Yuma Energy, Inc. Provides an Update to its Liquidity and Operations, and Reports Second Quarter 2018 Financial Results

HOUSTON, Aug. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Yuma Energy, Inc. (NYSE American: YUMA) (the "Company" or "Yuma") today provided information related to its liquidity and operations. The Company also reported its financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2018.

Liquidity

As previously reported, the Company initiated several strategic alternatives to remedy its limited liquidity (defined as cash on hand and undrawn borrowing base), its financial covenant compliance issues, and to provide it with additional working capital to develop its existing assets.  During the second quarter, the Company entered into an Asset Purchase and Sale Agreement on May 21, 2018 regarding its Kern County, California properties, including the sale of all of the Company's oil and gas properties, fee properties, land, buildings, other property and equipment in consideration of $4.7 million in gross proceeds and the buyer's assumption of certain plugging and abandonment liabilities.  The transaction is scheduled to close by August 31, 2018.  Upon the closing of the transaction, it is anticipated that the majority of the proceeds will be applied to the repayment of borrowings under the Company's credit facility.  In addition, the Company has reduced its personnel by eight employees since December 31, 2017, a 24% decrease, including five positions that were eliminated on June 30, 2018.  This brings the Company's headcount to 26 employees as of June 30, 2018.  It should also be noted that, during the second quarter of 2018, the Company took additional steps to further reduce its general and administrative costs by reducing subscriptions, consultants and other non-essential services, as well as eliminating certain of its capital expenditures planned for 2018.

Additionally, the Company plans to take further steps to remedy its limited liquidity which may include, but are not limited to, further reducing or eliminating capital expenditures; entering into additional commodity derivatives for a portion of the Company's anticipated production; further reducing general and administrative expenses; selling certain non-core assets; seeking merger and acquisition related opportunities; and potentially raising proceeds from capital markets transactions, including the sale of debt or equity securities.  There can be no assurance that the exploration of strategic alternatives will result in a transaction or otherwise remedy the Company's limited liquidity.

The Company has borrowings under its credit facility which require, among other things, compliance with certain financial ratios and covenants.  Due to operating losses the Company sustained during recent quarters, at June 30, 2018 the Company was not in compliance under the credit facility with its (i) total debt to EBITDAX covenant for the trailing four quarter period, (ii) current ratio covenant, (iii) EBITDAX to interest expense covenant for the trailing four quarter period, and (iv) the liquidity covenant requiring the Company to maintain unrestricted cash and borrowing base availability of at least $4.0 million.  In addition, due to this non-compliance, the Company classified its entire bank debt as a current liability in its financial statements as of June 30, 2018.  On July 31, 2018, the Borrowers entered into the Waiver and Third Amendment to Credit Agreement (the "Third Amendment") with the Lender.  Pursuant to the Third Amendment, effective as of June 30, 2018, the Borrowers were granted a waiver for non-compliance from the liquidity covenant to have cash and cash equivalent investments together with borrowing base availability under the Credit Agreement of at least $4.0 million.  In addition, as part of the Third Amendment, the Lenders requested that the Borrowers provide weekly cash flow forecasts and a monthly accounts payable report to the Lenders.   The Third Amendment also provides for a redetermination of the borrowing base on August 15, 2018.

As of June 30, 2018, the Company had outstanding borrowings of $35.0 million under its credit facility, and its total borrowing base was $35.0 million, leaving no undrawn borrowing base.  Due to drilling activities and other factors, the Company had a working capital deficit of $40.93 million (inclusive of the Company's outstanding debt under its credit facility) and a loss from operations of $2.90 million for the six months ended June 30, 2018. 

These breaches of the terms and conditions of the Credit Agreement could result in acceleration of the Company's indebtedness, in which case the debt would become immediately due and payable thereby giving its lenders various rights and remedies, including foreclosure. 

The significant risks and uncertainties described above raise substantial doubt about the Company's ability to continue as a going concern. The consolidated financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis of accounting, which contemplates continuity of operations, realization of assets, and satisfaction of liabilities and commitments in the normal course of business. The consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of the going concern uncertainty.

Operations Update

In 2017, the Company entered the Permian Basin through a joint venture with two privately held energy companies and established an Area of Mutual Interest ("AMI") covering approximately 33,280 acres in Yoakum County, Texas, located in the Northwest Shelf of the Permian Basin. The primary target within the AMI is the San Andres formation, which has been one of the largest producing formations in Texas to date. As of June 30, 2018, the Company held a 62.5% working interest in approximately 4,823 gross acres (3,014 net acres) within the AMI.  In November 2017, the Company drilled a salt water disposal well, the Jameson SWD #1. In December 2017, the Company spudded the State 320 #1H horizontal San Andres well, which was subsequently completed in February 2018.  The Company opened the well on March 1, 2018 and placed the well on production. As of July 17, 2018, the well has produced a total of 1,708 barrels of oil, 12,748 Mcf of gas, and 421,603 barrels of water.  The well is currently shut-in pending evaluation of the commerciality and future development of the prospect area.  Given the well performance to date, the ability to establish commercial production in the prospect area is uncertain at this time. 

Second Quarter 2018 Financial Results

Production

The following table presents the net quantities of oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids produced and sold by the Company for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, and the average sales price per unit sold.

Revenues

The following table presents the Company's revenues for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017.

Expenses

The Company's lease operating expenses ("LOE") and LOE per Boe for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, are set forth below:

Commodity Derivative Instruments

Commodity derivative instruments open as of June 30, 2018 are provided below.  Natural gas prices are NYMEX Henry Hub prices, and crude oil prices are NYMEX West Texas Intermediate.

About Yuma Energy, Inc.

Yuma Energy, Inc., a Delaware corporation, is an independent Houston-based exploration and production company focused on acquiring, developing and exploring for conventional and unconventional oil and natural gas resources.  Historically, the Company's operations have focused on onshore properties located in central and southern Louisiana and southeastern Texas where it has a long history of drilling, developing and producing both oil and natural gas assets.  In addition, during 2017 the Company began acquiring acreage in Yoakum County, Texas, with plans to explore and develop oil and natural gas assets in the Permian Basin.  Finally, the Company has operated positions in Kern County, California, and non-operated positions in the East Texas Woodbine and the Bakken Shale in North Dakota.  Its common stock is listed on the NYSE American under the trading symbol "YUMA."

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"). Statements that are not strictly historical statements constitute forward-looking statements and may often, but not always, be identified by the use of such words such as "expects," "believes," "intends," "anticipates," "plans," "estimates," "potential," "possible," or "probable" or statements that certain actions, events or results "may," "will," "should," or "could" be taken, occur or be achieved. The forward-looking statements include statements about future operations, and estimates of reserve and production volumes. Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and assumptions and analyses made by the Company in light of experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors appropriate under the circumstances. However, whether actual results and developments will conform with expectations is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to: our limited liquidity and the Company's ability to repay outstanding loans when due; the Company's ability to continue as a going concern; reduction in the borrowing base of the Company's credit facility; the risks of the oil and natural gas industry (for example, operational risks in exploring for, developing and producing crude oil and natural gas); risks and uncertainties involving geology of oil and natural gas deposits; the uncertainty of reserve estimates; revisions to reserve estimates as a result of changes in commodity prices; the uncertainty of estimates and projections relating to future production, costs and expenses; potential delays or changes in plans with respect to exploration or development projects or capital expenditures; health, safety and environmental risks and risks related to weather; declines in oil and natural gas prices; inability of management to execute its plans to meet its goals, shortages of drilling equipment, oil field personnel and services, unavailability of gathering systems, pipelines and processing facilities and the possibility that government policies may change.  The Company's annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, recent current reports on Form 8-K, and other SEC filings discuss some of the important risk factors identified that may affect its business, results of operations, and financial condition. The Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update publicly any forward-looking statements, except as required by law.

SOURCE Yuma Energy, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.yumaenergyinc.com

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