EX-99.1 2 file2.htm PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts:  Union Drilling, Inc.
Christopher D. Strong, CEO
817-735-8777
Dan Steigerwald, CFO
817-735-8776
    
DRG&E
Ken Dennard / Ben Burnham
713-529-6600

UNION DRILLING REPORTS 2006
THIRD QUARTER RESULTS

Company reports diluted EPS of $0.45 on revenues of $69.5 million

FT. WORTH, TX — November 7, 2006 — Union Drilling, Inc. (NASDAQ: UDRL) announced today financial and operating results for the three and nine month periods ended September 30, 2006.

Revenues for the third quarter of 2006 were $69.5 million, up 60.7% compared to revenues of $43.2 million in the third quarter of 2005. EBITDA for the third quarter of 2006 was $23.6 million, compared to $7.5 million reported in the same period last year. For additional information regarding EBITDA as a non-GAAP financial measure, please refer to the disclosures contained at the end of this release. Net income in the third quarter of 2006 was $9.8 million or $0.45 per diluted share versus net income of $13,000 or $0.00 per diluted share during the third quarter of 2005.

Christopher D. Strong, Union Drilling’s President and Chief Executive Officer, stated, ‘‘We are pleased with our results from the third quarter. All three drivers of our business improved: we had more rigs earning higher margins at increased utilization rates and demand for our services continues to be good.

‘‘We now have taken delivery of three of our new 1,500 horsepower Ideal® rigs, each of which is currently under contract in the Barnett Shale. Three additional Ideal® rigs are scheduled for delivery in December and January.’’

For the first nine months of 2006, Union Drilling reported revenues of $184.9 million, EBITDA of $57.1 million and net income of $23.2 million, or $1.08 per share, compared to the first three quarters of 2005 when the company had revenues of $95.2 million, EBITDA of $15.9 million and net income of $1.3 million, or $0.08 per share.

Operating Statistics

The Company’s average revenue per revenue day was $14,683 for the third quarter of 2006 compared to $11,728 for the third quarter of 2005. Revenue days totaled 4,732 days, compared to 3,686 days for the same period last year. Drilling margins totaled $28.6 million or 41% of revenues for the third quarter of 2006, versus $11.6 million or 27% of revenues in the third quarter of 2005. For additional information regarding drilling margin as a non-GAAP financial measure, please refer to the disclosures contained at the end of this release. Average marketed rig utilization for the third quarter was 79.0%, up from 67.1% in the same period last year.

Average dayrates for the nine months ending September 30 were $13,766 per day for 2006 compared to $11,337 per day for 2005. The Company totaled 13,430 revenue days at 77.4% utilization during the first three quarters of 2006 compared to 8,394 days at 58.9% utilization during the same period of 2005. Drilling margin was $71.6 million, or 39% of revenues, for the first nine months of 2006, versus $24.7 million, or 26% of revenues for the first nine months of 2005.




Conference Call

Union Drilling’s management team will be holding a conference call on Wednesday, November 8, 2006, at 9:30 a.m. eastern time. To participate in the call, dial (303) 262-2141 at least ten minutes before the conference call begins and ask for the Union Drilling conference call. To listen to the live call on the web, please visit Union Drilling’s web site at least fifteen minutes early to register, download and install any necessary audio software. For those who cannot listen to the live call, a telephonic replay will be available through November 15, 2006 and may be accessed by calling (303) 590-3000 and using the pass code 11073859#. Also, an archive of the webcast will be available after the call for a period of 60 days on the ‘‘Investor Relations’’ section of the Company’s website at www.uniondrilling.com.

About Union Drilling

Union Drilling, Inc., headquartered in Ft. Worth, Texas, provides contract land drilling services and equipment, primarily to natural gas producers, in the United States. Union Drilling currently owns or operates 74 rigs and specializes in unconventional drilling techniques.

UDRL-E

This press release contains various forward-looking statements and information that are based on management’s belief as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to management. Forward-looking information includes statements regarding the Company’s anticipated growth, demand from the Company’s customers, capital spending by oil and gas companies and the Company’s expectations regarding its new rigs and the U. S. land drilling sector. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to have been correct. Such statements are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including, among other matters: general and regional economic conditions and industry trends; the continued strength or weakness of the contract land drilling industry in the geographic areas where the Company operates; decisions about onshore exploration and development projects to be made by oil and gas companies; the highly competitive nature of the contract land drilling business; the Company’s future financial performance, including availability, terms and deployment of capital; the continued availability of qualified personnel; and changes in governmental regulations, including those relating to the environment. Should one or more of these risks materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those expected. These risks, as well as others, are discussed in greater detail in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Company’s 10-K.

- Tables to follow -




Union Drilling, Inc.
Consolidated Statements of Income
(in thousands, except share and per share data)
(Unaudited)


  Three Months Ended
September 30,
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
  2006 2005 2006 2005
Revenues                
Nonaffiliates $ 69,482   $ 42,042   $ 184,877   $ 91,026  
Related party   1,188     4,138  
Total revenues 69,482   43,230   184,877   95,164  
Cost and expenses                
Drilling operations 40,836   31,639   113,298   70,448  
Depreciation and amortization 6,334   4,251   17,079   10,387  
General and administrative 5,200   4,324   15,034   9,175  
Total cost and expenses 52,370   40,214   145,411   90,010  
Operating income 17,112   3,016   39,466   5,154  
Interest expense (212 )  (901 )  (213 )  (1,905 ) 
Gain on sale of assets (41 )  82   282   153  
Other income 152   108   279   160  
Income before income taxes 17,011   2,305   39,814   3,562  
Income tax expense 7,217   2,292   16,589   2,292  
Net income $ 9,794   $ 13   $ 23,225   $ 1,270  
Earnings per common share:                
Basic $ 0.46   $ 0.00   $ 1.09   $ 0.08  
Diluted $ 0.45   $ 0.00   $ 1.08   $ 0.08  
Weighted-average common shares outstanding:                
Basic 21,337,507   16,226,591   21,239,735   15,205,373  
Diluted 21,636,504   17,174,310   21,567,444   16,015,059  

Union Drilling, Inc.
Operating Statistics
(in thousands, except per day data)


  Three Months Ended
September 30,
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
  2006 2005 2006 2005
Revenues $ 69,482   $ 43,230   $ 184,877   $ 95,164  
Drilling margins $ 28,646   $ 11,591   $ 71,579   $ 24,716  
Revenue days 4,732   3,686   13,430   8,394  
Marketed rig utilization 79.0 %  67.1 %  77.4 %  58.9 % 
Revenue per revenue day $ 14,683   $ 11,728   $ 13,766   $ 11,337  
Drilling margin per revenue day $ 6,054   $ 3,145   $ 5,330   $ 2,944  



Union Drilling, Inc.
Consolidated Balance Sheets
(in thousands, except share and per share data)


  September 30,
2006
December 31,
2005
  (unaudited)  
Assets:        
Current assets:        
Cash and cash equivalents $ 146   $ 2,388  
Accounts receivable (net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $870 and $313 at September 30, 2006 and December 31, 2005, respectively) 46,294   27,579  
Accounts receivable – related party   482  
Inventories 1,356   860  
Prepaid expenses and deposits 3,041   4,930  
Deferred taxes 6,574   10,543  
Total current assets 57,411   46,782  
Goodwill 7,678   5,425  
Intangible assets (net of accumulated amortization of $427 and $203 at September 30, 2006 and December 31, 2005, respectively) 3,573   3,798  
Property, buildings and equipment (net of accumulated depreciation of $62,060 and $46,251 at September 30, 2006 and December 31, 2005, respectively) 171,318   120,783  
Other assets 467   700  
Total assets $ 240,447   $ 177,488  
Liabilities and Stockholders' equity:        
Current liabilities:        
Accounts payable $ 11,560   $ 9,241  
Current portion of long-term obligations 2,366   2,014  
Other current obligations 650   3,308  
Current portion of advances from customers 429   1,265  
Accrued expense and other liabilities 8,439   5,353  
Total current liabilities 23,444   21,181  
Revolving credit facility 30,203    
Long-term obligations 5,295   5,812  
Deferred taxes 23,563   17,917  
Advances from customers 139   139  
Total liabilities 82,644   45,049  
Stockholders' equity:        
Common stock, par value $.01 per share; 75,000,000 shares authorized; 21,367,192 and 21,166,109 shares issued and outstanding at September 30, 2006 and December 31, 2005 214   212  
Additional paid in capital 135,518   133,381  
Retained earnings (deficit) 22,071   (1,154 ) 
Total stockholders' equity 157,803   132,439  
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity $ 240,447   $ 177,488  



EBITDA is earnings before net interest, income taxes and depreciation and amortization. The Company believes EBITDA is a useful measure of evaluating its financial performance because of its focus on the Company’s results from operations before net interest, income taxes, depreciation and amortization. EBITDA is not a measure of financial performance under generally accepted accounting principles. However, EBITDA is a common alternative measure of operating performance used by investors, financial analysts and rating agencies. A reconciliation of EBITDA to net earnings is included below. EBITDA as presented may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures reported by other companies.

Union Drilling, Inc.
(in thousands)


  Three Months Ended
September 30,
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
  2006 2005 2006 2005
Calculation of EBITDA:                
Net income $ 9,794   $ 13   $ 23,225   $ 1,270  
Interest expense 212   901   213   1,905  
Income tax expense 7,217   2,292   16,589   2,292  
Depreciation expense 6,334   4,251   17,079   10,387  
EBITDA $ 23,557   $ 7,457   $ 57,106   $ 15,854  

Drilling margin represents contract drilling revenues less contract drilling costs. Union Drilling believes that drilling margin is a useful measure for evaluating its financial performance, although it is not a measure of financial performance under generally accepted accounting principles. However, drilling margin is a common measure of operating performance used by investors, financial analysts, rating agencies and Union Drilling’s management. A reconciliation of drilling margin to operating income is included below. Drilling margin as presented may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures reported by other companies.

Union Drilling, Inc.
(in thousands)


  Three Months Ended
September 30,
Nine Months Ended
September 30,
  2006 2005 2006 2005
Calculation of drilling margin:                
Operating income $ 17,112   $ 3,016   $ 39,466   $ 5,154  
Depreciation and amortization 6,334   4,251   17,079   10,387  
General and administrative 5,200   4,324   15,034   9,175  
Drilling margin $ 28,646   $ 11,591   $ 71,579   $ 24,716  
Revenue days during the period 4,732   3,686   13,430   8,394  
Drilling margin per revenue day $ 6,054   $ 3,145   $ 5,330   $ 2,944  

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