Daybreak Acquires Interests In Shallow Oil Play In Kentucky
Acquired a 25% WI in 6,100 acres in the Twin Bottoms field in Lawrence County.
Daybreak Oil and Gas Inc. (OTC: DBRM) acquired a 25% working interest in 6,100 acres in two large contiguous acreage blocks in the Twin Bottoms field in Lawrence County, Ky., the company announced on Sept. 3.
App Energy LLC is the operator of the project and owns the remaining 75% working interest. Pursuant to a joint operating agreement between App and Daybreak, the two companies have committed to drill three shallow horizontal oil wells in the Berea Oil Sand, which is at 1,500 feet with over 50 drilling locations identified on the leases. Vertical gas wells currently on the leases have penetrated the Berea Oil Sand with log and other data indicating potential proved oil reserves are present in these reservoirs. In this same area of Lawrence County, Ky., over 40 horizontal oil wells have been drilled in the Berea Sand in the past year with substantial initial oil production rates along with associated natural gas. Oil reserves per well are expected to have an estimated ultimate recovery of 50,000 barrels (bbls) of oil with estimated well cost of $800,000 per completed well depending on the length of the lateral production leg of the well. The first well in the initial three well program is expected to spud on Sept. 3.
The company also favorably amended its credit facility with Maximilian Investors LLC as part of this transaction. Under the terms of the amended and restated credit facility, the company's initial credit line has increased from $20 million to $50 million and its interest rate decreased from 18% to 12% per annum. The amended and restated credit facility also provides for Maximilian to loan funds to the company under a separate $40 million credit line to be loaned by the company to App, primarily to fund its drilling operations. The funds initially loaned to App will accrue interest at 16.8% per annum and subsequent advances will accrue interest at 12% per annum. App's obligations to the company are secured by a lien on and security interest in substantially all of App's property, including substantially all of its oil and gas interests in Kentucky. As a result of Maximilian introducing the Kentucky transaction with App to the company, Maximilian was issued 6.1 million shares of the company's common stock on a fully-diluted basis and a warrant to purchase 6.1 million shares of the company's common stock on a fully-diluted basis at $0.10 per share. The company has also granted to Maximilian a net profits interest of 50% of its net profits after the company has recovered its costs from its Kentucky drilling operations with App.
"This transaction is a perfect complement to our California operations with similar characteristics; such as shallow oil, low risk, and moderate cost to drill and complete. A major benefit to Daybreak is that the Kentucky wells have initial production rates that are substantially higher than our California wells. We anticipate the production rates will level out to approximately the same rates as our California wells within a year of being brought into production. With the addition of these new Kentucky properties to our California properties, the Company expects to see a significant improvement in its cash flow and earnings. We are also pleased to team up with App, an operation that has personnel experienced in oil and gas operations in the Appalachian Basin of Kentucky. Their expertise brings significant value to the operation and we look forward to a long working relationship with them. We are also pleased that Maximilian brought this transaction to us, and as a result we were able to favorably amend our credit facility. This will allow us to not only participate in the Kentucky project while continuing our development of our California project, but it will also give us the opportunity to seek other projects with similar characteristics that will complement our ongoing operations in California and Kentucky," James. F. Westmoreland, president and CEO, said in the release.
Daybreak Oil and Gas Inc. is an independent oil and natural gas exploration, development, and production company in the U.S. The company is based in Spokane, Wash.