Transition Period compared to the Prior Period results primarily from increased personnel expenses required by the Company's growth and industry wage inflation. The Company capitalized $2.4 million of internal costs in the Transition Period directly related to the Company's oil and gas exploration and development efforts, compared to $1.1 million in the Prior Period. The Company anticipates that G&A costs for 1998 will continue to increase as the result of industry wage inflation, legal fees associated with the UPRC and shareholder litigation, and increases in employment due to the completed and pending acquisitions. Interest and Other. Interest and other expense increased to $17.4 million in the Transition Period, compared to $6.2 million in the Prior Period. The increase was due primarily to the issuance of $300 million of Senior Notes in March 1997. In addition to the interest expense reported, the Company capitalized $5.1 million of interest during the Transition Period, compared to $7.6 million capitalized in the Prior Period. Provision (Benefit) for Income Taxes. The Company recorded no income taxes for the Transition Period, compared to income tax expense of $14.3 million in the Prior Period, before consideration of the $3.7 million tax benefit associated with the extraordinary loss from the early extinguishment of debt. At December 31, 1997, the Company had a net operating loss carryforward of approximately $337 million for regular federal income taxes which will expire in future years beginning in 2007. Management believes that it cannot be demonstrated at this time that it is more likely than not that the deferred income tax assets, comprised primarily of the net operating loss carryforward, will be realizable in future years, and therefore a valuation allowance of $77.9 million has been recorded. No deferred tax benefit related to the exercise of employee stock options was allocated to additional paid-in capital in the Transition Period. The Company does not expect to record any net income tax expense in 1998 based on information available at this time. Fiscal Years Ended June 30, 1997, 1996, 1995 General. For the fiscal year ended June 30, 1997, the Company realized a net loss of $183.4 million, or $2.79 per common share, on total revenues of $280.3 million. This compares to net income of $23.4 million, or $0.40 per common share, on total revenues of $149.4 million in 1996, and net income of $1l.7 million, or $0.21 per common share, on total revenues of $67.3 million in fiscal 1995. The loss in fiscal 1997 resulted from a $236 million asset writedown recorded in the fourth quarter under the full cost method of accounting. See "- Impairment of Oil and Gas Properties". Oil and Gas Sales. During fiscal 1997, oil and gas sales increased 74% to $192.9 million versus $llO.8 million for fiscal 1996 and 238% from the fiscal 1995 amount of $57.0 million. The increase in oil and gas sales resulted primarily from strong growth in production volumes and significantly higher average oil and gas prices. For fiscal 1997, the Company produced 78.6 Bcfe at a weighted average price of $2.45 per Mcfe, compared to 60.2 Bcfe produced in fiscal 1996 at a weighted average price of $l.84 per Mcfe, and 3l.9 Bcfe produced in fiscal 1995 at a weigh ted average price of $l. 78 per Mcfe. This represents production growth of 31 % for fiscal 1997 compared to fiscal 1996 and 146% compared to fiscal 1995. The following table shows the Company's production by region for fiscal 1997 and fiscal 1996: For the Year Ended June 30, 1997 1996 (MMcfe) (MMcfe) Percent Percent
Mid-Continent Region .......................... Austin Chalk Trend ............................ Other fields ...................................
17,370 57,377 3,878
Total Production ...............................
78,625
22% 73 5 100%
10,420 47,234 2,536
17% 78 5
60,190
100%
Natural gas production represented approximately 79% of the Company's total production volume on an equivalent basis in fiscal 1997. This compares to 86% in fiscal 1996 and 79% in fiscal 1995. This decrease in gas production as a percentage of total production in fiscal 1997 was the result of drilling in the Louisiana Trend, which tends to produce more oil than gas. 29