Jim Harp News

Ongoing infrastructure and newbuild activity not expected to let up. Modern, sophisticated and quality tonnage arrives at just the right time. Vessel builders are ramped up for strong demand from the Gulf of Mexico, where oil drilling is very soon expected to return to pre-Macondo levels. Utilization rates for offshore vessels are rising in the GoM, along with associated dayrates. Three Louisiana leaders--Edison Chouest Offshore in Cut Off, Hornbeck Offshore Services Inc. in Covington and Harvey Gulf International Marine in New Orleans--are engaged in aggressive newbuild programs.

Hornbeck Offshore Services, Inc. announced its results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2004. Fourth quarter revenues increased 29.5% to $37.8 million compared to $29.2 million for the fourth quarter of 2003. The $8.6 million increase was primarily driven by improved OSV market conditions in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico and continued tightening in the supply of single-hulled equipment in the northeast U.S. as a result of fourth quarter retirements mandated by the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90). Operating income was $10.2 million, or 27.0% of revenues, for the fourth quarter of 2004 compared to $8.4 million, or 28.8% of revenues, for the same quarter in 2003.

Hornbeck Offshore Services, Inc. announced that revenues for the quarter ended June 30, 2002 increased 39.2 percent to $21.3 million compared to $15.3 million for the same quarter in 2001. Operating income was $8.2 million or 38.6 percent of revenues for the second quarter of 2002, compared to $6.4 million or 42.1 percent of revenues for the same quarter in 2001. Second quarter 2002 net income was $2.8 million compared to net income of $3.1 million for the second quarter 2001. The significant increase in the Company’s revenue in the second quarter 2002 over the prior year was due to the increase in size of the Company’s fleet since April 2001.