Chesapeake Energy Corporation reported results for the 2015 full year and fourth quarter. Q4 net loss available to common stockholders of $2.228 billion, or $3.36 per fully diluted share.
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Items typically excluded by securities analysts in their earnings estimates reduced 2015 fourth quarter net income by approximately $2.060 billion.
The primary source of this reduction was a noncash impairment of the carrying value of Chesapeake's oil and natural gas properties largely resulting from significant decreases in the trailing 12-month average first-day-of-the-month oil and natural gas prices as of December 31, 2015, compared to September 30, 2015.
Adjusting for these items, the 2015 fourth quarter net loss available to common stockholders was $168 million, or $0.16 per fully diluted share, which compares to adjusted net income available to common stockholders of $34 million, or $0.11 per fully diluted share, in the 2014 fourth quarter.
Adjusted ebitda was $298 million in the 2015 fourth quarter, compared to $916 million in the 2014 fourth quarter. Operating cash flow was $386 million in the 2015 fourth quarter, compared to $993 million in the 2014 fourth quarter.
The year-over-year decreases in adjusted EBITDA and operating cash flow were primarily the result of lower realized oil, natural gas and NGL prices and lower production volumes, partially offset by higher realized hedging gains and lower production expenses, G&A expenses and production taxes.
Realized hedging gains on the company's oil and gas production resulted in additional revenues of approximately $334 million for the 2015 fourth quarter, on a pre-tax basis, compared to realized hedging gains of approximately $133 million for the 2014 fourth quarter.
2015 full year results
For the 2015 full year, Chesapeake Energy reported a net loss available to common stockholders of $14.856 billion, or $22.43 per fully diluted share. Items typically excluded by securities analysts in their earnings estimates reduced net income available to common stockholders for the 2015 full year by approximately $14.527 billion.
The primary sources of this reduction were quarterly noncash impairments of the carrying value of Chesapeake's oil and natural gas properties largely resulting from significant decreases in the trailing 12-month average first-day-of-the-month oil and natural gas prices used in the company's impairment calculations.
Adjusting for these items, 2015 full year adjusted net loss available to common stockholders was $329 million, or $0.20 per fully diluted share, compared to adjusted net income available to common stockholders of $957 million, or $1.49 per fully diluted share, for the 2014 full year.
Adjusted EBITDA was $2.385 billion for the 2015 full year, compared to $4.945 billion for the 2014 full year.
Operating cash flow, which is defined as cash flow provided by operating activities before changes in assets and liabilities, was $2.268 billion for the 2015 full year, compared to $5.146 billion for the 2014 full year.
The year-over-year decreases in adjusted EBITDA and operating cash flow were primarily the result of lower realized oil, natural gas and natural gas liquid (NGL) prices and lower production volumes, partially offset by higher realized hedging gains and lower production expenses, general and administrative (G&A) expenses and production taxes.
Realized hedging gains on the Chesapeake Energy's oil and gas production resulted in additional revenues of approximately $1.3 billion for the 2015 full year, on a pre-tax basis, compared to realized hedging losses of approximately $375 million for the 2014 full year. ■