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                                   FORM 10-Q

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON D.C. 20549

                                   (Mark One)

     (X) QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES
                              EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

                For the quarterly period ended December 31, 1997

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                                       OR

     ( ) TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES
                              EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

                For the transition period from        to
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     For Quarter Ended December 31, 1997          Commission File number 2-71058
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                           DAWSON GEOPHYSICAL COMPANY
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             (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its Charter)

          TEXAS                                            75-0970548
- -------------------------------                ---------------------------------
(State or other jurisdiction of                (IRS Employer Identification No.)
incorporation or organization)

   208 S. Marienfeld, Midland, Texas                          79701
- ---------------------------------------                     ----------
(Address of principal executive offices)                    (Zip Code)

       (Registrant's telephone number, including area code) 915/682-7356
                                                            ------------

                                      NONE
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 (Former Name, Former Address & Former Fiscal Year if changed since last report)

  Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports
required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the
registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such
filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes X . No   .
                                             ---    ---

  Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the issuer's classes of
common stock, as of the latest practicable date.

                   CLASS                        Outstanding at December 31, 1997
     --------------------------------           --------------------------------
     Common Stock, $.33 1/3 par value                   5,351,000 shares





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                           DAWSON GEOPHYSICAL COMPANY

                                     INDEX


Page No. -------- Part I. Financial Information: Statements of Operations -- Three Months ended December 31, 1997 and 1996 3 Balance Sheets -- December 31, 1997 and September 30, 1996 4 Statements of Cash Flows -- Three Months Ended December 31, 1997 and 1996 5 Notes to Financial Statements 6 Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations 8 Part II. Other Information
-2- 3 PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION DAWSON GEOPHYSICAL COMPANY STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (UNAUDITED)
Three Months Ended December 31 -------------------------------- 1997 1996 ------------ ------------ Operating revenues $ 13,787,000 $ 10,063,000 Operating costs: Operating expenses 9,093,000 6,800,000 General and administrative 482,000 320,000 Depreciation 2,111,000 1,865,000 ------------ ------------ 11,686,000 8,985,000 ------------ ------------ Income from operations 2,101,000 1,078,000 Other income (expense): Interest income 147,000 25,000 Other 15,000 8,000 Interest expense (125,000) (118,000) Gain on disposal of assets 145,000 18,000 ------------ ------------ Income before income tax 2,283,000 1,011,000 Income tax expense: Current (666,000) (187,000) Deferred (134,000) (167,000) ------------ ------------ (800,000) (354,000) Net income $ 1,483,000 $ 657,000 ============ ============ Net income per common share $ .31 $ .16 ============ ============ Weighted average equivalent shares outstanding 4,745,268 4,185,201 ============ ============
See accompanying notes to the financial statements. -3- 4 DAWSON GEOPHYSICAL COMPANY BALANCE SHEETS
December 31, 1997 September 30,1997 ----------------- ----------------- (UNAUDITED) ASSETS Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 3,151,000 $ 4,774,000 Marketable securities 12,982,000 3,968,000 Accounts receivable 12,610,000 8,724,000 Prepaid expenses 286,000 288,000 ------------ ------------ Total current assets 29,029,000 17,754,000 ------------ ------------ Property, plant and equipment 67,254,000 63,267,000 Less accumulated depreciation (29,404,000) (27,460,000) ------------ ------------ Net property, plant and equipment 37,850,000 35,807,000 $ 66,879,000 $ 53,561,000 ============ ============ LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY Current liabilities: Current maturities of long-term debt $ - $ 1,690,000 Accounts payable 3,820,000 3,956,000 Accrued liabilities: Payroll costs and other taxes 274,000 566,000 Other 837,000 494,000 ------------ ------------ Total current liabilities 4,931,000 6,706,000 ------------ ------------ Long-term debt, less current maturities - 7,893,000 Deferred income taxes 1,551,000 1,417,000 Stockholders' equity: Preferred stock - par value $1.00 per share; 5,000,000 shares authorized, none outstanding - - Common stock - par value $.33 1/3 per share; 10,000,000 shares authorized, 5,351,000 and 4,199,250 shares issued and outstanding 1,784,000 1,400,000 Additional paid-in capital 38,180,000 17,174,000 Retained earnings 20,433,000 18,971,000 ------------ ------------ Total stockholders' equity 60,397,000 37,545,000 $ 66,879,000 $ 53,561,000 ============ ============
Contingencies (See Note 3) See accompanying notes to the financial statements. -4- 5 DAWSON GEOPHYSICAL COMPANY STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (UNAUDITED)
Three Months Ended December 31 -------------------------------- 1997 1996 ------------ ------------ Cash flows from operating activities: Net income $ 1,483,000 $ 657,000 Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities: Depreciation 2,111,000 1,865,000 Gain on disposal of assets (145,000) (18,000) Non-cash interest income (22,000) - Deferred income taxes 134,000 167,000 Other 49,000 8,000 Change in current assets and liabilities: Increase in accounts receivable (3,886,000) (2,563,000) Decrease in income taxes receivable - 187,000 Decrease in prepaid expenses 2,000 10,000 Increase (decrease) in accounts payable (136,000) 728,000 Decrease in accrued liabilities (629,000) (382,000) Increase in federal and state income taxes payable 680,000 - ------------ ------------ Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities (359,000) 659,000 ------------ ------------ Cash flows from investing activities: Proceeds from disposal of assets 209,000 34,000 Capital expenditures (4,276,000) (868,000) Proceeds from maturity of marketable securities 1,000,000 - Investment in marketable securities (9,992,000) - ------------ ------------ Net cash used in investing activities (13,059,000) (834,000) ------------ ------------ Cash flows from financing activities: Issuance of common stock 21,371,000 - Principal payments on debt (9,583,000) (214,000) Proceeds from exercise of stock options 7,000 23,000 ------------ ------------ Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities 11,795,000 (191,000) ------------ ------------ Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents (1,623,000) (366,000) Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period 4,774,000 1,493,000 ------------ ------------ Cash and cash equivalents at end of period $ 3,151,000 $ 1,127,000 ============ ============
See accompanying notes to the financial statements. -5- 6 DAWSON GEOPHYSICAL COMPANY NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 1. OPINION OF MANAGEMENT Although the information furnished is unaudited, in the opinion of management of the Registrant, the accompanying financial statements reflect all adjustments (consisting only of normal recurring accruals) necessary for a fair presentation of the financial condition and results of operations for the periods presented. The results of operations for the three months ended December 31, 1997, are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the fiscal year. 2. NOTES PAYABLE In April 1997, the Company entered into a loan agreement, as amended (the "Loan Agreement"), with a bank. The Loan Agreement consists of (1) a revolving line of credit of $6,000,000 which matures on April 15, 1999, (2) a term note in the aggregate principal amount of $6,000,000 bearing interest at the bank's prime rate and which matures on March 25, 2003 and (3) a term note in the aggregate principal amount of $5,000,000 bearing interest at the prime rate as published in The Wall Street Journal and which matures on April 15, 2003. The notes are secured by eligible accounts receivable and equipment purchased from loan proceeds. On November 25, 1997, the Company repaid all outstanding principal and interest on the two Term Promissory Notes which have no reborrowing capacity. The Company has not utilized the revolving line of credit. 3. CONTINGENCIES The Company is a defendant in two lawsuits pending in the 112th and 83rd District Courts of Pecos County, Texas relating to a July 1995 accident involving a van owned by the Company which was used to transport employees to various job sites and a non-Company owned vehicle. The accident resulted in the deaths of four Company employees who were passengers in such van. The Company is one of several named defendants in such suits. Other named defendants include the estate of the deceased driver of such van, who was an employee of the Company, the driver of such non-Company owned vehicle, who was then an employee of the Company, the owner of such vehicle, and Ford Motor Company, the manufacturer of the Company van involved in such accident. In general, the claims against the Company include allegations of negligence, gross negligence and/or intentional tort as a result of, among other things, the Company's alleged failure to provide safe transportation for its employees and to properly select, train and supervise the deceased driver of such van. The plaintiffs in such suits are seeking actual damages from the defendants of $15.5 million, additional unspecified actual damages, prejudgment and post-judgment interest and costs of suit as well as exemplary and punitive damages in an amount not to exceed four times the amount of actual damages. The Company believes that it has meritorious defenses to the -6- 7 Notes to Financial Statements (continued) claims asserted against it in such suits and it intends to continue to vigorously defend itself against such claims. In addition, the Company believes that it has approximately $11 million of liability insurance coverage to provided against an unfavorable outcome. Due to the uncertainties inherent in litigation, no assurance can be given as to the ultimate outcome of such suits or the adequacy or availability of the Company's liability insurance to cover the damages, if any, which may be assessed against the Company is such suits. A judgment awarding plaintiffs an amount significantly exceeding the Company's available insurance coverage could have a material adverse effect on the Company's financial condition, results of operations and liquidity. The Company is party to other legal actions arising in the ordinary course of its business, none of which management believes will result in a material adverse effect on the Company's financial position or results of operation, as the Company believes it is adequately insured. 4. PUBLIC OFFERING On November 21, 1997, the Company completed an offering of 1,150,000 shares. The proceeds of the offering were approximately $21,371,000 after deducting costs payable by the Company. -7- 8 MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS OVERVIEW The results of operations for the quarter ended December 31, 1997 compare favorably to the same quarter of the prior year and are consistent with the quarter ended September 30, 1997. In November 1997, the Company completed a secondary public offering of 1,150,000 common shares with net proceeds of $21,371,000. In reviewing the Company's financial statements it should be noted that quarterly fluctuations in the Company's results of operations can occur due to weather, land use permitting and other factors. RESULTS OF OPERATIONS The Company's operating revenues for the first quarter of 1998 totaled $13,787,000 versus $10,063,000 for the same period of fiscal 1997, an increase of 37.0%. This increase reflects the Company's added production capacity in response to continued strong demand for 3-D seismic services. In August 1997, the Company added a new, sixth data acquisition crew. To further complement capacity, the Company has continually added channels to each of its crews. Operating expenses for the quarter ended December 31, 1997 totaled $9,093,000, an increase of $2,293,000, or 33.7%, over the same period of fiscal 1997. Operating expenses increased primarily as a result of the increased personnel required to field the Company's added capacity. The Company experienced two "one time" events during the first quarter of fiscal 1998. The Company received insurance proceeds of approximately $380,000 resulting from livestock induced damages to equipment, which was recognized as expense in fiscal 1997; and incurred approximately $160,000 in equipment rental expense. General and administrative expenses for the quarter ended December 31, 1997 totaled $482,000, an increase of 50.6% over the same period of fiscal 1997. The increase primarily reflects additional personnel required to support expanding operations. General and administrative expenses totaled 3.5% of operating revenues for the quarter ended December 31, 1997 versus 3.2% of operating revenues for the same period of the prior year. Depreciation for the quarter ended December 31, 1997 totaled $2,111,000, an increase of $246,000 from the same quarter of fiscal 1997. Depreciation increased as a result of the capital expansion discussed below in "Liquidity and Capital Resources." Total operating costs for the first quarter of fiscal 1998 totaled $11,686,000, an increase of 30%, over the first quarter of fiscal 1997 due to the factors described -8- 9 above. Income from operations increased to $2,101,000, 15.2% of revenues, from $1,078,000, 10.7% of revenues, in the comparable period of the prior year. This increase illustrates the result of the Company's operating expenses being relatively fixed as compared to revenue trends. LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES Cash Flows Cash flows from operating activities resulted in a net use of $359,000 for the three months ended December 31, 1997 as compared to net cash provided of $659,000 for the same period of fiscal 1997. The increase in net income to $1,483,000 from $657,000 resulted in a net use of cash from operating activity due primarily to the increase in accounts receivable generated by increased revenues. Net cash used in investing activities increased to $13,059,000 from $834,000 resulting from investment of offering proceeds and increased capital expenditures in the first quarter of fiscal 1998 as compared to the first quarter of fiscal 1997. The cash flows provided by financing activities for the quarter ended December 31, 1998 represent the net of the offering proceeds reduced by the retirement of debt. Capital Expenditures The Company continually strives to supply market demand with technologically advanced 3-D data acquisition recording systems and leading edge data processing capabilities. In August of 1997 the Company placed a sixth crew into service. The cost of the new crew equipped with a 2,000 channel I/O System Two RSR was approximately $6,000,000. Depreciation has increased as a new crew has been placed into service each year for the past several years. Expenditures made during the first quarter of fiscal 1998 consist of additions and replacements of cables and geophones and the continuous effort to sustain a safe fleet of vehicles. Capital Resources The Company believes that its capital resources including its holdings of marketable securities, the availability of bank borrowings, and cash flow from operations are adequate to meet its current operational needs and finance capital needs as determined by market demand and technological developments. -9- 10 SIGNATURE Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized. DAWSON GEOPHYSICAL COMPANY (REGISTRANT) By: /s/ L. Decker Dawson ------------------------ L. Decker Dawson President /s/ Christina W. Hagan ------------------------ Christina W. Hagan Vice President and Chief Financial Officer DATE: February 9, 1998 ---------------- -10- 11 Index to Exhibits
Exhibit No. Description - ----------- ----------- 27 Financial Data Schedule
 

5 3-MOS SEP-30-1998 DEC-31-1997 3,151,000 12,982,000 12,610,000 0 0 29,029,000 67,254,000 (29,404,000) 66,879,000 4,931,000 0 0 0 1,784,000 0 66,879,000 13,787,000 13,787,000 11,686,000 11,686,000 0 0 (125,000) 2,283,000 (800,000) 1,483,000 0 0 0 1,483,000 0.31 0