Pioneer Southwest Energy Partners L.P. Reports Fourth Quarter 2012 Financial and Operating Results

Pioneer Southwest Energy Partners L.P. Reports Fourth Quarter 2012 Financial and Operating Results

DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Pioneer Southwest Energy Partners L.P.("Pioneer Southwest" or "the Partnership") today announced financial and operating results for the quarter ended December 31, 2012.

Pioneer Southwest reported fourth quarter net income of $23 million, or $0.65 per common unit. Net income for the fourth quarter included unrealized mark-to-market derivative gains of $5 million, or $0.15 per common unit. Without the effect of this item, adjusted income for the fourth quarter was $18 million, or $0.50 per common unit. Cash flow from operations for the fourth quarter was $19 million.

Oil and gas sales for the fourth quarter averaged 7,668 barrels oil equivalent per day (BOEPD). Production for the quarter included a loss of approximately 200 BOEPD due to reduced ethane recoveries associated with gas processing facilities in the Spraberry field operating above capacity as a result of greater-than-anticipated industry production growth.

The Partnership's three-rig drilling program continued during the fourth quarter, with 13 new wells being placed on production and the recompletion of one well that was previously producing from only one interval. At the end of the quarter, the Partnership had nine wells awaiting completion. The Partnership has a large inventory of remaining oil drilling locations in the Spraberry field, with approximately 160 40-acre locations and 1,275 20-acre locations.

For the full year 2012, The Partnership drilled 42 wells and recompleted five wells. Essentially all of the wells drilled were deepened to the Strawn formation, and 35% of the wells were also deepened to the Atoka formation. Production data from current Strawn completions supports the addition of an incremental 30 thousand barrels oil equivalent (MBOE) of estimated ultimate recovery (EUR) for wells completed in this interval. Completions in the Atoka interval are estimated to add an incremental 50 MBOE to 70 MBOE of EUR. Approximately 85% and 70% of the Partnership's acreage position has Strawn and Atoka potential, respectively. Capital spending for 2012 was $126 million and generated full-year production growth of approximately 8% compared to 2011.

Pioneer Southwest expects to drill approximately 50 wells during 2013. Capital expenditures are forecasted to be $120 million, including facilities. The 2013 drilling program is expected to generate production growth of 9% compared to 2012. As in 2012, essentially all of the wells will be drilled to the Strawn formation, with approximately 65% of these wells drilled to the deeper Atoka interval. In addition, recent successful horizontal Wolfcamp Shale drilling by industry participants in Midland County is encouraging for future horizontal drilling potential on the Partnership's acreage in the area.

Fourth quarter oil sales averaged 5,291 barrels per day (BPD), natural gas liquids (NGL) sales averaged 1,208 BPD and gas sales averaged 7 million cubic feet per day. The fourth quarter average price for oil was $83.78 per barrel. The average price for NGLs was $30.97 per barrel, and the average price for gas was $3.05 per thousand cubic feet.

Production costs (including production and ad valorem taxes) for the fourth quarter averaged $24.86 per barrel oil equivalent (BOE). Depreciation, depletion and amortization expense averaged $9.15 per BOE.

The Partnership has additional borrowing capacity under its credit facility of $135 million as of December 31, 2012, which is expected to be adequate to fund future growth from drilling activities and acquisitions.

Pioneer Southwest previously announced a cash distribution of $0.52 per outstanding common unit for the quarter ended December 31, 2012. The distribution was paid on February 11, 2013 to unitholders of record at the close of business on February 4, 2013. On an annual basis, the cash distribution equates to $2.08 per common unit.

Distribution sustainability is supported by the Partnership's low-decline rate Spraberry properties, its large drilling inventory of 40-acre and 20-acre locations and its strong derivative position through 2014. Of the Partnership's forecasted production, derivative contracts cover approximately 65% in 2013, 70% in 2014 and 10% in 2015.

Proved Reserves

The Partnership's total proved oil and gas reserves as of December 31, 2012, were 49 million barrels oil equivalent (MMBOE), a decrease of 1 MMBOE from year-end 2011. The proved reserve decrease from year-end 2011 was comprised of production during 2012 of 3 MMBOE and negative price revisions of 1 MMBOE related to lower gas prices, partially offset by proved reserve additions of 3 MMBOE from the Partnership's drilling program and acquisitions. The NYMEX prices used for 2012 reserves reporting purposes were $94.84 per barrel for oil and $2.76 per million British thermal units (MMBtu) for gas compared to $96.13 per barrel for oil and $4.12 per MMBtu for gas used to calculate proved reserves for 2011.

Netherland, Sewell & Associates, Inc., an independent reserve engineering firm, audited all of Pioneer Southwest's proved reserves at year-end 2012.

First Quarter 2013 Financial Outlook

The following paragraphs provide the Partnership's first quarter of 2013 outlook for certain operating and financial items.

Production is forecasted to average 7,400 BOEPD to 7,900 BOEPD. This assumes a reduction of 200 BOEPD to 300 BOEPD due to continuing reduced ethane recoveries associated with gas processing facilities in the Spraberry field operating above capacity during the first quarter. New gas processing capacity of 200 million cubic feet per day is expected to come on line during April and eliminate the reduced ethane recoveries thereafter. The guidance for the first quarter excludes the effects of potential ethane rejection to the extent the Partnership decides to do so in the future.

Production costs (including production and ad valorem taxes) are expected to average $23.50 to $26.50 per BOE based on current NYMEX strip prices for oil, NGLs and gas. Depreciation, depletion and amortization expense is expected to average $9.00 per BOE to $10.00 per BOE. General and administrative expense is expected to be $1.5 million to $2.5 million. Interest expense is expected to be $0.7 million to $1.0 million. Accretion of discount on asset retirement obligations is forecasted to be nominal.

Pioneer Southwest's effective income tax rate is expected to be approximately 1% of earnings before income taxes as a result of Pioneer Southwest being subject to the Texas Margin tax.

Earnings Conference Call

On Thursday, February 14, 2013, at 11:00 a.m. Central Time, Pioneer Southwest will discuss its financial and operating results for the fourth quarter with an accompanying presentation. Instructions for listening to the call and viewing the accompanying presentation are shown below.

A replay of the webcast will be archived on Pioneer Southwest's website. A telephone replay will be available through March 11, 2013 by dialing (888) 203-1112 confirmation code: 7448707.

Pioneer Southwest is a Delaware limited partnership, headquartered in Dallas, Texas, with current production and drilling operations in the Spraberry field in West Texas. For more information, visit www.pioneersouthwest.com.

Except for historical information contained herein, the statements in this News Release are forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the Safe Harbor Provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements and the business prospects of Pioneer Southwest are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause Pioneer Southwest's actual results in future periods to differ materially from the forward-looking statements.These risks and uncertainties include, among other things, volatility of commodity prices, the effectiveness of Pioneer Southwest's commodity price derivative strategy, reliance on Pioneer Natural Resources Company and its subsidiaries to manage Pioneer Southwest's business and identify and evaluate drilling opportunities and acquisitions, product supply and demand, competition, the ability to obtain environmental and other permits and the timing thereof, other government regulation or action, the ability to obtain approvals from third parties and negotiate agreements with third parties on mutually acceptable terms, litigation, the costs and results of drilling and operations, availability of equipment, services, resources and personnel required to complete Pioneer Southwest's operating activities, access to and availability of transportation, processing, fractionation and refining facilities, Pioneer Southwest's ability to replace reserves, including through acquisitions, and implement its business plans or complete its development activities as scheduled, uncertainties associated with acquisitions, access to and cost of capital, the financial strength of counterparties to Pioneer Southwest's credit facility and derivative contracts and the purchasers of Pioneer Southwest's oil, NGL and gas production, uncertainties about estimates of reserves and the ability to add proved reserves in the future, the assumptions underlying production forecasts, quality of technical data and environmental and weather risks, including the possible impacts of climate change. These and other risks are described in Pioneer Southwest's 10-K and 10-Q Reports and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In addition, Pioneer Southwest may be subject to currently unforeseen risks that may have a materially adverse impact on it. Pioneer Southwest undertakes no duty to publicly update these statements except as required by law.

Cautionary Note to U.S. Investors -- The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") prohibits oil and gas companies, in their filings with the SEC, from disclosing estimates of oil or gas resources other than "reserves," as that term is defined by the SEC. In this news release, Pioneer Southwest includes estimates of quantities of oil and gas using certain terms, such as "estimated ultimate recovery," "EUR" or other descriptions of volumes of reserves, which terms include quantities of oil and gas that may not meet the SEC's definitions of proved, probable and possible reserves, and which the SEC's guidelines strictly prohibit Pioneer Southwest from including in filings with the SEC. These estimates are by their nature more speculative than estimates of proved reserves and accordingly are subject to substantially greater risk of being recovered by Pioneer Southwest. U.S. investors are urged to consider closely the disclosures in the Partnership's periodic filings with the SEC.Such filings are available from the Partnership at 5205 N. O'Connor Blvd., Suite 200, Irving, Texas 75039, Attention: Investor Relations, and the Partnership's website atwww.pioneersouthwest.com.These filings also can be obtained from the SEC by calling 1-800-SEC-0330.

An audit of proved reserves follows the general principles set forth in the standards pertaining to the estimating and auditing of oil and gas reserve information promulgated by the Society of Petroleum Engineers ("SPE").A reserve audit as defined by the SPE is not the same as a financial audit. Please see the Partnership's Annual Report on Form 10-K for a general description of the concepts included in the SPE's definition of a reserve audit.