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Kelt Reports Financial and Operating Results for the Quarter and Year Ended December 31, 2025

By: Newsfile

Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - March 12, 2026) - Kelt Exploration Ltd. (TSX: KEL) ("Kelt" or the "Company") has released its financial and operating results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2025. The Company's financial results are summarized as follows:

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS Three months ended December 31

Year ended December 31
(CA$ thousands, except as otherwise indicated) 2025

2024

%

2025

2024

%
                   
Petroleum and natural gas sales 143,789

125,064

15

513,085

468,432

10
Cash provided by operating activities 62,804

48,067

31

264,256

209,145

26
Adjusted funds from operations (1) 76,817

69,406

11

261,525

221,978

18
Basic ($/ common share) (1) 0.39

0.35

11

1.32

1.13

17
Diluted ($/ common share) (1) 0.38

0.35

9

1.29

1.11

16
                   
Net income and comprehensive income 19,064

13,800

38

63,058

45,423

39
Basic ($/ common share) 0.10

0.07

43

0.32

0.23

39
Diluted ($/ common share) 0.09

0.07

29

0.31

0.23

35
                   
Capital expenditures, net of A&D (1) 42,806

97,046

-56

328,305

333,147

-1
Total assets 1,600,515

1,450,679

10

1,600,515

1,450,679

10
Bank debt 179,861

108,993

65

179,861

108,993

65
Net debt (1) 189,703

124,883

52

189,703

124,883

52
Shareholders' equity 1,139,639

1,063,004

7

1,139,639

1,063,004

7
Return on average capital employed (%) (1)(2)  

 

 

8

6

33
                   
Weighted average shares outstanding (000s)  

 

 

 

 

 
Basic 199,516

196,557

2

198,838

195,719

2
Diluted 203,089

200,801

1

202,105

199,631

1
(1) Refer to advisories regarding Non-GAAP and Other Financial Measures.
(2) The three-year average ROACE as of December 31, 2025 was 9%. Refer to additional information under "Non-GAAP and Other Financial Measures".

 

Financial Statements

Kelt's audited annual consolidated financial statements and related notes for the year ended December 31, 2025 will be available to the public on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and will also be posted on the Company's website at www.keltexploration.com on March 12, 2026.

Kelt's operating results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2025 are summarized as follows:

OPERATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS Three months ended 
December 31


Year ended
December 31

(CA$ thousands, except as otherwise indicated) 2025

2024

%

2025

2024

%
                   
Average daily production 
















Oil (bbls/d) 11,024

9,297

19

9,316

8,623

8
NGLs (bbls/d) 5,790

5,052

15

5,545

3,675

51
Gas (mcf/d) 169,725

132,608

28

153,214

124,902

23
Combined (BOE/d) 45,102

36,450

24

40,397

33,115

22
Production per million common shares (BOE/d) (1) 226

185

22

203

169

20
                   
Net realized prices, before derivative financial instruments(1)  

 

 

 

 

 
Oil ($/bbl) 74.29

92.53

-20

83.29

94.46

-12
NGLs ($/bbl) 32.49

38.50

-16

35.94

47.56

-24
Gas ($/mcf) 2.96

2.02

47

2.50

1.97

27
                   
Operating netbacks ($/BOE) (1)  

 

 

 

 

 
Petroleum and natural gas sales 34.66

37.30

-7

34.80

38.66

-10
Cost of purchases (1.19)
(0.99)
20

(1.17)
(1.35)
-13
Combined net realized price, before derivative financial instruments (1) 33.47

36.31

-8

33.63

37.31

-10
Realized gain on derivative financial instruments 1.80

0.70

157

1.88

0.35

437
Combined net realized price, after derivative financial instruments(1) 35.27

37.01

-5

35.51

37.66

-6
Royalties (2.69)
(2.85)
-6

(3.13)
(4.52)
-31
Production expense (9.30)
(8.72)
7

(9.52)
(10.01)
-5
Transportation expense (3.24)
(3.64)
-11

(3.43)
(3.52)
-3
Operating netback (1) 20.04

21.80

-8

19.43

19.61

-1
                   
Land holdings  

 

 

 

 

 
Gross acres 800,361

790,918

1

800,361

790,918

1
Net acres 599,740

588,527

2

599,740

588,527

2
(1) Refer to advisories regarding Non-GAAP and Other Financial Measures.

 

Message to Shareholders

Kelt Exploration Ltd. ("Kelt" or the "Company") reports its financial and operating results to shareholders for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2025.

Average production for the three months ended December 31, 2025 was 45,102 BOE per day, up 24% compared to average production of 36,450 BOE per day during the fourth quarter of 2024. Production for the three months ended December 31, 2025 was weighted 37% to oil and NGLs and 63% to gas. During 2025, the Company had a significant amount of production shut-in due to construction delays of a third-party gas plant in its Wembley/Pipestone core area. Despite the shut-ins, Kelt was able to increase average production in 2025 by 22% from 33,115 BOE per day in 2024 to average production of 40,397 BOE per day in 2025. Kelt is forecasting average production in the 46,000 to 47,000 BOE per day range for the first quarter of 2026.

Petroleum and natural gas sales during the fourth quarter of 2025 increased by 15% to $143.8 million, up from $125.1 million in the same period of the previous year. Petroleum and natural gas sales for the year were $513.1 million, up 10% from $468.4 million in 2024. Kelt's net realized average oil price during the fourth quarter of 2025 was $74.29 per barrel, down 20% from $92.53 per barrel in the fourth quarter of 2024. The Company's net realized average NGLs price during the fourth quarter of 2025 was $32.49 per barrel, down 16% from $38.50 per barrel in the fourth quarter of 2024. Kelt's net realized average gas price for the fourth quarter of 2025 was $2.96 per Mcf, up 47% from $2.02 per Mcf in the fourth quarter of 2024.

For the three months ended December 31, 2025, adjusted funds from operations was $76.8 million ($0.38 per share, diluted), up 11% when compared to $69.4 million ($0.35 per share, diluted) in the fourth quarter of 2024. Year over year, adjusted funds from operations increased by 18% to $261.5 million ($1.29 per share, diluted) from $222.0 million ($1.11 per share, diluted) in 2024. During 2025, Kelt recorded net income of $63.1 million ($0.31 per share, diluted) compared to $45.4 million ($0.23 per share, diluted) in the previous year.

Kelt continues to maintain a strong financial position. At December 31, 2025, Kelt had net debt of $189.7 million which equates to 0.7 times 2025 adjusted funds from operations of $261.5 million or 0.5 times forecasted 2026 adjusted funds from operations of $375.0 million.

Capital expenditures incurred during the three months ended December 31, 2025 were $42.8 million, down 56% compared to net capital expenditures of $97.0 million during the fourth quarter of 2024. During the fourth quarter of 2025, the Company spent $22.4 million on drill and complete operations; and $20.4 million on well equipment, facilities and pipelines.

Operations Update

Kelt's planned 2026 capital expenditure program remains unchanged at $355.0 million. Kelt's previous guidance for 2026 production to average between 50,000 and 52,000 BOE per day also remains unchanged.

  • At Wembley/Pipestone, Kelt expects to drill 16 Montney wells and complete 17 wells during the year. These wells will be completed with the higher intensity fracs that the Company tested at its 6-9 pad in 2025. Initial production results from the wells off the 6-9 pad are encouraging and Kelt expects to see demonstrated improvements in EURs and oil-gas ratios resulting from these design changes, based on production results from the 2026 Wembley development program.

  • At Wembley/Pipestone, to date in 2026, the Company has drilled a 4-well Montney pad (11-34 surface) and another four wells off the 6-9 pad. Drilling operations have also commenced at the next 4-well pad (16-26 surface). These 12 wells are expected to be completed and brought on production by the end of the second quarter of 2026.

  • At Pouce Coupe West, Kelt has drilled and completed two Montney wells that have now commenced production.

  • At Oak, the Company completed a 3-D seismic shoot covering approximately 110 sections of land. Kelt has already started to reap the benefits of this seismic shoot where drilling times on its longer horizontal laterals have been reduced by staying in zone for the entire length of the well, as per plan.

  • Kelt has added additional water handling facilities at its properties including water disposal wells and water storage pits which will provide improvements in capital efficiency going forward.

With the start-up of new wells in its Wembley/Pipestone Division where Kelt added additional gas processing capacity at third-party facilities, the Company expects to ramp up production significantly leading into the third quarter of 2026.

Kelt has increased its guidance for adjusted funds from operations for 2026 by $20.0 million from $355.0 million ($1.73 per share, diluted) to $375.0 million ($1.83 per share, diluted). The Company increased its forecast for WTI oil to average US$69.40/bbl (CA$94.66/bbl), up 18% from its previous estimate of US$59.00/bbl (CA$81.27/bbl). At the same time, Kelt reduced its forecast for AECO gas to average CA$2.33/GJ, down 17% from its previous forecast of CA$2.80/GJ.

Reserves

Kelt reports on its oil & gas reserves and production for the year ended December 31, 2025. Kelt retained McDaniel & Associates Consultants Ltd. ("McDaniel"), an independent qualified reserve evaluator, to prepare a report on its oil and gas reserves.

The Company has a Reserves Committee which oversees the selection, qualifications and reporting procedures of the independent qualified reserves evaluator. Reserves effective December 31, 2025 and effective December 31, 2024 were determined using the guidelines and definitions set out under National Instrument 51-101 ("NI 51-101"). Additional reserves disclosure as required under NI 51-101 will be included in Kelt's Annual Information Form which is expected to be filed on SEDAR on March 12, 2026.

Kelt continues to remain active operationally in its three main divisions. A summary of reserves is outlined in the table below:

Summary of Reserves

December 31, 2025December 31, 2024Change
% WeightAmount% WeightAmount
Proved Developed Producing Reserves




Oil & NGLs (Mbbls)38%31,88738%29,7417%
Gas (MMcf)62%309,57562%294,7275%
Combined (MBOE)
83,482100%78,8626%
Proved Reserves




Oil & NGLs (Mbbls)39%102,80440%105,347(2%)
Gas (MMcf)61%973,67560%965,7891%
Combined (MBOE)
265,084100%266,3120%
Proved plus Probable Reserves




Oil & NGLs (Mbbls)39%175,44740%173,7791%
Gas (MMcf)61%1,637,14660%1,568,2294%
Combined (MBOE)
448,304100%435,1513%

 

Proved Developed Producing ("PDP") reserves at December 31, 2025 were 83.5 million BOE, an increase of 6% from 78.9 million BOE at December 31, 2024. Proved reserves at December 31, 2025 were 265.1 million BOE and Proved plus Probable ("P+P") reserves were 448.3 million BOE at December 31, 2025.

Future forecasted oil prices used to determine the net present value of future cash flows used in the December 31, 2025 evaluation were lower than the forecasts used in the previous year's evaluation (see "Commodity Prices" table included below).

The WTI crude oil price during 2025 averaged US $65.43 per barrel. In the 2025 evaluation, the forecasted average WTI crude oil price for 2026 is US $59.92 per barrel, a 20% decrease from the forecast of US $74.48 per barrel used in the previous year's evaluation.

The NYMEX Henry Hub natural gas price during 2025 averaged USD $3.53 per MMBtu. In the evaluation report ended December 31, 2025, the forecasted average NYMEX Henry Hub natural gas price for 2026 is US $3.74 per MMBtu.

The following table outlines forecasted future prices used in the evaluation of the Company's reserves:

Commodity Prices

December 31, 2025 EvaluationDecember 31, 2024 Evaluation

WTI
Cushing
Crude Oil
(USD/bbl)
NYMEX
Henry Hub
Natural Gas
(USD/MMBtu)
CAD/USD
Exchange
(CAD)
WTI
Cushing
Crude Oil
(USD/bbl)
NYMEX
Henry Hub
Natural Gas
(USD/MMBtu)
CAD/
USD
Exchange
(CAD)
Calendar YearPriceChangePriceChangeRateChangePricePriceRate
2021 (historical)68.03
3.74
1.253
68.033.741.253
2022 (historical)94.80
6.56
1.302
94.806.561.302
2023 (historical)77.63
2.53
1.350
77.632.531.350
2024 (historical)76.56
2.25
1.370
76.562.251.370
2025 (historical/future)65.43(9%)3.537%1.3980%71.583.311.404
2026 (future)59.92(20%)3.740%1.3700%74.483.731.374
2027 (future)65.10(14%)3.78(2%)1.3510%75.813.851.346
2028 (future)70.28(10%)3.85(2%)1.3510%77.663.931.346
2029 (future)71.93(9%)3.93(2%)1.3510%79.224.011.346
Note:
Percent change in the above table shows the change in price used in the December 31, 2025 evaluation compared to the price used in the December 31, 2024 evaluation for the respective calendar years from 2025 to 2029.

 

The following table outlines a summary of the net present value of the Company's reserves by category as at December 31, 2025 and at December 31, 2024:

Value of Reserves

December 31, 2025December 31, 2024Change in
NPV
NPV 10% BT($M)($/BOE)($M)($/BOE)
Proved Developed Producing887,34810.63882,52011.191%
Proved1,961,8067.402,154,3758.09(9%)
Proved plus Probable3,311,3407.393,471,7567.98(5%)

 

At December 31, 2025, Kelt had 199.8 million common shares issued and outstanding. The net present value of reserves, discounted at 10% before tax, per share at December 31, 2025 were as follows:

-> $4.44 per share for Proved Developed Producing reserves;

-> $9.82 per share for Proved reserves; and

-> $16.57 per share for Proved plus Probable reserves.

FUTURE DEVELOPMENT CAPITAL EXPENDITURES

Future development capital ("FDC") expenditures of $1.9 billion are included in the evaluation for Proved reserves and are expected to be incurred over five years from 2026 to 2030. FDC expenditures of $3.1 billion are included in the evaluation of P+P reserves and are expected to be incurred over nine years from 2026 to 2034.

The following table outlines FDC expenditures and future wells to be drilled in the P+P category, by province, in the Company's main horizons, included in the December 31, 2025 reserve evaluation with comparatives from the December 31, 2024 report:

Future Development Capital Expenditures
P+P ReservesDecember 31, 2025 December 31, 2024

FDC
($MM)
Net 
Wells
FDC/well
($MM)
FDC
($MM)
Net 
Wells
FDC/well
($MM)
Alberta Montney wells2,1202767.71,8882657.1
British Columbia Montney wells674917.4585817.2
Alberta Charlie Lake wells251475.3267505.3
Other expenditures, includes completing DUCs708
978
Total FDC Expenditures3,115422
2,837404

 

FINDING, DEVELOPMENT, ACQUISITION & DISPOSITION COSTS

Capital expenditures, including property acquisitions and after dispositions, in 2025 were $328.3 million compared to $333.1 million in 2024.

During 2025, the Company's total capital costs resulted in net P+P reserve additions of 27.9 million BOE; net Proved reserve additions of 13.5 million BOE; and net PDP reserve additions of 19.3 million BOE.

FDA&D costs for 2025 for proved and proved plus probable reserve additions were impacted primarily due to requirements of the evaluator to limit future development capital to match actual gas processing agreements in place at December 31, 2025. Kelt has entered into agreements with third party mid-streamers to add gas processing capability over the next few years, however, the Company's inventory of future drilling locations far exceeds the contracted future gas processing capability. As a result, future reserve additions were limited to reflect the current contracts in place.

For the three year period ended on December 31, 2025, the Company has achieved favourable recycle ratios for all three of its major reserve categories. The P+P recycle ratio was 1.5 times; the Proved recycle ratio was 1.4 times; and the PDP recycle ratio was 1.4 times.

The following tables provide detailed calculations relating to FDA&D costs and recycle ratios for 2025:

FDA&D Costs and Recycle Ratios - Proved Developed Producing Reserves

Three Years ended
December 31, 2025
Year ended
December 31, 2025
Capital expenditures, net of dispositions ($M)944,098328,305
Change in FDC costs required to develop reserves ($M)6,8506,850
Total capital costs ($M)950,948335,155
Reserve additions, net of dispositions (MBOE)60,36319,339
FDA&D cost, including FDC ($/BOE)15.7517.33
Operating netback ($/BOE)21.3419.43
PDP recycle ratio1.4 x1.1 x

 

FDA&D Costs and Recycle Ratios - Proved Reserves

Three Years ended
December 31, 2025
Year ended
December 31, 2025
Capital expenditures, net of dispositions ($M)944,098328,305
Change in FDC costs required to develop reserves ($M)718,13988,396
Total capital costs ($M)1,662,237416,701
Reserve additions, net of dispositions (MBOE)110,95413,491
FDA&D cost, including FDC ($/BOE)14.9830.89
Operating netback ($/BOE)21.3419.43
Proved recycle ratio1.4 x0.6 x

 

FDA&D Costs and Recycle Ratios - Proved plus Probable Reserves

Three Years ended
December 31, 2025
Year ended
December 31, 2025
Capital expenditures, net of dispositions ($M)944,098328,305
Change in FDC costs required to develop reserves ($M)1,070,702277,497
Total capital costs ($M)2,014,800605,802
Reserve additions, net of dispositions (MBOE)145,44627,872
FDA&D cost, including FDC ($/BOE)13.8521.74
Operating netback ($/BOE)21.3419.43
P+P recycle ratio1.5 x0.9 x

 

RESERVES RECONCILIATION

Kelt's 2025 capital investment program, resulted in PDP reserve additions of 19.3 million BOE, that replaced 2025 production by a factor of 1.3 times. A reconciliation of Kelt's PDP reserves is provided in the table below:

Proved Developed Producing Reserves Reconciliation

Oil & NGLs
(Mbbls)
Gas
(MMcf)
Combined
(MBOE)
Balance, December 31, 202429,741294,72778,862
Extensions and improved recovery1,3697,6632,646
Technical revisions6,64667,04317,819
Economic factors(445)(4,090)(1,127)
Acquisitions---
Additions, net7,56970,61619,339
Less: 2025 Production [1](5,424)(55,768)(14,719)
Balance, December 31, 202531,887309,57583,482
Note:
[1] Sulphur production has been excluded from production in the above table.

 

NET ASSET VALUE

Kelt's calculated net asset value per share at December 31, 2025 was $15.62, 104% above the $7.67 closing trading price of the Company's common shares on the Toronto Stock Exchange on December 31, 2025. Details of the net asset value calculation are shown in the table below:

Net Asset Value per Share

December 31, 2025December 31, 2024Change

$ M$/share$/share
Proved reserves, NPV10% BT [1]1,961,8069.3510.34(10%)
Probable reserves, NPV10% BT [1]1,349,5336.436.322%
Undeveloped land [2]118,0940.560.58(3%)
Estimated net debt [3](189,703)(0.90)(0.60)50%
Proceeds from exercise of stock options [4]37,8290.180.20(10%)
Net asset value3,277,55915.6216.85(7%)
Diluted common shares outstanding (thousands) [4]209,777


Notes:
[1] As estimated by McDaniel.
[2] The undeveloped land value is based on internal estimates of Kelt's undeveloped lands which do not have reserves assigned.
[3] Based on the Company's estimated net debt at December 31, 2025. Refer to advisories regarding "Non-GAAP and Other Financial Measures".
[4] The calculation of proceeds from exercise of stock options and the diluted number of common shares outstanding only include stock options that are "in-the-money" based on the closing price of KEL of $7.67 on December 31, 2025. All outstanding RSUs and PSUs are included in diluted common shares outstanding.

 

Management looks forward to updating shareholders with 2026 first quarter results on or about May 7, 2026.

Changes in forecasted commodity prices and variances in production estimates can have a significant impact on estimated funds from operations and profit. Please refer to the advisories regarding forward-looking statements and to the cautionary statement below.

Advisory Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

The information set out herein is "financial outlook" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. The purpose of this financial outlook is to provide readers with disclosure regarding Kelt's reasonable expectations as to the anticipated results of its proposed business activities for the calendar year 2026. Readers are cautioned that this financial outlook may not be appropriate for other purposes.

Certain information with respect to Kelt contained herein, including management's assessment of future plans and operations, contains forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond Kelt's control, including the impact of general economic conditions, the scope and duration of export tariffs, export restrictions, or import tariffs on commodities that Kelt sells, or products that Kelt uses in its supply chains, industry conditions, volatility of commodity prices, currency exchange rate fluctuations, imprecision of reserve estimates, environmental risks, competition from other explorers, stock market volatility and ability to access sufficient capital.

Any forward-looking information or financial outlook set out herein does not include any potential impact of cross border tariffs, additional trade-related regulations or future negotiations that may take place between the United States and Canada.

As a result, Kelt's actual results, performance or achievement could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements and, accordingly, no assurance can be given that any events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur.

In addition, the reader is cautioned that historical results are not necessarily indicative of future performance. The forward-looking statements contained herein are made as of the date hereof and the Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise unless expressly required by applicable securities laws.

There are numerous uncertainties inherent in estimating quantities of oil, natural gas and NGL reserves, and the future net revenue attributed to such reserves, including many factors beyond the control of Kelt. The reserves and associated future net revenue information set forth in this press release are estimates only. In general, estimates of economically recoverable oil, natural gas and NGLs reserves and the future net revenue therefrom are based upon a number of variable factors and assumptions, such as historical production from the properties, production rates, ultimate reserves recovery, the timing and amount of capital expenditures, marketability of oil, natural gas and NGLs, royalty rates, the assumed effects of regulation by governmental agencies and future operating costs, all of which may vary materially from actual results. For these reasons, estimates of the economically recoverable oil, natural gas and NGLs reserves attributable to any particular group of properties, the classification of such reserves based on risk of recovery and estimates of future net revenue associated with reserves prepared by different engineers, or by the same engineer at different times, may vary.

Kelt's actual production, revenue, taxes and development and operating expenditures with respect to its reserves will vary from estimates thereof and such variations could be material. It should not be assumed that the undiscounted or discounted net present value of future net revenue attributable to the Corporation's reserves estimated by the Corporation's independent qualified reserves evaluators represent the fair market value of those reserves. There is no assurance that the forecast prices and costs assumptions will be attained, and variances could be material. Actual oil, natural gas and NGLs reserves may be greater than or less than the estimates provided herein, and variances could be material.

With respect to the disclosure of reserves contained herein relating to portions of Kelt's properties, the estimates of reserves and future net revenue for individual properties may not reflect the same confidence level as estimates of reserves and future net revenue for all properties, due to the effects of aggregation. Unless otherwise stated all references to "reserves" are to Kelt's gross company reserves before deduction of royalties and without including and royalty interests of Kelt. It should not be assumed that the undiscounted or discounted net present value of the Company's reserves, as determined by McDaniel, represents the fair value of those reserve estimates.

This press release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. The use of and of the words "will", "expects", "believe", "plans", potential", "forecasts" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. In particular, this press release contains forward-looking statements pertaining to the following: Kelt's expected price realizations and future commodity prices; its expected oil and NGLs weighting; the cost and timing of future capital expenditures and expected results; the expected timing of wells brought on-production; the expected timing of production additions from capital expenditures; the ability to show significant production growth; the expected timing for well completions; the ability to significantly ramp up production; the ability to access sufficient capital from internal sources and bank and equity markets, the performance of existing wells, the effect of regulatory agencies including environmental regulations, taxes and royalties, and the Company's expected future financial position and operating results.

Statements relating to "reserves" or "resources" are deemed to be forward looking statements, as they involve the implied assessment, based on certain estimates and assumptions, that the reserves described exist in the quantities predicted or estimated and that the reserves can be profitably produced in the future. Actual reserves may be greater than or less than the estimates provided herein.

Although Kelt believes that the expectations and assumptions on which the forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements because Kelt cannot give any assurance that they will prove to be correct. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks. These include, but are not limited to, the risks associated with the oil and gas industry in general, operational risks in development, exploration and production; delays or changes in plans with respect to exploration or development projects or capital expenditures; the uncertainty of reserve estimates; the uncertainty of estimates and projections relating to production, costs and expenses; failure to obtain necessary regulatory approvals for planned operations; health, safety and environmental risks; uncertainties resulting from potential delays or changes in plans with respect to exploration or development projects or capital expenditures; volatility of commodity prices, currency exchange rate fluctuations; imprecision of reserve estimates; as well as general economic conditions, stock market volatility; the ability to access sufficient water or other fluids needed for completion operations; and the ability to access sufficient capital. We caution that the foregoing list of risks and uncertainties is not exhaustive.

Non-GAAP and Other Key Financial Measures

This press release contains certain non-GAAP financial measures and other specified financial measures, as described below, which do not have standardized meanings prescribed by GAAP and do not have standardized meanings under the applicable securities legislation. As these non-GAAP, and other specified financial measures are commonly used in the oil and gas industry, the Company believes that their inclusion is useful to investors. The reader is cautioned that these amounts may not be directly comparable to measures for other companies where similar terminology is used.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

Net realized price

Net realized price is a non-GAAP measure and is calculated by dividing the Company's P&NG sales after cost of purchases by the Company's production and reflects Kelt's realized selling prices plus the net benefit of oil blending and third-party natural gas sales. In addition to using its own production, the Company may purchase butane and crude oil from third parties for use in its blending operations, with the objective of selling the blended oil product at a premium. Marketing revenue from the sale of third-party volumes is included in P&NG sales as reported in the Consolidated Statement of Net Income and Comprehensive Income in accordance with GAAP. Given the Company's per unit operating statistics disclosed throughout this press release are calculated based on Kelt's production volumes, and excludes the sale of third-party marketing volumes, management believes that disclosing its net realized prices based on P&NG sales after cost of purchases is more appropriate and useful, because the cost of third-party volumes purchased to generate the incremental marketing revenue has been deducted.

Combined net realized prices referenced throughout this press release are before derivative financial instruments, except as otherwise indicated as being after derivative financial instruments.

See the "Petroleum and Natural Gas Sales" section of Kelt's Management's Discussion and Analysis as at and for the year ended December 31, 2025, which provides a reconciliation of the net realized price to P&NG sales, which is a GAAP measure.

Operating income and operating netback

Operating income is a non-GAAP measure calculated by deducting royalties, production expenses and transportation expenses from petroleum and natural gas sales, net of the cost of purchases and after realized gains or losses on derivative financial instruments. The Company also presents operating income on a per BOE basis, referred to as "operating netback" or "operating income per BOE", which allows management to better analyze performance against prior periods, on a comparable basis, and is a key industry performance measure of operational efficiency.

See the "Adjusted Funds from Operations" section of Kelt's Management's Discussion and Analysis as at and for the year ended December 31, 2025, which provides a reconciliation of the operating netback from P&NG sales, which is a GAAP measure.

Capital expenditures

"Capital expenditures, before A&D" and "Capital expenditures, net of A&D" are measures the Company uses to monitor its investment in exploration and evaluation, investment in property plant and equipment, and net investment in acquisition and disposition activities. The most directly comparable GAAP measure is Cash used in investing activities, and is calculated as follows:



Three months ended 
December 31


Year ended
December 31

(CA$ thousands, except as otherwise indicated)
2025

2024

2025

2024
Cash used in investing activities
59,280

112,062

340,570

336,569
Change in non-cash investing working capital
(16,474)
(15,016)
(12,265)
(3,422)
Capital expenditures, net of A&D
42,806

97,046

328,305

333,147
Property acquisitions (1)
96

(3,400)
56

(4,173)
Property dispositions (1)
175

-

222

-
Capital expenditures, before A&D
43,077

93,646

328,583

328,974
(1) Property acquisitions and property dispositions for the year ended December 31, 2025 includes $0.3 million of non-cash consideration and for the year ended December 31, 2024 includes $0.6 million of non-cash consideration.

 

Average capital employed

Kelt calculates average capital employed as the total of net debt plus the short and long term lease obligations and shareholders equity. Kelt uses average capital employed as a measure of long-term capital management and operating performance, and as a component in the calculation for ROACE. The table below provides a reconciliation of average capital employed to the most directly comparable GAAP measures of shareholders equity.

(CA$ thousands)
December 31,
2025


December 31,
2024


December 31, 2023
Net debt - beginning of period
124,883

12,997

9,789
Current portion of lease obligations
1,655

1,125

505
Long-term portion of lease obligations
419

332

543
Shareholders' equity - beginning of period
1,063,004

1,003,663

901,424
Opening capital employed (A)
1,189,961

1,018,117

912,261

 

(CA$ thousands)
December 31,
2025


December 31,
2024


December 31, 2023
Net debt - end of period
189,703

124,883

12,997
Current portion of lease obligations
633

1,655

1,125
Long-term portion of lease obligations
385

419

332
Shareholders' equity - end of period
1,139,639

1,063,004

1,003,663
Closing capital employed (B)
1,330,360

1,189,961

1,018,117
Average capital employed (A+B)/2
1,260,161

1,104,039

965,189

 

Return on average capital employed

Kelt calculates ROACE, expressed as a percentage, as adjusted EBIT divided by the average capital employed. The components adjusted EBIT and average capital employed are non-GAAP financial measures. Kelt uses ROACE as a measure of long-term financial performance.

(CA$ thousands, except as otherwise indicated)
Three-year
Average


December 31,
2025


December 31, 2024

December 31, 2023
Adjusted EBIT
 

95,321

66,830

115,787
Average capital employed
 

1,260,161

1,104,039

965,189
ROACE (%)
9%

8%

6%

12%

 

Capital Management Measures:

Funds from operations and adjusted funds from operations

Management considers funds from operations and adjusted funds from operations as a key capital management measure as it demonstrates the Company's ability to meet its financial obligations and cash flow available to fund its capital program. Funds from operations and adjusted funds from operations are not standardized measures and therefore may not be comparable with the calculation of similar measures by other entities. The most comparable GAAP measure is "Cash provided by operating activities". Funds from operations and adjusted funds from operations are calculated as follows:



Three months ended 
December 31


Year ended
December 31

(CA$ thousands)
2025

2024

2025

2024
Cash provided by operating activities
62,804

48,067

264,256

209,145
Change in non-cash working capital
12,614

19,471

(6,079)
7,797
Funds from operations
75,418

67,538

258,177

216,942
Settlement of decommissioning obligations
1,399

1,868

3,348

5,036
Adjusted funds from operations
76,817

69,406

261,525

221,978

 

Net debt (surplus) and net debt (surplus) to adjusted funds from operations ratio

Management considers net debt (surplus) and net debt (surplus) to adjusted funds from operations ratio as key capital management measures to assess the Company's liquidity at a point in time and to monitor its capital structure and short-term financing requirements. The "net debt (surplus) to adjusted funds from operations ratio" is also indicative of the "net debt to cash flow ratio" calculation used to determine the applicable margin for a quarter under the Company's Credit Facility agreement (though the calculation may not always be a precise match, it is representative).

"Net debt (surplus)" is equal to bank debt, accounts payable and accrued liabilities, net of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivables and accrued sales and prepaid expenses and deposits. The Company believes that using a "Net debt (surplus)" non-GAAP measure, which excludes non-cash derivative financial instruments, non-cash lease liabilities, and non-cash decommissioning obligations, provides investors with more useful information to understand the Company's cash liquidity risk.

Net debt is calculated as follows:

(CA$ thousands)
December 31,
2025


December 31,
2024

Bank debt
179,861

108,993
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities
78,046

80,463
Cash and cash equivalents
(90)
(228)
Accounts receivable and accrued sales
(64,195)
(60,236)
Prepaid expenses and deposits
(3,919)
(4,109)
Net debt
189,703

124,883

 

Supplementary Financial Measures

"Production per common share" is calculated by dividing total production by the basic weighted average number of common shares outstanding, as determined in accordance with GAAP.

P&NG sales, cost of purchases, gain (loss) on derivative financial instruments, royalties, revenue after royalties and derivative financial instruments, production expenses, transportation expenses, financing expenses, gross and net G&A expenses, realized gain (loss) on foreign exchange, other income (expense), share based compensation expense and depletion and depreciation on a $/BOE basis is calculated by dividing the amounts by the Company's total production over the period.

Adjusted funds from operations per share (basic and diluted), and net income and comprehensive income per share (basic and diluted) is calculated by dividing the amounts by the basic weighted average common shares outstanding.

"Net asset value" is calculated by adding the present value of proved plus probable petroleum and natural gas reserves discounted at 10% before-tax (as estimated by McDaniel effective December 31, 2025), undeveloped land value, proceeds from exercise of stock options, and net bank debt (surplus). "Net asset value per common share" is calculated by dividing the "Net asset value" by the diluted number of common shares outstanding. The calculation of proceeds from exercise of stock options and the diluted number of common shares outstanding only include stock options that are "in-the-money" based on the closing price of Kelt common shares as at the calculation date. Management believes that the "Net asset value" provides a useful measure to analyze the comparative change in the Company's estimated value on a normalized basis. See the "Net asset value" section of this press release which provides a reconciliation of the net asset value to Kelt's Present value of 2P P&NG reserves, discounted at 10% before-tax.

"Finding, development, acquisition and disposition" ("FDA&D") cost is the sum of capital expenditures incurred in the period, less proceeds from the disposition of assets during the period and the change in future development capital ("FDC") required to develop reserves. FDA&D cost per BOE is determined by dividing current period net reserve additions into the corresponding period's FDA&D cost. Readers are cautioned that the aggregate of capital expenditures incurred in the year, comprised of exploration and development costs and acquisition costs, and proceeds from the disposition of assets, and the change in estimated FDC generally will not reflect total FDA&D costs related to net reserve additions in the year.

"Reserves Replacement" is calculated by dividing the current year's reserve additions by the current year's production. Management believes this ratio provides useful information in comparing the rate of reserve growth to the Company's most recent annual production.

"Recycle ratio" is a measure for evaluating the effectiveness of a company's re-investment program. The ratio measures the efficiency of capital investment by comparing the operating netback per BOE to FDA&D cost per BOE.

Measurements

All dollar amounts are referenced in thousands of Canadian dollars, except when noted otherwise. This press release contains various references to the abbreviation BOE which means barrels of oil equivalent. Where amounts are expressed on a BOE basis, natural gas volumes have been converted to oil equivalence at six thousand cubic feet per barrel and sulphur volumes have been converted to oil equivalence at 0.6 long tons per barrel. The term BOE may be misleading, particularly if used in isolation. A BOE conversion ratio of six thousand cubic feet per barrel is based on an energy equivalency conversion method primarily applicable at the burner tip and does not represent a value equivalency at the wellhead and is significantly different than the value ratio based on the current price of crude oil and natural gas. This conversion factor is an industry accepted norm and is not based on either energy content or current prices. Such abbreviation may be misleading, particularly if used in isolation. References to "oil" in this press release include crude oil and field condensate. References to "natural gas liquids" or "NGLs" include pentane, butane, propane, and ethane. References to "liquids" include field condensate and NGLs. References to "gas" in this discussion include natural gas and sulphur.

Abbreviations

A&DAcquisitions and Dispositions
P&NGPetroleum and Natural Gas
MD&A Management's Discussion and Analysis
TSXthe Toronto Stock Exchange
KELtrading symbol for Kelt Exploration Ltd. on the TSX
GAAPGenerally Accepted Accounting Principles
SEDAR+the System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval
bblsbarrels
bbls/dbarrels per day
Mcfthousand cubic feet
Mcf/dthousand cubic feet per day
MMcf million cubic feet
MMcf/d million cubic feet per day
Oilincludes crude oil and field condensate combined
BOEbarrel of oil equivalent
BOE/dbarrel of oil equivalent per day
NGLsnatural gas liquids

 

For further information, please contact:

Kelt Exploration Ltd., Suite 300, 311 - 6th Avenue SW, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2P 3H2

David J. Wilson, President and Chief Executive Officer (403) 201-5340, or
Sadiq H. Lalani, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (403) 215-5310.
Or visit our website at www.keltexploration.com.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/288218

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