Devon Energy Earns $653 Million in Second Quarter of 2005

Devon Energy Corporation (NYSE: DVN) reported net earnings for the quarter ended June 30, 2005, of $653 million, or a record $1.40 per common share ($1.38 per diluted common share). This compares to Devon's second quarter 2004 net earnings of $502 million, or $1.04 per common share ($1.01 per diluted common share). Per- share amounts reflect a two-for-one stock split completed in November 2004.

For the six months ended June 30, 2005, Devon reported net earnings of $1.2 billion or $2.57 per common share ($2.53 per diluted common share). Net earnings for the six months ended June 30, 2004, were $996 million, or $2.06 per share ($2.01 per diluted common share).

"Devon's impressive second quarter results were driven by production growth from our core, North American property base and strong oil and gas prices," commented J. Larry Nichols, chairman and chief executive officer. "In a separate release today, we also announced plans to launch a second share repurchase program. This reflects our focus on building value per share and the abundant free cash flow Devon is generating in today's environment."

200th Horizontal Barnett Shale Well Leads Exploration and Production Highlights

Devon drilled 493 gross wells in the second quarter of 2005 with a 98 percent success rate. Also in the second quarter:

• The company initiated production from its 200th horizontal natural gas well in the Barnett Shale field in north Texas in June. Production from horizontal wells has grown to 27 percent of Devon's Barnett Shale production. Devon's net Barnett Shale production averaged approximately 560 million cubic feet equivalent per day in the second quarter.
• Also in the Barnett Shale, the company obtained regulatory approval for 20-acre well spacing covering most of its acreage. Devon drilled its first 20-acre Barnett Shale wells in June.
• Devon acquired 165,000 net acres in the Iron River area of eastern Alberta from ExxonMobil Canada Energy. The company plans to drill 800 wells at Iron River in the next four years, increasing production to approximately 30,000 barrels of oil per day by 2010.
• The company continued to ramp up production from the deepwater Magnolia field in the Gulf of Mexico. In June, the fourth well was completed bringing field production to 36,000 barrels of oil and 105 million cubic feet of natural gas per day. Devon's net production from Magnolia is approximately 12,000 barrels of oil equivalent (Boe) per day, up from 7,000 Boe per day in the first quarter of 2005.
• Also in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico, the company conducted a successful four-well recompletion program at Nansen. In aggregate, the four wells increased Devon's net production from Nansen by 13,000 Boe per day.
• In June, Devon finalized plans to develop its block BM-C-8 discovery in the Campos Basin offshore Brazil. Construction of facilities sized to handle up to 50,000 barrels per day is expected to begin in early 2006 with first production projected for the second half of 2007.

Oil, Gas and NGL Sales Increase to Record $2.1 Billion; Core Property Production Climbs

Quarterly sales of oil, gas and natural gas liquids increased to a record high $2.1 billion in the second quarter of 2005. This was 13 percent higher than second quarter 2004 sales of $1.8 billion. Increased production from Devon's core, retained properties coupled with record high realized oil, gas and natural gas liquids prices led to the sales increase. The increase in sales was achieved despite lower oil and gas production in the second quarter of 2005, caused by divestitures of non-core oil and gas properties in the first half of 2005.

Combined daily oil, gas and natural gas liquids production was 641 thousand Boe in the second quarter of 2005. This was six percent lower than second quarter 2004 production of 685 thousand Boe per day. Excluding production from oil and gas properties divested in 2005, second quarter production was 610 thousand Boe per day. This was three percent greater than second quarter 2004 production, excluding the divestiture properties, of 590 thousand Boe per day.

The company's second quarter 2005 average realized natural gas price increased 15 percent to $6.09 per thousand cubic feet, compared with $5.29 per thousand cubic feet in the second quarter of 2004. Devon's second quarter 2005 average realized oil price increased 33 percent to $37.28 per barrel compared with $28.04 per barrel in the same quarter in 2004. The company's second quarter 2005 average realized price for natural gas liquids increased 24 percent to $25.99 per barrel from $20.89 per barrel in the second quarter of 2004.

Marketing and midstream revenues increased three percent to $389 million in the second quarter of 2005, while related expenses decreased one percent to $296 million. This resulted in a 19 percent increase in the marketing and midstream operating margin to $93 million for the second quarter of 2005.

Expense Increases Include Interest Associated with Debt Redemption

Lease operating expenses increased 10 percent to $338 million in the second quarter of 2005 compared with the second quarter of 2004. Lease operating expenses per unit of production increased 18 percent to $5.80 per Boe. Increases in transportation costs, ad valorem taxes, well workover expenses, power, fuel and repairs and maintenance costs, in addition to the compounding effect of the weaker U. S. dollar, contributed to higher unit costs. Production taxes increased six percent to $75 million in the second quarter of 2005 due to higher overall oil and gas prices.

Depreciation, depletion and amortization of oil and gas properties decreased four percent to $494 million in the second quarter of 2005 compared with 2004. The decrease was due to lower overall production resulting from the property divestitures.

General and administrative expenses increased 11 percent, to $78 million in the second quarter of 2005. Increases in personnel expenses and charitable contributions were primary causes of the increase.

Interest expense increased nine percent to $146 million in the second quarter of 2005. This amount included $30 million attributable to the early redemption of the company's zero coupon convertible debentures, as described below.

Second quarter 2005 income tax expense was $357 million, or 35 percent of pre-tax earnings. Gains for income tax purposes on sales of assets in the second quarter resulted in a shift of $59 million of income taxes to current from deferred.

Devon Retires $427 Million of Debt, Completes Stock Repurchase Program

In May, Devon announced that it would call for redemption its $427 million principal amount zero coupon convertible debentures due June 2020. The redemption date was June 27, 2005. All but one percent of the outstanding debentures were presented for conversion prior to the redemption date. Devon settled the redemptions from cash on hand for $452 million.

Following redemption of the zero coupon convertible debentures, Devon's net debt to adjusted capitalization was 23 percent at June 30, 2005. Net debt to adjusted capitalization was 34 percent at June 30, 2004. Reconciliations of net debt and adjusted capitalization, which are non-GAAP measures, are provided in this release.

Also during the second quarter, the company repurchased 21.5 million shares of its common stock for approximately $1 billion. As of today, Devon has completed its targeted 50 million share repurchase program announced in September 2004. Devon announced a second share repurchase program in a separate news release today.

Divestiture Proceeds Add to Cash on Hand

Devon closed sales of non-core oil and gas properties during the second quarter of 2005 for aggregate proceeds of $1.7 billion. The divestiture program, first announced in September 2004, is now substantially complete.

Cash flow before balance sheet changes increased nine percent to $1.3 billion in the second quarter of 2005. A reconciliation of cash flow before balance sheet changes, which is a non-GAAP measure, is also provided in this release.

Cash and short term investments on hand were $2.8 billion as of June 30, 2005. Approximately $1.6 billion of this amount is intended for additional debt repayments through 2006. This includes early retirement in 2005 of $400 million of 6.75 percent senior notes due in 2011 that the company announced in a separate news release today.

Items Excluded from Published Estimates

Devon's reported net earnings include items of income and expense that are typically excluded by securities analysts in their published estimates for the company's financial results. These items and their effects upon second quarter 2005 reported earnings were as follows:

• A change in fair value of derivative financial instruments not associated with hedges increased earnings by $18 million pre-tax ($11 million after tax).
• Effects of changes in foreign currency exchange rates decreased earnings $11 million pre-tax ($8 million after tax).
• A loss on oil hedges associated with divestiture properties that no longer qualify for hedge accounting decreased earnings by $16 million pre-tax ($11 million after tax).
• A reduction in the previously estimated current income tax expense resulting from the repatriation of foreign earnings increased earnings by $5 million.
• Additional interest expense attributable to redemption of zero coupon convertible debentures decreased earnings by $30 million pre-tax ($19 million after tax).

The following table summarizes the effects of these items on earnings and income taxes. Included in the table are the tax effects of oil and gas property divestitures that had no effect on net earnings.

     Summary of Items Typically Excluded by Securities Analysts
     (in millions)

                                                                   Cash Flow
                      Pretax                          After-tax      Before
                     Earnings     Income Tax Effect    Earnings  Balance Sheet
                      Effect  Current  Deferred  Total  Effect  Changes Effect

    Change in fair
     value of
     derivative
     financial
     instruments       $18      ---       7        7      11          ---
    Foreign exchange
     effect            (11)     ---      (3)      (3)     (8)         ---
    Loss on hedges
     for divestiture
     properties        (16)      (5)    ---       (5)    (11)         (11)
    Repatriation of
     Canadian cash     ---       (5)    ---       (5)      5            5
    Additional interest
     costs on debt
     retirement        (30)     (11)    ---      (11)    (19)         (14)
    Effects of oil
     and gas property
     divestitures      ---       59     (59)     ---     ---          (59)
       Totals         $(39)      38     (55)     (17)    (22)         (79)

In aggregate, these items decreased 2005 net earnings by $22 million, or five cents per common share (three cents per diluted share). The diluted calculation is based upon 480 million shares, which includes nine million shares that are anti-dilutive for GAAP purposes. These items and their associated tax effects decreased cash flow before balance sheet changes by $79 million.