For the three year period ended December
31, 2006, our total adjusted costs for exploration, development
and acquisition activities was approximately $397.7 million.
Total exploration, development and acquisition activities
for the three year period ended December 31, 2006 have added
approximately 169.3 Bcfe of net proved reserves at an all-sources
finding cost of $2.35 per Mcfe.
Our finding and development cost computation
excludes net additions/reductions to total future development
costs with respect to proved undeveloped properties necessary
to convert those properties into proved developed properties
of $31.4 million, $99.8 million and $39.8 million at December
31, 2006, 2005 and 2004, respectively, and includes total
additions to proved undeveloped reserves of 28.4 Bcfe, 25.4
Bcfe and 27.6 Bcfe for the years ended December 31, 2006,
2005 and 2004, respectively. Accordingly, had we included
future development costs in our computations, the average
all-sources finding costs would have been $3.13, $4.39 and
$2.59 per Mcfe for the years ended December 31, 2006, 2005
and 2004, respectively.
In order to maintain continued growth
and profitability, our annual goal is to add new reserves
exceeding our yearly production at a finding and development
cost that contributes to an acceptable profit margin. Accordingly,
we use the finding and development cost in combination with
our reserve replacement ratio, as previously defined, to measure
our operating and financial performance.
Our all-source finding cost measure
is a measure with limitations. Consistent with industry practice,
our finding and development costs have historically fluctuated
on a year-to-year basis based on a number of factors including
the extent and timing of new discoveries and property acquisitions.
Due to the timing of proved reserve additions and timing of
the related costs incurred to find and develop our reserves,
our all-sources finding cost measure often includes quantities
of reserves for which a majority of the costs of development
have not yet been incurred. Conversely, the measure often
includes costs to develop proved reserves that had been added
in earlier years. Finding and development costs, as measured
annually, may not be indicative of our ability to economically
replace oil and natural gas reserves because the recognition
of costs may not necessarily coincide with the addition of
proved reserves. Our all-sources finding cost may also be
calculated differently than the comparable measure of other
oil and gas companies.
Development, Exploration and Acquisition
Capital Expenditures
The following table sets forth certain
information regarding the gross costs incurred in the purchase
of proved and unproved properties and in development and exploration
activities.
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