Tamarack Valley Energy (TSE:TVE) has repositioned itself as a Clearwater-focused producer after selling its Charlie Lake production assets, a move Chief Executive Officer and Founder Brian Schmidt said left the company with no debt and approximately CAD 133 million of cash.
Speaking at an EnerCom event, Schmidt said Tamarack received CAD 804 million from the sale of approximately 18,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day of Charlie Lake output. He described Charlie Lake as a successful asset that generated a return of more than 70% for Tamarack, but said the company elected to concentrate capital on its larger Clearwater opportunity.
Clearwater Scale and Operating Metrics
Schmidt described Clearwater as a medium- to heavy-oil play characterized by permeable rock and relatively shallow wells, generally about 900 meters deep. Tamarack’s wells use long horizontal laterals, typically between 15,000 and 18,000 meters, with open-hole completions rather than hydraulic fracturing. He said the company has drilled a 34-kilometer well, which he characterized as a world record.
Tamarack holds about 900 sections in Clearwater and produces roughly 55,000 barrels per day from the play, according to Schmidt. He said total Clearwater production has risen from zero in 2017 to about 200,000 barrels per day, making Tamarack the largest public company operating in the play.
The company reported Clearwater production growth of 15% in the second quarter from the prior quarter, Schmidt said. Tamarack’s forecast calls for Clearwater production in a range of 53,500 to 55,000 barrels per day, while the company increased its Clearwater capital spending by CAD 75 million following the Charlie Lake divestiture.
Schmidt said Tamarack’s unhedged corporate breakeven is CAD 38 per barrel and its field-level operating costs are approximately CAD 7 per barrel. He also cited a 6.6-times recycle ratio, which measures the relationship between operating netbacks and finding and development costs.
Waterflood Program Targets Lower Declines
A central element of Tamarack’s strategy is expanding water injection to raise recoveries and mitigate declines. Schmidt said the company expects to inject four barrels of water this year for each additional barrel of oil expected next year.
Tamarack plans to exit the year with water injection of about 70,000 barrels per day. The company currently attributes roughly 12,000 barrels per day of production to waterflood activity, Schmidt said. He estimated that production ultimately could be about three times primary production after waterflooding.
The company’s corporate decline rate has fallen from roughly 35% to 18%, according to Schmidt. He said Tamarack’s sustaining capital requirement has declined from about CAD 400 million in 2023 to around CAD 200 million, enabling more capital to be directed toward growth and decline mitigation. Tamarack’s five-year capital budget is expected to range from CAD 400 million to CAD 450 million annually.
Schmidt said wells placed on production in 2024 had increased output by 45% in response to water injection, while wells designed in 2025 and measured through 2026 showed a 47% increase. In one Martin Hills area, output had declined from about 5,500 barrels per day to around 2,000 barrels per day before conversions and additional water injection. Schmidt said the waterflood program could eventually lift the area above its initial production level.
- Primary wells are expected to return roughly three to six times invested capital, according to Schmidt.
- Secondary injector wells drilled alongside producers could return eight to 12 times investment.
- Conversions of existing wells to injectors could generate approximately 25 times payback on half-cycle investment, he said.
Inventory and Expansion Areas
Schmidt said Tamarack estimates it has about 12 billion barrels of oil in place across its lands, with approximately 70% potentially suitable for waterflooding over time. The company has identified about 2,100 drilling locations, representing roughly 25 years of Clearwater drilling inventory, and expects only 2% of the oil in place to be produced by the end of its five-year plan.
Martin Hills is Tamarack’s core area, with an estimated 60 million barrels of oil in place per section, Schmidt said. The company also sees development potential in the Pelican and Seal areas. At Pelican, where Schmidt said Tamarack’s neighboring operators have drilled productive wells, the company is considering polymer flooding. He said wells in that area cost about CAD 1.6 million to CAD 1.8 million.
Seal is expected to become a future growth area, with Tamarack completing reservoir simulations and a development plan. Schmidt said the area could eventually produce between 8,000 and 10,000 barrels per day.
Since 2023, Tamarack has repurchased 15% of its shares at an average cost of CAD 5.39 per share, Schmidt said. He said the company’s shareholder-return approach combines production growth, dividends, share repurchases and excess cash flow, while retaining capacity for potential tuck-in acquisitions.
About Tamarack Valley Energy (TSE:TVE)
Tamarack Valley Energy Ltd. engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids in the Western Canadian sedimentary basin. It primarily holds interests in Cardium light oil plays in Wilson Creek/Alder Flats/Pembina, and Garrington and Lochend areas in Alberta; Viking light oil resource plays in Redwater and Westlock in Alberta, as well as in the Consort area of southeast Alberta and Hoosier area of southwest Saskatchewan; Barons Sands light oil plays located in the Penny area of Southern Alberta; and heavy oil properties located in Hatton area of Saskatchewan.
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