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Frontera Energy (OTCPK:FECC.F) 2025 Conference Transcript
2025-12-09 17:02
Summary of Frontera Energy Conference Call Company Overview - **Company Name**: Frontera Energy - **Trading Symbols**: OTCQX Best Market - FECCF; TSX - FEC - **Industry**: Oil and Natural Gas Exploration and Production - **Geographic Focus**: South America, primarily Colombia Key Points and Arguments 1. **Market Access and Liquidity**: Frontera recently began trading on the OTCQX Best Market, enhancing access to a broader U.S. investor base, which has represented around 30% of total share trading over the past five years, improving liquidity and long-term value creation [2][3] 2. **Production Metrics**: The Colombian upstream business produced approximately 39,200 barrels of oil per day year-to-date, generating about $239 million in EBITDA [3][4] 3. **Reserves**: As of December 2024, Frontera reported 2P reserves of 147 million BOE, with a composition of 69% heavy oil, 19% light and medium oil, 9% conventional natural gas, and 3% natural gas liquid [3][4] 4. **Financial Metrics**: As of September 30, the company had approximately 69.8 million shares outstanding, a market cap of $321 million, consolidated net debt of $374 million, and an enterprise value of $695 million [4][5] 5. **Debt Management**: The consolidated net debt to operating EBITDA ratio is 1.1, with a debt to book capitalization of 30%. The company has a B issuer rating from Fitch and a B-plus rating from S&P with a negative outlook [5][6] 6. **Shareholder Returns**: Since 2020, Frontera has returned over $300 million to investors through dividends and share buybacks, while reducing total shares outstanding by over 27 million [5][6] 7. **Production Strategy**: The company focuses on value over volumes, with a target production of approximately 39,000 to 39,500 barrels per day in 2025, based on a full cycle cost of $37.00-$39.50 per BOE [10][11] 8. **Risk Management**: Frontera employs derivative instruments to manage exposure to oil price and foreign exchange volatility, securing a hedging ratio of up to 40% until June 2026 [11][12] 9. **Infrastructure Business**: Frontera holds a 35% equity interest in ODL, a pipeline that transports around 30% of Colombia's crude oil production, and a 99.97% interest in Puerto Bahia, a strategic maritime terminal [12][15] 10. **LPG Project**: Puerto Bahia is fast-tracking an LPG project expected to generate $10-$15 million in yearly EBITDA once operational, addressing supply constraints in Colombia's domestic LPG market [13][21] 11. **Spin-off Plans**: Frontera plans to spin off its Colombian infrastructure business, creating two independent companies: Frontera E&P and Frontera Infrastructure, aimed at unlocking shareholder value [17][18] 12. **Future Outlook**: The separation is expected to be completed in the first half of next year, allowing each business to explore independent opportunities and deliver superior returns [18][20] Additional Important Information - **Production Growth**: The CPE-6 heavy oil block has tripled production since 2020, producing approximately 7,800 BOE per day year-to-date [8][9] - **Gas Production Potential**: Frontera is exploring opportunities in the gas market, particularly through the VIM-1 block, which has significant upside potential [27][28] - **Container Business Growth**: Puerto Bahia's container volumes exceeded 3,620 twenty-foot equivalent units in October 2025, indicating strong growth in this segment [14][15] This summary encapsulates the essential insights from the Frontera Energy conference call, highlighting the company's strategic initiatives, financial health, and future growth prospects.