Vista Energy, S.A.B. de C.V. (NYSE:VIST) Q4 2022 Earnings Call Transcript

So everything that we need to increase our capacity to basically everything that we need to deliver a plan that we put together for 2026. So our capacity in Entre Lomas for example is going to go all the way up to 80,000 barrels of oil per day. So that is a big update. The rest on — is still the same. And we will see — we also will see because we will increase the activity in Mexico. In Mexico last year we invested $5 million. This year, we will drill few wells, so that go to $80 million. But main increase in CapEx is related to facilities, and in order to be ready to be prepared for 80,000 BOE that we have in the Investor Day. The other question was related to OldelVal. So OldelVal project is a project that will add capacity to the industry of 350,000 barrel oil per day of evacuation capacity on the top that we have today.

It’s a project that it would require a CapEx of $1.1 billion. And Vista was awarded 10% of that capacity, okay. That project for us in term of CapEx required an investment of $118 million, that is going to pay in 3 installments of $54 million in 2023, $10 million in 2024 — no, USD54 million in 2024 and USD10 million in 2025. And I have — I know and in tariffs of $0.6 per barrel. So what you should expect in terms of capacity — additional capacity for us is 31,000 barrels of oil per day.

Walter Chiarvesio: All right. But the total contracted capacity is 34,000, okay. Is that correct?

Miguel Galuccio: Today, it’s 42,000 and we will add 31,500.

Walter Chiarvesio: Okay. Perfect. Understood.

Miguel Galuccio: So with that we will be — we will have enough capacity to execute our plan basically.

Walter Chiarvesio: Perfect. And the follow-up question. If — how we should see — you mentioned that the CapEx be reduced in 2024, because you are not investing much in facilities. What would be the number that we should model — in our model?

Miguel Galuccio: You cut off, could you repeat the question?

Walter Chiarvesio: I mean, you mentioned that 2023 is going to be like a high CapEx year $600 million, but in 2024 CapEx, especially facilities should be lower. So how much would be the CapEx for 2024? Or assuming that you’d have similar numbers of wells, et cetera? I mean, it should be lower.

Miguel Galuccio: Yes, if I was you, I would play. So clearly facility is going to go down from today, it’s $140 million, $150 million to more close to $100 million, 2024 and further down in 2025, we said $50 million, $60 million. Now then you have to play with the fact that what we doing to in terms of acceleration of drilling activity, it is possible that we accelerate as I said before to move from 1.5 rig to 2 rigs. And that it could bring a bit of extra CapEx to the development side of the CapEx. So for example, it’s not unthinkable that in 2024, even though we spent $40 million or $50 million less on facilities, we transfer that CapEx into wells, because we want to accelerate our program. If the commodity prices still are the way that it is today and with the performance that we are having, with the portfolio that we have and with the development cost and lifting costs that we have, it could be reasonable that we want to accelerate.

Operator: Our next question comes from the line of Rodrigo Nistor from Latin Securities.

Rodrigo Nistor: Congratulations on the strong resources quarter. I’m curious about the potential impact of the upcoming election here on domestic prices and how Vista plans to navigate any potential fluctuations? And then additionally, I noticed that there have been some recent discounts in export prices. And I’m wondering if you could provide some insight into what is driving this trend and what can we expect going forward in terms of pricing for exports?