HZNFF (HZNFF) Q4 2026 Earnings Report, Transcript and Summary

Thank you for standing by, and welcome to the Horizon Oil FY '26 full year results webcast. Presenting today are Horizon's Chief Executive Officer, Richard Beament; and Chief Financial Officer, Kyle Keen. [Operator Instructions] I'd now like to hand you over to Richard.

Look, thanks very much and good morning, everyone. FY '26 resets Horizon's scale and cash flow base. The business now operates from a larger, more diversified platform than this time last year. We delivered record production and record sales. Thailand is contributing low cost cash flow, and the Cue acquisition expands Horizon into a broader 5-country Asia Pacific platform. We achieved that growth while continuing to deliver shareholder returns and maintain a strong balance sheet. This morning, I'm going to start with a strategic overview, and then Kyle will take you through the financial results before I'll return to cover the asset portfolio, the outlook, and the near-term value runway before we open up for questions. Look, before we begin, I'll draw you to the customary compliance statement, which I encourage you all to read in full. It includes the usual cautionary statements as the presentation includes forward-looking statements, financial measures which are not prescribed by Australian Accounting Standards, and reserves and resources information. I also note that all references to dollars are U.S. dollars unless otherwise stated. So at a glance, Horizon is now a diversified cash generative Asia Pacific oil and gas producer, with producing assets across Thailand, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, and China. That 5-country footprint supports a more resilient production and cash flow base. FY '26 net production reached a record 2.15 million barrels of oil equivalent, and following the Cue acquisition, current Horizon Group production is approximately 7,300 barrels of oil equivalent per day. The portfolio is broader and longer dated, with 13.6 million barrels of 2P reserves and 19.8 million barrels of 2C contingent resources at June 30. The investment proposition is deliberately simple. Reliable production, low operating costs, strong cash generation, disciplined reinvestment, and shareholder returns. Now turning to a map of the new portfolio, which is important because it clearly shows that Horizon is no longer a narrow 1 or 2 asset story. Today, we have a portfolio spanning 5 countries and 9 producing assets, with each region playing a clear role. Thailand provides low cost oil-linked domestic gas cash flow. China and Maari provide established offshore oil exposure. Australia provides strategically important domestic gas through Mereenie, Palm Valley, and Dingo. Indonesia adds near-term oil growth at Mahato and disciplined gas exposure at Sampang. The benefit is practical diversification, commodity exposure, market structure, asset maturity, and opportunity type. That mix improves portfolio resilience and gives Horizon multiple ways to sustain production and cash flow over time. So this is the investment highlights of FY '26. As I mentioned, record production of 2.15 million barrels of oil equivalent, record sales of 1.98 million barrels of oil equivalent, underlying revenue of USD 107.2 million, EBITDAX of USD 56.4 million, and an ending cash position of USD 37.4 million. Those numbers show a business generating cash while funding investment activity and shareholder returns. Thailand contributed approximately $23 million of underlying revenue and has very quickly validated the strategic rationale for that acquisition. At the same time, Cue adds scale and a larger opportunity set from FY '27 onwards, rather than being the driver of the FY '26 result. We also declared AUD 0.025 per share of dividend in FY '26 and closed the year with only modest net debt. That is the capital allocation balance we are executing. Returns to shareholders, selective reinvestment, and balance sheet flexibility. On ESG, the key message is that safety and responsible operations remain central to how we run the business. Safety performance remained better than industry benchmarks across the portfolio. We progressed our sustainability strategy and FY '27 goals, and we integrated the Thailand assets into Horizon's ESG governance and reporting framework. We also continued practical emissions and efficiency initiatives, including the Maari Vapor Recovery Unit and energy efficiency work at Nam Phong. As the portfolio grows, we are keeping the same disciplined approach to safety, governance, and stakeholder engagement. Now, this slide brings together what strategy delivery looks like for Horizon. Maximize cash flow, reinvest for growth, and return capital. On cash flow, FY '26 operating cash flow was 32% higher at USD 47.2 million, supported by record production and cash operating costs being maintained below USD 25 per barrel of oil equivalent. On returns, we paid USD 33.1 million to shareholders during the year and declared FY '26 dividends of AUD 0.025 per share. On growth, we integrated Thailand and acquired a 57.03% controlling interest in Cue, expanding Horizon to 9 producing assets across 5 countries. Importantly, dividends were balanced with debt repayment and disciplined investment in organic and inorganic growth. The point I would emphasize is that Horizon is growing through assets that generate cash and opportunities that compete for capital. We are not pursuing scale for its own sake. We are building a stronger regional energy business with a clear return discipline. So turning to reserves and resources, FY '26 was a very strong year for portfolio depth and growth. Net 2P reserves increased 51% from 9 million barrels of oil equivalent to 13.6 million barrels. Net 2C contingent resources increased 61% to 19.8 million barrels of oil equivalent. The increases were driven primarily by Thailand and by Cue, and the group delivered around 200% reserve replacement after record production of 2.1 million barrels during the year. The importance is straightforward. Horizon increased production, scale, and resource depth in the same year. That creates a stronger platform for future cash generation and a broader set of organic opportunities and options to pursue selectively. With that, I would like to hand over to Kyle to take you through the financial results in more detail.

Thanks, Richard. I will now step through the 2026 financial year results and the cash flow performance of the group. As always, all references are to United States dollars unless otherwise stated. 2026 delivered a strong financial result with record production and sales volumes, supported by the successful integration of the Thailand assets. Production increased to 2.15 million barrels of oil equivalent and sales volumes increased to 1.98 million barrels of oil equivalent. Underlying revenue was $107.2 million, broadly in line with the comparative period. That result was supported by the 11-month contribution from Thailand. It is also worth noting that due to the timing of liftings from both Maari and Block 22/12, approximately 130,000 barrels of crude oil inventory were on hand at June 30, 2026. This inventory was sold through early in 2027, generating further revenues in excess of $10 million. EBITDAX increased to $56.4 million and cash flow from operating activities increased by 32% to $47.2 million. At year-end, Horizon Oil held $37.4 million in cash, and net debt was a modest $11.3 million after returning $33.1 million to shareholders during the year. The cash flow waterfall illustrates the strength of the underlying business and how the cash generated over the financial year has been deployed. Operating cash flow of $47.2 million funded the $33.1 million paid to shareholders during the year, $10.6 million of debt repayments, and the targeted investment in the producing asset base. At the same time, the group funded the Thailand and Cue Energy Resources acquisitions in a capital-efficient manner and closed the year with substantial liquidity. Cash generation is supporting all 3 priorities at once, dividends, debt reduction, and organic growth across the portfolio. This is an important feature of the business model, particularly as the enlarged portfolio gives us more organic growth options to selectively fund. Looking at production, sales, and revenue over the 5-year period, FY '26 clearly shows the effect of the Thailand acquisition on the portfolio. Production was up 33% and sales were up 22% in the comparative period, with Thailand's 11-month contribution more than offsetting natural decline across the portfolio. Revenue was resilient despite the timing of crude oil liftings, which as discussed earlier, crude oil inventory on hand at the end of the year generated further revenues of over $10 million in early 2027. It is also worth noting that the decline in the net realized sales price, as depicted by the line on the profit chart, is a direct result of the introduction of gas into the portfolio following the Mereenie and Thailand acquisitions. The next slide shows continued profitability and the importance of cost discipline. EBITDAX remains strong at $56.4 million, notwithstanding the deferred liftings. Cash operating costs were approximately $21 per barrel of oil equivalent, which remains a core part of the group's cash generation capability. Statutory profit after tax was $11.1 million. The movement from EBITDAX to statutory profit reflects expected non-cash charges, most notably the $32.2 million of amortization expense for the financial year. From a cash perspective, the operating margin remains resilient. Free cash flow increased approximately $15 million to $36.6 million for the year, driven not only by the Thailand acquisition but also disciplined investment in our low-cost producing assets. The chart on the right is also important. Despite the Thailand and Cue Energy Resources acquisitions, which were largely debt-funded, and the substantial shareholder distributions made during the year, net debt at June 30 was a modest $11.3 million. Cumulative distributions paid to shareholders now exceed USD 180 million, or approximately AUD 270 million. That record demonstrates that shareholder returns have not been incidental to strategy. They have been a central part of it. This final slide reinforces the longer-term consistency of the business. Across the period, Horizon has generated strong EBITDAX, maintained a low operating cost base, paid meaningful dividends, and retained balance sheet flexibility. The 2026 financial year continues that pattern, but with a larger and more diversified production platform. In summary, the financial year result shows a business that is cash generative, disciplined, and positioned to fund both returns and growth. With that, I will hand back to Richard to take you through the asset portfolio and outlook for the company.

Thanks, Carl. I will now turn to the enlarged portfolio and the near-term activity across the asset base, starting with Thailand. Thailand is the clearest example of the FY '26 transformation, with our acquisition completing on the first of August last year. Since completion, the Nam Phong and Sinphuhorm gas fields have quickly become material cash flow contributors, supported by low cash operating costs, long-term gas sales arrangements, and oil-linked pricing. The assets are currently contributing net production to Horizon of around 2,100 barrels of oil equivalent per day, with the assets supplying essential domestic gas into Northeast Thailand. That is strategically important. These fields support the Nam Phong power station, which supplies around 20% of Northeast Thailand's electricity demand. The near-term focus is deliverability. At Nam Phong, booster compression is aimed at increasing and stabilizing production. At Sinphuhorm, the mini booster, water shutoff work, and Pad D tie-in are all about adding capacity and reducing decline. Just last week, the venture achieved a significant milestone with the early completion and commissioning of the Pad D tie-in, with the production boosted by the PH-14 and PH-1 wells. This has seen an immediate lift in field production rates by well over 10% to sustained rates of over 107 million standard cubic feet per day. The result is Horizon net production from Thailand increasing from around 1,900 barrels of oil equivalent per day in the last quarter to around 2,100 barrels of oil equivalent per day recently. This is before the Nam Phong booster compressor is commissioned next month. The bigger point is that Thailand is a low-cost, infrastructure-backed gas platform with reserves, resources, and a clear project set that supports cash flow over time. Indonesia comes into the portfolio through Cue and gives us 2 different asset roles. Mahato is the near-term oil growth asset. It is producing from a proven basin with current activity involving 2 approved infill wells at the Bekasap field. The PB-41 well has already been successfully completed and brought onto production, and a second well, PB-42, recently spud. The operator is also progressing the OPL-3 Phase 3 development plan and a high-impact exploration well, the GA-1 well. Sampang plays a different role. It is a mature gas asset focused on production optimization through compression and disciplined management through to the end of the PSC. Together, Indonesia adds activity, optionality, and another source of portfolio diversification. The Australian Amadeus Basin assets strengthen Horizon's domestic gas position. Mereenie, Palm Valley, and Dingo are established fields tied into regional infrastructure, serving Northern Territory linked and East Coast markets. These are strategically relevant assets because domestic gas remains important for reliability and energy security. Together, these fields currently supply about 30% to 40% of Northern Territory's domestic gas demand. Mereenie continues to provide stable production and cash flow, with a development review progressing to assess future well opportunities. Palm Valley adds a near-term catalyst, with PV-14 underway and PV-15 to follow, both designated to evaluate and develop additional gas resources to be sold into a long-term gas sales agreement with the Northern Territory Government all the way through to 2034. Dingo provides contracted gas exposure into the local Alice Springs power market. This is a clear example of the enlarged portfolio, stable base cash flow, existing infrastructure, and a practical pathway to future gas supply growth. Turning to Maari, this remains an established offshore oil cash flow asset and one that we know very, very well. The recent 10-year permit extension to 2037, awarded earlier in this financial year, is important because it provides the runway for continued production, further optimization, infill maturation, and orderly long-term planning. Operationally, the near-term focus has been on the MR3 workover, which was successfully returned to production just a few weeks ago, ongoing reservoir management, and studies to mature future infill candidates. Maari has benefited from sustained water injection and active reservoir management, and the Cue transaction increases our effective exposure to that cash flow stream. Maari continues to play a clear role in the portfolio, established offshore oil production, cash generation, and future optionality. Lastly, but certainly not least, our Block 22/12 asset in China. China remains a reliable offshore oil contributor and a core part of Horizon's cash flow base. Block 22/12 continues to provide material production with low cash operating costs. Current gross production is around 7,400 barrels of oil per day or around 2,000 barrels per day net to Horizon, following positive results from recent workover activity. The focus is optimization-led performance, workovers, facility reliability, water handling improvements, and targeted water injection to support production rates. The 12-8 East phase 2 studies also provide additional optionality. What does all this equate to at a consolidated production level? This production outlook slide shows the shape of the portfolio transformation with a look back over the past 5 years and the buildup of the production platform since 2024 through the acquisitions of Mereenie, Thailand, and now Cue. The result is a materially larger and longer dated asset base with organic growth potential extending well into the next decade. This is an indicative outlook only, and future projects clearly remain subject to usual technical, commercial, joint venture, and regulatory approvals. The strategic message, though, is that Horizon now has multiple ways to sustain and grow production rather than relying on a single large project. That improves cash flow visibility and capital allocation flexibility. We can sequence activity across the portfolio and fund the opportunities that offer the best risk-adjusted returns. This slide brings together the near-term activity set across the enlarged portfolio. As you can see, it's an intense period of activity. In Thailand, we have compression, Pad D now delivering, and a potential infill drilling program early in the new year. In Indonesia, Mahato has infill drilling underway, the OPL-3 development planning, and exploration activity. In Australia, Mereenie and Palm Valley provide further gas development and appraisal opportunities. At Maari, we're maturing infill opportunities. In China, we have workovers, liquids handling improvements, and the 12-8E studies. The common theme is infrastructure-led, approval-gated growth. These opportunities sit around assets and markets we understand, and they are designed to enhance production, reliability, and cash flow. The strategic advantage is the breadth of the opportunity set. We are not dependent on one project, one country, or one commodity exposure to create value. To close, the investment case for Horizon is stronger and clearer than it was a year ago. First, scale. Horizon is now a 5-country Asia Pacific producer with 9 producing assets and current production of approximately 7,300 barrels of oil equivalent per day. Second, cash generation. The portfolio combines stable oil production, long-term gas sales contracts, low operating costs, and a larger reserves and resources base. Third, shareholder returns. Horizon has paid or declared more than AUD 290 million to shareholders over the past 6 years. With the $0.01 per share final dividend declared and to be paid for FY '26, we have now averaged annual distributions of AUD 0.03 per share for 6 consecutive years. Needless to say, dividends and distributions remain a priority. Fourth, opportunity set. We now have multiple infrastructure-led growth options across Thailand, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, and China, rather than dependence on a single project. Finally, discipline. We are allocating capital carefully, maintaining balance sheet flexibility, and focusing on opportunities that enhance cash flow and long-term value. The enlarged Horizon gives us more options, and the return discipline remains the same. Look, thank you for your time this morning and your continued interest in Horizon. FY '26 has reset the scale of the business, strengthened the cash flow base, and expanded the opportunity set, and we look forward to updating shareholders as we progress activity across the portfolio. With that, Kyle and I would be pleased to take any questions that you might have.

[Operator Instructions] I will now hand over for any webcast questions to be addressed.

Thank you very much there. We've had a number of questions regarding the dividend. We note that the interim dividend was $0.015 and the final dividend is $0.01. Can you please provide some context as to the final dividend?

Look, I'll take that one. Sure. First of all, let me just reaffirm that dividends remain a priority for the company. But look, as noted in one of the slides, we're in a period where we have some fairly intense activity going on right across the portfolio. As we sit here today, we've got 5 wells either in the process of being drilled or committed to be drilled over the next 6 months, and then we've got a further 3 development wells, which are looking highly likely to be drilled in Sinphuhorm early in the new year. In addition to that, we've added booster compression in Sinphuhorm. We've got another booster compressor going in Nam Phong next month, and in Sampang as well, there's another compression facility. On top of that, we've had the Pad D tie-in works and indeed in Block 22/12, some workover activity. I guess there's a strong draw on capital for all of those activities, but they're highly accretive. I guess what we're trying to do here is balance all the competing needs between organic growth, returns to shareholders, and indeed managing debt levels. Safe to say, the focus is on long-term cash flow deliverability for the longer term, and obviously we've had the inorganic growth activities as well throughout the year. I can see there's another question here which dovetails with this around managing debt levels and are you comfortable with the net debt level gradually increasing. Look, I think modest levels of net debt for the company at the stage it's at is fine. You need to acknowledge we have a much broader and longer-dated production platform, and they're all cash-generative assets. Our capacity to service debt over the longer term is far greater than it was a year or 2 ago. Modest net debt levels are fine, noting we're not intending to gear up substantially unless there was a particular accretive opportunity.

Thanks for that, Rich. Next question we have here is, why has the Strait of Hormuz situation not had any measurable effect, positive or negative, to Horizon?

Look, I think it certainly has had a positive effect. Obviously, not so for the world. I guess you need to recognize really it only impacted substantially the final quarter of FY '26. Obviously there's still elevated oil prices we're seeing now into this first quarter of FY '27, which will no doubt flow through. I think probably more strategically, it has a very profound positive effect on the business. Regional energy security has really come to the forefront of governments around the world, and particularly in this region. Most of the jurisdictions we're in, whether it be Thailand, Indonesia, even Australia and New Zealand, and China, have all been seriously impacted by the Strait of Hormuz issues. The assets we have and where they're located have all really come up the importance chain. If I take Thailand as a standalone, those gas fields are critical to regional energy security in Northeast Thailand, and Thailand's a huge importer of LNG. To have indigenous supply of gas in that country really sets us apart and puts those assets under a spotlight. That's really part of the reason why there's such an intense period of investment here. Those host governments and the companies we work with are under pressure to deliver more gas, particularly in that jurisdiction. In Indonesia, it's much the same. There's essentially been a moratorium put on the exportation of crude oil, and hence all the oil being produced in Mahato is being retained in the country. I think from a strategic point of view, you'll see our assets really are probably more valuable than they've ever been, given that regional energy security thematic.

Thanks for that. The next question we have is, we saw the recent press release and mentioned in the presentation today about the Pad D tie-in in Thailand. Can you provide an update as to the performance of these wells?

Yes, look, it has been a very positive step. That project came on stream about 50 days earlier than anticipated, which again, sort of to my earlier question there on that regional energy security thematic, there has been a fair bit of pressure there to get that on stream quickly. Production has been good. We put out in the press release, it was sort of averaging about 25 million to 30 million standard cubic feet per day, and it has been continuing to perform like that. I would just sort of remind investors, those wells, PH-14 and PH-01, were drilled prior to us coming in. We have sort of got a bit of a free hit on them, apart from paying for the pipelines to tie those wells in. All that production has really been a bit of a gift from Exxon when they sold the asset.

The last question we have at the moment, so please feel free to ask any more questions if you would like, is with the recent Cue acquisition, where do you see the most value and opportunities in their asset portfolio?

Look, I will take that one as well. Look, obviously, it is a diverse portfolio, and we are familiar with Maari and Mereenie in particular, which continue to have opportunity. But probably in the nearer term, obviously Palm Valley in Australia has some appraisal wells going down now. We are watching them pretty closely. But look, Mahato in Indonesia is probably the one which is most interesting. Obviously, there are some infill wells being drilled as we speak. Then that is being followed up with a high-impact exploration well. I would encourage people to have a look on the map, which is in the slide. It is in a pretty interesting place in central Sumatra, adjacent to the multi-billion barrel fields, the Minas and Duri fields there. It is ex-Caltex acreage. It is highly prospective. We certainly are looking at it with interest, and obviously, it has been very successfully producer for and cash generator for Cue over many years.

I think that concludes our questions now. Thank you very much for joining our webcast today. If you do have any further questions, please feel free to email them through to info@horizonoil.com.au. I will now pass you back to the moderator.

Thank you. That does conclude our conference for today. Thank you for participating. You may now disconnect.