Topic: Energy Stocks

Aggressive move into joint ventures speeds up shale oil project for this Canadian junior

Aggressive move into joint ventures speeds up shale oil project for this Canadian junior

BELLATRIX EXPLORATION (Toronto symbol BXE; www.bellatrixexploration.com) produces oil and natural gas in Alberta, B.C. and Saskatchewan. Gas makes up about 69% of its output; the remaining 31% is oil.

Bellatrix continues to enter into joint ventures to speed up the development of its Cardium shale oil deposits in west-central Alberta.

Under the latest agreement, Bellatrix will sell a 50% interest in its producing wells in the Ferrier and Willesden Green area to Daewoo International Corporation and Devonian Natural Resources Private Equity Fund for $52.5 million. These wells produce 268 barrels of oil equivalent per day. To put that in context, Bellatrix’s output averaged 22,102 barrels per day in the latest quarter.

Following the sale, Daewoo and Devonian will invest $100 million in a multi-year program to drill 70 new wells on the Ferrier and Willesden Green properties. Bellatrix will match that spending, and the joint-venture partners will share in any new production.

Energy stocks: Joint venture with Grafton Energy also aimed at accelerating Cardium shale oil project

Earlier this year, Bellatrix entered into a joint venture agreement with Grafton Energy that will also accelerate the development of its Cardium shale oil deposits in Alberta.

Under the agreement, Grafton will pay Bellatrix $100 million. In return, it will get
54% of the production from a 29-well, $122-million drilling program.

Grafton will receive this share of the wells’ output until it earns back its $100 million, plus an 8% return on its original investment. It will then hold a 33% interest in each well.

In the latest edition of Stock Pickers Digest, we look at how much Bellatrix will spend on exploration and development on top of its joint ventures and whether the company’s production will justify the expenditure. We conclude with our clear buy-hold-sell advice on the stock.

(Note: If you are a current subscriber to Stock Pickers Digest, please click here to view Pat’s recommendation. Be sure to log in first.)

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How do you judge whether to invest in a junior energy stock? Are you impressed if it finds larger partners to help it develop its projects? Or do you look closely at the company itself? What is the first thing you look at when you consider a junior? Let us know what you think.

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