Resolute
Natural Resources
January 18, 2007
Houston, Texas
Resolute Natural Resources
Company Overview
Resolute
Natural Resources
Company Overview:
Formation

An acquisition, exploitation and exploration company formed by
Resolute’s management team and Natural Gas Partners VII, L.P.
(“NGP”) in January, 2004.
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The management team consists of the key individuals who led HS
Resources, Inc., including Nick Sutton who was the CEO and a cofounder of HS Resources.

NGP is part of NGP Energy Capital Management, the premier
investment franchise in the energy sector with $3.65 billion of
investment capital under management.
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Resolute
Natural Resources
Company Overview:
Resolute Strategy

Focus on domestic onshore basins where we have the opportunity
to extract incremental production from mature fields.
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Exploit the management team’s proven track record in managing
operationally intensive projects.
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Establish significant regional positions to capture the economies of
scale that accrue to the dominant producer.
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Create value by applying leading-edge technologies.
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Resolute
Natural Resources
Company Overview:
Primary Areas of Activity
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Development & Exploitation:
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Exploration:
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Operator of three federal units which comprise the Greater Aneth Field in
the Paradox Basin of Southeastern Utah.
Assets acquired from Chevron and ExxonMobil.
Net proved reserves of 67 million barrels, 98% light sweet crude oil.
Net production of approximately 5,500 barrels per day.
In excess of 108,000 acres in two emerging resource plays.
47,000 acres targeting Floyd Shale in the Black Warrior Basin in Alabama.
61,000 acres targeting a shale formation in the Northern Rockies.
Gas Trading & Marketing:
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Own 40% of Odyssey Energy Services.
 Odyssey purchases and sells physical natural gas in the western and
southwestern United States.
 Resolute’s partner in Odyssey is Wachovia.
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Resolute Natural Resources
Greater Aneth Field
Resolute
Natural Resources
Greater Aneth Field:
Acquisitions
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Acquired in two separate transactions
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Chevron assets acquired in November, 2004.
 ExxonMobil assets acquired in April, 2006.
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Resolute partnered with the Navajo Nation Oil and Gas Company
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NNOG is an energy company wholly-owned by the Navajo Nation.
 Greater Aneth Field is primarily located on Navajo tribal land.
 NNOG purchased a non-operated interest in the assets.
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Reserves and production (at acquisition)
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Chevron: net proved reserves of 17.2 MMBoe and average net daily
production of approximately 1,900 Boe per day.
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ExxonMobil: net proved reserves of 34.5 MMBoe and average net daily
production of approximately 3,200 Boe per day.
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Resolute
Natural Resources
Greater Aneth Field:
History
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Located in the Paradox Basin of
southeastern Utah.
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Discovered in 1956 and
developed by Texaco, Mobil and
Conoco.
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Original oil in place estimated at
1.44 billion barrels with 405 million
barrels produced to date (28.1%
recovery).
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Production is 98% oil; primarily
from the Desert Creek at 5,600 ft.
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Production peaked at 100,000
barrels per day in 1958 and is now
approximately 10,000 barrels per
day.
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Resolute
Natural Resources
Greater Aneth Field:
Attractive Attributes
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Large resource base:
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Under-exploited asset:
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Remaining gross proved reserves of 124 million barrels brings total
recovery to 36.7%.
Each incremental 1% increase in recovery efficiency equates to an
incremental 8 million barrels net to Resolute.
Long term option on technology and oil prices.
Resolute’s Greater Aneth properties have been controlled by major oil
companies since discovery.
Resolute is the first independent to control operations in the field.
The major oil companies had severely curtailed investment of human
and financial capital in the field.
Property plays to Resolute’s strengths:
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Mature, technology starved, operationally intensive asset plays to skills
developed by Resolute personnel in long operating history in other
mature areas such as the D-J Basin.
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Resolute
Natural Resources
Greater Aneth Field:
Adding Value at Aneth
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Operational enhancements:
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Conforming producing and injecting zones.
 Returning shut-in or temporarily abandoned wells to production or injection.
 Injector well cleanouts to increase injection capacity.
 Right-sizing pumps to decrease back pressure on reservoir.
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Horizontal infill drilling:
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40 acre infill locations utilizing horizontal laterals from existing well bores.
More than 80 identified locations, net proved reserves of 6.2 million barrels.
Target rates of return exceed 50%.
Aneth CO2 flood:
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Implement a CO2 flood project for the Aneth Unit.
Expected to add gross proved reserves of 13 MMBoe.
Target rate of return in excess of 40%.
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Resolute Natural Resources
Managing Leverage in a Volatile
Commodity Price Environment
Resolute
Natural Resources
Managing Leverage:
As with most aspects of management, there are
competing schools of thought when it comes to the
proper amount of leverage in an energy company.
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Resolute
Natural Resources
Managing Leverage:
A conservative view of financial management
“Neither a borrower nor a lender be, do not forget, stay out of
debt …”
Polonius (aka the Skipper)
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Resolute
Natural Resources
Managing Leverage:
A more contemporary view of financial management
“[Leverage] is good, [leverage] is right, [leverage] works..” Gordon
Gecko – legendary energy banker
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Resolute
Natural Resources
Managing Leverage:
Recent Experience
E&P Company Leverage
Debt/FWD EBITDA
2.5x
2.0x
2.0x
1.8x
1.6x
1.5x
1.6x
1.0x
.9x
1.0x
.5x
.0x
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
Year
2002
2006
% Change
Net Debt ($MM)
$42,264
$71,997
70%
LTM EBITDA ($MM)
Market Value of Equity ($MM)
SEC Pre Tax PV10 ($MM)
Proved Reserves (Bcfe)
Production (Bcfe)
$18,087
$77,232
$84,844
105,318
8,923
$62,818
$269,564
$380,472
128,982
10,498
247%
249%
348%
22%
18%
2.3
50%
$0.40
1.1
19%
$0.56
Net Debt/LTM EBITDA
Net Debt/ SEC PV 10
Net Debt/Bcfe
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Resolute
Natural Resources
Managing Leverage:
Keys to Managing Leverage
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Leverage can be differentiating
factor in competitive
acquisition market.
Decisions on appropriate
leverage should be holistic:
Other
Price Risk
Management
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Make sure assets are
“leverage-friendly”
 Diversify your funding sources
 Manage commodity price risk
using the right mix of tools
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Getting it wrong can lead to an
early exit in a volatile market.
Capitalization
Leverage
Friendly Assets
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Resolute
Natural Resources
Managing Leverage:
What are “leverage-friendly” assets?
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Long life, stable decline profile:
Sweet spot – not too short or too long
 Sufficient history to make capital providers comfortable
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Bias toward PDP reserves:
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PDP reserves produce cash flow
 Balance upside vs. ability to leverage
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“Hedgeable” commodity:
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Certain commodities introduce hedging complications
 Predictable, manageable or hedgeable basis differentials
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Favorable cost structure:
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Cash flow from production sufficient to fund development costs
and also reduce leverage
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Resolute
Natural Resources
Managing Leverage:
Capitalization
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Diversify your funding sources:
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Sources of debt capital for energy companies has expanded dramatically.
 Markets are very aggressive – “Yield cures a lot of sins”.
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Senior bank debt:
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Cheaper and more flexible – also most conservative.
Traditional bank borrowing base is a form of price risk exposure.
Second lien loans:
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Greater tolerance for leverage than bank market.
 Focus on strip prices as opposed to internal price deck.
 No re-determinations or amortization.
 Higher cost of capital – more difficult to amend.
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Other sources:
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Private placements
High yield bond market
 Private mezzanine providers
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Resolute
Natural Resources
Managing Leverage:
Price Risk Management
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We don’t subscribe to theory that investors desire price risk exposure
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Investors seek a superior return on capital relative to the risk
 Return is driven by increasing per share production and reserves
 Tail and undeveloped reserves will always provide some element of price
exposure
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The “right” level of price risk mitigation depends on the assets and the
capital structure
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Match the right price risk management tool to the need
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Hedging is not a one time event
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Monitor your hedge position relative to assets and market conditions
 Be careful to avoid “day trader” syndrome
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Resolute
Natural Resources
Managing Leverage:
The Resolute Experience
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The Aneth assets fit the leverage-friendly profile
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Predominantly PDP assets when acquired
 Long operating history with stable, predictable decline
 Production is light sweet crude oil sold at a contractual differential to
NYMEX
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Assets were acquired using roughly 15% equity and 85% debt
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Traditional bank revolver
$125 million second lien facility placed with institutional investors
75% - 90% of PDP production is hedged through 2010
Downside protection ranges from low $60’s/barrel in 2007 to $70/barrel
in 2009 and 2010.
 Utilizing a mix of swaps, puts, and put spreads
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Significant price risk mitigation purchased prior to closing on each
transaction
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