Rice Energy 3Q17: Record High Production for “Shalennial Team”

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Rice Energy, while not the biggest, is certainly one of the best-operated drillers in the Marcellus/Utica. Rice issued their third quarter 2017 update last week. It will be the last quarterly update for the company as Rice shareholders will vote this week to sell out to larger competitor EQT. Because of the impending vote this Wednesday, Rice elected not to conduct an analyst phone call with the release of their 3Q17 update--we only have written statements to go by. The latest quarterly report shows Rice hit yet another record-high for production for natural gas and equivalents, producing 1.44 billion cubic feet equivalent per day (Bcfe/d). During 3Q17 Rice drilled 25 Marcellus wells and 7 Utica wells (32 total). The company lost $107 million during 3Q17, versus making a profit of $66 million in 3Q16. Rice is and always has been run by young guys (and gals). The Rice boys are Millennials. So in this last quarterly update, they displayed some of their trademark irreverent humor by coining a new word: shalennial. Dan Rice, CEO, said this in a quote in the release: "Our success is a testament to the core assets that we have acquired and developed with our shalennial team and I am highly confident that our operational momentum, as evidenced by our record third quarter results, will meaningfully contribute to EQT's future success. We are excited to combine our core assets with EQT's to create one of the most complete energy companies in the United States and derive even more long-term value for our shareholders." A footnote next to the word shalennial defines the term thus: "Shalennial /SH?l?en??l/ noun: (1) an evolving, tech-driven leader of the shale generation; (2) an employee of Rice Energy." We'll sure miss Rice's humor, and their go-get-em, can-do attitude, around the Marcellus/Utica shale patch...

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