THIS IS A COPY OF AN ACCOUNTANTS' REPORT PREVIOUSLY ISSUED BY ARTHUR ANDERSEN LLP. THIS REPORT HAS NOT BEEN REISSUED BY ARTHUR ANDERSEN LLP. AS DESCRIBED IN NOTE 2 TO CARRIZO'S CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2003, THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2001 REFERRED TO IN THIS REPORT HAVE BEEN REVISED SUBSEQUENT TO THE DATE OF THE REPORT TO REFLECT REVISIONS TO THE AMOUNT OF THE AFTER-TAX WRITE-DOWN THAT WOULD HAVE TAKEN AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2001 USING PRICES IN EFFECT AT THAT DATE. THE REVISIONS HAVE BEEN REPORTED ON BY ERNST & YOUNG LLP.


REPORT OF INDEPENDENT PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS


To the Shareholders and
Board of Directors of
Carrizo Oil & Gas, Inc.:

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Carrizo Oil & Gas, Inc. (a Texas corporation) as of December 31, 2000 and 2001, and the related consolidated statements of operations, shareholders' equity and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2001. These consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audits.

We conducted our audits in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2000 and 2001, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2001, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States.

As explained in Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements, effective January 1, 2001, the Company changed its method of accounting for derivative instruments and hedging activities to conform with Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 133, "Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities." Additionally, as explained in Note 10 to the consolidated financial statements, effective January 1, 1999, the Company changed its method of accounting for start up costs.


ARTHUR ANDERSEN LLP                          

 

Houston, Texas
March 20, 2002

 

 

 

 

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