RADNOR, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Penn Virginia Corporation (NYSE: PVA) announced today that it has completed an agreement with an undisclosed major oil and gas company to jointly explore the Eagle Ford Shale in Lavaca County, Texas. The agreement establishes an area of mutual interest (AMI) between PVA, as operator, and the other company covering approximately 13,000 gross acres near PVA’s existing acreage in southeastern Gonzales County. Depending on the future participation of other companies, PVA’s minimum working interest in this project will be approximately 50 percent. Preliminarily, PVA estimates that a minimum of approximately 40 horizontal drilling locations may exist in the new AMI area, with the potential for additional locations assuming future downspaced drilling.
Under the terms of the agreement, PVA will drill up to six wells by September 1, 2012 to earn its interest through the base of the Eagle Ford Shale in all of the 13,000 gross acres. PVA will carry the other company on its working interests in the first three wells.
Management Comment
H. Baird Whitehead, President and Chief Executive Officer stated, “We are pleased to have entered into this agreement in Lavaca County and believe the AMI acreage is highly prospective for the Eagle Ford Shale as it is situated almost adjacent to our existing Eagle Ford position in Gonzales County on which we have drilled some excellent wells. We now have a very good opportunity to increase our prospective net acreage position in the Eagle Ford to approximate our near-term goal of 25,000 net acres.”
Penn Virginia Corporation (NYSE: PVA) is an independent oil and gas company engaged primarily in the development, exploration and production of natural gas and oil in various domestic onshore regions including Texas, Appalachia, the Mid-Continent and Mississippi. For more information, please visit our website at www.pennvirginia.com.
Certain statements contained herein that are not descriptions of historical facts are “forward-looking” statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Because such statements include risks, uncertainties and contingencies, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties and contingencies include, but are not limited to, the following: the volatility of commodity prices for natural gas, natural gas liquids and oil; our ability to develop, explore for, acquire and replace oil and gas reserves and sustain production; any impairments, write-downs or write-offs of our reserves or assets; the projected demand for and supply of natural gas, natural gas liquids and oil; reductions in the borrowing base under our revolving credit facility; our ability to contract for drilling rigs, supplies and services at reasonable costs; our ability to obtain adequate pipeline transportation capacity for our oil and gas production at reasonable costs and to sell the production at, or at reasonable discounts to, market prices; the uncertainties inherent in projecting future rates of production for our wells and the extent to which actual production differs from estimated proved oil and gas reserves; drilling and operating risks; our ability to compete effectively against other independent and major oil and natural gas companies; uncertainties related to expected benefits from acquisitions of oil and natural gas properties; environmental liabilities that are not covered by an effective indemnity or insurance; the timing of receipt of necessary regulatory permits; the effect of commodity and financial derivative arrangements; our ability to maintain adequate financial liquidity and to access adequate levels of capital on reasonable terms; the occurrence of unusual weather or operating conditions, including force majeure events; our ability to retain or attract senior management and key technical employees; counterparty risk related to their ability to meet their future obligations; changes in governmental regulations or enforcement practices, especially with respect to environmental, health and safety matters; uncertainties relating to general domestic and international economic and political conditions; and other risks set forth in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Additional information concerning these and other factors can be found in our press releases and public periodic filings with the SEC. Many of the factors that will determine our future results are beyond the ability of management to control or predict. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which reflect management’s views only as of the date hereof. We undertake no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements, or to make any other forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.