• Revenues for the Fourth Quarter Increased 36.4 Percent over Prior Year • Operating Profit for the Fourth Quarter Increased 73.0 Percent Over Prior Year • Diluted EPS for the Fourth Quarter Increased to $0.30, Compared to $0.22 in the Fourth Quarter of the Prior Year
ATLANTA, February 7, 2007 -- RPC, Inc. (NYSE: RES) today announced its unaudited results for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2006. RPC provides a broad range of specialized oilfield services and equipment primarily to independent and major oilfield companies engaged in the exploration, production and development of oil and gas properties throughout the United States and in selected international markets.
For the quarter ended December 31, 2006, revenues increased 36.4 percent to $160,332,000 compared to $117,567,000 in the fourth quarter last year. Revenues increased compared to the prior year primarily due to higher pricing and capacity additions made during the past year in our largest service lines, such as pressure pumping and rental tools. Operating profit for the quarter was $47,308,000 compared to $27,349,000 in the prior year. Net income was $29,510,000 or $0.30 diluted earnings per share, compared to $21,540,000, or $0.22 diluted earnings per share last year. Net income for the prior year included discrete tax adjustments which increased earnings by $0.04 diluted earnings per share.
For the 12 months ended December 31, 2006, revenues increased 39.5 percent to $596,630,000 compared to $427,643,000 last year. Net income increased 66.6 percent to $110,794,000, or $1.13 diluted earnings per share compared to net income of $66,484,000, or $0.67 diluted earnings per share last year, which included an after-tax gain on sale of certain assets in the 2005 third quarter of $0.07 diluted earnings per share, as well as the discrete tax adjustments mentioned above.
Cost of services rendered and goods sold was $77,580,000, or 48.4 percent of revenues, during the fourth quarter of 2006, compared to $59,911,000, or 51.0 percent of revenues, in the prior year. The increase in these costs was due to the variable nature of many of these expenses, including compensation, materials and supplies and maintenance and repairs. As a percentage of revenues, however, cost of services rendered and goods sold decreased because of improved pricing and higher equipment and personnel utilization which leverage fixed costs over higher revenues. Selling, general and administrative expenses increased by 21.2 percent in the fourth quarter of 2006 to $24,096,000 from $19,884,000 in the prior year. This increase was due primarily to higher employment costs and incentive compensation expenses consistent with higher activity levels and improved profitability. As a percentage of revenues, however, these costs decreased to 15.0 percent in 2006 compared to 16.9 percent last year due to the fixed nature of many of these expenses. Depreciation and amortization were $12,837,000 during the quarter, compared to $10,379,000 last year. This increase was due to the higher level of capital expenditures made during recent quarters.
"RPC's strong activity levels continued in the fourth quarter of 2006," stated Richard A. Hubbell, RPC's President and Chief Executive Officer. "Our revenue growth was due to pricing and capacity increases that have taken effect over the past year. We have also begun to see the impact of our long-term strategic growth plan announced in July 2006. While our geographic expansions in Arkansas and Colorado are moving forward as planned, new equipment deliveries are being delayed as a result of high manufacturing backlogs. The equipment previously scheduled for delivery in the fourth quarter of 2006 will now be delivered in the first quarter of 2007, six to eight weeks later than scheduled. These delays are disappointing because we have immediate customer demands for this equipment and our employees have worked hard to gear up for the new opportunities."
Hubbell continued, "The average domestic rig count during the fourth quarter was 1,719, 16.3 percent higher than the same period in 2005. Despite this increase, the average price of oil increased only 1.1 percent and the average price of natural gas decreased 44.7 percent during the quarter compared to the prior year. We are closely monitoring commodity prices, as well as other industry dynamics to ensure our business model remains flexible enough to adapt to any foreseeable industry condition. Notwithstanding any currently existing negative sentiment regarding the oil and gas industry, we are committed to meeting our customer's long-term needs."
Summary of Segment Operating Performance
RPC's business segments are Technical Services and Support Services.
Technical Services includes RPC's oilfield service lines that utilize people and equipment to perform value-added completion, production and maintenance services directly to a customer's well. These services are generally directed toward improving the flow of oil and natural gas from producing formations or to address well control issues. The Technical Services segment includes pressure pumping, coiled tubing, hydraulic workover services, nitrogen, downhole tools, surface pressure control equipment, well control, and fishing tool operations.
Support Services includes RPC's oilfield service lines that provide equipment for customer use or services to assist customer operations. The equipment and services offered include rental of drill pipe and related tools, pipe handling, inspection and storage services and oilfield training services.
Both Technical Services and Support Services experienced stronger results due to the increased drilling rig count and related customer activity, higher pricing, and increased capacity utilization. Technical Services revenues rose 32.6 percent for the quarter compared to the prior year, driven by higher pricing and, to a lesser extent, increased capacity. Support Services revenues rose by 58.2 percent during the quarter compared to the prior year. This increase was driven primarily by increased capacity in the rental tool service line, which is the largest service line within Support Services, as well as improved pricing in the service lines which comprise this segment.
RPC provides a broad range of specialized oilfield services and equipment primarily to independent and major oilfield companies engaged in the exploration, production and development of oil and gas properties throughout the United States, including the Gulf of Mexico, mid-continent, southwest and Rocky Mountain regions, and in selected international markets. RPC's investor website can be found at www.rpc.net.
Certain statements and information included in this press release constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements include statements regarding the timing of deliveries of our new equipment. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of RPC to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. Such risks include the possibility of declining prices of oil and natural gas, which tend to result in a decrease in drilling activity and therefore a decline in the demand for our services, timing of the delivery of revenue-producing equipment, the actions of the OPEC cartel, the ultimate impact of current and potential political unrest and armed conflict in the oil-producing regions of the world, which could impact drilling activity, adverse weather conditions in oil or gas producing regions, including the Gulf of Mexico, competition in the oil and gas industry, and risks of international operations. Additional discussion of factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from management's projections, forecasts, estimates and expectations is contained in RPC's Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission for the year ended December 31, 2005 and other SEC filings.
For information about RPC, Inc., please contact:
Ben M. Palmer Chief Financial Officer 404.321.2140 irdept@rpc.net
Jim Landers Corporate Finance 404.321.2162 jlanders@rpc.net |