Southwestern Energy Announces Second Quarter 2022 Results

Southwestern Energy Company (NYSE: SWN) today announced financial and operating results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2022.

• Generated $427 million net cash provided by operating activities, $1.2 billion net income and $368 million adjusted net income (non-GAAP)
  • $822 million Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP) and $169 million free cash flow (non-GAAP)
• Reported total net production of 438 Bcfe, or 4.8 Bcfe per day, including 4.2 Bcf per day of natural gas and 100 MBbls per day of liquids
• Invested $585 million of capital and placed 42 wells to sales, including 23 in Appalachia and 19 in Haynesville
• Announced a share repurchase program of up to $1 billion to complement continued prioritization of debt repayment
• Upgraded to Ba1 by Moody’s in May; now rated one notch below investment grade by both Moody’s and S&P

“During the second quarter, Southwestern Energy continued to execute on our plan while complementing our debt repayment priority with a share repurchase program. We believe this program will narrow the disconnect between our enterprise value and our inherent asset value, as reflected in our second quarter PV-10 reserve value of $31 billion¹ at strip prices. This program also underscores the free cash flow generation capability of our dual-basin assets and firm transportation portfolio providing market optionality, including being one of the nation’s largest suppliers of natural gas to LNG,” said Bill Way, Southwestern Energy President and Chief Executive Officer.

“The Company remains on track to deliver all of its 2022 operating and financial objectives. We are increasing our full-year production guidance and updating other key metrics primarily to reflect the current cost environment. The approximately 10% increase to our 2022 capital investment strengthens the delivery of our 2023 maintenance capital program and increases estimated cumulative free cash flow. We expect at current strip prices we can achieve our target debt range and also return nearly 15% of our market capitalization to shareholders by the end of next year,” continued Way.

Financial Results

For the quarter ended June 30, 2022, Southwestern Energy recorded net income of $1.2 billion, or $1.05 per diluted share, primarily due to the mark-to-market impact of unsettled derivatives. Excluding this and other one-time items, adjusted net income (non-GAAP) was $368 million, or $0.33 per diluted share, and adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP) was $822 million. Net cash provided by operating activities was $427 million, net cash flow (non-GAAP) was $754 million and free cash flow (non-GAAP) was $169 million.

The Company primarily utilized free cash flow generated in the second quarter of 2022 to reduce the balance of its revolving credit facility and repurchase $45 million of senior notes due 2027 and 2028, which was more than offset by seasonal working capital adjustments. As of June 30, 2022, Southwestern Energy had total debt of $5.1 billion and net debt to adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP) of 1.6x. At the end of the quarter, the Company had $406 million of borrowings under its revolving credit facility and $109 million in outstanding letters of credit. In May 2022, the Company received an upgrade to its long-term debt issuer rating from Moody’s to Ba1, placing the Company one notch below an investment grade credit rating by both Moody’s and S&P.

On June 21, 2022, the Company announced a program to repurchase up to $1 billion of its outstanding common stock through the end of 2023. During the second quarter, the Company repurchased approximately 2.8 million shares for a total cost of approximately $20 million at an average price of $7.10 per share.

As indicated in the table below, second quarter 2022 weighted average realized price, including $0.25 per Mcfe of transportation expenses, was $6.69 per Mcfe excluding the impact of derivatives. Including derivatives, weighted average realized price (including transportation) for the second quarter was up 38% from $2.20 per Mcfe in 2021 to $3.04 per Mcfe in 2022 primarily due to higher commodity prices including a 153% increase in NYMEX Henry Hub and a 64% increase in WTI. Second quarter 2022 weighted average realized price before transportation expense and excluding the impact of derivatives was $6.94 per Mcfe.

Operational Results

Total net production for the quarter ended June 30, 2022 was 438 Bcfe, of which 87% was natural gas, 11% NGLs and 2% oil. Capital investments totaled $585 million for the second quarter of 2022 with 41 wells drilled, 35 wells completed and 42 wells placed to sales.

Appalachia– In the second quarter, total production was 269 Bcfe, with NGL production of 85 MBbls per day and oil production of 15 MBbls per day. The Company drilled 18 wells, completed 17 wells and placed 23 wells to sales with an average lateral length of 13,897 feet.

Haynesville– In the second quarter, total production was 169 Bcf. There were 23 wells drilled, 18 wells completed and 19 wells placed to sales in the quarter with an average lateral length of 9,450 feet.

2022 Guidance

In the table below, the Company provides third quarter and updated full year 2022 guidance reflecting current market conditions. Bold indicates updated full year guidance.

Conference Call

Southwestern Energy will host a conference call and webcast on Friday, August 5, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. Central to discuss second quarter 2022 results. To participate, dial US toll-free 877-883-0383, or international 412-902-6506 and enter access code 2234740. The conference call will webcast live at www.swn.com.

A replay will also be available on SWN’s website at www.swn.com following the call.

About Southwestern Energy

Southwestern Energy Company (NYSE: SWN) is a leading U.S. producer and marketer of natural gas and natural gas liquids focused on responsibly developing large-scale energy assets in the nation’s most prolific shale gas basins. SWN’s returns-driven strategy strives to create sustainable value for its stakeholders by leveraging its scale, financial strength and operational execution. For additional information, please visit www.swn.com and www.swn.com/responsibility.

Forward Looking Statement

This news release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These statements are based on current expectations. The words “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “project,” “estimate,” “continue,” “potential,” “should,” “could,” “may,” “will,” “objective,” “guidance,” “outlook,” “effort,” “expect,” “believe,” “predict,” “budget,” “projection,” “goal,” “forecast,” “model,” “target”, “seek”, “strive,” “would,” “approximate,” and similar words are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Statements may be forward looking even in the absence of these particular words.

Examples of forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the expectations of plans, business strategies, objectives and growth and anticipated financial and operational performance, including guidance regarding our strategy to develop reserves, drilling plans and programs, estimated reserves and inventory duration, projected production and sales volume and growth rates, commodity prices, projected average well costs, generation of free cash flow, expected benefits from acquisitions, potential acquisitions and strategic transactions, the timing thereof and our ability to achieve the intended operational, financial and strategic benefits of any such transactions or other initiatives. These forward-looking statements are based on management’s current beliefs, based on currently available information, as to the outcome and timing of future events. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this news release. The estimates and assumptions upon which forward-looking statements are based are inherently uncertain and involve a number of risks that are beyond our control. Although we believe the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance, and we cannot assure you that such statements will be realized or that the events and circumstances they describe will occur. Therefore, you should not place undue reliance on any of the forward-looking statements contained herein.

Factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those indicated in any forward-looking statement are subject to all of the risks and uncertainties incident to the exploration for and the development, production, gathering and sale of natural gas, NGLs and oil, most of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond our control. These risks include, but are not limited to, commodity price volatility, inflation, lack of availability of drilling and production equipment and services, environmental risks, drilling and other operating risks, legislative and regulatory changes, the uncertainty inherent in estimating natural gas and oil reserves and in projecting future rates of production, cash flow and access to capital, the timing of development expenditures, a change in our credit rating, an increase in interest rates, our ability to increase commitments under our revolving credit facility, our ability to maintain leases that may expire if production is not established or profitably maintained, our ability to transport our production to the most favorable markets or at all, any increase in severance or similar taxes, the impact of the adverse outcome of any material litigation against us or judicial decisions that affect us or our industry generally, the effects of weather or power outages, increased competition, the financial impact of accounting regulations and critical accounting policies, the comparative cost of alternative fuels, credit risk relating to the risk of loss as a result of non-performance by our counterparties, impacts of world health events, including the COVID-19 pandemic, cybersecurity risks, geopolitical and business conditions in key regions of the world, our ability to realize the expected benefits from acquisitions, including our mergers with GEP Haynesville, LLC, Montage Resources Corporation and Indigo Natural Resources LLC, and any other factors described or referenced under Item 7. “Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and under Item 1A. “Risk Factors” of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021.

We have no obligation and make no undertaking to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable law. All written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to us are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement.

Hedging Summary

A detailed breakdown of derivative financial instruments and financial basis positions as of June 30, 2022, including the remainder of 2022 and excluding those positions that settled in the first and second quarters, is shown below. Please refer to the Company’s quarterly report on Form 10-Q to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission for complete information on the Company’s commodity, basis and interest rate protection.

Explanation and Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

The Company reports its financial results in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”). However, management believes certain non-GAAP performance measures may provide financial statement users with additional meaningful comparisons between current results, the results of the Company’s peers and of prior periods.

One such non-GAAP financial measure is net cash flow. Management presents this measure because (i) it is accepted as an indicator of an oil and gas exploration and production company’s ability to internally fund exploration and development activities and to service or incur additional debt, (ii) changes in operating assets and liabilities relate to the timing of cash receipts and disbursements which the Company may not control and (iii) changes in operating assets and liabilities may not relate to the period in which the operating activities occurred.

Another such non-GAAP financial measure is pre-tax PV-10. Management believes that the presentation of PV-10 is relevant and useful to our investors because it presents the discounted future net cash flows attributable to our proved reserves prior to taking into account future corporate income taxes and our current tax structure. While the standardized measure is dependent on the unique tax situation of each company, PV-10 is based on a pricing methodology and discount factors that are consistent for all companies. Because of this, PV-10 can be used within the industry and by creditors and securities analysts to evaluate estimated net cash flows from proved reserves on a more comparable basis. The difference between the standardized measure and the PV-10 amount is the discounted amount of estimated future income taxes.

With respect to PV-10 calculated as of an interim date (i.e. other than year-end), it is not practical to calculate the taxes for the related interim period because GAAP does not provide for disclosure of standardized measure on an interim basis. As a result, it is not practicable for us to reconcile the PV-10 of our SEC pricing proved reserves as of June 30, 2022.

Additional non-GAAP financial measures the Company may present from time to time are free cash flow, net debt, adjusted net income, adjusted diluted earnings per share and adjusted EBITDA, all which exclude certain charges or amounts. Management presents these measures because (i) they are consistent with the manner in which the Company’s position and performance are measured relative to the position and performance of its peers, (ii) these measures are more comparable to earnings estimates provided by securities analysts, and (iii) charges or amounts excluded cannot be reasonably estimated and guidance provided by the Company excludes information regarding these types of items. These adjusted amounts are not a measure of financial performance under GAAP.