatility on its cash flow from
operations. By
removing price volatility from a significant portion of its production, the
Company has mitigated, but not eliminated, potential effects of fluctuating oil,
gas and NGL prices on its cash flow from operations for those
periods.
The
following sets forth information regarding net production of oil, gas and NGL
and certain price information for each of the periods indicated:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Average daily production
–
continuing
operations:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gas
(MMcf/d)
|
|
|
124
|
|
|
|
51
|
|
|
|
2
|
|
|
Oil
(MBbls/d)
|
|
|
9
|
|
|
|
3
|
|
|
|
1
|
|
|
NGL
(MBbls/d)
|
|
|
6
|
|
|
|
3
|
|
|
|
―
|
|
|
Total
(MMcfe/d)
|
|
|
212
|
|
|
|
87
|
|
|
|
8
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Average daily production
–
discontinued
operations:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
(MMcfe/d)
|
|
|
12
|
|
|
|
24
|
|
|
|
22
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Weighted average prices
(hedged):
(1)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gas
(Mcf)
|
|
$
|
8.42
|
|
|
$
|
8.36
|
|
|
$
|
―
|
|
|
Oil
(Bbl)
|
|
$
|
80.92
|
|
|
$
|
67.07
|
|
|
$
|
―
|
|
|
NGL
(Bbl)
|
|
$
|
57.86
|
|
|
$
|
55.51
|
|
|
$
|
―
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Weighted average prices
(unhedged):
(2)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gas
(Mcf)
|
|
$
|
7.39
|
|
|
$
|
6.39
|
|
|
$
|
5.99
|
|
|
Oil
(Bbl)
|
|
$
|
92.78
|
|
|
$
|
66.44
|
|
|
$
|
49.55
|
|
|
NGL
(Bbl)
|
|
$
|
57.86
|
|
|
$
|
55.51
|
|
|
$
|
―
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Representative
NYMEX oil and gas prices:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gas
(MMBtu)
|
|
$
|
9.04
|
|
|
$
|
6.86
|
|
|
$
|
7.23
|
|
|
Oil
(Bbl)
|
|
$
|
99.65
|
|
|
$
|
72.34
|
|
|
$
|
66.21
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Costs
per Mcfe of production:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Lease
operating expenses
|
|
$
|
1.49
|
|
|
$
|
1.31
|
|
|
$
|
2.36
|
|
|
Transportation
expenses
|
|
$
|
0.23
|
|
|
$
|
0.17
|
|
|
$
|
0.01
|
|
|
General
and administrative expenses
(3)
|
|
$
|
1.00
|
|
|
$
|
1.61
|
|
|
$
|
13.61
|
|
|
Depreciation,
depletion and amortization
|
|
$
|
2.50
|
|
|
$
|
2.16
|
|
|
$
|
1.56
|
|
|
Taxes,
other than income taxes
|
|
$
|
0.79
|
|
|
$
|
0.70
|
|
|
$
|
0.09
|
|
|
(1)
|
Includes
the effect of realized gains of $9.4 million (excluding $81.4 million
realized losses on canceled derivative contracts) and $37.3 million on
derivatives for the years ended December 31, 2008 and 2007,
respectively. During the year ended December 31, 2008, the
Company canceled (before the contract settlement date) derivative
contracts on estimated future gas production primarily associated with
properties in the Appalachian Basin and Verden areas resulting in realized
losses of $81.4 million. This information is not presented for
the year ended December 31, 2006 because it is not meaningful due to
the classification of Appalachian Basin results of operations in
discontinued operations (see
Note 2).
|
|
(2)
|
Does
not include the effect of realized gains (losses) on
derivatives.
|
|
(3)
|
General
and administrative expenses for the years ended December 31, 2008,
2007 and 2006 includes approximately $14.6 million, $13.5 million and
$21.6 million, respectively, of non-cash unit-based compensation and unit
warrant expenses. General and administrative expenses for the
year ended December 31, 2006 also includes $2.0 million of IPO
bonuses paid to certain executive officers. Excluding these
amounts, general and administrative expenses for the years ended
December 31, 2008, 2007 and 2006 were $0.81 per Mcfe, $1.19 per Mcfe
and $5.14 per Mcfe, respectively. This is a non-GAAP measure
used by management to analyze the Company’s
performance.
|
Proved
Reserves
Proved
oil and gas reserves are the estimated quantities of oil, gas and NGL which
geological and engineering data demonstrate with reasonable certainty to be
recoverable in future years from known reservoirs under existing economic and
operating conditions, i.e., prices and costs as of the date the estimate is
made. Prices include consideration of changes in existing prices, but
not escalations based on future conditions. For additional
information regarding estimates of oil, gas and NGL reserves, including
estimates of proved and proved developed reserves and the standardized measure
of discounted future net cash flows see Supplemental Oil and Gas Data
(Unaudited) in Item 8. “Financial Statements and Supplementary
Data.”
The
following presents estimated net proved oil, gas and NGL reserves and the
standardized measure of discounted future net cash flows at December 31,
2008, 2007 and 2006, based on reserve reports prepared by independent engineers
DeGolyer and MacNaughton. The standardized measure of discounted
future net cash flows is not intended to represent the market value of estimated
oil, gas and NGL reserves.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reserve
data – continuing operations:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Estimated
net proved reserves:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gas
(Bcf)
|
|
|
851
|
|
|
|
833
|
|
|
|
77
|
|
|
Oil
(MMBbls)
|
|
|
84
|
|
|
|
55
|
|
|
|
30
|
|
|
NGL
(MMBbls)
|
|
|
51
|
|
|
|
43
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
Total
(Bcfe)
|
|
|
1,660
|
|
|
|
1,419
|
|
|
|
255
|
|
|
Proved
developed (Bcfe)
|
|
|
1,134
|
|
|
|
1,024
|
|
|
|
195
|
|
|
Proved
undeveloped (Bcfe)
|
|
|
526
|
|
|
|
395
|
|
|
|
60
|
|
|
Proved
developed reserves as a % of total proved reserves
|
|
|
68
|
%
|
|
|
72
|
%
|
|
|
76
|
%
|
|
Standardized
measure of discounted future net cash flows (in millions)
|
|
$
|
1,424
|
|
|
$
|
3,175
|
|
|
$
|
299
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reserve
data – discontinued operations:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Estimated
net proved reserves:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gas
(Bcf)
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
195
|
|
|
|
197
|
|
|
Oil
(MMBbls)
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
1
|
|
|
|
1
|
|
|
Total
(Bcfe)
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
197
|
|
|
|
199
|
|
|
Proved
developed (Bcfe)
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
148
|
|
|
|
119
|
|
|
Proved
undeveloped (Bcfe)
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
49
|
|
|
|
80
|
|
|
Proved
developed reserves as a % of total proved reserves
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
75
|
%
|
|
|
60
|
%
|
|
Standardized
measure of discounted future net cash flows (in millions)
|
|
$
|
—
|
|
|
$
|
283
|
|
|
$
|
254
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Representative
NYMEX oil and gas prices at period end:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gas
(MMBtu)
|
|
$
|
5.71
|
|
|
$
|
6.80
|
|
|
$
|
5.64
|
|
|
Oil
(Bbl)
|
|
$
|
39.22
|
|
|
$
|
95.92
|
|
|
$
|
61.05
|
|
The data
in the above table are estimates. Oil and gas reserve engineering is
inherently a subjective process of estimating underground accumulations of oil
and gas that cannot be measured exactly. The accuracy of any reserve
estimate is a function of the quality of available data and engineering and
geological interpretation and judgment. Accordingly, reserve
estimates may vary from the quantities of oil and gas that are ultimately
recovered.
These
reserve estimates are reviewed and approved by Company senior engineering staff
and management, with final approval by its Chief Operating
Officer. The process performed by the independent engineers to
prepare reserve amounts included their estimation of reserve quantities, future
producing rates, future net revenue and the present value of such future net
revenue. The independent engineering firms also prepared estimates
with respect to reserve categorization, using the definitions for proved
reserves set forth in Regulation S-X Rule 4-10(a) and subsequent
Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) staff interpretations and
guidance. In the conduct of their preparation of the reserve
estimates, the independent engineering firms did not independently verify the
accuracy
and
completeness of information and data furnished by the Company with respect to
ownership interests, oil and gas production, well test data, historical costs of
operation and development, product prices, or any agreements relating to current
and future operations of the properties and sales of
production. However, if in the course of their work, something came
to their attention which brought into question the validity or sufficiency of
any such information or data, they did not rely on such information or data
until they had satisfactorily resolved their questions relating
thereto. Their estimates of reserves conform to the guidelines of the
SEC, including the criteria of “reasonable certainty,” as it pertains to
expectations about the recoverability of reserves in future years, under
existing economic and operating conditions. The Company has not filed
reserve estimates with any federal authority or agency, with the exception of
the SEC, since the last fiscal year ended.
Future
prices received for production may vary, perhaps significantly, from the prices
assumed for the purposes of estimating the standardized measure of discounted
future net cash flows. The standardized measure of discounted future
net cash flows should not be construed as the market value of the reserves at
the dates shown. The 10% discount factor required to be used pursuant
to Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (“SFAS”) No. 69,
“Disclosures about Oil and Gas
Producing Activities”
(“SFAS 69”) may not be the most appropriate
discount factor based on interest rates in effect from time to time and risks
associated with the Company or the oil and gas industry. The
standardized measure of discounted future net cash flows is materially affected
by assumptions about the timing of future production, which may prove to be
inaccurate.
Operational
Overview
General
The
Company seeks to be the operator of its properties so that it can control the
drilling programs that not only replace production, but add value through the
growth of reserves and future operational synergies. Many of the
Company’s wells are completed in multiple producing zones with commingled
production and long economic lives.
Principal
Customers
For the
year ended December 31, 2008, sales of oil, gas and NGL to DCP Midstream
Partners, LP, ConocoPhillips and Enbridge Energy accounted for approximately
23%, 12% and 11%, respectively, of the Company’s total volumes, or 46% in the
aggregate. If the Company were to lose any one of its major oil and
gas purchasers, the loss could temporarily cease or delay production and sale of
its oil and gas in that particular purchaser’s service area. If the
Company were to lose a purchaser, it believes it could identify a substitute
purchaser. However, if one or more of these large gas purchasers
ceased purchasing oil and gas altogether, it could have a detrimental effect on
the oil and gas market in general and on the volume of oil and gas that it is
able to sell.
Competition
The oil
and gas industry is highly competitive. The Company encounters strong
competition from other independent operators and master limited partnerships in
acquiring properties, contracting for drilling and other related services and
securing trained personnel. The Company is also affected by
competition for drilling rigs and the availability of related
equipment. In the past, the oil and gas industry has experienced
shortages of drilling rigs, equipment, pipe and personnel, which has delayed
development drilling and has caused significant price increases. The
Company is unable to predict when, or if, such shortages may occur or how they
would affect its drilling program.
Operating
Hazards and Insurance
The oil
and gas industry involves a variety of operating hazards and risks that could
result in substantial losses from, among other things, injury or loss of life,
severe damage to or destruction of property, natural resources and equipment,
pollution or other environmental damage, cleanup responsibilities, regulatory
investigation and penalties and suspension of operations.
In
addition, the Company may be liable for environmental damages caused by previous
owners of property it purchases and leases. As a result, the Company
may incur substantial liabilities to third parties or governmental entities, the
payment of which could reduce or eliminate funds available for acquisitions,
development or distributions, or result in the loss of properties.
In
accordance with customary industry practices, the Company maintains insurance
against some, but not all, potential losses. The Company cannot
provide assurance that any insurance it obtains will be adequate to cover any
losses or liabilities. The Company cannot predict the continued
availability of insurance or the availability of insurance at premium levels
that justify its purchase. The Company has elected to self-insure for
trucks and vehicles licensed to operate on public highways and
roads. The Company may elect to self-insure for additional items if
it is determined that the cost of available insurance is excessive relative to
the risks presented. In addition, pollution and environmental risks
generally are not fully insurable. The occurrence of an event not
fully covered by insurance could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s
financial position and results of operations.
The
Company participates in wells on a non-operated basis and therefore may be
limited in its ability to control the risks associated with oil, gas and NGL
operations.
Title
to Properties
Prior to
the commencement of drilling operations, the Company conducts a thorough title
examination and performs curative work with respect to significant
defects. To the extent title opinions or other investigations reflect
title defects on those properties, the Company is typically responsible for
curing any title defects at its expense prior to commencing drilling
operations. Prior to completing an acquisition of producing gas
leases, the Company performs title reviews on the most significant leases and,
depending on the materiality of properties, the Company may obtain a title
opinion or review previously obtained title opinions. As a result,
the Company has obtained title opinions on a significant portion of its oil and
gas properties and believes that it has satisfactory title to its producing
properties in accordance with standards generally accepted in the oil and gas
industry. Oil and gas properties are subject to customary royalty and
other interests, liens for current taxes and other burdens which do not
materially interfere with the use of or affect the carrying value of the
properties.
Seasonal
Nature of Business
Seasonal
weather conditions and lease stipulations can limit the drilling and producing
activities and other operations in regions of the United States that the Company
operates in. These seasonal conditions can pose challenges for
meeting the well drilling objectives and increase competition for equipment,
supplies and personnel, which could lead to shortages and increase costs or
delay operations. For example, Company operations in all regions may
be impacted by ice and snow in the winter and by electrical storms and high
temperatures in the spring and summer, as well as by wild fires in the
fall.
The
demand for gas typically decreases during the summer months and increases during
the winter months. Seasonal anomalies such as mild winters or hot
summers sometimes lessen this fluctuation. In addition, certain gas
users utilize gas storage facilities and purchase some of their anticipated
winter requirements during the summer, which can also lessen seasonal demand
fluctuations. The demand for crude oil is generally determined at a
global level, based on supply shortage concerns driven primarily by natural
disasters such as hurricanes and by political instability in certain oil
producing regions of the world.
Environmental
Matters and Regulation
The
Company’s operations are subject to stringent federal, state and local laws and
regulations governing the discharge of materials into the environment or
otherwise relating to environmental protection. The Company’s
operations are subject to the same environmental laws and regulations as other
companies in the oil and gas industry. These laws and regulations
may:
|
|
·
|
require
the acquisition of various permits before drilling
commences;
|
|
|
·
|
require
the installation of expensive pollution control
equipment;
|
|
|
·
|
restrict
the types, quantities and concentration of various substances that can be
released into the environment in connection with drilling and production
activities;
|
|
|
·
|
limit
or prohibit drilling activities on lands lying within wilderness, wetlands
and other protected areas;
|
|
|
·
|
require
remedial measures to prevent pollution from former operations, such as pit
closure and plugging of abandoned
wells;
|
|
|
·
|
impose
substantial liabilities for pollution resulting from operations;
and
|
|
|
·
|
with
respect to operations affecting federal lands or leases, require
preparation of a Resource Management Plan, an Environmental Assessment,
and/or an Environmental Impact
Statement.
|
These
laws, rules and regulations may also restrict the rate of oil and gas production
below the rate that would otherwise be possible. The regulatory
burden on the oil and gas industry increases the cost of doing business and
consequently affects profitability. Additionally, Congress and
federal and state agencies frequently revise environmental laws and regulations,
and any changes that result in more stringent and costly waste handling,
disposal and clean-up requirements for the oil and gas industry could have a
significant impact on operating costs.
The
environmental laws and regulations applicable to the Company and its operations
include, among others, the following United States federal laws and
regulations:
|
|
·
|
Clean
Air Act, and its amendments, which governs air
emissions;
|
|
|
·
|
Clean
Water Act, which governs discharges to waters of the United
States;
|
|
|
·
|
Comprehensive
Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, which imposes
liability where hazardous releases have occurred or are threatened to
occur (commonly known as
“Superfund”);
|
|
|
·
|
Energy
Independence and Security Act of 2007, which prescribes new fuel economy
standards and other energy saving
measures;
|
|
|
·
|
National
Environmental Policy Act, which governs oil and gas production activities
on federal lands;
|
|
|
·
|
Resource
Conservation and Recovery Act, which governs the management of solid
waste;
|
|
|
·
|
Safe
Drinking Water Act, which governs the underground injection and disposal
of wastewater; and
|
|
|
·
|
U.S.
Department of Interior regulations, which impose liability for pollution
cleanup and damages.
|
Various
states regulate the drilling for, and the production, gathering and sale of, oil
and gas, including imposing production taxes and requirements for obtaining
drilling permits. States also regulate the method of developing new
fields, the spacing and operation of wells and the prevention of waste of oil
and gas resources. States may regulate rates of production and may
establish maximum daily production allowables from gas wells based on market
demand or resource conservation, or both. States do not regulate
wellhead prices or engage in other similar direct economic regulation, but there
can be no assurance that they will not do so in the future. The
effect of these regulations may be to limit the amounts of oil, gas and NGL that
may be produced from the Company’s wells and to limit the number of wells or
locations it can drill. The oil and gas industry is also subject to
compliance with various other federal, state and local regulations and
laws. Some of those laws relate to occupational safety, resource
conservation and equal opportunity employment.
The
Company believes that it substantially complies with all current applicable
environmental laws and regulations and that continued compliance with existing
requirements will not have a material adverse impact on its financial condition
or results of operations. Future regulations that could impact the
Company include the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed rule entitled
Regulating Greenhouse Gas Emissions Under the Clean Air Act as well as a
proposed “cap-and-trade” scheme for greenhouse gas emissions. The
Company cannot predict how future environmental laws and regulations may impact
its properties or operations. For the year ended December 31,
2008, the Company did not incur any material capital expenditures for
installation of remediation or pollution control equipment at any of the
Company’s facilities. The Company is not aware of any environmental
issues or claims that will require material capital expenditures during 2009 or
that will otherwise have a material impact on its financial position or results
of operations.
Executive
Officers of the Company
|
|
|
|
|
Position
with the Company
|
|
Michael
C. Linn
|
|
57
|
|
Chairman
and Chief Executive Officer
|
|
Mark
E. Ellis
|
|
53
|
|
President
and Chief Operating Officer
|
|
Kolja
Rockov
|
|
38
|
|
Executive
Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
|
|
David
B. Rottino
|
|
43
|
|
Senior
Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer
|
|
Charlene
A. Ripley
|
|
45
|
|
Senior
Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary
|
|
Arden
L. Walker, Jr.
|
|
49
|
|
Senior
Vice President - Operations and Chief
Engineer
|
Michael C. Linn
is the
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Company and has served in such
capacity since December 2007. Prior to that, from June 2006 to
December 2007, Mr. Linn served as Chairman, President and Chief Executive
Officer and from March 2003 to June 2006, he was the President, Chief Executive
Officer and Director. From 2000 to 2003 Mr. Linn was President of
Allegheny Interests, Inc., a private oil and gas investment
company. From 1980 to 1999, Mr. Linn served as General Counsel
(1980-1982), Vice President (1982-1987), President (1987-1990) and Chief
Executive Officer (1990-1999) of Meridian Exploration, a private Appalachian
Basin oil and gas company that was sold to Columbia Natural Resources in
1999. Both Allegheny Interests and Meridian Exploration were wholly
owned by Mr. Linn and his family. Mr. Linn is the immediate
past Chairman of the Independent Petroleum Association of America, the largest
national trade association of independent oil and gas producers. He
currently sits on the Boards of the National Petroleum Council, the American
Exploration and Production Council and the National Association of Manufacturers
and is a member of the oil and gas industry’s 25 Year Club. He was
recently appointed as a Texas representative to the Legal and Regulatory Affairs
Committee of the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission. He is
also Chairman of the Houston Wildcatters Committee of the Texas Alliance of
Energy Producers. Mr. Linn regularly appears on behalf of the
industry before state and federal agencies, such as the Department of Energy,
Department of the Treasury, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the
Environmental Protection Agency. In addition, he has testified on
behalf of the industry before various committees and subcommittees of the U.S.
House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate and is regularly quoted and has
published various articles for trade publications and newspapers. He
is also a frequent guest on radio and television programs representing the
industry. Mr. Linn’s civic affiliations include memberships on
the board of the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, as well as the board of Texas
Heart Institute and Small Steps Nurturing Center. In addition, he is
the Chairman of the Corporate Committee for Capital Campaign of Texas Children’s
Hospital and serves on the Board of Trustees for Texas Children’s
Hospital. He also serves on the Committee for the Bush-Clinton
Coastal Recovery Fund.
Mark E. Ellis
is the
President and Chief Operating Officer and has served in such capacity since
December 2007. From December 2006 to December 2007, Mr. Ellis
was the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the
Company. Mr. Ellis has over 30 years of experience in the oil
and gas industry, most recently serving as President, Lower 48 for
ConocoPhillips from April 2006 to November 2006. Prior to joining
ConocoPhillips, Mr. Ellis served as Senior Vice President of North American
Production for Burlington Resources from September 2004 to April
2006. He served as President of Burlington Resources Canada Ltd. in
Calgary from October 2000 to September 2004. Mr. Ellis joined
Burlington Resources in 1985 and also held the positions of Vice President of
the San Juan Division, Vice President and Chief Engineer and Manager of
Acquisitions. He began his career at The Superior Oil Company, where
he served in several engineering positions in the Onshore and Offshore
divisions. Mr. Ellis is a member of the Society of Petroleum
Engineers and a past board member of the New Mexico Oil & Gas Association,
the Board of Governors of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers and
served on the Foundation Board of the Alberta Children’s
Hospital. Mr. Ellis currently serves on the Board of The Center
for Hearing and Speech in Houston, Industry Board of Petroleum Engineering at
Texas A&M University, the Visiting Committee of Petroleum Engineering at the
Colorado School of Mines and the Houston Museum of Natural Science.
Kolja Rockov
is the Executive
Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Rockov has over
15 years of experience in the oil and gas finance industry. From
October 2004 until he joined Linn Energy in March 2005, Mr. Rockov served
as a Managing Director in the Energy Group at RBC Capital Markets, where he was
primarily responsible for investment banking coverage of the U.S. exploration
and production sector. From September 2000 until October 2004,
Mr. Rockov was a Director at RBC Capital Markets. Prior to
September 2000, Mr. Rockov held
various
senior positions with Dain Rauscher Wessels and Rauscher Pierce Refsnes, Inc.,
predecessors of RBC Capital Markets.
David B. Rottino
is the
Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer and has served in that
position since June 2008. Mr. Rottino’s career includes over 15
years of oil and gas accounting experience, most recently serving as Vice
President and E&P Controller for El Paso Corporation from June 2006 to May
2008. Prior to joining El Paso Corporation, Mr. Rottino served
as Assistant Controller for ConocoPhillips from April 2006 to June
2006. He was Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for the
Canadian division of Burlington Resources from July 2005 to April 2006 and
served as Burlington Resources’ Director of Financial Analysis and Corporate
Accounting from August 2000 to July 2005. Mr. Rottino joined
Burlington Resources in 1996 and has served in a broad range of accounting and
audit positions. Mr. Rottino is a Certified Public Accountant
and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and Texas
Society of Certified Public Accountants. In addition, he currently
serves on the Board of the June Rusche Hamrah Camp For All.
Charlene A. Ripley
is
the Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary and has
served in that position since April 2007. Prior to joining the
Company, Ms. Ripley held the position of Vice President, General Counsel,
Corporate Secretary and Chief Compliance Officer at Anadarko Petroleum
Corporation from 2006 until April 2007 and served as Vice President, General
Counsel and Corporate Secretary from 2004 until 2006, Vice President and General
Counsel from 2003 to 2004 and Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of
Anadarko Canada Corporation and its predecessor companies since
1998.
Arden L. Walker, Jr.
is
the Senior Vice President - Operations and Chief Engineer of the
Company. Mr. Walker joined the Company in February 2007 to
oversee its Western operations, which, at that time, included California,
Oklahoma and Texas, and he is currently responsible for oversight of the
Company’s operations in all regions. In addition, Mr. Walker
serves in the capacity of chief engineer for the Company and is responsible for
the Company’s reserve review and booking processes. From April 2006
until he joined the Company in February 2007, Mr. Walker served as Asset
Development Manager, San Juan Business Unit for ConocoPhillips
Company. From June 2004 to April 2006, Mr. Walker served as
General Manager, Asset Development in San Juan Division for Burlington
Resources. From January 2002 until June 2004, Mr. Walker served
as Business Development Manager in San Juan Division for Burlington
Resources. Mr. Walker began his career with El Paso Exploration
Company in 1982 and has served in a broad range of engineering, business
development and management positions with Burlington Resources since that
time. Mr. Walker is a member of the Society of Petroleum
Engineers, Independent Petroleum Association of America and California
Independent Petroleum Association.
Employees
As of
December 31, 2008, the Company employed approximately 505
personnel. None of the employees are represented by labor unions or
covered by any collective bargaining agreement. The Company believes
that its relationship with its employees is satisfactory.
Principal
Executive Offices
The
Company is a Delaware limited liability company with headquarters in
Texas. The principal executive offices are located at 600 Travis,
Suite 5100, Houston, Texas 77002. The main telephone number is (281)
840-4000.
Company
Website
The
Company’s internet website is
www.linnenergy.com
. The
Company makes available free of charge on or through its website Annual Reports
on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on
Form 8-K, and any amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant
to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 as soon as
reasonably practicable after the Company electronically files such material
with, or furnishes it to, the SEC. Information on the Company’s
website should not be considered a part of, or incorporated by reference into,
this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
The SEC
maintains an internet website that contains these reports at
www.sec.gov
. Any
materials that the Company files with the SEC may be read or copied at the SEC’s
Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, NE, Washington, DC
20549. Information concerning the operation of the Public Reference
Room may be obtained by calling the SEC at (800) 732-0330.
Forward-Looking
Statements
This
Annual Report on Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements that are
subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the
Company’s control. These statements may include statements about the
Company’s:
|
|
·
|
oil,
gas and NGL reserves;
|
|
|
·
|
realized
oil, gas and NGL prices;
|
|
|
·
|
lease
operating expenses, general and administrative expenses and development
costs;
|
|
|
·
|
future
operating results; and
|
|
|
·
|
plans,
objectives, expectations and
intentions.
|
All of
these types of statements, other than statements of historical fact included in
this Annual Report on Form 10-K, are forward-looking
statements. These forward-looking statements may be found in
Part I. Item 1. “Business;” Part I. Item 1A. “Risk Factors;”
Part II. Item 7. “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial
Condition and Results of Operations” and other items within this Annual Report
on Form 10-K. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be
identified by terminology such as “may,” “will,” “could,” “should,” “expect,”
“plan,” “project,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,”
“potential,” “pursue,” “target,” “continue,” the negative of such terms or other
comparable terminology.
The
forward-looking statements contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K are
largely based on Company expectations, which reflect estimates and assumptions
made by Company management. These estimates and assumptions reflect
management’s best judgment based on currently known market conditions and other
factors. Although the Company believes such estimates and assumptions
to be reasonable, they are inherently uncertain and involve a number of risks
and uncertainties beyond its control. In addition, management’s
assumptions may prove to be inaccurate. The Company cautions that the
forward-looking statements contained in this Annual Report on
Form 10-K
are not guarantees of future performance, and it cannot assure any reader that
such statements will be realized or the forward-looking statements or events
will occur. Actual results may differ materially from those
anticipated or implied in forward-looking statements due to factors listed in
the “Risk Factors” section and elsewhere in this Annual Report on
Form 10-K. The forward-looking statements speak only as of the
date made, and other than as required by law, the Company undertakes no
obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether
as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Securities
Act Disclaimer
This
Form 10-K does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an
offer to buy any securities.
Our
business has many risks. Factors that could materially adversely
affect our business, financial position, operating results or liquidity and the
trading price of our units are described below. This information
should be considered carefully, together with other information in this report
and other reports and materials we file with the SEC.
We
may not have sufficient cash flow from operations to pay the quarterly
distribution at the current distribution level and future distributions to our
unitholders may fluctuate from quarter to quarter.
We may
not have sufficient cash flow from operations each quarter to pay the quarterly
distribution at the current distribution level. Under the terms of
our limited liability company agreement, the amount of cash otherwise available
for distribution will be reduced by our operating expenses and any cash reserve
amounts that our Board of Directors establishes to provide for future
operations, future capital expenditures, future debt service requirements and
future cash distributions to our unitholders. The amount of cash we
can distribute on our units principally depends upon the amount of cash we
generate from our operations, which will fluctuate from quarter to quarter based
on, among other things:
|
|
·
|
produced
volumes of oil, gas and NGL;
|
|
|
·
|
prices
at which oil, gas and NGL production is
sold;
|
|
|
·
|
level
of our operating costs;
|
|
|
·
|
payment
of interest, which depends on the amount of our indebtedness and the
interest payable thereon; and
|
|
|
·
|
level
of our capital expenditures.
|
In
addition, the actual amount of cash we will have available for distribution will
depend on other factors, some of which are beyond our control,
including:
|
|
·
|
availability
of borrowings under our credit facility to pay
distributions;
|
|
|
·
|
the
costs of acquisitions, if any;
|
|
|
·
|
fluctuations
in our working capital needs;
|
|
|
·
|
timing
and collectibility of receivables;
|
|
|
·
|
restrictions
on distributions contained in our credit
facility;
|
|
|
·
|
prevailing
economic conditions; and
|
|
|
·
|
the
amount of cash reserves established by our Board of Directors for the
proper conduct of our business.
|
As a
result of these factors, the amount of cash we distribute to our unitholders in
any quarter may fluctuate significantly from quarter to quarter and may be
significantly less than the current distribution level.
We
actively seek to acquire oil and gas properties. Acquisitions involve
potential risks that could adversely impact our future growth and our ability to
increase or pay distributions.
Any
acquisition involves potential risks, including, among other
things:
|
|
·
|
the
risk that reserves expected to support the acquired assets may not be of
the anticipated magnitude or may not be developed as
anticipated;
|
|
|
·
|
the
risk of title defects discovered after
closing;
|
|
|
·
|
inaccurate
assumptions about revenues and costs, including
synergies;
|
|
|
·
|
significant
increases in our indebtedness and working capital
requirements;
|
|
|
·
|
an
inability to transition and integrate successfully or timely the
businesses we acquire;
|
|
|
·
|
the
cost of transition and integration of data systems and
processes;
|
|
|
·
|
the
potential environmental problems and
costs;
|
|
|
·
|
the
assumption of unknown liabilities;
|
|
|
·
|
limitations
on rights to indemnity from the
seller;
|
|
|
·
|
the
diversion of management’s attention from other business
concerns;
|
|
|
·
|
increased
demands on existing personnel and on our corporate
structure;
|
|
|
·
|
customer
or key employee losses of the acquired businesses;
and
|
|
|
·
|
the
failure to realize expected growth or
profitability.
|
The scope
and cost of these risks may ultimately be materially greater than estimated at
the time of the acquisition. Further, our future acquisition costs
may be higher than those we have achieved historically. Any of these
factors could adversely impact our future growth and our ability to increase or
pay distributions.
If
we do not make future acquisitions on economically acceptable terms, then our
growth and ability to increase distributions will be limited.
Our
ability to grow and to increase distributions to our unitholders is partially
dependent on our ability to make acquisitions that result in an increase in
available cash flow per unit. We may be unable to make such
acquisitions because we are:
|
|
·
|
unable
to identify attractive acquisition candidates or negotiate acceptable
purchase contracts with them;
|
|
|
·
|
unable
to obtain financing for these acquisitions on economically acceptable
terms; or
|
In any
such case, our future growth and ability to increase distributions will be
limited. Furthermore, even if we do make acquisitions that we believe
will increase available cash flow per unit, these acquisitions may nevertheless
result in a decrease in available cash flow per unit.
We
have significant indebtedness under our credit facility and senior
notes. Our credit facility has substantial restrictions and financial
covenants and we may have difficulty obtaining additional credit, which could
adversely affect our operations and our ability to pay distributions to our
unitholders.
We have
significant indebtedness under our credit facility and senior
notes. As of January 30, 2009, we had an aggregate of
approximately $1.43 billion outstanding under our credit facility and senior
notes (with additional borrowing capacity of approximately $415.4
million). As a result of our indebtedness, we will use a portion of
our cash flow to pay interest and principal when due, which will reduce the cash
available to finance our operations and other business activities and could
limit our flexibility in planning for or reacting to changes in our business and
the industry in which we operate.
The
credit facility restricts our ability to obtain additional financing, make
investments, lease equipment, sell assets and engage in business
combinations. We also are required to comply with certain financial
covenants and ratios. Our ability to comply with these restrictions
and covenants in the future is uncertain and will be affected by the levels of
cash flow from our operations and events or circumstances beyond our
control. Our failure to comply with any of the restrictions and
covenants could result in an event of default, which, if it continues beyond any
applicable cure periods, could cause all of our existing indebtedness to be
immediately due and payable.
We depend
on our credit facility for future capital needs. We have drawn on our
credit facility to fund or partially fund quarterly cash distribution payments,
since we use operating cash flows for drilling and development of oil and gas
properties and acquisitions and borrow as cash is needed. Absent such
borrowing, we would have at times experienced a shortfall in cash available to
pay our declared quarterly cash distribution amount. If there is an
event of default by us under our credit facility that continues beyond any
applicable cure period, we would be unable to make borrowings to fund
distributions.
Availability
under our credit facility is determined semi-annually at the discretion of the
lenders and is based in part on oil, gas and NGL prices. Significant
declines in oil, gas or NGL prices may result in a decrease in our borrowing
base. The lenders can unilaterally adjust the borrowing base and the
borrowings permitted to be outstanding under the credit facility. Any
increase in the borrowing base requires the consent of all the
lenders. Outstanding borrowings in excess of the borrowing base must
be repaid immediately, or we must pledge other properties as additional
collateral. We do not currently have any substantial unpledged
properties, and we may not have the financial resources in the future to make
any mandatory principal prepayments required under the credit
facility. Significant declines in our production or significant
declines in realized oil, gas or NGL prices for prolonged periods and resulting
decreases in our borrowing base may force us to reduce or suspend distributions
to our unitholders.
Our
ability to access the capital and credit markets to raise capital on favorable
terms will be affected by our debt level and by disruptions in the capital and
credit markets, which could adversely affect our operations and our ability to
pay distributions to our unitholders.
The cost
of raising money in the debt and equity capital markets has increased
substantially while the availability of funds from those markets generally has
diminished significantly. Also, as a result of concerns about the
stability of financial markets and the solvency of counterparties specifically,
the cost of obtaining money from the credit markets generally has increased as
some major financial institutions have consolidated and others may consolidate
in the future, some lenders may increase interest rates, enact tighter lending
standards, refuse to refinance existing debt at maturity on favorable terms or
at all and may reduce or cease to provide funding to borrowers. If we
are unable to refinance our credit facility on terms that are as favorable as
those in our existing credit facility, or at all, our ability to fund our
operations and our ability to pay distributions could be affected.
Our
variable rate indebtedness subjects us to interest rate risk, which could cause
our debt service obligations to increase significantly.
Borrowings
under our credit facility bear interest at variable rates and expose us to
interest rate risk. If interest rates increase, our debt service
obligations on the variable rate indebtedness would increase even though the
amount borrowed remained the same, and our net income and cash available for
servicing our indebtedness would decrease.
Increases
in interest rates could adversely affect the demand for our units.
An
increase in interest rates may cause a corresponding decline in demand for
equity investments, in particular for yield-based equity investments such as our
units. Any such reduction in demand for our units resulting from
other more attractive investment opportunities may cause the trading price of
our units to decline.
Our
commodity derivative activities could result in financial losses or could reduce
our income, which may adversely affect our ability to pay distributions to our
unitholders.
To
achieve more predictable cash flow and to reduce our exposure to adverse
fluctuations in the prices of oil, gas and NGL, we enter into commodity
derivative contracts for a significant portion of our production. If
we experience a sustained material interruption in our production or if we are
unable to perform our drilling activity as planned, we might be forced to
satisfy all or a portion of our derivative obligations without the benefit of
the cash flow from our sale of the underlying physical commodity, resulting in a
substantial reduction of our liquidity.
Disruptions
in the capital and credit markets as a result of the global financial crisis may
adversely affect our derivative positions.
We cannot
be assured that our counterparties will be able to perform under our derivative
contracts. If a counterparty fails to perform and the derivative
arrangement is terminated, our cash flow, and ability to pay distributions could
be impacted.
Commodity
prices are volatile, and a significant decline in commodity prices for a
prolonged period would reduce our revenues, cash flow from operations and
profitability, and we may have to lower our distribution or may not be able to
pay distributions at all.
Our
revenue, profitability and cash flow depend upon the prices of and demand for
oil, gas and NGL. The oil, gas and NGL market is very volatile and a
drop in prices can significantly affect our financial results and impede our
growth. Changes in oil, gas and NGL prices have a significant impact
on the value of our reserves and on our cash flow. Prices for these
commodities may fluctuate widely in response to relatively minor changes in the
supply of and demand for them, market uncertainty and a variety of additional
factors that are beyond our control, such as:
|
|
·
|
the
domestic and foreign supply of and demand for oil, gas and
NGL;
|
|
|
·
|
the
price and level of foreign imports;
|
|
|
·
|
the
level of consumer product demand;
|
|
|
·
|
overall
domestic and global economic
conditions;
|
|
|
·
|
political
and economic conditions in oil and gas producing countries, including
those in the Middle East and South
America;
|
|
|
·
|
the
ability of members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries to
agree to and maintain price and production
controls;
|
|
|
·
|
the
impact of the U.S. dollar exchange rates on oil, gas and NGL
prices;
|
|
|
·
|
technological
advances affecting energy
consumption;
|
|
|
·
|
domestic
and foreign governmental regulations and
taxation;
|
|
|
·
|
the
impact of energy conservation
efforts;
|
|
|
·
|
the
proximity and capacity of pipelines and other transportation facilities;
and
|
|
|
·
|
the
price and availability of alternative
fuels.
|
In the
past, the prices of oil, gas and NGL have been extremely volatile, and we expect
this volatility to continue. If commodity prices decline
significantly for a prolonged period, our cash flow from operations will
decline, and we may have to lower our distribution or may not be able to pay
distributions at all.
Future
price declines or downward reserve revisions may result in a write-down of our
asset carrying values.
Declines
in oil, gas and NGL prices may result in our having to make substantial downward
adjustments to our estimated proved reserves. If this occurs, or if
our estimates of development costs increase, production data factors change or
drilling results deteriorate, accounting rules may require us to write-down, as
a non-cash charge to earnings, the carrying value of our properties for
impairments. We are required to perform impairment tests on our
assets periodically and whenever events or changes in circumstances warrant a
review of our assets. To the extent such tests indicate a reduction
of the estimated useful life or estimated future cash flows of our assets, the
carrying value may not be recoverable and therefore would require a
write-down. We may incur impairment charges in the future, which
could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations in the period
incurred and on our ability to borrow funds under our credit facility, which in
turn may adversely affect our ability to make cash distributions to our
unitholders.
Unless
we replace our reserves, our reserves and production will decline, which would
adversely affect our cash flow from operations and our ability to make
distributions to our unitholders.
Producing
oil, gas and NGL reservoirs are characterized by declining production rates that
vary depending upon reservoir characteristics and other factors. The
overall rate of decline for our production will change if production from our
existing wells declines in a different manner than we have estimated and can
change when we drill additional wells, make acquisitions and under other
circumstances. Thus, our future oil, gas and NGL reserves and
production and, therefore, our cash flow and income, are highly dependent on our
success in efficiently developing and exploiting our current reserves and
economically finding or acquiring additional recoverable reserves. We
may not be able to develop, find or acquire additional reserves to replace our
current and future production at acceptable costs, which would adversely affect
our cash flow from operations and our ability to make distributions to our
unitholders.
Our
estimated reserves are based on many assumptions that may prove to be
inaccurate. Any material inaccuracies in these reserve estimates or
underlying assumptions will materially affect the quantities and present value
of our reserves.
No one
can measure underground accumulations of oil, gas and NGL in an exact
way. Reserve engineering requires subjective estimates of underground
accumulations of oil, gas and NGL and assumptions concerning future oil, gas and
NGL prices, production levels, and operating and development
costs. As a result, estimated quantities of proved reserves and
projections of future production rates and the timing of development
expenditures may prove to be inaccurate. Independent petroleum
engineering firms prepare estimates of our proved reserves. Some of
our reserve estimates are made without the benefit of a lengthy production
history, which are less reliable than estimates based on a lengthy production
history. Also, we make certain assumptions regarding future oil, gas
and NGL prices, production levels, and operating and development costs that may
prove incorrect. Any significant variance from these assumptions by
actual figures could greatly affect our estimates of reserves, the economically
recoverable quantities of oil, gas and NGL attributable to any particular group
of properties, the classifications of reserves based
on risk
of recovery and estimates of the future net cash flows. Numerous
changes over time to the assumptions on which our reserve estimates are based,
as described above, often result in the actual quantities of oil, gas and NGL we
ultimately recover being different from our reserve estimates.
The
present value of future net cash flows from our proved reserves is not
necessarily the same as the current market value of our estimated oil, gas and
NGL reserves. We base the estimated discounted future net cash flows
from our proved reserves on prices and costs in effect on the day of
estimate. However, actual future net cash flows from our oil and gas
properties also will be affected by factors such as:
|
|
·
|
actual
prices we receive for oil, gas and
NGL;
|
|
|
·
|
the
amount and timing of actual
production;
|
|
|
·
|
the
timing and success of development
activities;
|
|
|
·
|
supply
of and demand for oil, gas and NGL;
and
|
|
|
·
|
changes
in governmental regulations or
taxation.
|
In
addition, the 10% discount factor, required to be used pursuant to SFAS 69
when calculating discounted future net cash flows, may not be the most
appropriate discount factor based on interest rates in effect from time to time
and risks associated with us or the oil and gas industry in
general.
Our
development operations require substantial capital expenditures, which will
reduce our cash available for distribution. We may be unable to
obtain needed capital or financing on satisfactory terms, which could lead to a
decline in our reserves.
The oil
and gas industry is capital intensive. We make and expect to continue
to make substantial capital expenditures in our business for the development,
production and acquisition of oil, gas and NGL reserves. These
expenditures will reduce our cash available for distribution. We
intend to finance our future capital expenditures with cash flow from operations
and our financing arrangements. Our cash flow from operations and
access to capital are subject to a number of variables, including:
|
|
·
|
the
level of oil, gas and NGL we are able to produce from existing
wells;
|
|
|
·
|
the
prices at which we are able to sell our oil, gas and NGL;
and
|
|
|
·
|
our
ability to acquire, locate and produce new
reserves.
|
If our
revenues or the borrowing base under our credit facility decrease as a result of
lower oil, gas and NGL prices, operating difficulties, declines in reserves or
for any other reason, we may have limited ability to obtain the capital
necessary to sustain our operations at current levels. Our credit
facility restricts our ability to obtain new financing. If additional
capital is needed, we may not be able to obtain debt or equity financing on
terms favorable to us, or at all. If cash generated by operations or
available under our credit facility is not sufficient to meet our capital
requirements, the failure to obtain additional financing could result in a
curtailment of our development operations, which in turn could lead to a
possible decline in our reserves.
We
may decide not to drill some of the prospects we have identified, and locations
that we decide to drill may not yield oil, gas and NGL in commercially viable
quantities.
Our
prospective drilling locations are in various stages of evaluation, ranging from
a prospect that is ready to drill to a prospect that will require additional
geological and engineering analysis. Based on a variety of factors,
including future oil, gas and NGL prices, the generation of additional seismic
or geological information, the availability of drilling rigs and other factors,
we may decide not to drill one or more of these prospects. As a
result, we may not be able to increase or maintain our reserves or production,
which in turn could have an adverse effect on our business, financial position
or results of operations.
The cost
of drilling, completing and operating a well is often uncertain, and cost
factors can adversely affect the economics of a well. Our efforts
will be uneconomic if we drill dry holes or wells that are productive but do not
produce enough oil, gas and NGL to be commercially viable after drilling,
operating and other costs. If we drill
future
wells that we identify as dry holes, our drilling success rate would decline,
which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial position or
results of operations.
Our
business depends on gathering and transportation facilities. Any
limitation in the availability of those facilities would interfere with our
ability to market the oil, gas and NGL we produce, and could reduce our cash
available for distribution and adversely impact expected increases in oil, gas
and NGL production from our drilling program.
The
marketability of our oil, gas and NGL production depends in part on the
availability, proximity and capacity of gathering and pipeline
systems. The amount of oil, gas and NGL that can be produced and sold
is subject to limitation in certain circumstances, such as pipeline
interruptions due to scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, excessive pressure,
physical damage to the gathering or transportation system, or lack of contracted
capacity on such systems. The curtailments arising from these and
similar circumstances may last from a few days to several months. In
many cases, we are provided only with limited, if any, notice as to when these
circumstances will arise and their duration. In addition, some of our
wells are drilled in locations that are not serviced by gathering and
transportation pipelines, or the gathering and transportation pipelines in the
area may not have sufficient capacity to transport additional
production. As a result, we may not be able to sell the oil, gas and
NGL production from these wells until the necessary gathering and transportation
systems are constructed. Any significant curtailment in gathering
system or pipeline capacity, or significant delay in the construction of
necessary gathering and transportation facilities, would interfere with our
ability to market the oil, gas and NGL we produce, and could reduce our cash
available for distribution and adversely impact expected increases in oil and
gas production from our drilling program.
We
depend on certain key customers for sales of our oil, gas and NGL. To
the extent these and other customers reduce the volumes they purchase from us or
delay payment, our revenues and cash available for distribution could
decline. Further, a general increase in non-payment could have an
adverse impact on our financial position and results of operations.
For the
year ended December 31, 2008, DCP Midstream Partners, LP, ConocoPhillips
and Enbridge Energy accounted for approximately 23%, 12% and 11%, respectively,
of our total volumes from continuing operations, or 46% in the
aggregate. For the year ended December 31, 2007, DCP Midstream
Partners, LP and ConocoPhillips accounted for approximately 28% and 17%,
respectively, of our total volumes from continuing operations, or 45% in the
aggregate. To the extent these and other customers reduce the volumes
of oil, gas or NGL that they purchase from us, our revenues and cash available
for distribution could decline.
Many
of our leases are in areas that have been partially depleted or drained by
offset wells.
Our key
project areas are located in some of the most active drilling areas of the
producing basins in the United States. As a result, many of our
leases are in areas that have already been partially depleted or drained by
earlier offset drilling. This may inhibit our ability to find
economically recoverable quantities of reserves in these areas.
Our
identified drilling location inventories are scheduled out over several years,
making them susceptible to uncertainties that could materially alter the
occurrence or timing of their drilling, resulting in temporarily lower cash from
operations, which may impact our ability to pay distributions.
Our
management has specifically identified and scheduled drilling locations as an
estimation of our future multi-year drilling activities on our existing
acreage. As of December 31, 2008, we had identified 4,069
drilling locations, of which 1,259 were proved undeveloped locations and 2,810
were other locations. These identified drilling locations represent a
significant part of our growth strategy. Our ability to drill and
develop these locations depends on a number of factors, including the
availability of capital, seasonal conditions, regulatory approvals, oil, gas and
NGL prices, costs and drilling results. In addition, DeGolyer and
MacNaughton has not estimated proved reserves for the 2,810 other drilling
locations we have identified and scheduled for drilling, and therefore there may
be greater uncertainty with respect to the success of drilling wells at these
drilling locations. Our final determination on whether to drill any
of these drilling locations will be dependent upon the factors described above
as well as, to some degree, the results of our drilling activities with respect
to our proved drilling locations. Because of these uncertainties, we
do not know if the numerous drilling locations we have identified will be
drilled within our expected timeframe or will ever be drilled or if we will be
able to produce oil, gas and NGL from these or any other
potential
drilling locations. As such, our actual drilling activities may
materially differ from those presently identified, which could adversely affect
our business.
Drilling
for and producing oil, gas and NGL are high risk activities with many
uncertainties that could adversely affect our financial position or results of
operations and, as a result, our ability to pay distributions to our
unitholders.
Our
drilling activities are subject to many risks, including the risk that we will
not discover commercially productive reservoirs. Drilling for oil,
gas and NGL can be uneconomic, not only from dry holes, but also from productive
wells that do not produce sufficient revenues to be commercially
viable. In addition, our drilling and producing operations may be
curtailed, delayed or canceled as a result of other factors,
including:
|
|
·
|
the
high cost, shortages or delivery delays of equipment and
services;
|
|
|
·
|
unexpected
operational events;
|
|
|
·
|
adverse
weather conditions;
|
|
|
·
|
facility
or equipment malfunctions;
|
|
|
·
|
pipeline
ruptures or spills;
|
|
|
·
|
compliance
with environmental and other governmental
requirements;
|
|
|
·
|
unusual
or unexpected geological
formations;
|
|
|
·
|
loss
of drilling fluid circulation;
|
|
|
·
|
formations
with abnormal pressures;
|
|
|
·
|
blowouts,
craterings and explosions; and
|
|
|
·
|
uncontrollable
flows of oil, gas and NGL or well
fluids.
|
Any of
these events can cause increased costs or restrict our ability to drill the
wells and conduct the operations which we currently have planned. Any
delay in the drilling program or significant increase in costs could impact our
ability to generate sufficient cash flow to pay quarterly distributions to our
unitholders at the current distribution level. Increased costs could
include losses from personal injury or loss of life, damage to or destruction of
property, natural resources and equipment, pollution, environmental
contamination, loss of wells and regulatory penalties. We ordinarily
maintain insurance against certain losses and liabilities arising from our
operations. However, it is impossible to insure against all
operational risks in the course of our business. Additionally, we may
elect not to obtain insurance if we believe that the cost of available insurance
is excessive relative to the perceived risks presented. Losses could
therefore occur for uninsurable or uninsured risks or in amounts in excess of
existing insurance coverage. The occurrence of an event that is not
fully covered by insurance could have a material adverse impact on our business
activities, financial position and results of operations.
Because
we handle oil, gas and NGL and other hydrocarbons, we may incur significant
costs and liabilities in the future resulting from a failure to comply with new
or existing environmental regulations or an accidental release of hazardous
substances into the environment.
The
operations of our wells, gathering systems, turbines, pipelines and other
facilities are subject to stringent and complex federal, state and local
environmental laws and regulations. These include, for
example:
|
|
·
|
the
federal Clean Air Act and comparable state laws and regulations that
impose obligations related to air
emissions;
|
|
|
·
|
the
federal Clean Water Act and comparable state laws and regulations that
impose obligations related to discharges of pollutants into regulated
bodies of water;
|
|
|
·
|
the
federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (“RCRA”), and comparable
state laws that impose requirements for the handling and disposal of waste
from our facilities; and
|
|
|
·
|
the
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of
1980 (“CERCLA”), also known as “Superfund,” and comparable state laws that
regulate the cleanup of hazardous substances that may have been released
at properties currently or previously owned or operated by us or at
locations to which we have sent waste for
disposal.
|
Failure
to comply with these laws and regulations may trigger a variety of
administrative, civil and criminal enforcement measures, including the
assessment of monetary penalties, the imposition of remedial requirements, and
the issuance of orders enjoining future operations. Certain
environmental statutes, including the RCRA, CERCLA and analogous state laws and
regulations, impose strict, joint and several liability for costs required to
clean up and restore sites where hazardous substances have been disposed of or
otherwise released. Moreover, it is not uncommon for neighboring
landowners and other third parties to file claims for personal injury and
property damage allegedly caused by the release of hazardous substances or other
waste products into the environment.
There is
an inherent risk that we may incur environmental costs and liabilities due to
the nature of our business and the substances we handle. For example,
an accidental release from one of our wells or gathering pipelines could subject
us to substantial liabilities arising from environmental cleanup and restoration
costs, claims made by neighboring landowners and other third parties for
personal injury and property damage, and fines or penalties for related
violations of environmental laws or regulations. Moreover, the
possibility exists that stricter laws, regulations or enforcement policies could
significantly increase our compliance costs and the cost of any remediation that
may become necessary. We may not be able to recover these costs from
insurance. For a more detailed discussion of environmental and
regulatory matters impacting our business, see Part I. Item 1.
“Business - Environmental Matters and Regulation.”
We
are subject to complex federal, state, local and other laws and regulations that
could adversely affect the cost, manner or feasibility of doing
business.
Our
operations are regulated extensively at the federal, state and local
levels. Environmental and other governmental laws and regulations
have increased the costs to plan, design, drill, install, operate and abandon
oil and gas wells. Under these laws and regulations, we could also be
liable for personal injuries, property damage and other
damages. Failure to comply with these laws and regulations may result
in the suspension or termination of our operations and subject us to
administrative, civil and criminal penalties. Moreover, public
interest in environmental protection has increased in recent years, and
environmental organizations have opposed, with some success, certain drilling
projects.
Part of
the regulatory environment in which we operate includes, in some cases, legal
requirements for obtaining environmental assessments, environmental impact
studies and/or plans of development before commencing drilling and production
activities. In addition, our activities are subject to the
regulations regarding conservation practices and protection of correlative
rights. These regulations affect our operations and limit the
quantity of oil, gas and NGL we may produce and sell. A major risk
inherent in our drilling plans is the need to obtain drilling permits from state
and local authorities. Delays in obtaining regulatory approvals or
drilling permits, the failure to obtain a drilling permit for a well or the
receipt of a permit with unreasonable conditions or costs could have a material
adverse effect on our ability to develop our
properties. Additionally, the regulatory environment could change in
ways that might substantially increase the financial and managerial costs of
compliance with these laws and regulations and, consequently, adversely affect
our ability to pay distributions to our unitholders. For a
description of the laws and regulations that affect us, see Part I.
Item 1. “Business - Environmental Matters and Regulation.”
Our
management may have conflicts of interest with the unitholders. Our
limited liability company agreement limits the remedies available to our
unitholders in the event unitholders have a claim relating to conflicts of
interest.
Conflicts
of interest may arise between our management on one hand, and the Company and
our unitholders on the other hand, related to the divergent interests of our
management. Situations in which the interests of our management may
differ from interests of our non-affiliated unitholders include, among others,
the following situations:
|
|
·
|
our
limited liability company agreement gives our Board of Directors broad
discretion in establishing cash reserves for the proper conduct of our
business, which will affect the amount of cash available for
distribution. For example, our management will use its
reasonable discretion to establish and maintain cash reserves sufficient
to fund our drilling program;
|
|
|
·
|
our
management team, subject to oversight from our Board of Directors,
determines the timing and extent of our drilling program and related
capital expenditures, asset purchases and sales, borrowings, issuances
of
|
additional
membership interests and reserve adjustments, all of which will affect the
amount of cash that we distribute to our unitholders; and
|
|
·
|
affiliates
of our directors are not prohibited from investing or engaging in other
businesses or activities that compete with the
Company.
|
We
do not have the same flexibility as other types of organizations to accumulate
cash and equity to protect against illiquidity in the future.
Unlike a
corporation, our limited liability company agreement requires us to make
quarterly distributions to our unitholders of all available cash reduced by any
amounts of reserves for commitments and contingencies, including capital and
operating costs and debt service requirements. The value of our units
may decrease in direct correlation with decreases in the amount we distribute
per unit. Accordingly, if we experience a liquidity problem in the
future, we may have difficulty issuing more equity to recapitalize.
Our
tax treatment depends on our status as a partnership for federal income tax
purposes, as well as our not being subject to a material amount of entity-level
taxation by individual states. If the IRS were to treat us as a
corporation for federal income tax purposes or we were to become subject to
entity-level taxation for state tax purposes, taxes paid, if any, would reduce
the amount of cash available for distribution.
The
anticipated after-tax economic benefit of an investment in our units depends
largely on our being treated as a partnership for federal income tax
purposes. We have not requested, and do not plan to request, a ruling
from the IRS on this or any other tax matter that affects us.
If we
were treated as a corporation for federal income tax purposes, we would pay
federal income tax on our taxable income at the corporate tax rates, currently
at a maximum rate of 35%, and would likely pay state income tax at varying
rates. Distributions would generally be taxed again as corporate
distributions, and no income, gain, loss, deduction or credit would flow through
to unitholders. Because a tax may be imposed on us as a corporation,
our cash available for distribution to our unitholders could be
reduced. Therefore, treatment of us as a corporation would result in
a material reduction in the anticipated cash flow and after-tax return to our
unitholders, likely causing a substantial reduction in the value of our
units.
Current
law or our business may change so as to cause us to be treated as a corporation
for federal income tax purposes or otherwise subject us to entity-level
taxation. In addition, because of widespread state budget deficits
and other reasons, several states are evaluating ways to subject partnerships
and limited liability companies to entity-level taxation through the imposition
of state income, franchise or other forms of taxation. For example,
we are required to pay Texas franchise tax at a maximum effective rate of 0.7%
of our total revenue apportioned to Texas in the prior
year. Imposition of a tax on us by any other state would reduce the
amount of cash available for distribution to our unitholders.
Unitholders
may be subject to taxable gains upon dispositions of properties.
We may
dispose of properties in transactions that result in gains that will be
allocated to you, and such gains may be either ordinary gains or capital gains
to you. Even where we dispose of properties that are capital assets,
what otherwise would be capital gains to you may be recharacterized as ordinary
gains in order to “recapture” ordinary deductions that were previously allocated
to you related to the same properties. In addition, such an
allocation of ordinary or capital gains may increase your taxable income, and
you may be required to pay federal income taxes and state and local income
taxes, even if we have not made a cash distribution to you subsequent to our
disposal of the properties. Your allocable share of the taxable gains
also may be greater than your interest in our profits. If you
contributed property in exchange for our units, your capital account would have
been credited with the fair market value of the property at the time (your
“book” basis), which may have exceeded your “tax” basis of
property. This could also be the case if you held our units at a time
when we issued additional units to other unitholders (resulting in a revaluation
of our assets). Gains are required to be allocated to you in order to
eliminate this “book-tax disparity.”
Our
unitholders may have more complex tax reporting and may be required to pay taxes
on income even if they do not receive any cash distributions from
us.
Our
unitholders are required to pay federal income taxes and, in some cases, state
and local income taxes on their share of our taxable income, whether or not they
receive cash distributions from us. Our unitholders may not receive
cash distributions from us equal to their share of our taxable income or even
equal to the actual tax liability that results from their share of our taxable
income. Furthermore, distributions to unitholders in excess of the
total net taxable income they were allocated, decreases their tax basis, which
will become ordinary taxable income to them if the unit is later sold at a price
greater than their tax basis, even if the price received is less than their
original cost.
In
addition to federal income taxes, our unitholders will likely be subject to
other taxes, including state and local taxes, unincorporated business taxes and
estate, inheritance or intangible taxes that are imposed by the various
jurisdictions in which we do business or own property now or in the future, even
if they do not reside in any of those jurisdictions. Our unitholders
will likely be required to file foreign, state and local income tax returns and
pay state and local income taxes in some or all of these
jurisdictions. Further, our unitholders may be subject to penalties
for failure to comply with those requirements. In 2008, we have done
business and owned assets in West Virginia, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York,
Virginia, California, Oklahoma, Kansas, New Mexico, Illinois, Indiana, Arkansas,
Colorado, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota
and Texas. As we make acquisitions or expand our business, we may do
business or own assets in other states in the future. It is the
responsibility of each unitholder to file all United States federal, state and
local tax returns that may be required of such unitholder. Our
counsel has not rendered an opinion on the state or local tax consequences of an
investment in our units.
None.
Information
concerning proved reserves, production, wells, acreage and related matters are
contained in Part I. Item 1. “Business.”
The
Company’s obligations under its credit facility are secured by mortgages on its
oil and gas properties. See Part II. Item 7. “Management’s
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and
Note 8 for additional information concerning the credit
facility.
Offices
The
Company’s principal corporate office is located at 600 Travis, Suite 5100,
Houston, Texas 77002. The Company maintains additional offices in
California, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas.
Although
the Company may, from time to time, be involved in litigation and claims arising
out of its operations in the normal course of business, the Company is not
currently a party to any material legal proceedings. In addition, the
Company is not aware of any material legal or governmental proceedings against
it, or contemplated to be brought against it, under the various environmental
protection statutes to which it is subject.
None.
|
Item 5.
|
Market
for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer
Purchases of Equity Securities
|
Market
Information
The
Company’s units are listed on The NASDAQ Global Select Market (“NASDAQ”) under
the symbol “LINE” and began trading on January 13, 2006, after pricing of
its initial public offering. At the close of business on
January 30, 2009, there were approximately 280 unitholders of
record.
The
following presents the range of high and low last reported sales prices per
unit, as reported by NASDAQ, for the quarters indicated. In addition,
distributions declared during each quarter are presented.
|
|
|
|
|
Cash
Distribution
Declared
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Per
Unit
|
|
2008:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
October
1 – December 31
|
|
$
|
17.03
|
|
|
$
|
11.20
|
|
|
$
|
0.63
|
|
|
July
1 – September 30
|
|
$
|
24.88
|
|
|
$
|
14.93
|
|
|
$
|
0.63
|
|
|
April
1 – June 30
|
|
$
|
25.57
|
|
|
$
|
19.44
|
|
|
$
|
0.63
|
|
|
January
1 – March 31
|
|
$
|
24.41
|
|
|
$
|
18.88
|
|
|
$
|
0.63
|
|
|
2007:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
October
1 – December 31
|
|
$
|
30.79
|
|
|
$
|
22.88
|
|
|
$
|
0.57
|
|
|
July
1 – September 30
|
|
$
|
37.80
|
|
|
$
|
31.64
|
|
|
$
|
0.57
|
|
|
April
1 – June 30
|
|
$
|
39.61
|
|
|
$
|
32.47
|
|
|
$
|
0.52
|
|
|
January
1 – March 31
|
|
$
|
35.05
|
|
|
$
|
30.16
|
|
|
$
|
0.52
|
|
Distributions
The
Company’s limited liability company agreement requires it to make quarterly
distributions to unitholders of all “available cash.”
Available
cash means, for each fiscal quarter, all cash on hand at the end of the quarter
less the amount of cash reserves established by the Board of Directors
to:
|
|
·
|
provide
for the proper conduct of business (including reserves for future capital
expenditures, future debt service requirements, and for anticipated credit
needs); and
|
|
|
·
|
comply
with applicable laws, debt instruments or other
agreements;
|
plus all
cash on hand on the date of determination of available cash for the quarter
resulting from working capital borrowings made after the end of the quarter for
which the determination is being made.
Working
capital borrowings are borrowings that will be made under the Company’s credit
facility and in all cases are used solely for working capital purposes or to pay
distributions to unitholders.
See
Part II. Item 7. “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial
Condition and Results of Operations - Liquidity and Capital Resources” for
a discussion on the payment of future distributions.
Unitholder
Return Performance Presentation
The
performance graph below compares the total unitholder return on the Company’s
units, with the total return of the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index (the
“S&P 500 Index”) and the Alerian MLP Index, a weighted composite of 50
prominent energy master limited partnerships. Total return includes
the change in the market price, adjusted for reinvested dividends or
distributions, for the period shown on the performance graph and assumes that
$100 was invested in the Company at the last reported sale price of units as
reported by NASDAQ ($22.00) on January 13, 2006 (the day trading of the
units commenced), and in the S&P 500 Index and the Alerian MLP Index on the
same date. The results shown in the graph below are not necessarily
indicative of future performance.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Linn
Energy, LLC
|
|
$
|
100
|
|
|
$
|
153
|
|
|
$
|
128
|
|
|
$
|
87
|
|
|
Alerian
MLP Index
|
|
$
|
100
|
|
|
$
|
120
|
|
|
$
|
136
|
|
|
$
|
86
|
|
|
S&P
500 Index
|
|
$
|
100
|
|
|
$
|
112
|
|
|
$
|
118
|
|
|
$
|
75
|
|
Notwithstanding
anything to the contrary set forth in any of the Company’s previous or future
filings under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
that might incorporate this Form 10-K or future filings with the SEC, in
whole or in part, the preceding performance information shall not be deemed to
be “soliciting material” or to be “filed” with the SEC or incorporated by
reference into any filing except to the extent this performance presentation is
specifically incorporated by reference therein.
Securities
Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans
See the
information incorporated by reference under Part III. Item 12.
“Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related
Stockholder Matters” regarding securities authorized for issuance under the
Company’s equity compensation plans, which information is incorporated by
reference into this Item 5.
Sales
of Unregistered Securities
During
the year ended December 31, 2008, the Company issued in private
transactions: (i) 410,000 units in connection with the termination of certain
contractual obligations (equal to a fair value of approximately $8.7 million)
and (ii) 600,000 units in connection with the acquisition of certain gas
properties (equal to a fair value of approximately $14.7
million). See Note 5 for additional details.
Issuer
Purchases of Equity Securities
The
following sets forth information with respect to the Company with respect to
repurchases of its units during the fourth quarter of 2008:
|
|
|
Total
Number
of
Units
Purchased
|
|
Average
Price
Paid
Per Unit
|
|
Total
Number of Units
Purchased
as Part of
Publicly
Announced
Plans
or Programs
|
|
Approximate
Dollar
Value of Units
that
May Yet be Purchased
Under the Plans
or
Programs
(1)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(in
millions)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
December
1 – December 31
|
|
|
1,076,900
|
|
|
$
|
12.09
|
|
|
|
1,076,900
|
|
|
$
|
87.0
|
|
|
(1)
|
In
October 2008, the Board of Directors of the Company authorized the
repurchase of up to $100.0 million of the Company’s outstanding
units. The Company may purchase units from time to time on the
open market or in negotiated purchases. The repurchase plan
does not obligate the Company to acquire any specific number of units and
may be discontinued at any time.
|
The
selected financial data set forth below should be read in conjunction with
Part II. Item 7. “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial
Condition and Results of Operations” and Item 8. “Financial Statements and
Supplementary Data.”
Because
of rapid growth through acquisitions and development of properties, the
Company’s historical results of operations and period-to-period comparisons of
these results and certain other financial data may not be meaningful or
indicative of future results. The results of the Company’s
Appalachian Basin and Mid Atlantic operations are classified as discontinued
operations for all periods presented (see Note 2). Unless
otherwise indicated, results of operations information presented herein relates
only to Linn Energy’s continuing operations.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(in
thousands, except per unit amounts)
|
|
Statement
of operations data:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Oil,
gas and natural gas liquid sales
|
|
$
|
755,644
|
|
|
$
|
255,927
|
|
|
$
|
21,372
|
|
|
$
|
―
|
|
|
$
|
―
|
|
|
Gain
(loss) on oil and gas derivatives
|
|
|
662,782
|
|
|
|
(345,537
|
)
|
|
|
103,308
|
|
|
|
(76,193
|
)
|
|
|
(11,004
|
)
|
|
Depreciation,
depletion and amortization
|
|
|
194,093
|
|
|
|
69,081
|
|
|
|
4,352
|
|
|
|
―
|
|
|
|
―
|
|
|
Interest
expense
|
|
|
94,517
|
|
|
|
38,974
|
|
|
|
5,909
|
|
|
|
481
|
|
|
|
124
|
|
|
Income
(loss) from continuing operations
|
|
|
825,657
|
|
|
|
(356,194
|
)
|
|
|
69,811
|
|
|
|
(79,311
|
)
|
|
|
(12,665
|
)
|
|
Income
(loss) from discontinued operations, net of taxes
(1)
|
|
|
173,959
|
|
|
|
(8,155
|
)
|
|
|
9,374
|
|
|
|
22,960
|
|
|
|
7,849
|
|
|
Net
income (loss)
|
|
|
999,616
|
|
|
|
(364,349
|
)
|
|
|
79,185
|
|
|
|
(56,351
|
)
|
|
|
(4,816
|
)
|
|
Income
(loss) from continuing operations per unit:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Basic
|
|
|
7.23
|
|
|
|
(5.17
|
)
|
|
|
2.33
|
|
|
|
(3.87
|
)
|
|
|
(0.62
|
)
|
|
Diluted
|
|
|
7.23
|
|
|
|
(5.17
|
)
|
|
|
2.30
|
|
|
|
(3.87
|
)
|
|
|
(0.62
|
)
|
|
Income
(loss) from discontinued operations per unit:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Basic
|
|
|
1.53
|
|
|
|
(0.12
|
)
|
|
|
0.31
|
|
|
|
1.12
|
|
|
|
0.39
|
|
|
Diluted
|
|
|
1.52
|
|
|
|
(0.12
|
)
|
|
|
0.31
|
|
|
|
1.12
|
|
|
|
0.39
|
|
|
Net
income (loss) per unit:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Basic
|
|
|
8.76
|
|
|
|
(5.29
|
)
|
|
|
2.64
|
|
|
|
(2.75
|
)
|
|
|
(0.23
|
)
|
|
Diluted
|
|
|
8.75
|
|
|
|
(5.29
|
)
|
|
|
2.61
|
|
|
|
(2.75
|
)
|
|
|
(0.23
|
)
|
|
Distributions
declared per unit
|
|
|
2.52
|
|
|
|
2.18
|
|
|
|
1.15
|
|
|
|
―
|
|
|
|
―
|
|
|
Weighted
average units outstanding
|
|
|
114,140
|
|
|
|
68,916
|
|
|
|
28,281
|
|
|
|
20,518
|
|
|
|
20,518
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cash
flow data:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net
cash provided by (used in):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Operating
activities
(2)
|
|
$
|
179,515
|
|
|
$
|
(44,814
|
)
|
|
$
|
(6,805
|
)
|
|
$
|
(29,518
|
)
|
|
$
|
10,351
|
|
|
Investing
activities
|
|
|
(35,550
|
)
|
|
|
(2,892,420
|
)
|
|
|
(551,631
|
)
|
|
|
(150,898
|
)
|
|
|
(61,373
|
)
|
|
Financing
activities
|
|
|
(116,738
|
)
|
|
|
2,932,080
|
|
|
|
553,990
|
|
|
|
189,269
|
|
|
|
31,167
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Balance
sheet data:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
assets
|
|
$
|
4,722,020
|
|
|
$
|
3,807,703
|
|
|
$
|
905,912
|
|
|
$
|
280,924
|
|
|
$
|
105,425
|
|
|
Long-term
debt
|
|
|
1,653,568
|
|
|
|
1,443,830
|
|
|
|
428,237
|
|
|
|
207,695
|
|
|
|
72,750
|
|
|
Unitholders’
capital (deficit)
|
|
|
2,760,686
|
|
|
|
2,026,641
|
|
|
|
450,954
|
|
|
|
(46,831
|
)
|
|
|
9,520
|
|
(1)
Includes
gain (loss) on sale of assets, net of taxes.
(2)
Includes premiums paid for derivatives of approximately $129.5 million,
$279.3 million, $49.8 million
and $1.6
million for the years ended December 31, 2008, 2007, 2006 and 2005,
respectively.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Production
data:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Average
daily production – continuing operations:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gas
(MMcf/d)
|
|
|
124
|
|
|
|
51
|
|
|
|
2
|
|
|
|
―
|
|
|
|
―
|
|
|
Oil
(MBbls/d)
|
|
|
9
|
|
|
|
3
|
|
|
|
1
|
|
|
|
―
|
|
|
|
―
|
|
|
NGL
(MBbls/d)
|
|
|
6
|
|
|
|
3
|
|
|
|
―
|
|
|
|
―
|
|
|
|
―
|
|
|
Total
(MMcfe/d)
|
|
|
212
|
|
|
|
87
|
|
|
|
8
|
|
|
|
―
|
|
|
|
―
|
|
|
Average
daily production – discontinued operations:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
(MMcfe/d)
|
|
|
12
|
|
|
|
24
|
|
|
|
22
|
|
|
|
13
|
|
|
|
9
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Estimated
net proved reserves – continuing operations:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gas
(Bcf)
|
|
|
851
|
|
|
|
833
|
|
|
|
77
|
|
|
|
―
|
|
|
|
―
|
|
|
Oil
(MMBbls)
|
|
|
84
|
|
|
|
55
|
|
|
|
30
|
|
|
|
―
|
|
|
|
―
|
|
|
NGL
(MMBbls)
|
|
|
51
|
|
|
|
43
|
|
|
|
―
|
|
|
|
―
|
|
|
|
―
|
|
|
Total
(Bcfe)
|
|
|
1,660
|
|
|
|
1,419
|
|
|
|
255
|
|
|
|
―
|
|
|
|
―
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Estimated
net proved reserves – discontinued operations:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
(Bcfe)
|
|
|
―
|
|
|
|
197
|
|
|
|
199
|
|
|
|
193
|
|
|
|
120
|
|
Item 7.
Management’s
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
The
following discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with the
“Selected Historical Consolidated Financial and Operating Data” and the
financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this Annual Report
on Form 10-K. The following discussion contains forward-looking
statements that reflect the Company’s future plans, estimates, beliefs and
expected performance. The forward-looking statements are dependent
upon events, risks and uncertainties that may be outside the Company’s
control. The Company’s actual results could differ materially from
those discussed in these forward-looking statements. Factors that
could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to,
market prices for oil, gas and NGL, production volumes, estimates of proved
reserves, capital expenditures, economic and competitive conditions, regulatory
changes and other uncertainties, as well as those factors discussed below and
elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, particularly in Part I.
Item 1A. “Risk Factors.” In light of these risks, uncertainties and
assumptions, the forward-looking events discussed may not occur.
A
reference to a “Note” herein refers to the accompanying Notes to Consolidated
Financial Statements contained in Item 8. “Financial Statements and
Supplementary Data.” Certain amounts in the results of operations
contained herein have been reclassified to conform to the 2008
presentation. In particular, results of operations includes
categories of expense titled “lease operating expenses,” “transportation
expenses,” “exploration costs,” “bad debt expenses,” “impairment of goodwill and
long-lived assets,” “taxes, other than income taxes” and “(gain) loss on sale of
assets, net” which were not reported in prior period
presentations. The new categories present expenses in greater detail
than was previously reported and all comparative periods presented have been
reclassified to conform to the 2008 financial statement
presentation. There was no impact to net income (loss) for prior
periods.
Executive
Overview
Linn
Energy is an independent oil and gas company focused on the development and
acquisition of long life properties which complement its asset profile in
producing basins within the United States. The Company’s properties
are currently located in the Mid-Continent and California.
Proved
reserves at December 31, 2008 were 1,660 Bcfe, of which approximately 51%
were gas, 31% were oil and 18% were NGL. Approximately 68% were
classified as proved developed, with a total standardized measure of discounted
future net cash flows of $1.42 billion. At December 31, 2008,
the Company operated 4,453, or 66%, of its 6,716 gross productive
wells. Average proved reserves-to-production ratio, or average
reserve life, is approximately 21 years.
From
inception through the date of this report, the Company has completed 25
acquisitions of working and royalty interests in oil and gas properties and
related gathering and pipeline assets. Excluding the Appalachian
Basin properties sold in July 2008 (discussed below), total acquired proved
reserves were approximately 1.7 Tcfe at an acquisition cost of approximately
$2.17 per Mcfe. The Company finances acquisitions with a combination
of proceeds from the issuance of its units, bank borrowings and cash flow from
operations. See Note 3 for additional details about the
Company’s recent acquisitions.
On
July 1, 2008, the Company completed the sale of its interests in oil and
gas properties located in the Appalachian Basin to XTO for a contract price of
$600.0 million, subject to closing adjustments (see Note 2). The
assets include approximately 197 Bcfe of proved reserves at December 31,
2007. Net proceeds were $566.5 million and the carrying value of net
assets sold was $405.8 million, resulting in a gain on the sale of $160.7
million, which is recorded in “discontinued operations: gain (loss) on sale of
assets, net of taxes” on the consolidated statement of
operations. The Company used the net proceeds from the sale to repay
loans outstanding under its term loan agreement and reduce indebtedness under
its credit facility (see Note 8). Also, in March 2008, the
Company exited the drilling and service business in the Appalachian Basin
provided by its wholly owned subsidiary Mid Atlantic. During the year
ended December 31, 2008, the Company recorded a loss on the sale of the Mid
Atlantic assets of $1.6 million, which is also recorded in “discontinued
operations: gain (loss) on sale of assets, net of taxes” on the consolidated
statement of operations.
The
results of the Company’s Appalachian Basin and Mid Atlantic operations are
classified as discontinued operations for all periods
presented. Unless otherwise indicated, results of operations
information presented herein relates only to Linn Energy’s continuing
operations.
Results
from continuing operations for the year ended December 31, 2008 included
the following:
|
|
·
|
oil,
gas and NGL sales of approximately $755.6 million, compared to $255.9
million in 2007;
|
|
|
·
|
daily
production of 212 MMcfe/d, compared to 87 MMcfe/d in
2007;
|
|
|
·
|
capital
expenditures of $321.3 million, excluding expenditures for acquisitions
and discontinued operations;
|
|
|
·
|
average
of 11 operated drilling rigs.
|
Asset
Sales
During
the fourth quarter of 2008, the Company completed a year-long portfolio
optimization project. The Company carefully analyzed its asset base
to determine which properties best fit the Linn Energy business model with high
quality reserves and long life production. During 2008, the Company
sold approximately $1.0 billion (contract price) of properties that were
non-core to its business strategy, primarily due to high capital requirements
and high decline characteristics. The Appalachian Basin sale is
discussed above. A summary of the other transactions is as
follows:
|
|
·
|
On
August 15, 2008, the Company completed the sale of certain properties
in the Verden area in Oklahoma to Laredo for a contract price of $185.0
million, subject to closing adjustments. The assets include
approximately 50,000 net acres and 45 Bcfe of proved reserves at
December 31, 2007. Net proceeds and the carrying value of
net assets sold were $169.4 million. The Verden assets were
acquired by the Company with its acquisition of oil and gas properties
from Dominion in August 2007. The Company used the net proceeds
from the sale to reduce indebtedness (see
Note 8).
|
|
|
·
|
On
December 4, 2008, the Company completed the sale of its deep rights
in certain central Oklahoma acreage, which includes the Woodford Shale
interval, to Devon for a contract price of $202.3 million, subject to
closing adjustments. The sale included approximately 34,000 net
acres and no producing reserves. Linn Energy retains the rights
to the shallow portion of this acreage. Net proceeds were
$153.2 million and the carrying value of net assets sold was $54.2
million, resulting in a gain on the sale of $99.0 million, which is
recorded in “(gain) loss on sale of assets, net” on the consolidated
statement of operations. In January 2009, certain post closing
matters were resolved and the Company received additional proceeds of
$11.5 million, which will be reported as a gain in the first quarter of
2009. Pending resolution of title issues, the Company estimates
it may receive additional proceeds ranging from $12.0 million to $18.0
million during the first quarter of 2009. These assets were
acquired by the Company with its acquisition of oil and gas properties
from Dominion in August 2007. The Company used the net proceeds
from the sale to reduce indebtedness (see
Note 8).
|
Unit
Repurchase Plan
In
October 2008, the Board of Directors of the Company authorized the repurchase of
up to $100.0 million of the Company’s outstanding units. During the
year ended December 31, 2008, 1,076,900 units were purchased at an average
unit price of $12.09, for a total cost of approximately $13.0
million. All units were subsequently canceled. The Company
may purchase units from time to time on the open market or in negotiated
purchases. The timing and amounts of any such repurchases will be at
the discretion of management, subject to market conditions and other factors,
and will be in accordance with applicable securities laws and other legal
requirements. The repurchase plan does not obligate the Company to
acquire any specific number of units and may be discontinued at any
time. Units are purchased at fair market value on the date of
purchase.
Interest
Rate Swap Restructuring
In
January 2009, the Company amended and extended its interest rate swap
portfolio. The Company canceled, in a cashless transaction, its
existing interest rate swap agreements that settled at a fixed rate of 5.06%
through 2011 (see Note 9) and entered into new agreements that settle at a
fixed rate of 3.80% through 2014. See Note 8 for details about the
Company's credit facility and senior notes. The following presents the
settlement terms of the interest rate swaps:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(dollars
in thousands)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Notional
Amount
|
|
$
|
1,250,000
|
|
|
$
|
1,250,000
|
|
|
$
|
1,250,000
|
|
|
$
|
1,250,000
|
|
|
$
|
1,250,000
|
|
|
$
|
1,250,000
|
|
|
Fixed
Rate
|
|
|
3.80
|
%
|
|
|
3.80
|
%
|
|
|
3.80
|
%
|
|
|
3.80
|
%
|
|
|
3.80
|
%
|
|
|
3.80
|
%
|
|
(1)
|
Represents
interest rate swaps that settle in January
2014.
|
Canceled
Commodity Contracts
During
the year ended December 31, 2008, the Company canceled (before the contract
settlement date) derivative contracts on estimated future gas production
resulting in realized losses of $81.4 million. The future gas
production under the canceled contracts primarily related to properties in the
Appalachian Basin and Verden areas (see Note 2). In addition, in
September 2008, the Company canceled (before the contract settlement date) all
of its commodity derivative contracts with Lehman Brothers Commodity Services
Inc. (“Lehman Commodity Services”) as counterparty and entered into contracts
for substantially the same volumes at identical strike prices with another
participant in its credit facility for a cost of approximately $67.6
million. As a result, effective September 17, 2008, Lehman
Commodity Services was no longer a counterparty to any of the Company’s
commodity derivative contracts and the Company’s overall derivative positions
are unchanged.
In
September and October 2008, Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. (“Lehman Holdings”)
and Lehman Commodity Services, respectively, filed a voluntary petition for
reorganization under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code
(“Chapter 11”). As of December 31, 2008, the Company had a
receivable of approximately $67.6 million from Lehman Commodity Services for
canceled derivative contracts (see Note 13). The Company is
pursuing various legal remedies to protect its interests. Based on
market expectations, at December 31, 2008, the Company estimated
approximately $6.7 million of the receivable balance to be
collectible. The net receivable of approximately $6.7 million is
included in “other current assets, net” on the consolidated balance sheet at
December 31, 2008. The related expense is included in "gain
(loss) on oil and gas derivatives" on the consolidated statement of operations
for the year ended December 31, 2008. The Company believes that the
ultimate disposition of this matter will not have a material adverse effect on
its business, financial position, results of operations or
liquidity.
Credit
and Capital Market Disruption
Multiple
events during 2008 involving numerous financial institutions have effectively
restricted current liquidity within the capital markets throughout the United
States and around the world. Despite efforts by treasury and banking
regulators in the United States, Europe and other nations to provide liquidity
to the financial sector, capital markets currently remain
constrained. To the extent the Company accesses credit or capital
markets in the near term, its ability to obtain terms and pricing similar to its
existing terms and pricing may be limited. During 2009, the Company
plans to renegotiate its credit facility, which matures in August
2010. Entry into a new credit facility is expected to result in
increased interest expense and there can be no assurance that the borrowing base
will remain at the current level. In addition, the Company cannot be
assured that counterparties to the Company’s derivative contracts will be able
to perform under these contracts. For additional information about
the Company’s credit risk related to derivative contracts see “Fair Value of
Financial Instruments” below. In addition, for information about
these and other risk factors that could affect the Company, see Part I.
Item 1A. “Risk Factors.”
Operating
Regions
The
Company’s oil, gas and NGL properties are located in three regions in the United
States:
|
|
·
|
Mid-Continent
Deep, which includes the Texas Panhandle Deep Granite Wash formation and
deep formations in Oklahoma;
|
|
|
·
|
Mid-Continent
Shallow, which includes the Texas Panhandle Brown Dolomite formation and
shallow formations in Oklahoma; and
|
|
|
·
|
Western,
which includes the Brea Olinda Field of the Los Angeles Basin in
California.
|
Mid-Continent
Deep
The
Mid-Continent Deep region includes properties in the Deep Granite Wash formation
in the Texas Panhandle, which produces at depths ranging from 8,900 feet to
16,000 feet, as well as properties in Oklahoma which produce at depths over
8,000 feet. Mid-Continent Deep proved reserves represented
approximately 54% of total proved reserves at December 31, 2008, of which
69% were classified as proved developed reserves. This region
produced 136 MMcfe/d, or 64%, of the Company’s 2008 average daily
production. During 2008, the Company invested approximately $218.3
million to drill in this region. During 2009, the Company anticipates
spending approximately 70% of its total capital budget for development
activities in the Mid-Continent Deep region.
Mid-Continent
Shallow
The
Mid-Continent Shallow region includes properties producing from the Brown
Dolomite formation in the Texas Panhandle, which produces at depths of
approximately 3,200 feet, as well as properties in Oklahoma which produce at
depths under 8,000 feet. Mid-Continent Shallow proved reserves
represented approximately 33% of total proved reserves at December 31,
2008, of which 60% were classified as proved developed reserves. This
region produced 63 MMcfe/d, or 30%, of the Company’s 2008 average daily
production. During 2008, the Company invested approximately $70.7
million to drill in this region. During 2009, the Company anticipates
spending approximately 25% of its total capital budget for development
activities in the Mid-Continent Shallow region.
In order
to more efficiently transport its gas in the Mid-Continent Deep and
Mid-Continent Shallow regions to market, the Company owns and operates a network
of gas gathering systems comprised of approximately 900 miles of pipeline and
associated compression and metering facilities which connect to numerous sales
outlets in the Texas Panhandle.
Western
The
Western region consists of the Brea Olinda Field of the Los Angeles Basin in
California. The Brea Olinda Field was discovered in 1880 and produces
from the shallow Pliocene formation to the deeper Miocene
formation. Western proved reserves represented approximately 13% of
total proved reserves at December 31, 2008, of which 87% were classified as
proved developed reserves. This region produced 13 MMcfe/d, or 6%, of
the Company’s 2008 average daily production. During 2008, the Company
invested approximately $3.1 million to drill in this region. During
2009, the Company anticipates spending approximately 5% of its total capital
budget for development activities in the Western region.
The
Western region also includes the operation of a gas processing facility which
processes produced gas from Company and third party wells. Processed
gas is utilized to generate electricity which is used in the field to power
equipment, resulting in reduced operating costs. Revenues are also
generated from the sale of excess power.
Results
of Operations – Continuing Operations
Year
Ended December 31, 2008 Compared to Year Ended December 31,
2007
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(in
thousands)
|
|
Revenues
and other:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gas
sales
|
|
$
|
334,214
|
|
|
$
|
118,343
|
|
|
$
|
215,871
|
|
|
Oil
sales
|
|
|
291,132
|
|
|
|
82,523
|
|
|
|
208,609
|
|
|
NGL
sales
|
|
|
130,298
|
|
|
|
55,061
|
|
|
|
75,237
|
|
|
Total
oil, gas and NGL sales
|
|
|
755,644
|
|
|
|
255,927
|
|
|
|
499,717
|
|
|
Gain
(loss) on oil and gas derivatives
|
|
|
662,782
|
|
|
|
(345,537
|
)
|
|
|
1,008,319
|
|
|
Gas
marketing revenues
|
|
|
12,846
|
|
|
|
11,589
|
|
|
|
1,257
|
|
|
Other
revenues
|
|
|
3,759
|
|
|
|
2,738
|
|
|
|
1,021
|
|
|
|
|
$
|
1,435,031
|
|
|
$
|
(75,283
|
)
|
|
$
|
1,510,314
|
|
|
Expenses:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Lease
operating expenses
|
|
$
|
115,402
|
|
|
$
|
41,946
|
|
|
$
|
73,456
|
|
|
Transportation
expenses
|
|
|
17,597
|
|
|
|
5,575
|
|
|
|
12,022
|
|
|
Gas
marketing expenses
|
|
|
11,070
|
|
|
|
9,100
|
|
|
|
1,970
|
|
|
General
and administrative expenses
(1)
|
|
|
77,391
|
|
|
|
51,374
|
|
|
|
26,017
|
|
|
Exploration
costs
|
|
|
7,603
|
|
|
|
4,053
|
|
|
|
3,550
|
|
|
Bad
debt expenses
|
|
|
1,436
|
|
|
|
―
|
|
|
|
1,436
|
|
|
Depreciation,
depletion and amortization
|
|
|
194,093
|
|
|
|
69,081
|
|
|
|
125,012
|
|
|
Impairment
of goodwill and long-lived assets
|
|
|
50,505
|
|
|
|
―
|
|
|
|
50,505
|
|
|
Taxes,
other than income taxes
|
|
|
61,435
|
|
|
|
22,350
|
|
|
|
39,085
|
|
|
(Gain)
loss on sale of assets, net
|
|
|
(98,763
|
)
|
|
|
1,767
|
|
|
|
(100,530
|
)
|
|
|
|
$
|
437,769
|
|
|
$
|
205,246
|
|
|
$
|
232,523
|
|
|
Other
income and (expenses)
|
|
$
|
(168,893
|
)
|
|
$
|
(70,877
|
)
|
|
$
|
(98,016
|
)
|
|
Income
(loss) from continuing operations before income taxes
|
|
$
|
828,369
|
|
|
$
|
(351,406
|
)
|
|
$
|
1,179,775
|
|
Notes
to table:
|
(1)
|
General
and administrative expenses for the years ended December 31, 2008 and
2007 includes approximately $14.6 million and $13.5 million, respectively,
of non-cash unit-based compensation and unit warrant
expenses.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Average daily production
–
continuing
operations:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gas
(MMcf/d)
|
|
|
124
|
|
|
|
51
|
|
|
|
143
|
%
|
|
Oil
(MBbls/d)
|
|
|
9
|
|
|
|
3
|
|
|
|
200
|
%
|
|
NGL
(MBbls/d)
|
|
|
6
|
|
|
|
3
|
|
|
|
100
|
%
|
|
Total
(MMcfe/d)
|
|
|
212
|
|
|
|
87
|
|
|
|
144
|
%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Average daily production
–
discontinued
operations:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
(MMcfe/d)
|
|
|
12
|
|
|
|
24
|
|
|
|
(50
|
)%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Weighted average prices
(hedged):
(1)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gas
(Mcf)
|
|
$
|
8.42
|
|
|
$
|
8.36
|
|
|
|
1
|
%
|
|
Oil
(Bbl)
|
|
$
|
80.92
|
|
|
$
|
67.07
|
|
|
|
21
|
%
|
|
NGL
(Bbl)
|
|
$
|
57.86
|
|
|
$
|
55.51
|
|
|
|
4
|
%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Weighted average prices
(unhedged):
(2)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gas
(Mcf)
|
|
$
|
7.39
|
|
|
$
|
6.39
|
|
|
|
16
|
%
|
|
Oil
(Bbl)
|
|
$
|
92.78
|
|
|
$
|
66.44
|
|
|
|
40
|
%
|
|
NGL
(Bbl)
|
|
$
|
57.86
|
|
|
$
|
55.51
|
|
|
|
4
|
%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Representative
NYMEX oil and gas prices:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gas
(MMBtu)
|
|
$
|
9.04
|
|
|
$
|
6.86
|
|
|
|
32
|
%
|
|
Oil
(Bbl)
|
|
$
|
99.65
|
|
|
$
|
72.34
|
|
|
|
38
|
%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Costs
per Mcfe of production:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Lease
operating expenses
|
|
$
|
1.49
|
|
|
$
|
1.31
|
|
|
|
14
|
%
|
|
Transportation
expenses
|
|
$
|
0.23
|
|
|
$
|
0.17
|
|
|
|
35
|
%
|
|
General
and administrative expenses
(3)
|
|
$
|
1.00
|
|
|
$
|
1.61
|
|
|
|
(38
|
)%
|
|
Depreciation,
depletion and amortization
|
|
$
|
2.50
|
|
|
$
|
2.16
|
|
|
|
16
|
%
|
|
Taxes,
other than income taxes
|
|
$
|
0.79
|
|