Egdon Resources plc (AIM: EDR) provides an update on the impact of COVID-19 on the business and an update on current trading.
The coronavirus pandemic represents an unprecedented national and international public health emergency which has impacted many aspects of our daily lives and which we hope to see resolved quickly. The primary concern and focus for the Company at this time is the health and safety of our employees, contractors and other stakeholders.
In this regard, Egdon’s office-based employees have been working from home since 19 March 2020 using well established systems to maintain full functionality and the ability to do so for however long the current Government guidance is maintained. I am pleased to report that to date there have been no incidents of infection within our workforce.
Our currently operational sites – Keddington and Fiskerton Airfield – are managed by a third-party contractor and we have jointly established procedures and plans to ensure continuing safe functioning of the sites within the oversight of existing government regulation. Oil and gas workers are considered by the Government to be ‘key workers’. As such, travel to and from site remains unrestricted as does the transportation of produced oil to the nearby refinery.
We will continue to monitor the situation and act within Government guidelines as matters develop but at this stage do not anticipate any adverse impacts to our production operations.
As announced on 26 February 2020, production during the six months ended 31 January 2020 was 178 barrels of oil equivalent per day (“Boepd”) (H1 2019: 164 Boepd). Revenue during the six months to 31 January 2020 was £0.675 million (H12019: £1.21) which reflects the lower gas prices seen through the winter of 2019/20. Production remains within guidance of 130-140 Boepd for the full financial year (ending 31 July 2020).
The coronavirus pandemic and the resultant international actions have adversely impacted worldwide oil demand which has largely contributed to the current low oil price environment. In common with our peers, our current late field life production is unprofitable at these current prices and we are reducing costs wherever possible.
Given the current reduction in predicted oil and gas forward prices, non-cash impairments will be made in our Interim Results on a small number of assets. These impairments are expected to be of the order of c.£2.5-3.0 million out of total non-current assets of £31.94 million.
The Company is focussed on reducing costs and expenditure and concentrating on progressing key near term cash generative projects such as Wressle. We will continue to keep future activity under review in light of the current circumstances and are positioning the Company for growth once normality returns to the economy and oil markets.
The Company will be releasing its Interim Results for the six months ended 31 January 2020 on 21 April 2020.