Great deal for Bellatrix

Article Excerpt

BELLATRIX EXPLORATION $6.74 (Toronto symbol BXE; TSINetwork Rating: Speculative) (403-266-8670; www.bellatrixexploration.com; Shares outstanding: 107.9 million; Market cap: $715.5 million; No dividends paid) has entered into a joint venture agreement with Grafton Energy that should speed up the development of its Cardium shale oil deposits in Alberta. Under the agreement, Grafton will pay Bellatrix $100 million. In return, it will get 54% of the production from a 29-well, $122- million drilling program. Grafton will receive this share of the wells’ output until it earns back its $100 million, plus an 8% return on its original investment. It will then hold a 33% interest in each well. On top of that, Bellatrix plans to spend a total of $210 million to $220 million on exploration and development this year. The company expects to end 2013 with production as high as 30,000 to 31,000 barrels per day. Its current output averages roughly 24,000 barrels a day. Bellatrix Exploration is still a buy. buy…