LAFAYETTE, La., April 17, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PetroQuest Energy, Inc. (the “Company”) (NYSE:PQ) announced that it received notice from NYSE Regulation that it is not in compliance with the continued listing standards set forth in Section 802.01C of the Listed Company Manual of the New York Stock Exchange, Inc. (the “NYSE”) because the average closing price of the Company’s common stock was less than $1.00 over the 30 day-trading period ending on April 9, 2018. As required by the NYSE, the Company will notify the NYSE within ten business days of its intent to cure the deficiency and return to compliance with the NYSE continued listing requirements.
The Company can avoid delisting if, during the six month period following receipt of the NYSE notice, on the last trading-day of any calendar month, the Company’s common stock has a closing share price of at least $1.00 and an average closing share price of at least $1.00 over the 30 trading-day period ending on the last trading-day of that month. Under the NYSE rules, the Company’s common stock will continue to be listed on the NYSE during this six month period, subject to the Company’s compliance with other continued listing requirements.
In addition, the Company’s market capitalization recently fell below $15 million. If the Company’s average market capitalization for 30 trading days is less than $15 million, the NYSE will immediately suspend the trading of the Company’s common stock and initiate delisting procedures.
If the Company’s common stock ultimately were to be delisted for any reason, it could negatively impact the Company by (i) reducing the liquidity and market price of the Company’s common stock; (ii) reducing the number of investors willing to hold or acquire the Company’s common stock, which could negatively impact the Company’s ability to raise equity financing; (iii) limiting the Company’s ability to use a registration statement to offer and sell freely tradable securities, thereby preventing the Company from accessing the public capital markets; and (iv) impairing the Company’s ability to provide equity incentives to its employees.
About the Company
PetroQuest Energy, Inc. is an independent energy company engaged in the exploration, development, acquisition and production of oil and natural gas reserves in Texas and Louisiana. PetroQuest’s common stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker PQ.
Forward-Looking Statements
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 Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this news release are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, these statements are based upon assumptions and anticipated results that are subject to numerous uncertainties and risks. Actual results may vary significantly from those anticipated due to many factors, including the volatility of oil and natural gas prices and significantly depressed oil prices since the end of 2014; our indebtedness and the significant amount of cash required to service our indebtedness; our estimate of the sufficiency of our existing capital sources, including availability under our new multi-draw term loan facility; our ability to post additional collateral to satisfy our offshore decommissioning obligations; our ability to execute our 2017 drilling and recompletion program as planned and to increase our production; our ability to hedge future production to reduce our exposure to price volatility in the current commodity pricing market; our ability to find, develop and produce oil and natural gas reserves that are economically recoverable and to replace reserves and sustain and/or increase production; ceiling test write-downs resulting, and that could result in the future, from lower oil and natural gas prices; our ability to raise additional capital to fund cash requirements for future operations; limits on our growth and our ability to finance our operations, fund our capital needs and respond to changing conditions imposed by our multi-draw term loan facility and restrictive debt covenants; more than 50% of our production being exposed to the additional risk of severe weather, including hurricanes, tropical storms and flooding, and natural disasters; losses and liabilities from uninsured or underinsured drilling and operating activities; changes in laws and governmental regulations as they relate to our operations; the operating hazards attendant to the oil and gas business; the volatility of our stock price; and our ability to meet the continued listing standards of the New York Stock Exchange with respect to our common stock or to cure any deficiency with respect thereto. In particular, careful consideration should be given to cautionary statements made in the various reports the Company has filed with the SEC. The Company undertakes no duty to update or revise these forward-looking statements.
For further information, contact:
Matt Quantz, Manager - Corporate Communications
(337) 232-7028, www.petroquest.com