TGS-NOPEC - 2nd QUARTER 2004 RESULTS

Consolidated Net Revenues were USD 41.0 million, an increase of 45% compared to Q2 2003.

Operating Profit (EBIT) was USD 12.9 million (32% of Net Revenues), up 53% from USD 8.4 million in Q2 2003.

Net Pre-funding Revenues of USD 10.5 million covered 43% of operational multi-client investments.

Net Late Sales from the multi-client library totaled USD 27.4 million, up 43% from USD 19.1 million in Q2 2003.

Cash flow from operations after taxes was negative USD 19.4 million, versus USD 0.9 in Q2 2003.

Earnings per Share (undiluted) were USD 0.32, up 44% compared to USD 0.23 in Q2 2003. 

 

Consolidated Net Revenues were USD 69.7 million, 18% higher than the first six months of 2003.

Operating Profit (EBIT) was USD 19.5 million (28% of Net Revenues), up 1% from USD 19.3 million in 2003.

Net Pre-funding Revenues of USD 20.3 million covered 39% of operational multi-client investments.

Net Late Sales from the multi-client library totaled USD 45.7 million, up 10% from USD 41.7 million in 2003.

Earnings per Share (undiluted) were USD 0.53, the same as in 2003. 

 

Hank Hamilton, CEO, stated, "We are pleased to report improved quarterly results, helped by several large-scale customer purchases, an element that had been missing during our two previous quarters. We remain on track to achieve our 2004 financial targets."

 

Consolidated Gross Late Sales were USD 30.9 million, up 41% from last year, representing 69% of Gross Revenues for the quarter. Net Late Sales were up 43% compared to Q2 2003. Net Pre-funding revenues totaled USD 10.5 million, funding 43% of the Company's operational investments into new multi-client products during Q2 (USD 24.2 million). The Company earned proprietary contract revenues during the quarter of USD 3.0 million compared to USD 0.9 million in Q2 2003.

 

 

 

 

The consolidated amortization charge associated with Net multi-client Revenues was 45% during Q2 2004 compared to 41% in Q2 2003. This rate does fluctuate from quarter to quarter, depending on the sales mix of projects. The amortization charge was 44% for the full year 2003. Management expects the average amortization rate for the full year 2004 to be in the range of 42-47% of Net Revenues.

 

Costs of materials were substantially higher for the quarter as a direct consequence of proprietary contract activity.  Personnel and other operating costs payable for the quarter, excluding materials, were USD 8.2 million, an increase of 18% from Q2 2003 (USD 6.9 million) due to higher bonus costs, increased consultancy fees, franchise tax payment and the inclusion of Riley in the well log division.  

 

Operating Profit (EBIT) for the quarter was USD 12.9 million, representing 32% of Net Revenues. This was 53% higher than the reported USD 8.4 million in Q2 2003. The quarterly pre-tax profit was USD 12.1 million, up 47% compared to USD 8.2 million reported in Q2 2003.

 

EBITDA (Earnings before Interest, Tax, Depreciation and Amortization) for the three months ended June 30th was USD 30.9 million, 76% of Net Revenues, up 48% from USD 20.9 million in Q2 2003.

 

The strengthening USD versus the NOK during the quarter resulted in lower USD value of non-USD assets of the Parent Company, and contributed to a partly unrealized exchange loss of USD 0.6 million during the quarter.

 

For the full year, TGS-NOPEC will report tax charges in accordance with the Accounting Standard IAS 12. Under this method, tax charges are computed based on the USD value relating to the appropriate tax provisions according to local tax regulations and currencies in each jurisdiction.  After the change of functional currency from Norwegian Kroner to US Dollars the tax charges are influenced not only from local profits, but also fluctuate with changes in exchange rates between the local currencies and USD. This method makes it more difficult to predict tax charges on a quarterly or annual basis. Management has therefore decided to continue the principles applied in the interim reporting of the first 3 quarters of 2003, and charge a tax provision to the P&L statement based upon the flat local tax rate of calculated USD pre-tax profit in each company in the Group. On a consolidated basis, management assesses this to be approximately 33%. Had the IAS 12 principle been applied in this Q2-2004 report, the tax charge would have been lower, giving a tax rate of 30% year-to-date.

 

Net Income for Q2 2004 was USD 8.1 million (20% of Net Revenues) compared to USD 5.5 million from Q2 2003. Earnings per Share (EPS) were USD 0.32 undiluted (USD 0.30 fully diluted), an increase of 44% from EPS reported for Q2 2003 of USD 0.23 per share (USD 0.21 fully diluted).

 

TGS-NOPEC's main business is developing, managing, conducting, and selling non-exclusive seismic surveys. This activity accounted for 84% of the Company's business during the quarter. A2D Technologies, a digital well log and solutions provider acquired in June 2002, accounted for 10% of consolidated Net Revenues in the 2nd quarter. Proprietary seismic contract work performed in Q2 2004 represented the remaining 6% of total revenues in Q2.

 

The Company's operational investments in its data library during Q2 2004 increased 47% compared to Q2 2003. Total investments were USD 25.5 million, out of which USD 1.3 million was related to the acquisition of Riley Electric Log. The corresponding investment in Q2 2003 was USD 16.5 million. The Company recognized USD 10.5 million in Net Pre-funding Revenues in Q2, funding approximately 43% of its operational multi-client investments during the quarter.

 

BALANCE SHEET & CASH FLOW

On April 28th, 2004, TGS-NOPEC announced that it had successfully completed an offering of a five-year senior bond issue. The loan amount is limited to NOK 500 mill, of which a first tranche of NOK 300 million was drawn on May 5th and exchanged into USD 43.7 million. The bonds mature on May 5th 2009, and will bear interest on a per annum rate adjusted quarterly equaling 3 month LIBOR plus 2%. The bonds are listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange.

 

The Company paid off the remaining USD 4.2 million balance of the term loan from its bank, Nordea, in May.

 

The net proceeds from the bond issue will be used to finance TGS-NOPEC's activities and secure liquidity for the Company to act on opportunities in the market. The bond issue adds a new source of capital for TGS-NOPEC and strengthens its financial flexibility.

 

As of June 30th, 2004, the Company's total cash holdings amounted to USD 47.3 million compared to USD 28.0 million at March 31st, 2004. As a result of substantial investments in new surveys and back-end loaded Late Sales in the quarter, net cash flow from operating activities (including multi-client investments) was negative USD 19.4 million in Q2 2004 The main reasons for the negative cash flow are high payments for seismic services during the quarter and low collections from sales as the majority of the late sales occurred in June and will be collected after June 30th, 2004.  

 

On July 2nd, 2004 TGS-NOPEC announced that the purchase of NuTec's oil-service related business and assets had been completed. This purchase is not reflected in the Q2 financial statements.

 

Total Equity per June 30th, 2004 was USD 210.8 million, representing 72% of Total Assets.

 

 

 

 

OPERATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS

The Company added approximately 17,000 kilometers of new 2D and 1,200 square kilometers of new 3D data to its library of marketed seismic surveys during the 2nd quarter. A total of six different seismic vessels contributed to this effort. All of the new 3D acquisition was located in the US Gulf of Mexico on the "Deep Resolve" project, where the Company completed the OBC (ocean bottom cable) operation in mid-May, but continued operations with a two-vessel streamer crew for the full quarter.  TGS-NOPEC also completed acquisition on a new 9,300-kilometer 2D seismic survey in the Natuna Sea in waters of both Indonesian and Vietnamese jurisdiction, and began acquiring a 23,000-kilometer expansion of the North Sea Renaissance 2D project that was initiated in 2003.

 

A2D added 130,000 logs from 53,000 wells to its digital well log library, bringing its owned inventory to 1.93 million digital well log images from approximately 931,000 wells. In June, A2D began work for the U.S. Minerals Management Service as the official contractor for collecting and distributing U.S. Outer Continental Shelf processed well log data to the public.

 

The Company's backlog for new seismic projects was USD 13.5 million per June 30th, 2004, 6% lower than one year ago. A2D backlog decreased during the quarter from USD 9.8 million to USD 9.4 million, but remained level with one year ago. Total Company backlog decreased 8% during the quarter and stands at USD 23.0 million at the end of Q2, 3% lower than one year ago.

 

Integration of NuTec's operations into TGS-NOPEC is well underway. As previously disclosed, a large majority of NuTec's current processing backlog is composed of TGS-NOPEC's Deep Resolve 3D and Mississippi Canyon 3D PSTM Revival reprocessing. As a result, the increase in TGS-NOPEC's 3rd party external net revenues resulting directly from NuTec's contract processing activities will be in the range of USD 1.5 to 2.0 million for the second half of 2004. 

 

The Company expects to slow the pace of investments in its multi-client library during the next two quarters and anticipates that full year multi-client investments will be at the high end of the previously guided USD 75 - 80 million range, while the annual pre-funding ratio will be towards the lower end of the previously guided 45-55% range. The Company's expectations for amortization rate (42 - 47%) and net revenue growth (~15%) remain unchanged. Management expects cash flow from operations to be positive during Q3 and Q4 and for the full 12 months of 2004.