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Seven Generations Energy Reduces 2020 Capital Investment Plan in Response to Challenging Global Energy Prices – Financial Post

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Revised fully funded budget proactively maintains the company’s balance sheet strength and corporate resilience at current futures pricing

CALGARY, Alberta — In response to the significant decline in global energy prices, Seven Generations has reduced its previously announced 2020 capital investment budget by 18%, or $200 million, to $900 million. Effective immediately, the company will meaningfully reduce its activity levels to align investments to expected cash flow.

DETAILS

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  • 2020 capital investment budget is reduced to $900 million from the previously announced $1.1 billion program and remains fully funded at current futures pricing. This reduction reflects a temporary deferral of planned activity in the present commodity price environment that will afford the company the opportunity to high-grade drilling locations and improve efficiencies.
  • As a result of this deferred capital investment, 7G expects annual 2020 production to average between 185,000 and 190,000 boe/d. This updated guidance anticipates a similar condensate and total liquids mix to the prior budget.
  • The company will continue to refine its production, capital allocation and cost structure throughout the year in the context of prevailing market conditions. These efforts, alongside reduced production levels and moderating decline rates are anticipated to improve sustaining capital requirements.
  • 7G’s disciplined hedging program continues to effectively mitigate risks associated with the current low-price environment. Condensate production remains approximately 50% hedged for the balance of 2020 with a WTI floor price above US$50/bbl. Natural gas production is approximately 35% hedged at an equivalent price of US$2.60/MMBtu Henry Hub for the balance of the year.
  • The reduced capital program for 2020 maintains the company’s strong financial position and liquidity. 7G’s $1.4 billion credit facility was renewed for 5 years at year-end 2019, with a 2024 maturity. The company’s fixed-coupon, senior unsecured notes mature in 2023 and 2025.

“During this time of unprecedented volatility, we have several options available to us to maintain our profitability and financial strength,” said Marty Proctor, 7G’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “Strong local condensate pricing, infrastructure ownership, flexible service contracts and our low cost structure gives us the ability to prioritize financial strength over production volumes. Today’s reduced capital and production guidance does not reflect additional cost savings and other optimizations that we are actively pursuing. The company will demonstrate its resilience and emerge from this downturn stronger and better-positioned than ever before.”

REVISED 2020 BUDGET

7G’s revised 2020 capital budget and production estimates are provided below. The company anticipates providing a detailed update of additional guidance metrics with its first quarter 2020 release.

2020 Capital Budget & Production Estimates

March 2020 Revision

Original Budget

Total Capital Investment

$900 million

$1.1 billion

Average Production(1)

185 -190 Mboe/d

200 – 205 Mboe/d

H1 Production(1)

180 – 190 Mboe/d

190 – 200 Mboe/d

H2 Production(1)

185 – 195 Mboe/d

205 – 215 Mboe/d

Percent Liquids(1)

56 – 60%

56 – 60%

Percent Condensate(1)

34 – 38%

34 – 38%

1) See “Note Regarding Product Types” and “Forward-Looking Information Advisory” in the Reader Advisory in this news release.

Seven Generations Energy

Seven Generations is a low supply cost energy producer dedicated to stakeholder service, responsible development and generating strong returns from its liquids-rich Kakwa River Project in northwest Alberta. 7G’s corporate office is in Calgary, its operations headquarters is in Grande Prairie and its shares trade on the TSX under the symbol VII.

Further information on Seven Generations is available on the company’s website, www.7genergy.com.

Reader Advisory

Forward-Looking Information Advisory

This news release contains certain forward-looking information and statements that involve various risks, uncertainties and other factors. The use of any of the words “anticipate”, “continue”, “estimate”, “expect”, “may”, “will”, “should”, “believe”, “plans”, and similar expressions are intended to identify forward looking information or statements. In particular, but without limiting the foregoing, this document contains forward-looking information and statements pertaining to the following: the expectation that the revised 2020 capital budget will be fully funded and will maintain the company’s balance sheet strength and corporate resilience at current futures pricing; the expectation that the planned deferral of activity will afford the company the opportunity to high-grade drilling locations and improve efficiencies; expected average annual production; anticipated condensate and liquids yields; plans to continue to refine production, capital allocation and cost forecasts throughout the year in the context of prevailing market conditions; anticipated improvements in sustaining capital requirements with reduced production and moderating production decline rates; continued strong financial positioning and liquidity; options available to maintain profitability and financial strength; potential cost savings and optimizations; plans to emerge from the current economic downturn better positioned than ever before; plans to provide a detailed update of additional guidance metrics with the company’s first quarter 2020 release; the details and forecasts described under the heading “Revised 2020 Budget”, including: total capital investment in 2020, average daily production for the first half and second half of the year in 2020, liquids yield and condensate yield.

With respect to forward-looking information contained in this document, assumptions have been made regarding, among other things: future oil, NGLs and natural gas prices being consistent with current commodity price forecasts after factoring in quality adjustments at the company’s points of sale; the company’s continued ability to obtain qualified staff and equipment in a timely and cost-efficient manner; drilling and completion techniques; infrastructure and facility design concepts that have been successfully applied by the company elsewhere in its Kakwa River Project may be successfully applied to other properties within the Kakwa River Project; the consistency of the regulatory regime and framework governing royalties, taxes and environmental matters in the jurisdictions in which the company conducts its business and any other jurisdictions in which the company may conduct its business in the future; the company’s ability to market production of oil, NGLs and natural gas successfully to customers; the company’s future production levels and amount of future capital investment will be consistent with the company’s current development plans and budget; new technologies for recovery and production of the company’s reserves and resources may improve capital and operational efficiencies in the future; the recoverability of the company’s reserves and resources; sustained future capital investment by the company; future cash flows from production; taxes and royalties will remain consistent with the company’s calculated rates; the future sources of funding for the company’s capital program; the company’s future debt levels; geological and engineering estimates in respect of the company’s reserves and resources; the geography of the areas in which the company is conducting exploration and development activities, and the access, economic, regulatory and physical limitations to which the company may be subject from time to time; the impact of competition on the company; and the company’s ability to obtain financing on acceptable terms.

Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking information that is contained herein as a result of the risks and risk factors that are set forth in the AIF, which is available on SEDAR, including, but not limited to: volatility in market prices and demand for oil, NGLs and natural gas and hedging activities related thereto; general economic, business and industry conditions; variance of the company’s actual capital costs, operating costs and economic returns from those anticipated; the ability to find, develop or acquire additional reserves and the availability of the capital or financing necessary to do so on satisfactory terms; risks related to the exploration, development and production of oil and natural gas reserves and resources; negative public perception of oil sands development, oil and natural gas development and transportation, hydraulic fracturing and fossil fuels; actions by governmental authorities, including changes in government regulation, royalties and taxation; political changes; potential legislative and regulatory changes; the rescission, or amendment to the conditions, of groundwater licenses of the company; management of the company’s growth; the ability to successfully identify and make attractive acquisitions, joint ventures or investments, or successfully integrate future acquisitions or businesses; the availability, cost or shortage of rigs, equipment, raw materials, supplies or qualified personnel; the adoption or modification of climate change legislation by governments; potential impacts of climate change on the company’s operations; uncertainty associated with estimates of oil, NGLs and natural gas reserves and resources and the variance of such estimates from actual future production; dependence upon compressors, gathering lines, pipelines and other facilities, certain of which the company does not control; the ability to satisfy obligations under the company’s firm commitment transportation and processing arrangements; the export and sale of natural gas to the United States; the uncertainties related to the company’s identified drilling locations; the high-risk nature of successfully stimulating well productivity and drilling for and producing oil, NGLs and natural gas; operating hazards and uninsured risks; the risks of fires, floods and natural disasters, which could become more frequent or of a greater magnitude as a result of climate change; the possibility that the company’s drilling activities may encounter sour gas; execution risks associated with the company’s business plan; failure to acquire or develop replacement reserves; the concentration of the company’s assets in the Kakwa area; unforeseen title defects; Indigenous claims; failure to accurately estimate abandonment and reclamation costs; development and exploratory drilling efforts and well operations may not be profitable or achieve the targeted return; horizontal drilling and completion technique risks and failure of drilling results to meet expectations for reserves or production; limited intellectual property protection for operating practices and dependence on employees and contractors; third-party claims regarding the company’s right to use technology and equipment; expiry of certain leases for the undeveloped leasehold acreage in the near future; failure to realize the anticipated benefits of acquisitions or dispositions; failure of properties acquired now or in the future to produce as projected and inability to determine reserve and resource potential, identify liabilities associated with acquired properties or obtain protection from sellers against such liabilities; government regulations; changes in the application, interpretation and enforcement of applicable laws and regulations; environmental, health and safety requirements; restrictions on development intended to protect certain species of wildlife; potential conflicts of interests; actual results differing materially from management estimates and assumptions; seasonality of the company’s activities and the Canadian oil and gas industry; alternatives to and changing demand for petroleum products; extensive competition in the company’s industry; changes in the company’s credit ratings; third party credit risk; dependence upon a limited number of customers; lower oil, NGLs and natural gas prices and higher costs; failure of seismic data used by the company to accurately identify the presence of oil and natural gas; risks relating to commodity price hedging instruments; terrorist attacks or armed conflict; cyber security risks, loss of information and computer systems; inability to dispose of non-strategic assets on attractive terms; the potential for security deposits to be required under provincial liability management programs; reassessment by taxing and royalty authorities of the company’s prior transactions and filings; variations in foreign exchange rates and interest rates; risks associated with counterparties in risk management activities related to commodity prices and foreign exchange rates; sufficiency of insurance policies; potential for litigation; variation in future calculations of non-IFRS measures; breach of and potential enforceability issues in contracts; impact of expansion into new activities on risk exposure; inability of the company to respond quickly to competitive pressures; and the risks related to the common shares that are publicly traded and the company’s senior notes and other indebtedness.

Any financial outlook and future-oriented financial information contained in this document regarding prospective financial performance, financial position or cash flows is based on assumptions about future events, including economic conditions and proposed courses of action based on management’s assessment of the relevant information that is currently available. Projected operational information contains forward-looking information and is based on a number of material assumptions and factors, as are set out above. These projections may also be considered to contain future oriented financial information or a financial outlook. The actual results of the company’s operations for any period will likely vary from the amounts set forth in these projections and such variations may be material. Actual results will vary from projected results. Readers are cautioned that any such financial outlook and future-oriented financial information contained herein should not be used for purposes other than those for which it is disclosed herein. The forward-looking information and statements contained in this document speak only as of the date hereof and the company does not assume any obligation to publicly update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances, except as may be required pursuant to applicable laws.

Note Regarding Barrels of Oil Equivalent

Seven Generations has adopted the standard of 6 Mcf:1 bbl when converting natural gas to boes. Condensate and other NGLs are converted to boes at a ratio of 1 bbl:1 bbl. Boes may be misleading, particularly if used in isolation. A boe conversion ratio of 6 Mcf: 1 bbl is based roughly on an energy equivalency conversion method primarily applicable at the burner tip and does not represent a value equivalency at the Company’s sales point. Given the value ratio based on the current price of oil as compared to natural gas and NGLs is significantly different from the energy equivalency of 6 Mcf: 1 bbl and 1 bbl: 1 bbl, respectively, utilizing a conversion ratio at 6 Mcf: 1 bbl for natural gas and 1 bbl: 1 bbl for NGLs, may be misleading as an indication of value.

Note Regarding Product Types

This news release makes reference to company’s revised forecasted total average daily production of 185 – 190 Mboe/d for 2020. Seven Generations expects that approximately 34% – 38% of that production will be comprised of condensate, 37% – 41% will be comprised of shale gas, 22% will be comprised of other NGLs and 3% will be comprised of conventional natural gas. Other NGLs refers to all natural gas liquids, except for condensate, which is reported separately. Liquids refers to condensate and other NGLs combined.

Abbreviations

AIF

annual information form dated February 26, 2020 for the year ended December 31, 2019

bbl or bbls

barrel or barrels

boe

barrels of oil equivalent

d

day

G&A

general and administrative expenses

GAAP

generally accepted accounting practices

H1

first half of the year

H2

second half of the year

Mboe

thousand barrels of oil equivalent

mcf

thousand cubic feet

MMbtu

million British thermal units

MMcf

million cubic feet

NGLs

natural gas liquids

TSX

Toronto Stock Exchange

WTI

West Texas Intermediate

Seven Generations Energy Ltd. is also referred to as Seven Generations, Seven Generations Energy, 7G, we, us, our and the company.

Contacts

Investor Relations
Brian Newmarch, Vice President, Capital Markets and Stakeholder Engagement
Phone: 403-718-0700
Email: bnewmarch@7genergy.com

Ryan Galloway, Director, Investor Relations
Phone: 403-718-0709
Email: ryan.galloway@7genergy.com

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Taxes should not wag the tail of the investment dog, but that’s what Trudeau wants

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Kim Moody: Ottawa is encouraging people to crystallize their gains and pay tax. That’s a hell of a fiscal plan

The Canadian federal budget has been out for a week, which is plenty of time to absorb just how terrible it is.

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The problems start with weak fiscal policy, excessive spending and growing public-debt charges estimated to be $54.1 billion for the upcoming year. That is more than $1 billion per week that Canadians are paying for things that have no societal benefit.

Next, the budget clearly illustrates this government’s continued weak taxation policies, two of which it apparently believes  are good for entrepreneurs. But the proposed $2-million Canadian Entrepreneurs Incentive (CEI) and $10-million capital gains exemption for transfers to an employee ownership trust (EOT) are both laughable.

Why? Well, for the CEI, virtually every entrepreneurial industry (except technology) is not eligible. If you happen to be in an industry that qualifies, the $2-million exemption comes with a long, stringent list of criteria (which will be very difficult for most entrepreneurs to qualify for) and it is phased in over a 10-year period of $200,000 per year.

For transfers to EOTs, an entrepreneur must give up complete legal and factual control to be eligible for the $10-million exemption, even though the EOT will likely pay the entrepreneur out of future profits. The commercial risk associated with such a transfer is likely too great for most entrepreneurs to accept.

Capital gains tax hike

But the budget’s highlight proposal was the capital gains inclusion rate increase to 66.7 per cent from 50 per cent for dispositions effective after June 24, 2024. The proposal includes a 50 per cent inclusion rate on the first $250,000 of annual capital gains for individuals, but not for corporations and trusts. Oh, those evil corporations and trusts.

There is a lot wrong with this proposed policy. The first is that by not putting individuals, corporations and trusts on the same taxation footing for capital gains taxation, the foundational principle of integration (the idea that the corporate and individual tax systems should be indifferent to whether an investment is held in a corporation or directly by the taxpayer) is completely thrown out the window. This is wrong.

Some economists have come out in strong favour of the proposal, mainly because of equity arguments (a buck is a buck), but such arguments ignore the real world of investing where investors look at overall risk, liquidity and the time value of money.

If capital gains are taxed at a rate approaching wage taxation rates, why would entrepreneurs and investors want to risk their capital when such investments might be illiquid for a long period of time and be highly risky?

They will seek greener pastures for their investment dollars and they already are. I’ve been fielding a tremendous number of questions from investors over the past week and I’d invite those academics and economists who support the increased inclusion rate to come live in my shoes for a day to see how the theoretical world of equity and behaviour collide. It’s not good and it certainly does nothing to help Canada’s obvious productivity challenges.

Of course, there has been the usual chatter encouraging such people to leave (“don’t let the door hit you on the way out,” some say) from those who don’t understand basic economics and taxation policy, but these cheerleaders should be careful what they wish for. The loss of successful Canadians and their investment dollars affects all of us in a very negative way.

The government messaging around this tax proposal has many people upset, including me. Specifically, it is the following paragraph in the budget documents that many supporters are parroting that is upsetting:

“Next year, 28.5 million Canadians are not expected to have any capital gains income, and 3 million are expected to earn capital gains below the $250,000 annual threshold. Only 0.13 per cent of Canadians with an average income of $1.4 million are expected to pay more personal income tax on their capital gains in any given year. As a result of this, for 99.87 per cent of Canadians, personal income taxes on capital gains will not increase.” (This is supposedly about 40,000 taxpayers.)

Bluntly, this is garbage. It outright ignores several facts.

For one thing, there are hundreds of thousands of private corporations owned and controlled by Canadian resident individuals. Those corporations will be subject to the increased capital gains inclusion rate with no $250,000 annual phase-in. Because of the way passive income is taxed in these Canadian-controlled private corporations, the increased tax load on realized capital gains will be felt by individual shareholders on the dividend distribution required to recover certain refundable corporate taxes.

Furthermore, public corporations that have capital gains will pay tax at a higher inclusion rate and this results in higher corporate tax, which means decreased amounts are available to be paid out as dividends to individual shareholders (including those held by individuals’ pensions).

The budget documents simply measured the number of corporations that reported capital gains in recent years and said it is 12.6 per cent of all corporations. That measurement is shallow and not the whole story, as described above.

Tax hit for cottages

There are also millions of Canadians who hold a second real estate property, either a cottage-type and/or rental property. Those properties will eventually be sold, with the probability that the gain will exceed the $250,000 threshold.

Upon death, an individual will often have their largest capital gains realized as a result of deemed dispositions that occur immediately prior to death. This will have the distinct possibility of capital gains that exceed $250,000.

And people who become non-residents of Canada — and that is increasing rapidly — have deemed dispositions of their assets (with some exceptions). They will face the distinct possibility that such gains will be more than $250,000.

The politics around the capital gains inclusion rate increase are pretty obvious. The government is planning for Canadian taxpayers to crystallize their inherent gains prior to the implementation date, especially corporations that will not have a $250,000 annual lower inclusion rate. For the current year, the government is projecting a $4.9-billion tax take. But next year, it dramatically drops to an estimated $1.3 billion.

This is a ridiculous way to shield the government’s tremendous spending and try to make them look like they are holding the line on their out-of-control deficits. The government is encouraging people to crystallize their gains and pay tax. That’s a hell of a fiscal plan.

There’s an old saying that tax should not wag the tail of the investment dog, but that is exactly what the government is encouraging Canadians to do in the name of raising short-term taxation revenues. It is simply wrong.

I hope the government has some second sober thoughts about the capital gains proposal, but I’m not holding my breath.

 

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Everton search for investment to complete 777 deal – BBC.com

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Everton are searching for third-party investment in order to push through a protracted takeover by 777 Partners.

The Miami-based firm agreed a deal to buy the Toffees from majority owner Farhad Moshiri in September, but are yet to gain approval from the Premier League.

On Monday, Bloomberg reported the club’s main financial adviser Deloitte has been seeking fresh funding from sports-focused investors and lenders to get 777’s deal over the line.

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BBC Sport has been told this is “standard practice contingency planning” and the process may identify other potential lenders to 777.

Sources close to British-Iranian businessman Moshiri have told BBC Sport they remain “working on completing the deal with 777”.

It is understood there are no other parties waiting in the wings to takeover should the takeover fall through and the focus is fully on 777.

The Americans have so far loaned £180m to Everton for day-to-day operational costs, which will be turned into equity once the deal is completed, but repaying money owed to MSP Sports Capital, whose deal collapsed in August, remains a stumbling block.

777 says it can stump up the £158m that is owed to MSP Sports Capital and once that is settled, it is felt the deal should be completed soon after.

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Warren Buffett Predicts 'Bad Ending' for Bitcoin — Is It a Doomed Investment? – Yahoo Finance

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Currently sitting in sixth on Forbes’ Real-Time Billionaires List, Berkshire Hathaway co-founder, chairman and CEO Warren Buffett is a first-rate example of an investor who stuck to his core financial beliefs early in life to become not only a success but a once-in-a-lifetime inspiration to those who followed in his footsteps.

One of the most trusted investors for decades, the 93-year-old Buffett isn’t shy to pontificate on his investment philosophy, which is centered around value investing, buying stocks at less than their intrinsic value and holding them for the long term.

Read Next: Warren Buffett: 6 Best Pieces of Money Advice for the Middle Class
Find Out: 5 Genius Things All Wealthy People Do With Their Money

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He’s also quite vocal on investments he deems worthless. And one of those is Bitcoin.

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Buffett’s Take on Bitcoin

Over the past decade, it’s been clear that the crypto craze isn’t something Buffett wants any part of. He described Bitcoin as “probably rat poison squared” back in 2018.

“In terms of cryptocurrencies, generally, I can say with almost certainty that they will come to a bad ending,” Buffett said in 2018. And his stance hasn’t wavered since. According to Benzinga, Buffett believes that cryptocurrencies aren’t a viable or valuable investment.

“Now if you told me you own all of the Bitcoin in the world and you offered it to me for $25, I wouldn’t take it because what would I do with it? I’d have to sell it back to you one way or another. It isn’t going to do anything,” Buffett said at the Berkshire Hathaway annual shareholder meeting in 2022.

Although the Oracle of Omaha has his misgivings about the unpredictable investment, does that mean crypto is doomed as an investment? Not necessarily.

For You: 10 Valuable Stocks That Could Be the Next Apple or Amazon

Is Buffett Wrong About Bitcoin?

Bitcoin bulls argue that while it’s not government-issued, cryptocurrency is as fungible, divisible, secure and portable as fiat currency and gold. Because they occupy a digital space, cryptocurrencies are decentralized, scarce and durable. They can last as long as they can be stored.

Crypto boosters continue to predict massive growth in the coin’s value. Earlier this year, SkyBridge Capital founder and former White House director of communications Anthony Scaramucci told reporters that Bitcoin could exceed $170,000 by mid-2025, and Ark Invest CEO Cathie Wood predicts Bitcoin will hit $1.48 million by 2030, according to Fortune.

“They really don’t understand the concept and the whole history of money,” Scaramucci said of crypto critics like Buffett on a recent episode of Jason Raznick’s “The Raz Report.” Because we place a value on “traditional” currency, it is essentially worthless compared with the transparent and trustworthy digital Bitcoin, Scaramucci said.

Currently trading around the $66,000 mark, Bitcoin is up nearly 50% in 2024. This means it’s massively outperforming most indexes this year, including the S&P 500, which is up about 6% in 2024.

Although Berkshire Hathaway has invested heavily in Bitcoin-related Brazilian fintech company Nu Holdings, which has its own cryptocurrency called Nucoin, it’s possible Buffett will never come around fully to crypto, despite its recent surge in value. It’s contrary to the reliable investment strategy that has served him very well for decades.

“The urge to participate in something where it looks like easy money is a human instinct which has been unleashed,” Buffett said. “People love the idea of getting rich quick, and I don’t blame them … It’s so human, and once unleashed you can’t put it back in the bottle.”

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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Warren Buffett Predicts ‘Bad Ending’ for Bitcoin — Is It a Doomed Investment?

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