Capex Data
In 2009, the Company expects to reduce the capital budget by 30% to 60% compared to 2008 and generate free cash flow.
Future Plans
As a result of the significant drop in commodity prices, the Company has started implementing initiatives to reduce capital spending and preserve financial flexibility. Specifically, the Company is implementing a plan for a near-term $60 per barrel of oil and $6 per thousand cubic feet (MCF) of gas environment. This plan includes minimizing drilling activities until margins improve as a result of (i) commodity prices improving, (ii) gas price differentials in the areas where the Company produces gas improving relative to NYMEX quoted prices and/or (iii) well cost reductions. The Company is focused on delivering free cash flow in 2009 and beyond. As a result, Pioneer is reducing its rig activity by approximately 60% and is pursuing reductions in well costs of 20% to 30% to align costs with the lower commodity price environment that currently exists. Rigs are being terminated or stacked in the Spraberry, Raton, Edwards Trend, Barnett Shale and Mid-Continent areas. The Company is also reducing the number of well service units running in the Spraberry field from 42 to 30, 15 of which are lower-cost well service units that are owned by Pioneer.
Even with a significantly reduced capital budget in 2009, Pioneer expects 5% to 10% production growth. The low end of the production growth range reflects a $60 per barrel/$6 per MCF environment, while the high end of the range reflects current strip prices. Pioneer's ability to increase production with limited capital highlights the quality of its long-lived, low-decline assets and the low-risk drilling nature of these assets. Production growth for 2009 will also benefit from the October startup of the most prolific well in the South Coast Gas project (South Africa), infrastructure expansion currently being completed in the Edwards Trend and reduced commitments under Pioneer's volumetric production payment (VPP) agreements. The Company's Oooguruk project on the North Slope of Alaska is also expected to generate significant growth in 2009 and 2010.