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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date
of report (date of earliest event reported): February 9, 2007 (February 6, 2007)
DAWSON GEOPHYSICAL COMPANY
(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
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TEXAS
(State of incorporation
or organization)
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2-71058
(Commission file number)
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75-0970548
(I.R.S. employer identification number) |
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508 W. WALL, SUITE 800
MIDLAND, TEXAS
(Address of principal executive offices)
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79701
(Zip code) |
Registrants telephone number, including area code: (432) 684-3000
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the
filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction
A.2. below):
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Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) |
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Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) |
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Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR
240.14d-2(b)) |
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Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR
240.13e-4(c)) |
Item 7.01. Regulation FD Disclosure.
On February 6, 2007, Dawson Geophysical Company (the Company) held an investors conference
call. Furnished as Exhibit 99.1 is a copy of the transcript of the Companys presentation during
that call and the questions and answers following the presentation.
Pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission, the
information set forth in this Item 7.01 and in the attached Exhibit are deemed to be furnished and
shall not be deemed to be filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the
Exchange Act).
In accordance with the Safe Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995, the Company cautions that statements in the Exhibit which are forward-looking and which
provide other than historical information involve risks and uncertainties that may materially
affect the Companys actual results of operations. These risks include, but are not limited to,
dependence upon energy industry spending, the volatility of oil and gas prices, weather
interruptions, the ability to obtain land access rights of way and the availability of capital
resources. A discussion of these and other factors, including risks and uncertainties, is set
forth in the Companys Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2006. The Company
disclaims any intention or obligation to revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result
of new information, future events, or otherwise.
Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits
In accordance with General Instruction B.2 of Form 8-K, the information set forth in the
attached Exhibit 99.1 is deemed to be furnished and shall not be deemed to be filed for
purposes of the Exchange Act.
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Exhibit |
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Number |
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Description |
99.1
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Transcript of the Investors Conference Call. |
SIGNATURES
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 hereunto duly authorized.
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DAWSON GEOPHYSICAL COMPANY
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Date: February 9, 2007 |
By: |
/s/ Christina W. Hagan
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Christina W. Hagan |
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Chief Financial Officer |
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INDEX TO EXHIBITS
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Exhibit |
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Description |
99.1
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Transcript of the Investors Conference Call. |
exv99w1
Exhibit 99.1
Final Transcript
Conference Call Transcript
DWSN Q1 2007 Dawson Geophysical Earnings Conference Call
Event Date/Time: Feb. 06. 2007 / 10:00AM ET
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© 2007 Thomson
Financial. Republished with permission. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by
any means without the prior written consent of Thomson Financial.
Final Transcript
Feb. 06. 2007 / 10:00AM ET, DWSN Q1 2007 Dawson Geophysical Earnings Conference Call
CORPORATE PARTICIPANTS
Stephen Jumper
Dawson Geophysical Company President and CEO
Christina Hagan
Dawson Geophysical Company EVP and CFO
Decker Dawson
Dawson Geophysical Company Founder and Chairman
CONFERENCE CALL PARTICIPANTS
Neal Dingmann
Dahlman Rose Analyst
Corwin Dupree
Capital One Southcoast Analyst
Darren Horowitz
Raymond James Analyst
Mark Flater
Private Investor
William Tichy
Beddow Capital Management Analyst
Wally Morbray
Private Investor
Byron Pope
Pickering Energy Partners Analyst
Walter Ramsley
Walrus Partners Analyst
PRESENTATION
Operator
Good morning. My name is Lashanta and I will be your conference operator today. At this time,
I would like to welcome everyone to the Dawson Geophysical Q1 2007 conference call. All lines have
been placed on mute to prevent any background noise.
After the speakers remarks, there will be a question and answer session. [OPERATOR INSTRUCTIONS]
Mr. Jumper, you may begin your conference.
Stephen Jumper Dawson Geophysical Company President and CEO
Thank you, operator. Good morning, and welcome to Dawson Geophysical Companys first quarter
fiscal 2007 earnings and operations conference call. As the operator said, my name is Stephen
Jumper, and I serve the company as President and Chief Executive Officer.
I am joined today by Christina Hagan, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Decker
Dawson, Founder and Chairman of the Company, and Ray Tobias, Executive Vice President and Chief
Operating Officer.
Todays call will be presented in three segments. I will make some opening remarks and then Chris
will join the discussion and give us an overview of our financial results. I will then return for
an operations update before we open the call up for questions. The call is scheduled for
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© 2007 Thomson
Financial. Republished with permission. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by
any means without the prior written consent of Thomson Financial.
Final Transcript
Feb. 06. 2007 / 10:00AM ET, DWSN Q1 2007 Dawson Geophysical Earnings Conference Call
approximately 30 minutes, and I want to remind everybody that we will not be providing any guidance
in terms of revenue, EBITDA, or earnings.
Our first quarter fiscal 2007 was another quarterly record in terms of revenue, EBITDA, and net
income. We were able to post these results during a quarter which has historically been our most
difficult operating quarter, due to shorter days, weather concerns, and holiday season.
Our growth in revenue, EBITDA and earnings were the result of a combination of factors, including
price improvement for our services, more favorable contract terms, improved crew productivity,
increased channel count on existing crews, and the addition of the 12th and 13th crews, which
worked all the first quarter. The weather conditions in the first quarter were considered
favorable.
At this point, I will turn control of the call over to Chris Hagan, our CFO, to further discuss our
financial results.
Christina Hagan Dawson Geophysical Company EVP and CFO
Thank you, Steve. Please be advised that our following remarks, including answers to your
questions, include statements that we believe to be forward-looking statements within the meaning
of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act.
These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual
results to be materially different from those currently anticipated. Those risks include, among
others, matters that we have described in our earnings release, as well as our filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission.
We disclaim any obligation to update these forward-looking statements. During this conference call,
we will make references to EBITDA, which is a non-GAAP financial measure. A reconciliation of this
non-GAAP measure to the applicable GAAP measure can be found in our earnings release.
Turning to our financial results, today, we reported record revenues of $53,654,000 for the quarter
ending December 31, 2006, the companys first quarter of fiscal 2007, as compared to $35,493,000
for the same quarter in fiscal 2006, an increase of 51%.
Revenue growth in the quarter was primarily due to factors Steve has mentioned, as well as the
fielding of two additional seismic data acquisition crews in June and October of 2006, the
companys 12th and 13th crews.
With regard to third-party charges as a percentage of revenue, the amount in the first quarter of
fiscal 2007 was slightly more than in the first quarter of fiscal 2006 and slightly less than in
the fourth quarter of fiscal 2006.
Third-party charges are the use of helicopter support services, specialized survey technologies,
and dynamite energy sources, which will be reimbursed by the client. Net income for the first
quarter of fiscal 2007 was $5,435,000, compared to $2,300,000 the same quarter of fiscal 2006, an
increase of 136%.
Earnings per share for the first quarter of fiscal 2007 were $0.72 per share, compared to $0.31 per
share in fiscal 2006 for the same quarter. EBITDA for the first quarter of fiscal 2007 was
$12,668,000, compared to $6,412,000 in the same quarter of fiscal 2006, an increase of 98%. The
company has also increased the size of its credit revolver from $10 million to $20 million. No
amounts are currently borrowed under this revolver.
This concludes a review of the financials and I will now turn the call back over to Steve.
Stephen Jumper Dawson Geophysical Company President and CEO
Thank you, Chris. Our recent growth has been fueled by continued risk exploration activities
by our client companies. Despite recent changes in commodity prices, demand for our services
remains robust, as we continue to maintain a record order book.
While the majority of our contracts are cancelable on short notice, we feel we have commitments for
all 13 crews well into calendar 2007, with several crews booked into calendar 2008. We continue to
operate under a balanced mix of turnkey and day rate agreements.
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© 2007 Thomson
Financial. Republished with permission. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by
any means without the prior written consent of Thomson Financial.
Final Transcript
Feb. 06. 2007 / 10:00AM ET, DWSN Q1 2007 Dawson Geophysical Earnings Conference Call
In response to continued strong demand, we have increased our previously reported capital budget by
$20 million, bringing the total for fiscal 2007 to $35,100,000. Included in the capital budget are
18 energy source units and two 8,500-channel Aram ARIES recording systems, along with other
technical and operational improvements.
It is our intention to deploy an additional crew, equipped with one of the 8,500-channel Aram
systems in April of this year and to replace the recording system on existing crew, an I/O System
II, with a second Aram in June. Both crews will operate in west Texas under new multi-year
contracts.
We currently operate six I/O System II RSR crews, five I/O System II cable crews and two Aram ARIES
crews. One of the I/O cable crews is deployed as the Q-Land crew under the agreement with Western
Geco. We own 95 vibrator energy source units, but operate two crews without vibrator energy source
units. These two crews utilize dynamite as their primary energy source, which we subcontract as a
third-party reimbursable item.
Upon delivery of the 18 energy source units in mid-summer, we will have one crew without vibrator
energy sources, inclusive of the additional crew. Our current channel count of approximately 75,000
will increase to an excess of 92,000 upon delivery of the two Aram systems. We continue to describe
the 13th crew as a provisional crew.
It is our intention and desire to operate the 13th crew on a continuous basis, depending upon
availability of energy source units and permit status of existing programs. Operations are
currently active in west Texas, south Texas, Fort Worth Basin, Arkansas, Utah, Wyoming, Oklahoma
and the Appalachian Basin.
Requests for bids continues to be strong and we have added technical and operational staff in our
Midland, Denver, and Oklahoma City offices, as well as our newly formed support Michigan office.
In addition, data processing, while still a small part of our revenue stream, continues to gain
market share. We remain extremely optimistic about our future. We will continue to be subject to
the level of spending by our client companies in the long term, and while recent setbacks in
commodity prices have not affected demand for our services, we are monitoring our relationships
with our clients closely to ensure we are providing value through all of the services we offer.
We are in a value business. Were in a relationship business, and we feel its very important that
we continue to gain efficiencies and provide our product and provide value to our clients.
During fiscal 2007, we will begin to realize the effect of the additional crew, the 14th, as well
as the changeover to the Aram system on the existing crew. Channel count growth will continue to be
a factor as demand for higher-resolution seismic surveys and better images dictates. In addition,
higher channel counts will provide opportunities to increase productivity, as well as reduce
overall cost for our clients.
The increase in the number of energy source units will provide more flexibility with crew
scheduling, thereby reducing our risk of downtime per permit somewhat. On a quarterly basis, the
determining factors affecting our results will continue to be weather downtime and our abilities to
secure land access permits in a timely matter.
At this point, operator, we will open the call up for questions.
QUESTION AND ANSWER
Operator
[OPERATOR INSTRUCTIONS]
Your first question comes from Neal Dingmann with Dahlman Rose.
Neal Dingmann Dahlman Rose Analyst
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© 2007 Thomson
Financial. Republished with permission. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by
any means without the prior written consent of Thomson Financial.
Final Transcript
Feb. 06. 2007 / 10:00AM ET, DWSN Q1 2007 Dawson Geophysical Earnings Conference Call
Good morning, Steve, Dawson. Great quarter. Steve, could you give me maybe a little color. You
talked about all the different areas. Is there any certain regions that stand out in this previous
quarter, and then with this new system that youre going to roll out, are you going to direct that
to one region versus another?
Stephen Jumper Dawson Geophysical Company President and CEO
Well, the new crew, the 14th crew, as well as the crew that will be converted to an Aram, will
be deployed in west Texas. I think the Appalachian basin provides a lot of promise for us long
term, and thats the reasoning behind our Michigan office. We had some opportunity there to add
some support personnel.
We think that region has opportunity, and of course we continue to be very active in the Barnett
Shales play of the Fort Worth Basin, as well as the Deep Delaware of west Texas. And I think well
continue to see growth and activity in the Fayetteville Shale plays of Arkansas.
Neal Dingmann Dahlman Rose Analyst
Okay, should I read anything into as far as you didnt say too terribly much on the Q system
and then this new crew thats going out. I noticed, obviously, its not going to employ the Q
system. Could you discuss that a little bit.
Stephen Jumper Dawson Geophysical Company President and CEO
Well, were still active with Western Geco in our Q-Land agreement. Were still operating on
the project in west Texas. I suspect that upon completion of this project we will take a short
break under that agreement while Western Geco compiles the results of the survey and markets the
data in the lower 48.
I think we have said in the past that we feel very strongly about the technology that the Q-Land
system brings to the U.S. We dont think its something that will be used everywhere. Its not
catch-all for all surveys, but it certainly has some tremendous opportunities, and I think, and we
certainly believe, that the results will speak for themselves. And so while that crew takes a short
break from Q-Land, they will be redeployed with an I/O System II and maintain operations.
Neal Dingmann Dahlman Rose Analyst
Sounds good, Steve. And then last question, I think I asked Decker this last time, is things
seem to be getting better and better every quarter. Im just wondering once again if this is about
as good as hes seen it, or if we go back to the 80s, was it better then? Im just wondering to
hear Deckers opinion on where were sitting now.
Decker Dawson Dawson Geophysical Company Founder and Chairman
Certainly, no question, Ive never seen this much demand for this long a period. Its very
robust.
Neal Dingmann Dahlman Rose Analyst
And as far as just overall, Decker, has it always been sort of this time seems to me to be
sort of every region. Is that, I guess, your read? And was that the case prior, or was it more sort
of regional specific?
Decker Dawson Dawson Geophysical Company Founder and Chairman
Yes.
Neal Dingmann Dahlman Rose Analyst
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Financial. Republished with permission. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by
any means without the prior written consent of Thomson Financial.
Final Transcript
Feb. 06. 2007 / 10:00AM ET, DWSN Q1 2007 Dawson Geophysical Earnings Conference Call
Okay, perfect. Thanks, guys. Great quarter.
Stephen Jumper Dawson Geophysical Company President and CEO
Thanks, Neil.
Operator
Your next question comes from Corwin Dupree with Capital One Southcoast.
Corwin Dupree Capital One Southcoast Analyst
Good morning. Congratulations on a great quarter.
Stephen Jumper Dawson Geophysical Company President and CEO
Thanks, Corwin.
Corwin Dupree Capital One Southcoast Analyst
I was wondering, have you seen an impact recently on the winter weather in some of your
regions?
Stephen Jumper Dawson Geophysical Company President and CEO
Well, in Q1 of 07, the conditions were favorable for operations up until about the last week
or so of December. I would say that January, in all areas of operations for us, has been a tough
weather month and has been into early February. So I dont know what the impact of thats going
to be. The weather has certainly been more of a factor in January than in the prior quarter.
Corwin Dupree Capital One Southcoast Analyst
Do you have any kind of down-time built into your contracts with the weather?
Stephen Jumper Dawson Geophysical Company President and CEO
Yes, we do. There are down-time protections built into all of our contracts in various ways.
Theyre never full-margin coverage. Theyre always a fixed-cost coverage-type situation, so weather
will always been an impact and its something that were very that we monitor very closely in
our relationships with our clients. When theres weather downtime, were not happy and our clients
arent happy, and so we are always in some form of negotiation, so to speak.
Corwin Dupree Capital One Southcoast Analyst
Okay, great. Thank you very much. Again, great quarter.
Stephen Jumper Dawson Geophysical Company President and CEO
Thanks, Corwin.
Operator
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© 2007 Thomson
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any means without the prior written consent of Thomson Financial.
Final Transcript
Feb. 06. 2007 / 10:00AM ET, DWSN Q1 2007 Dawson Geophysical Earnings Conference Call
Your next question comes from Darren Horowitz with Raymond James.
Darren Horowitz Raymond James Analyst
Well, good morning, Mr. Dawson, Steve, Ray, and Chris.
Stephen Jumper Dawson Geophysical Company President and CEO
Good morning, Darren.
Darren Horowitz Raymond James Analyst
It was a great quarter. Happy to see the 13th crew working full time, and now the 14th crew
coming into the fold, who would have thought? Steve, youre running the 13th crew. It looks like
youre going to continue to run it through at least the fiscal second quarter, probably through the
entire fiscal second quarter, because demand dictates such. However, your operating margin this
quarter was about 15.8%. It was down a little bit sequentially, about 20 basis points.
Now, we have discussed before on some previous conference calls about focusing on efficiencies and
trying to extract the highest profitability per crew. And my question is, when do you think youre
going to hit your stride in terms of operating margins? So if you bring the 14th crew in around the
April timeframe, its probably looking like the latter portion of fiscal 2007 before you really
start extracting those synergies and get that operating margin up. Is that fair?
Stephen Jumper Dawson Geophysical Company President and CEO
Yes, I would Darren, we did operate the 13th crew for all of the first quarter, although I
would say that that crew has not yet reached full efficiency, and Im not sure when that crew will
hit. Theyve been subject to some serious weather issues here, particularly in January.
But I would suspect that the 14th crew will gain efficiency sometime, I would hope, by midsummer
and the one that were switching over should gain efficiencies right away. And I would remind you
on these margins, these operating margins, that we have the effect of the reimbursable items in
there, as well.
Darren Horowitz Raymond James Analyst
How does when you look out at the marketplace, and, Steve, maybe this is a question for
you, as well as Mr. Dawson, how do you view the competitive landscape changing with more M&A
activity now, certainly as whats happened over the last six to nine months, as it relates to
pricing?
Stephen Jumper Dawson Geophysical Company President and CEO
Well, I dont think that the recent M&A activities had much of an impact on us, particularly
the most recent one. I think pricing is getting better all the time. Certainly, pricing is a very
difficult thing to quantify, Darren, as weve discussed, because what we do today is not what we
did a year ago, and so were always looking at price increases and how it relates to value.
But I have not felt certainly any softening in pricing. I cant tell you that Ive seen any great
increase in pricing strength in the last quarter or so, but I think pricing will continue to remain
strong. And I think, as you mentioned earlier, well have to continue to work on efficiencies and
through productivity issues.
Darren Horowitz Raymond James Analyst
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any means without the prior written consent of Thomson Financial.
Final Transcript
Feb. 06. 2007 / 10:00AM ET, DWSN Q1 2007 Dawson Geophysical Earnings Conference Call
Sure, I guess the logical second part to that question would be, when you look out, obviously,
with the current gas price volatility that weve been experiencing, how has the permitting process
been adjusted, or has it been adjusted by your customers?
Have they been withholding finalizing some of their budgets as theyre waiting to get a bit more of
a concrete look on where the natural gas strip is going to be? Or has anything changed, because,
obviously, the permitting process and everything else, when the work comes into the backlog and
its worked off, can also affect margins. Has that changed a great deal?
Stephen Jumper Dawson Geophysical Company President and CEO
No, Darren, I dont think so. Weve not seen any changes in operations or in demand or bids or
anything else, based on the gas prices. Were moving ahead. I think were viewed as more of a
long-term proposition.
The permitting problem is more related to just the size of the beast, so to speak. With 13 crews
out there, its just more and more difficult to keep all 13 up and running from a permitting
standpoint. So I think permit issues are more related to the size of the projects and where theyre
located than supply driven.
Darren Horowitz Raymond James Analyst
With the 13th and the 14th crew being booked out on some longer-term contracts, does that mean
that you could be in jeopardy of losing some shorter-term work, if permits become available, you
just might not have the capacity to fill that demand?
Stephen Jumper Dawson Geophysical Company President and CEO
I dont think so. The 13th crew is not really booked on a long-term deal. The 14th crew is and
one of our existing crews is going to be booked. No, weve been able to meet demand on short-term
projects very effectively.
That, in essence, is what solves our permit dilemma. If we can keep some projects in house and they
can permit very quickly, then they will fill holes that make this due to permitting restrictions on
larger projects.
Darren Horowitz Raymond James Analyst
Thanks, Steve, I always appreciate the time.
Stephen Jumper Dawson Geophysical Company President and CEO
Thanks, Darren.
Operator
Your next question comes from Mark Flater, a private investor.
Mark Flater Private Investor
Good morning, gentlemen. Chris.
Stephen Jumper Dawson Geophysical Company President and CEO
Good morning.
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Final Transcript
Feb. 06. 2007 / 10:00AM ET, DWSN Q1 2007 Dawson Geophysical Earnings Conference Call
Mark Flater Private Investor
As a private stockholder, rather than congratulate you, Im just going to say thank you.
Stephen Jumper Dawson Geophysical Company President and CEO
Thank you.
Mark Flater Private Investor
I had a follow-up question on efficiencies. During the last conference call, you indicated,
Stephen, that you thought there were still efficiencies to be realized, my understanding was,
amongst all of the crews. Do you see that moving forward? Do you think that there is still some
improvement there amongst all of the crews?
Stephen Jumper Dawson Geophysical Company President and CEO
Yes, I think that we are always in a position to improve efficiencies. I think channel count
availability helps increase efficiencies, as well as pricing. I think seasoning of crews helps
efficiency.
I think our in-house design and technical teams who are constantly evaluating ways to design
surveys to be more cost effective for our clients and more efficient for us, I think theyve done
an outstanding job, as well as our operational people.
Weve got a real demand on our industry and our science, and that is high-resolution images and to
provide these services faster and more cost effectively. And we really have opportunities, I
believe, going forward, to through efficiencies and the services we provide, I think we have real
opportunities to increase the margins that were all concerned about, the issue that Darren raised,
but, more importantly, to add value to our clients and actually bring down their cost per unit of
data.
So Im really excited not just about the demand thats out there, but Im really excited about our
opportunities to do what we do best, and thats help our clients find oil and gas very cost
effectively.
Mark Flater Private Investor
Do you think that the 13th crew my understanding is you were operating that crew
essentially with the existing personnel rather than hiring additional personnel. Did that impact
the other 12 crews abilities to operate at top efficiency?
Stephen Jumper Dawson Geophysical Company President and CEO
Any time we add a crew, we at some level impact existing crews by taking personnel off of
them, yes. I dont know to what effect we had an impact on them, but we certainly we take a new
crew very, very seriously, and its not something that we just put together. That crew has to
perform with the same quality and to the same expectations as the others, and so thats really been
our constraining factor on our growth, is our ability to put quality people in place. And I think
weve been able to do that. Its just a matter of getting them working together.
Mark Flater Private Investor
When do you anticipate beginning the hiring process for the 14th crew?
Stephen Jumper Dawson Geophysical Company President and CEO
Its underway.
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Final Transcript
Feb. 06. 2007 / 10:00AM ET, DWSN Q1 2007 Dawson Geophysical Earnings Conference Call
Mark Flater Private Investor
Okay. And then could I ask one other question about the provisional the contract provisions
for weather? Do you see those provisions increasing, strengthening? Are your customers allowing you
to better cover yourself for weather, or are you to the point where those provisions are pretty
much as good as you could ask them to be?
Stephen Jumper Dawson Geophysical Company President and CEO
Well, I think in some cases, theyre as good as we could ask them to be, as Ive said earlier,
and as Ive said in the past, theyre never full margin, nor do we expect them to be full margin,
and theyre always something thats negotiable.
Long-term weather down-time is not something that any of us are happy about, and so I think were
probably in about as good a shape going forward from a weather down-time standpoint as we can be.
Mark Flater Private Investor
Okay. And then, if I could, you made one reference to data processing, that that is an area
where youre gaining market share. My understanding in the past is that you didnt really do much
data processing that you were being paid for. Obviously, that is changing, or perhaps I
misunderstood in years past.
Stephen Jumper Dawson Geophysical Company President and CEO
We are gaining market share. Were gaining in our Houston center particularly, but weve also
gained in our ability to do field startup processing and on-site processing. Those are two services
that weve really focused on here in the last year and, because of that, were starting to get into
more and more doors from a processing standpoint and let our results show. And I think our guys
have done an outstanding job of providing very quality product.
The data processing business is very competitive. Its a very low cost of entry business, and so
its always going to be a tough business to be in, and its always one that we have looked at more
as a service, youre right, in that its been more of a service and a complementary science to what
we do.
But here, lately, weve been able to generate more and more revenue, so were excited about their
prospects. I dont know that it will ever be a big impact on our bottom line, but its certainly
from a technical standpoint, its certainly helping us gain.
The important part about data processing is it also opens up opportunities for us on the data
acquisition standpoint as well, from a technical demand side.
Mark Flater Private Investor
But you do see it today as being something that is not just a cost that you have to bear, but
it actually is generating revenue, and is it break even or better?
Stephen Jumper Dawson Geophysical Company President and CEO
We dont break out their processing results in that detail, but theyre doing much better, and
doing well.
Mark Flater Private Investor
Well, again, thank you, from my perspective, for your efforts and the returns that Im seeing
on my investment.
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Final Transcript
Feb. 06. 2007 / 10:00AM ET, DWSN Q1 2007 Dawson Geophysical Earnings Conference Call
Stephen Jumper Dawson Geophysical Company President and CEO
Thank you.
Operator
Your next question comes from William Tichy with Beddow Capital Management.
William Tichy Beddow Capital Management Analyst
Hello, Steve, Decker, and Chris.
Stephen Jumper Dawson Geophysical Company President and CEO
Good morning, Bill.
William Tichy Beddow Capital Management Analyst
Listen, I was kind of curious. Youve had kind of sales growth here thats pretty clearly on a
long-term basis unsustainable, 50%-plus, 51% in the quarter. How much of a role did pricing play in
that growth rate and also the after-tax margins and 10%-plus as opposed to just higher crew costs
and channel costs and that sort of thing?
Stephen Jumper Dawson Geophysical Company President and CEO
Oh, Bill, I dont know that weve actually that I can actually break out what percentage of
that was actual pricing, because, as weve said before, what we do today is different. I think the
pricing issue, and certainly there is demand-driven pricing thats out there, and weve been able
to increase day rates on certain crews certain amounts, depending upon their configuration.
But I think whats really opened the door for us more than just a direct price increase is probably
the channel count growth and the pricing that just more channels dictates in and of itself. So,
from a pricing standpoint, its down-time for weather, its pricing for additional services, and
its demand-driven pricing and just pricing based on overall channel count and size of the crew
thats all playing a factor in there.
And I dont know that we have an opportunity to maintain, like you said, 50% growth rates,
quarter-to-quarter. We certainly hope so, but I think we have opportunity to continue growing
revenues going forward, because this new crew thats going out is 8,500 channels, and were going
to have two of those crews out there with 8,500 channels. And thats up from the 5,000 channel
crews that were operating, so that in and of itself is going to be a pricing increase going
forward.
William Tichy Beddow Capital Management Analyst
As a corollary, Im kind of curious, since last summer, July, when oil was $77 a barrel or
whatever it was and then the gas prices came off with the early warm winter, did you see any
tougher stance on the part of your E&P operator customers with regard to negotiating contracts? Or
were they kind of looking over the longer term and feeling that $50 oil and $6 gas wasnt going to
kind of crunch their plans to use your services?
Stephen Jumper Dawson Geophysical Company President and CEO
Well, we obviously are watching those commodity prices very, very closely and monitoring our
relationships very closely. But I think all indications we get is its full speed ahead with
seismic. I think there is a need to evaluate prospects, projects, and develop more prospects. As
far as negotiating with our clients, I think our clients are very savvy in that they understand the
value of seismic and are looking at the return on their investments as well.
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Final Transcript
Feb. 06. 2007 / 10:00AM ET, DWSN Q1 2007 Dawson Geophysical Earnings Conference Call
I think weve always been very, very cognizant of their desire to get more data and get better
images. And, therefore, I think more than just the demand issue in pricing, commodity pricing
issue, Bill, its probably been more of a how can we help you solve your geophysical problem and
help you find oil and gas very cost effectively? I think thats where the center of our
negotiations have always been and will continue to be.
William Tichy Beddow Capital Management Analyst
Good. Thank you very much.
Stephen Jumper Dawson Geophysical Company President and CEO
Thanks, Bill.
Operator
Our next question comes from Wally Morbray, individual investor.
Wally Morbray Private Investor
Good morning, gentlemen. Ive got two questions. First, just following on from that previous
question, can you give an indication of the breakout between your clients that are seeking to
verify or extend existing reserves compared to new exploration?
Stephen Jumper Dawson Geophysical Company President and CEO
Oh, I think at this point were probably more on the exploration side right now than expanding
current fields. I dont know what the percentage is, but we cycle back and forth into exploration
and exploitation work, as well as acquiring data over previously acquired surveys.
Were not a one and done science. Weve been in the reshooting business for many years and will
continue to be so as technology developments. But I would say were probably more on the
exploration side right now than any exploitation or development side.
Wally Morbray Private Investor
Good, thanks. And, secondly, there seems to be a general movement to getting this Aram
equipment away from your I/O equipment. Can you just give a general dissertation on why you see
this as superior, or why youre moving to that?
Stephen Jumper Dawson Geophysical Company President and CEO
Well, from a geophysical, technical standpoint, the seismic data recorded by the I/O System
II, cable crew or radio crew, is equivalent to the data thats recorded with the Aram system. The
Aram system, in fact, utilizes the very same sensors or geophones that the other crews use.
The Aram has several advantages from a flexibility and operational standpoint the ability to
work in areas that may have some level of discontinuity, the speed of the overall speed of this
system. Its a newer platform.
Its a more robust operating system, and so it has the very same technical merits as the other
systems, but just from an efficiency and operational and expandability standpoint, theyre ahead of
where the I/O System II and radio crews are that we currently operate.
Wally Morbray Private Investor
Good. Thank you very much. A good quarter.
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Final Transcript
Feb. 06. 2007 / 10:00AM ET, DWSN Q1 2007 Dawson Geophysical Earnings Conference Call
Stephen Jumper Dawson Geophysical Company President and CEO
Thank you.
Operator
Your next question comes from Byron Pope of Pickering Energy Partners.
Byron Pope Pickering Energy Partners Analyst
Good morning.
Stephen Jumper Dawson Geophysical Company President and CEO
Good morning.
Byron Pope Pickering Energy Partners Analyst
Just a quick question on CapEx. How much was spent in the December quarter? And as we think
about the remainder of fiscal 07, is it fair to think that that CapEx would be front end-loaded
with basically accruing the 14th crew as well as the energy source units?
Christina Hagan Dawson Geophysical Company EVP and CFO
Yes, our Q1 number for CapEx is going to be in the neighborhood of about $3 million, so we
have quite a bit to do in the second quarter.
Stephen Jumper Dawson Geophysical Company President and CEO
Quite a bit to go.
Byron Pope Pickering Energy Partners Analyst
Okay, and then, if I think about down the road, if there were to be a 15th crew, would you
fund that through internal cash flows, or would that be part of the reason why you increased your
credit facility? How do you think about kind of when you get to that point, if there was enough
demand to staff a 15th crew. Would you do it through internal cash flows? Or potentially use your
facility to do it?
Stephen Jumper Dawson Geophysical Company President and CEO
Well, we are not considering a 15th crew at this time, and I know that we have said that in
the past, but we dont have a plan thats going to say heres how many crews were going to have by
such and such a time. It truly is a situation that is a contract-by-contract basis.
We factor in the terms of the agreement, what kind of demand theres going to be. Right now, were
just trying to get our arms around the 13th crew and provide opportunities to keep it working and
get this 14th crew up and running.
So, right now, weve got our plates full just getting these 14 deployed and the other one changed
over. And I think at this point our intention, even though weve increased the revolver to 20
million, our intention, and we hope to get this all done through cash flow in the short term, but
we had that revolver in place just in case.
Byron Pope Pickering Energy Partners Analyst
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Final Transcript
Feb. 06. 2007 / 10:00AM ET, DWSN Q1 2007 Dawson Geophysical Earnings Conference Call
Okay, fair enough. Thanks.
Operator
Your next question comes from Walter Ramsley with Walrus Partners.
Walter Ramsley Walrus Partners Analyst
Congratulations. Terrific quarter. Just had a couple of follow-up questions. The 14th crew,
and is that going to be essentially the same revenue-generating ability as the other crews? Is that
the right way to look at it?
Stephen Jumper Dawson Geophysical Company President and CEO
Well, with the higher channel count than the other crews that are currently operating, it will
generate higher revenue than the others.
Walter Ramsley Walrus Partners Analyst
Okay, and the weather impact so far in Q2. Can you give us ?
Stephen Jumper Dawson Geophysical Company President and CEO
Well, I cant put a number on it. I dont know what the bottom line is going to be, because we
can gain a whole lot of efficiencies in February and March, but I will say that the weather
situation in January, from the seismic operational standpoint, has been very difficult.
Walter Ramsley Walrus Partners Analyst
Okay, great. Thank you.
Stephen Jumper Dawson Geophysical Company President and CEO
Thank you.
Operator
At this time, there are no further questions. Are there any closing remarks?
Stephen Jumper Dawson Geophysical Company President and CEO
Yes. I want to thank everybody for their participation and interest in our company. Id like
to thank all of our employees for the efforts that they make in providing value with our services
to our clients. Id like to thank our loyal client base for their continued support and want to
thank, of course, our valued shareholders.
In the month ahead, we will be presented at the EnerCom Oil Services Conference on February 15th, I
believe, in San Francisco and at the Raymond James Investor Conference, I believe, on Tuesday,
March 6th.
Both presentations will be webcast and available on our website. A replay of this call will be
available on our website, as well, at www.dawson3d.com. Thank you for your interest and have a
wonderful day.
Operator
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Final Transcript
Feb. 06. 2007 / 10:00AM ET, DWSN Q1 2007 Dawson Geophysical Earnings Conference Call
Excuse me, sir?
Stephen Jumper Dawson Geophysical Company President and CEO
Hello?
Operator
Yes, sir, you do have a follow-up question from Darren Horowitz with Raymond James.
Stephen Jumper Dawson Geophysical Company President and CEO
Okay, okay.
Darren Horowitz Raymond James Analyst
You know what? Guys, its fine. Ill handle it offline.
Stephen Jumper Dawson Geophysical Company President and CEO
You sure?
Darren Horowitz Raymond James Analyst
I sure will. Yes.
Stephen Jumper Dawson Geophysical Company President and CEO
Okay, thank you.
Operator
Thank you. This concludes todays conference call. You may now disconnect.
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Final Transcript
Feb. 06. 2007 / 10:00AM ET, DWSN - Q1 2007 Dawson Geophysical Earnings Conference Call
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