Range Resources Corporation has announced second quarter results. Range reported its 22nd consecutive quarter of sequential production growth with 381 Mmcfe per day reported for the second quarter. Production increased 22% versus the prior year and 3% over first quarter results. The increase was driven by exceptional drilling results across the Company's core properties, which more than offset significant gas curtailments. Oil and gas sales, including cash-settled derivatives, a non-GAAP measure, reached $313 million, a 42% increase over the prior year. Cash flow from operations before changes in working capital, a non-GAAP measure, rose 41% to $221 million. The reported net loss of $35 million included non-cash charges of $164 million for the mark-to-market accounting on open commodity derivatives, $16 million of non-cash stock expense and a $1 million loss on property sales. Adjusting for these items, net income comparable to analyst estimates was $75 million, or diluted earnings per share of $0.48, 17% greater than the prior year. The Company's cash flow for the quarter equaled the average of analyst estimates. The adjusted earnings per share of $0.48 were less than the $0.54 average analyst estimate due to the reduction in leasehold value from expiring acreage.
Commenting on the announcement, John Pinkerton, Range's President and CEO, said, "Despite pipeline curtailments that averaged 18.5 Mmcfe per day for the quarter in the Barnett Shale play, our operations teams did a tremendous job driving up production to achieve our 22nd consecutive quarter of sequential production growth. We continue to be on track to achieve our 19% production growth target for the year. Our diversified portfolio of quality drilling projects and our highly focused operating teams are the keys to our success. Importantly, we continue to make solid progress with our emerging plays, building infrastructure, drilling successful delineation wells and increasing our acreage positions. Looking forward, we are extremely well positioned, as our multi-year drilling program is generating excellent returns and our emerging plays provide the opportunity for sustained double digit growth for many years to come."
For the quarter, production totaled 381 Mmcfe per day, comprised of 304 Mmcf per day of gas (80%) and 12,795 barrels per day of oil and liquids. Wellhead prices, including cash-settled derivatives, averaged $9.03 per mcfe, a 17% increase over the prior-year period. The average gas price was $8.46 per mcf, a 16% increase, and the average oil price rose 21% to $72.34 a barrel. If the mark-to-market of the Company's open commodity derivatives were valued as of the close of the market today, the $164 million mark-to-market loss would be completely eliminated.
Direct operating expenses for the quarter were $1.05 per mcfe, $0.20 per mcfe higher than the prior-year quarter and $0.09 greater than the first quarter of 2008. Second quarter direct operating costs were $0.09 higher due to workovers and other activities focused on overcoming the shut-in production. Exploration expense in the second quarter totaled $18 million, up from $11 million in the prior-year quarter due primarily to higher seismic expenditures. General and administrative expenses were $0.49 per mcfe, an increase of $0.05 from the prior-year quarter and $0.11 higher than the first quarter of 2008 due to higher personnel costs, in particular, those incurred in anticipation of the ramp up of Marcellus Shale drilling and production which will not be realized until early 2009. Interest expense rose to $24 million compared to $18 million in the prior-year quarter, due to higher debt outstanding and the refinancing of floating bank debt to longer term fixed rate debt. Depreciation, depletion and amortization rose to $2.24 per mcfe, versus $1.81 in the prior-year quarter due to higher depletion rates and valuation adjustments to the Company's growing leasehold inventory. Depreciation, depletion and amortization was $0.12 higher than the Company's guidance for the quarter due to $0.15 of leasehold amortization, due primarily to expiring acreage.
Second quarter development and exploration expenditures totaled $218 million, funding the drilling of 180 (136 net) wells and 18 (11 net) recompletions. A 99% success rate was achieved with 178 (135 net) wells productive. In the first six months, 264 (200 net) of the newly drilled wells had been placed on production, with the remainder in various stages of completion or waiting on pipeline connection. In addition, $45 million was spent on acreage, $11 million on expanding gas gathering systems and $23 million on property acquisitions. Drilling activity in the third quarter remains high with 30 rigs currently running. During the second quarter, Range also continued to expand several of its key drilling areas and emerging plays as 150,000 acres of new leasehold were acquired or under contract.
During the second quarter 2008, Range's Appalachian division continued to focus on its key coal bed methane and shale drilling projects in Virginia with 64 wells drilled. In the Nora field in Virginia, the division drilled 37 coal bed methane wells on 60-acre spacing and eight infill wells on 30-acre spacing. In addition, Range drilled 17 tight gas sand wells in Nora during the quarter, achieving higher than expected initial production results. The initial horizontal Huron Shale well drilled in late 2007 continues to produce in line with expectations, and the first two horizontal shale wells drilled in 2008 of a 10-well program planned had initial in-line production rates of 1.2 and 0.5 Mmcfe per day. Due to mechanical problems, the lower-rate well had a shorter lateral, but given the length, the rate appears to be proportional. If the Huron program is successful, it will de-risk about 1.5 Tcf of net gas reserves to Range by year-end. The Nora area is one of the largest coal bed methane accumulations in the Appalachian Basin with more than 1,800 producing CBM wells and more than 2,400 remaining locations to be drilled based on 60-acre spacing. If downspacing of coal bed methane and tight gas sand wells are included, the number of remaining locations could exceed 6,000 excluding the shale development.
In the Appalachian Basin Marcellus Shale play, the Company continues its delineation drilling and leasing efforts. At the May update, our acreage position in the Marcellus trend totaled 1.15 million net acres with 700,000 net acres considered very prospective. This position has since expanded to 1.4 million net acres, of which approximately 850,000 acres have been high-graded for further evaluation. Currently, we have three rigs drilling Marcellus Shale wells with plans to add two fit-for-purpose rigs in 2009. Preliminary planning for 2009 includes increasing to eight rigs. To date, 25 horizontal shale wells have been drilled, of which 22 have been completed. During the second quarter, Range completed seven horizontal shale wells in the Marcellus which had initial production rates averaging 4.9 Mmcfe per day. Three of these horizontal wells were significant "step-outs" which have proven up additional acreage. The 4.9 Mmcfe per day average test rate for the most recent seven wells compares to 4.1 Mmcfe per day for the 10 previously announced horizontal wells. Based on the results to date, Range estimates that the gross average reserves per horizontal well are in the range of 3 to 4 Bcfe. In a development mode, Range anticipates that a typical Marcellus horizontal well will cost $3 to $4 million. Based on results to date, estimated finding and development costs range from $0.90 to $1.60 per mcfe. Range has revised upward its estimate of the unrisked reserve potential of its leasehold position to 15 to 22 Tcfe. The Company also recently announced a midstream and infrastructure agreement with MarkWest Energy Partners, L.P. to construct and operate pipelines and processing facilities. Range has secured firm transportation capacity on interstate carriers totaling 150 Mmcf per day and expects to expand this capacity as the play develops. Production will be phased in, but is expected to reach 30 Mmcfe per day in the first quarter of 2009.
In the North Texas Fort Worth Basin, the second quarter was highlighted by the completion of four new wells with combined test rates of 33 (25 net) Mmcfe per day. While production for the quarter was severely impacted by pipeline curtailments, two pipeline expansion projects by third parties are anticipated to be completed late in the third and fourth quarters. In Hood County, we have significantly reduced our drilling and completion costs. Our most recent three wells took 10 days from spud to rig release and will be completed for approximately $1.6 million per well, providing excellent finding and development costs of about $0.80 per mcfe. Additional testing in Ellis and Hill counties is continuing. Production from the Moore #2 in Ellis County is nearly identical to the Moore #1 well (approximately 1.5 Mmcfe per day) but was drilled in significantly less time. A third well is planned using a different completion technique in an attempt to improve well economics. In Hill County, we continue to devise and test different completion techniques. Encouragingly, our most recent well is producing 2.4 Mmcfe per day.
Second quarter activity for the Midcontinent division included the drilling of 24 (21 net) wells with a 96% success rate. Texas Panhandle Granite Wash drilling resulted in three completions with combined rates of 5.9 (4.0 net) Mmcfe per day. One additional well is awaiting pipeline connection, and two wells are flowing back fracture stimulations prior to connection. The Ardmore Basin Woodford play also encountered positive results. A horizontal Woodford well was turned to sales flowing 3.0 (1.2 net) Mmcfe per day. Three additional Woodford completions are expected to commence sales within the next few weeks. Drilling activity also continues in the deep Anadarko Basin, Watonga/Chickasha Trend, and the northern Oklahoma shallow play with one rig remaining active in each area. Over 98 (80 net) wells are planned for the Midcontinent region in 2008. In the Gulf Coast division, the Thornhill #3, located in Mississippi, targeting a Hosston sand recently came online and is producing 5.0 (3.6 net) Mmcfe per day.
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