Western Energy Services Corp. Releases Second Quarter 2015 Financial and Operating Results and Declares Quarterly Dividend

CALGARY, ALBERTA--(Marketwired - July 30, 2015) - Western Energy Services Corp. ("Western" or the "Company") (TSX:WRG) is pleased to release its second quarter 2015 financial and operating results and declare a quarterly dividend of $0.075 per share. Additional information relating to the Company, including the Company's financial statements and management's discussion and analysis as at and for the three months and six months ended June 30, 2015 and 2014 will be available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Non-International Financial Reporting Standards ("Non-IFRS") measures and abbreviations for standard industry terms are included in this press release. All amounts are denominated in Canadian dollars (CDN$) unless otherwise identified.

Second Quarter 2015 Highlights:

• Second quarter Operating Revenues decreased by $46.7 million (or 60%) to $30.7 million in 2015 as compared to $77.4 million in 2014. In the contract drilling segment, Operating Revenues decreased $38.4 million (or 70%) to $16.7 million in the second quarter of 2015 as compared to $55.1 million in the second quarter of 2014. Contract drilling Operating Days decreased approximately 68% in the second quarter of 2015, as compared to the same period in the prior year, due to the decreased commodity price environment, resulting in significant reductions in the capital spending programs of Western's customers. Reduced activity and increased competition resulted in downward pricing pressure which reduced average day rates in the contract drilling segment in Canada by approximately 22%. In the United States, average day rates have increased marginally in the second quarter of 2015, as one of Western's upgraded rigs worked throughout the quarter on a long term contract. In the production services segment, hourly rates decreased marginally by 1% due to increased pricing pressure in all areas, offset by changes in rig mix concentrating on more rigs working in geographic areas that generate higher hourly rates. However, decreased utilization resulted in an $8.9 million decrease in Operating Revenues in the production services segment during the second quarter of 2015, as compared to the second quarter of 2014;
• Second quarter 2015 drilling rig utilization - Operating Day in the Canadian contract drilling segment averaged 10%, which was lower than the Canadian Association of Oilwell Drilling Contractors ("CAODC") industry average of 13% and the 34% averaged in the second quarter of 2014. The change relative to the CAODC industry average is due to a number of Western's customers, who typically drill through spring breakup, significantly cutting their second quarter drilling programs in 2015, resulting in the discount to the CAODC industry average. In the United States, drilling rig utilization - Operating Day decreased to 31% as compared to 80% in the same period of the prior year, mainly due to reduced activity resulting from the decreased commodity price environment;
• Well servicing activity decreased in most of Western's operating areas due to the decreased commodity price environment, which resulted in service rig utilization decreasing to 26% in the second quarter of 2015 as compared to 40% in the second quarter of 2014. Despite the significant decrease in activity, Western continued to gain market share in the second quarter of 2015, as the CAODC reported that Western worked the third most Service Hours in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin ("WCSB"), while comparatively having the sixth largest well servicing rig fleet;
• Second quarter Adjusted EBITDA totalled $4.3 million in 2015 (14% of Operating Revenue), a $19.7 million decrease (or 82%), as compared to $24.0 million in the second quarter of 2014 (31% of Operating Revenue). The year over year decrease in Adjusted EBITDA is due to lower utilization and pricing in both the contract drilling and production services segments;
• During the second quarter of 2015, capital expenditures totalled $7.7 million and included $5.6 million of expansion capital and $2.1 million of maintenance capital. The majority of the capital expenditures relate to expansion capital incurred on the completion of Western's 2014 rig build program.

Year to Date Highlights:

• Operating Revenues for the six month period ended June 30, 2015 decreased by $95.3 million (or 42%) to $131.7 million as compared to $227.0 million in the same period of the prior year. Included in Operating Revenues in the contract drilling segment for the six month period ended June 30, 2015 is US$4.5 million in shortfall commitment and standby revenue on idle but contracted rigs in the United States. The decrease in Operating Revenue is due to decreased utilization and pricing in the contract drilling segment, coupled with decreased utilization in the production services segment;
• On a year to date basis, drilling rig utilization - Operating Day in the Canadian contract drilling segment averaged 30%, which was 600 bps higher than the CAODC industry average of 24% but lower than the 57% averaged in the same period of 2014. The Company's drilling rig utilization - Operating Day in Canada premium to the CAODC industry average decreased by 900 bps to 600 bps, as compared to the 1,500 bps premium realized in the six months ended June 30, 2014. The decrease in the Company's utilization premium is partially due to increased competition in the industry due to a reduction in the industry rig count from 808 rigs at June 30, 2014 to 768 rigs at June 30, 2015, as competitors continue to decommission older shallower rigs given the current market conditions, coupled with a delayed start to the summer drilling season in the second quarter of 2015 which resulted in Western's customers significantly reducing their capital spending programs. In the United States for the six months ended June 30, 2015, drilling rig utilization - Operating Day decreased to 39% as compared to 78% in the same period of the prior year, mainly due to reduced activity resulting from the decreased commodity price environment;
• For the six month period ended June 30, 2015, well servicing activity decreased in most of Western's operating areas due to the decreased commodity price environment, which resulted in service rig utilization decreasing to 34% for the six months ended June 30, 2015 as compared to 51% for the six months ended June 30, 2014. Despite the significant decrease in activity, Eagle continued to gain market share in the first six months of 2015, as the CAODC reported that Eagle worked the third most Service Hours in the WCSB for the six months ended June 30, 2015, while comparatively having the sixth largest well servicing rig fleet;
• For the first six months of 2015, Adjusted EBITDA decreased by $38.7 million (or 46%) to $44.9 million (34% of Operating Revenue), as compared to $83.6 million (37% of Operating Revenue) in the first six months of 2014. The decrease in Adjusted EBITDA is due to the decrease in activity and pricing across all of Western's divisions, partially offset by Western's cost structure, with approximately 80% of costs being variable, and effective reductions of fixed overhead costs;
• For the six months ended June 30, 2015, capital expenditures totalled $25.6 million and included $18.7 million of expansion capital and $6.9 million of maintenance capital. The majority of the capital expenditures relate to expansion capital incurred on the completion of Western's 2014 rig build program;
• For the six months ended June 30, 2015, 456,900 common shares for a total cost of $2.5 million were repurchased, cancelled and charged to share capital, or contributed surplus as applicable, under the Company's normal course issuer bid (the "NCIB"). To July 30, 2015, since the NCIB was initiated, 628,000 common shares, for a total cost of $3.4 million, have been repurchased, cancelled and charged to share capital, or contributed surplus, as applicable.

Selected Financial Information

(stated in thousands, except share and per share amounts)
		Three months ended June 30						Six months ended June 30
Financial Highlights		2015		2014		Change		2015		2014		Change
Revenue		32,037		81,981		(61	%)	137,887		243,397		(43	%)
Operating Revenue(1)		30,719		77,352		(60	%)	131,677		226,979		(42	%)
Gross Margin(1)		10,403		31,206		(67	%)	58,294		98,835		(41	%)
Gross Margin as a percentage of Operating Revenue		34	%	40	%	(15	%)	44	%	44	%	-
Adjusted EBITDA(1)		4,255		24,028		(82	%)	44,892		83,576		(46	%)
Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of Operating Revenue		14	%	31	%	(55	%)	34	%	37	%	(8	%)
Cash flow from operating activities		41,009		71,912		(43	%)	80,346		110,546		(27	%)
Capital expenditures		7,688		27,026		(72	%)	25,551		46,389		(45	%)
Net income (loss)		(12,607	)	4,396		(387	%)	2,687		29,896		(91	%)
	-basic net income (loss) per share	(0.17	)	0.06		(383	%)	0.04		0.40		(90	%)
	-diluted net income (loss) per share	(0.17	)	0.06		(383	%)	0.04		0.40		(90	%)
Weighted average number of shares
	-basic	74,579,889		74,328,446		-		74,633,065		73,919,531		1	%
	-diluted	74,591,816		75,733,872		(2	%)	74,652,435		75,440,466		(1	%)
Outstanding common shares as at period end		74,435,928		74,780,175		-		74,435,928		74,780,175		-
Dividends declared		5,591		5,609		-		11,184		11,147		-

(1)	See "Non-IFRS measures" included in this press release.

		Three months ended June 30						Six months ended June 30
Operating Highlights		2015		2014		Change		2015		2014		Change
Contract Drilling
Canadian Operations:
Contract drilling rig fleet:
	-Average	49		49		-		49		49		-
	-End of period	49		49		-		49		49		-
Operating Revenue per Revenue Day(1)		20,589		26,285		(22	%)	25,015		26,368		(5	%)
Operating Revenue per Operating Day(1)		22,285		28,632		(22	%)	27,570		28,872		(5	%)
Operating Days(1)		464		1,529		(70	%)	2,617		5,061		(48	%)
Drilling rig utilization - Revenue Day(1)		11	%	37	%	(70	%)	33	%	63	%	(48	%)
Drilling rig utilization - Operating Day(1)		10	%	34	%	(71	%)	30	%	57	%	(47	%)
CAODC industry average utilization(1)(2)		13	%	25	%	(48	%)	24	%	42	%	(43	%)
United States Operations:
Contract drilling rig fleet:
	-Average	5		5		-		5		5		-
	-End of period	5		5		-		5		5		-
Operating Revenue per Revenue Day (US$)(1)		27,766(3	)	25,900		7	%	28,888(3	)	24,905		16	%
Operating Revenue per Operating Day (US$)(1)		32,181(3	)	28,568		13	%	33,118(3	)	28,684		15	%
Operating Days(1)		142		365		(61	%)	356		711		(50	%)
Drilling rig utilization - Revenue Day(1)		36	%	89	%	(60	%)	45	%	90	%	(50	%)
Drilling rig utilization - Operating Day(1)		31	%	80	%	(61	%)	39	%	78	%	(50	%)
Production Services
Well servicing rig fleet:
	-Average	66		65		2	%	66		65		2	%
	-End of period	66		65		2	%	66		65		2	%
Service Rig Operating Revenue per Service Hour(1)		794		800		(1	%)	833		814		2	%
Service Hours		15,596		23,433		(33	%)	40,308		60,242		(33	%)
Service rig utilization(1)		26	%	40	%	(35	%)	34	%	51	%	(33	%)

(1)	See "Non-IFRS measures" included in this press release.
(2)	Source: The Canadian Association of Oilwell Drilling Contractors ("CAODC"). The CAODC industry average is based on Operating Days divided by total available days.
(3)	Excludes shortfall commitment and standby revenue from take or pay contracts of US$0.7 million and US$4.5 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2015 respectively.

Financial Position at (stated in thousands)	June 30, 2015	June 30, 2014	Change		Dec 31, 2014	Change
Working capital	79,618	71,704	11	%	78,336	2	%
Property and equipment	840,231	796,997	5	%	827,306	2	%
Total assets	1,025,776	1,016,112	1	%	1,057,118	(3	%)
Long term debt	264,234	263,293	-		264,165	-

Western is an oilfield service company focused on three core business lines: contract drilling, well servicing and oilfield rental equipment services. Western provides contract drilling services through its division, Horizon Drilling ("Horizon") in Canada, and its wholly owned subsidiary, Stoneham Drilling Corporation ("Stoneham"), in the United States ("US"). Western provides well servicing operations in Canada through Western Energy Services Partnership's (the "Partnership") division, Eagle Well Servicing ("Eagle") and oilfield rental equipment services in Canada through the Partnership's division, Aero Rental Services ("Aero"). Financial and operating results for Horizon and Stoneham are included in Western's contract drilling segment, while Eagle and Aero's financial and operating results are included in Western's production services segment.

Western currently has a drilling rig fleet of 54 rigs specifically suited for drilling horizontal wells of increased complexity. The average age of the drilling rig fleet is approximately seven years. In total, 96% of Western's fleet are Efficient Long Reach ("ELR") drilling rigs with depth ratings greater than 3,000 meters and all of Western's rigs are capable of drilling conventional and unconventional resource based horizontal wells. Conventional resource plays or formations, such as the Cardium in Canada, typically have higher permeability and tend to be less expensive to develop. As a result of the prior exploitation of conventional resource plays, which due to their increased permeability allows oil and natural gas to flow and be extracted more easily, over time production from these resource plays has declined. Unconventional resource plays or formations, such as the Montney and Duvernay in Canada and the Williston basin in the United States, typically have lower permeability and tend to be more expensive to develop. Horizontal drilling and multi zone hydraulic fracturing have continued to improve the access to and development of these unconventional resource plays.

Western is the sixth largest drilling contractor in Canada with a fleet of 49 rigs operating through Horizon. Of the Canadian fleet, 25 are classified as Cardium rigs, 19 as Montney rigs and 5 as Duvernay rigs. As compared to the Cardium classified rigs, Montney rigs have a larger hookload and capacity, while Duvernay rigs have the largest hookload and capacity. Additionally, Western has five ELR triple drilling rigs deployed in the United States operating through Stoneham. Western is also the sixth largest well servicing company in Canada with a current fleet of 66 rigs operating through Eagle. Western's well servicing rig fleet is one of the newer fleets in the WCSB, with an average age of approximately six years. Western's oilfield rental equipment division, which operates through Aero, provides oilfield rental equipment for frac services, well completions and production work, coil tubing services and drilling.

Crude oil and natural gas prices impact the cash flow of Western's customers, which in turn impacts the demand for Western's services. Overall performance of the Company continued to be affected by the decline in crude oil and natural gas prices for the three and six months ended June 30, 2015. While crude oil prices were strong in the first six months of 2014, they weakened significantly in the last half of 2014 and into the first half of 2015. Partially offsetting the decline in crude oil and natural gas prices for Western's Canadian customers was the strengthening of the US dollar in comparison to the Canadian dollar. The following table summarizes the average oil and natural gas prices, as well as the average foreign exchange rates for the three and six months ended June 30, 2015 and 2014.

	Three months ended June 30				Six months ended June 30
	2015	2014	Change		2015	2014	Change
Average oil and natural gas prices(1)
Oil
West Texas Intermediate (US$/bbl)	57.87	102.99	(44	%)	53.22	100.84	(47	%)
Western Canadian Select (CDN$/bbl)	56.76	91.34	(38	%)	49.96	88.58	(44	%)
Natural Gas
30 day Spot AECO (CDN$/mcf)	2.68	4.70	(43	%)	2.71	5.14	(47	%)
Average foreign exchange rates
US dollar to Canadian dollar	1.23	1.09	13	%	1.24	1.10	13	%

(1)	See "Abbreviations" included in this press release.

The significant reduction in commodity prices has resulted in a corresponding decrease in the demand for oilfield services in both Canada and the United States. The CAODC reported that, in Canada, the total number of Operating Days in the WCSB decreased approximately 59% and 49% for the three and six months ended June 30, 2015 respectively, as compared to the same periods in the prior year. Similarly, as reported by Baker Hughes Incorporated, the average number of active drilling rigs in the United States decreased approximately 51% and 37% respectively, for the three and six months ended June 30, 2015, as compared to the three and six months ended June 30, 2014. Well servicing hours were also impacted by the decline in demand, as the CAODC reported that Service Hours in the WCSB decreased approximately 33% and 36% respectively, for the three and six months ended June 30, 2015, as compared to the same periods in the prior year.

Outlook

Currently, 9 of Western's 54 drilling rigs (or 17%) are operating under long term take-or-pay contracts providing a base level of future revenue, with 3 of these contracts expected to expire in each of 2015, 2016 and 2017 respectively. These contracts each typically generate 250 Operating Days per year in Canada, as spring breakup restricts activity during the second quarter, while in the United States these contracts each typically generate between 330 to 365 Revenue Days per year.

Western's revised capital budget for 2015 remains unchanged at approximately $42 million, comprised of $23 million of expansion capital and $19 million of maintenance capital. The following table summarizes the 2015 revised capital budget, the capital spending incurred for the six months ended June 30, 2015 and the remaining capital budget expected to be incurred throughout the remainder of 2015:

Capital Expenditures (stated in millions)	Revised 2015 Budget	Six months ended June 30, 2015 Capital Expenditures		Capital Budget Remaining
Expansion	23	(19	)	4
Maintenance	19	(7	)	12
Total Capital Expenditures	42	(26	)	16

Expansion capital relates to the completion of two 5,000m telescopic ELR double drilling rigs, one 6,000m ELR AC triple pad drilling rig and one slant well servicing rig carried forward from the 2014 capital budget. In addition, expansion capital includes $3 million related to the purchase of additional oilfield rental equipment. Spending on maintenance capital is weighted to the second half of 2015, which provides additional flexibility to allow for adjustments if market conditions change. Western believes the 2015 capital budget provides a prudent use of cash resources and ensures that it continues to maintain its balance sheet flexibility allowing for the execution on strategic opportunities as they arise. Western will continue to evaluate and expand its operations in a disciplined manner and make any required adjustments to its capital program when customer demand improves.

The continued pressure on crude oil and natural gas prices has resulted in reductions to the capital spending plans for the majority of Western's customers. In some cases, the capital spending reductions have been significant. The extremely low activity in the second quarter of 2015 has generally resulted in a slower start to the summer drilling programs for many of Western's customers. As a result, active drilling rig counts in both Canada and the United States are currently at, or near, five year lows for third quarter activity. Activity levels throughout the oilfield services industry for the remainder of 2015 are expected to be significantly lower as compared to the second half of 2014, when higher commodity prices and strong customer budgets supported increased utilization and a strong pricing environment across all of Western's business lines. Lower activity and pricing pressure will impact Western's Adjusted EBITDA and cash flow from operating activities in 2015. Western's variable cost structure, under which approximately 80% of operating and administrative costs are variable, and a prudent capital budget will aid in preserving balance sheet strength. At June 30, 2015, Western's Net Debt to trailing 12 month Adjusted EBITDA ratio was 1.3. In addition to $83.6 million in cash and cash equivalents at June 30, 2015, Western has $175 million available on the Company's revolving credit facility (the "Revolving Facility"), which does not mature until December 17, 2018, $20 million available on the Company's operating demand revolving loan (the "Operating Facility"), and no principal repayments due on the $265 million senior unsecured notes (the "Senior Notes") until they mature on January 30, 2019. As such, Western is well positioned to manage the current slowdown in activity and maintain its dividend.

Oilfield service activity will be impacted by the development of resource plays in Alberta and northeast British Columbia including those related to liquefied natural gas projects, increased crude oil transportation capacity through rail and pipeline development and foreign investment into Canada. Currently, the largest challenges facing the oilfield service industry are customer spending constraints as a result of lower commodity prices and the challenge to retain skilled labour. Western's view is that its modern drilling and well servicing rig fleets, strong customer base and solid reputation provide a competitive advantage which will enable the Company to attract and retain skilled labour, continue its growth strategy and maintain its higher than industry average utilization.

Quarterly Dividend

On July 30, 2015, Western's Board of Directors declared a quarterly dividend of $0.075 per share, which will be paid on October 15, 2015, to shareholders of record at the close of business on September 30, 2015. The dividends are eligible dividends for Canadian income tax purposes. On a prospective basis, the declaration of dividends will be determined on a quarter-by-quarter basis by the Board of Directors.

Non-IFRS Measures

Western uses certain measures in this press release which do not have any standardized meaning as prescribed by International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS"). These measures which are derived from information reported in the condensed consolidated financial statements may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other reporting issuers. These measures have been described and presented in this press release in order to provide shareholders and potential investors with additional information regarding the Company. These Non-IFRS measures are identified and defined as follows:

Operating Revenue

Management believes that in addition to revenue, Operating Revenue is a useful supplemental measure as it provides an indication of the revenue generated by Western's principal operating activities, excluding flow through third party charges such as rig fuel, which at the customer's request may be paid for initially by Western, then recharged in its entirety to Western's customers.

Gross Margin

Management believes that in addition to net income, Gross Margin is a useful supplemental measure as it provides an indication of the results generated by Western's principal operating activities prior to considering administrative expenses, depreciation and amortization, how those activities are financed, the impact of foreign exchange, how the results are taxed, how funds are invested, and how non-cash items and one-time gains and losses affect results.

The following table provides a reconciliation of revenue under IFRS, as disclosed in the condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income, to Operating Revenue and Gross Margin:

		Three months ended June 30				Six months ended June 30
(stated in thousands)		2015		2014		2015		2014
Operating Revenue
	Drilling	16,746		55,148		92,353		168,493
	Production Services	14,004		22,946		39,577		59,494
	Less: inter-company eliminations	(31	)	(742	)	(253	)	(1,008	)
		30,719		77,352		131,677		226,979
Third party charges		1,318		4,629		6,210		16,418
Revenue		32,037		81,981		137,887		243,397
Less: operating expenses		(28,710	)	(62,299	)	(100,185	)	(174,188	)
Add:
	Depreciation - operating	6,884		11,329		20,249		29,209
	Stock based compensation - operating	192		195		343		417
Gross Margin		10,403		31,206		58,294		98,835

Adjusted EBITDA

Management believes that in addition to net income, earnings before interest and finance costs, taxes, depreciation and amortization, other non-cash items and one-time gains and losses ("Adjusted EBITDA") is a useful supplemental measure as it provides an indication of the results generated by the Company's principal operating segments similar to Gross Margin but also factors in the cash administrative expenses incurred in the period.

Operating Earnings

Management believes that in addition to net income, Operating Earnings is a useful supplemental measure as it provides an indication of the results generated by the Company's principal operating segments similar to Adjusted EBITDA but also factors in the depreciation expense incurred in the period.

The following table provides a reconciliation of net income under IFRS, as disclosed in the condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income, to earnings before interest and finance costs, taxes and depreciation and amortization ("EBITDA"), Adjusted EBITDA and Operating Earnings:

		Three months ended June 30				Six months ended June 30
(stated in thousands)		2015		2014		2015		2014
Net income (loss)		(12,607	)	4,396		2,687		29,896
Add:
	Finance costs	4,763		5,327		9,521		10,730
	Income taxes	4,550		1,940		10,972		11,002
	Depreciation - operating	6,884		11,329		20,249		29,209
	Depreciation - administrative	485		439		914		884
EBITDA		4,075		23,431		44,343		81,721
Add:
	Stock based compensation - operating	192		195		343		417
	Stock based compensation - administrative	807		289		1,619		836
	Other items	(819	)	113		(1,413	)	602
Adjusted EBITDA		4,255		24,028		44,892		83,576
Subtract:
	Depreciation - operating	(6,884	)	(11,329	)	(20,249	)	(29,209	)
	Depreciation - administrative	(485	)	(439	)	(914	)	(884	)
Operating Earnings (loss)		(3,114	)	12,260		23,729		53,483

Net Debt

The following table provides a reconciliation of long term debt under IFRS, as disclosed in the condensed consolidated balance sheets to Net Debt:

(stated in thousands)	June 30, 2015		December 31, 2014
Long term debt	264,234		264,165
Current portion of long term debt	1,004		1,062
Less cash and cash equivalents	(83,572	)	(62,662	)
Net Debt	181,666		202,565

Drilling rig utilization - Operating Day: Calculated based on Operating Days divided by total available days.

Drilling rig utilization - Revenue Day: Calculated based on Revenue Days divided by total available days.

Operating Days: Defined as contract drilling days, calculated on a spud to rig release basis.

Revenue Days: Defined as Operating Days plus rig mobilization days.

Service Hours: Defined as actual well servicing hours completed.

Service rig utilization: Calculated based on Service Hours divided by available hours, being 10 hours per day, per well servicing rig, 365 days per year.

Abbreviations:

• Barrels ("bbl");
• Basis point ("bps"): A 1% change equals 100 basis points and a 0.01% change is equal to one basis point;
• Canadian Association of Oilwell Drilling Contractors ("CAODC");
• International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS");
• Thousand cubic feet ("mcf");
• West Texas Intermediate ("WTI");
• Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin ("WCSB"); and
• Western Canadian Select ("WCS").

2015 Second Quarter Results Conference Call and Webcast

Western has scheduled a conference call and webcast to begin at 10:00 a.m. MST (12:00 p.m. EST) on Friday, July 31, 2015.

The conference call dial-in number is 1-866-223-7781.

A live webcast of the conference call will be accessible on Western's website at www.wesc.ca by selecting "Investors", then "Webcasts". Shortly after the live webcast, an archived version will be available for approximately 14 days.

An archived recording of the conference call will also be available approximately one hour after the completion of the call until August 14, 2015 by dialing 1-800-408-3053 or 905-694-9451, passcode 6011581.

Forward-Looking Statements and Information

This press release contains certain statements or disclosures relating to Western that are based on the expectations of Western as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to Western which may constitute forward-looking information under applicable securities laws. All such statements and disclosures, other than those of historical fact, which address activities, events, outcomes, results or developments that Western anticipates or expects may, or will occur in the future (in whole or part) should be considered forward-looking information. In some cases forward-looking information can be identified by terms such as "forecast", "future," "may", "will", "expect", "anticipate,", "believe", "potential", "enable", "plan", "continue", "contemplate", "pro forma", or other comparable terminology.

In particular, forward-looking information in this press release includes, but is not limited to, statements relating to the declaration of dividends; the future demand for the Company's services and equipment; the terms of existing and future drilling contracts in Canada and the US and the revenues resulting therefrom (including the number of Operating Days typically generated from the Company's contracts); the Company's expansion and maintenance capital plans for 2015, including the ability of current capital resources to cover Western's financial obligations and the 2015 capital budget; the Company's expected sources of funding to support such capital plans and the Company's ability to adjust capital spending in the second half of 2015 if market conditions change; expectations as to the increase in crude oil transportation capacity through rail and pipeline development; expectations as to the necessary approvals for liquefied natural gas projects being obtained; the expectation of continued foreign investment into the Canadian oilfield industry; the expectation of significantly lower activity levels in the oilfield services industry in 2015 (compared to 2014); and the expectation that producer spending constraints will continue to be a large challenge facing the Company in 2015.

The material assumptions in making the forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, assumptions relating to, demand levels and pricing for oilfield services; fluctuations in the price and demand for oil and natural gas; the continued low levels of and pressures on commodity pricing; the continued business relationship between the Company and its significant customers; general economic and financial market conditions; the development of liquefied natural gas projects, crude oil transport and pipeline approval and development; the Company's ability to finance its operations; the effects of seasonal and weather conditions on operations and facilities; the competitive environment to which the various business segments are, or may be, exposed in all aspects of their business; the ability of the Company's various business segments to access equipment (including spare parts and new technologies); changes in laws or regulations; currency exchange fluctuation; the ability of the Company to attract and retain skilled labour and qualified management; the ability to retain and attract significant customers; and other unforeseen conditions which could impact the use of services supplied by Western including Western's ability to respond to such conditions.

Although Western believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking statements and information are based on are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements and information as Western cannot give any assurance that they will prove to be correct. Since forward-looking statements and information address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks. These include, but are not limited to, the risk that the demand for oilfield services will not improve for the remainder of 2015 and that commodity price levels will remain low, and other general industry, economic, market and business conditions. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of risks, uncertainties and assumptions are not exhaustive. Additional information on these and other risk factors that could affect Western's operations and financial results are included in Western's annual information form which may be accessed through the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com. The forward-looking statements and information contained in this press release are made as of the date hereof and Western does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements and information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws.