Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis
ITEM 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements, the notes thereto, and the other financial information appearing elsewhere in this report. The following discussion includes forward-looking statements that involve certain risks and uncertainties. See Part I “Disclosure Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” and Part I, Item 1A “Risk Factors”.
Discussion and analysis of our operating highlights and financial results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2021, compared to the year ended December 31, 2020, is included under the headings in Part II, Item 7 “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Operating Highlights, Financial Results of Operations, Liquidity and Capital Resources, and Critical Accounting Estimates” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed for the year ended December 31, 2021, with the SEC on February 15, 2022.
Overview
We provide compression services in shale plays throughout the U.S., including the Utica, Marcellus, Permian Basin, Delaware Basin, Eagle Ford, Mississippi Lime, Granite Wash, Woodford, Barnett, Haynesville, Niobrara, and Fayetteville shales. Demand for our services is driven by the domestic production of natural gas and crude oil. As such, we have focused our activities in areas with attractive natural gas and crude oil production, which generally are found in these shale and unconventional resource plays. According to studies promulgated by the EIA, the production and transportation volumes in these shale plays are expected to collectively increase over the long term. Furthermore, changes in production volumes and pressures of shale plays over time require a wider range of compression service levels than in conventional basins. We believe we are well-positioned to meet these changing operating conditions due to the operational design flexibility inherit within our compression-unit fleets.
Our business largely focuses on compression services serving infrastructure applications, including centralized natural gas gathering systems and processing facilities, which utilize large horsepower compression units, typically in shale plays. We also provide compression services in more mature basins, including gas lift applications on crude oil wells targeted by horizontal drilling techniques. Gas lift is a process by which natural gas is injected into the production tubing of an existing producing well to reduce hydrostatic pressure and allow the oil to flow at a higher rate. This process, and other artificial-lift technologies are critical to the enhancement of oil production from horizontal wells operating in tight shale plays.
General Trends and Outlook
A significant portion of our assets are utilized in natural gas infrastructure applications typically located in U.S. onshore shale plays, primarily at centralized gathering systems and processing facilities utilizing large-horsepower compression units. Given the infrastructure nature of these applications, the continued need for additional natural gas compression throughout the production cycle, and the long-term investment horizon of our customers, we generally have experienced stability in service rates and higher sustained fleet utilization rates relative to other businesses more directly tied to drilling activity and wellhead-specific economics. In addition to our natural gas infrastructure applications, a portion of our small- and large-horsepower fleet is used in connection with gas-lift applications for crude oil production targeted by horizontal drilling techniques.
We deliver natural gas compression services in connection with domestic natural gas production that primarily occurs in natural gas basins, such as the Marcellus, Utica, and Haynesville Shales, and in crude oil basins where “associated” natural gas is produced alongside crude oil, such as in the Permian and Delaware Basins, Eagle Ford, and the Mid-Continent. Relative stability in commodity prices over much of the past decade encouraged investment in domestic exploration and production and midstream infrastructure across the energy industry, particularly in low-cost U.S. onshore shale basins that feature crude oil and associated gas production. The development of these basins has created additional incremental demand for natural gas compression as it is a critical method to transport associated gas volumes or enhance crude oil production through gas lift.
Following a sustained period of general stability and moderate growth for the midstream sector and the broader energy industry, the events of 2020—including the COVID-19 pandemic and worldwide crude oil price dislocations related to actions taken by members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (“OPEC”) and Russia (together with OPEC and other allied producing countries, “OPEC+”)—impacted participants across the energy industry, including us and our customers. The significant price volatility in both crude oil and natural gas adversely impacted energy companies’ financial performance,
36
Table of Contents
and combined with reduced and uncertain future demand, created a market environment that compelled industry participants to pivot toward a renewed focus on restoring balance sheet strength, driven in part by undertaking meaningful reductions in capital investment.
During 2021 and throughout 2022, the general energy industry recovered substantially from the low commodity prices and reduced economic activity of 2020, driven by continued demand growth for crude oil and natural gas that occurred as worldwide economic recovery from COVID-19 lock-downs commenced. As the demand for hydrocarbons generally follows economic growth, 2022 saw further demand growth coupled with ongoing supply constraints, attributable largely to the effects of comparatively reduced capital investment across the energy sector that began prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, intensified during the pandemic, and continued during the post-pandemic period as industry participants remained committed to capital discipline.
Although the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to create general economic uncertainty, many economies and industries that directly or indirectly use crude oil and natural gas have entered economic recovery, resulting in increased demand for hydrocarbons. According to the EIA, global consumption of petroleum and liquids fuels increased over 2% in 2022 and the EIA estimates that U.S. gross domestic product increased 1.9% in 2022, evidencing continued global economic recovery. The EIA’s January 2023 Short-Term Energy Outlook (“EIA Outlook”) estimates that annual U.S. crude oil production averaged 11.9 million barrels per day (“bpd”) in 2022, up 0.6 million bpd from 2021, primarily due to production growth in the Permian and Delaware Basins. In 2023 and 2024, the EIA Outlook expects U.S. crude oil production growth to continue, estimating average production of 12.4 million bpd for 2023 and 12.8 million bpd in 2024, which would represent the highest annual average crude oil production on record. The expected increase in crude oil production is due in part to the expectation that crude oil prices will remain economic for producers. The EIA estimates that West Texas Intermediate crude oil prices will average $77 per barrel and $72 per barrel for 2023 and 2024, respectively. We expect that anticipated crude oil production increases likewise will increase associated natural gas production volumes throughout 2023, thereby increasing demand for our compression services, particularly in the Permian and Delaware Basins.
Unlike crude oil, natural gas production and prices have been influenced by different factors, including the nonexistence of an OPEC+ equivalent for the global natural gas market, which makes natural gas price discovery dependent on market supply and demand dynamics rather than by a centralized market coordinator. Over the past several years, increased natural gas production in the U.S., driven by large volumes of associated gas produced from shale sources, has been a major driver of an overall decline in natural gas prices. Significant demand for natural gas is driven by domestic power generation and industrial uses such as chemical plants, which have benefited from a lower-price environment. These low prices, combined with a general shift away from coal-fired power plants due to emissions concerns, has resulted in power generation becoming, and remaining, the largest use of natural gas in the U.S., and has created a relatively resilient baseload demand for natural gas. The demand for domestic natural gas also continues to benefit from the construction of liquefied natural gas (“LNG”) export infrastructure, which enables industry participants to benefit from attractive global natural gas prices. The U.S. witnessed record LNG exports during 2022 according to the EIA.
The EIA Outlook expects U.S. natural gas consumption to decrease 2% in 2023, reflecting a decrease in the use of natural gas in the electric power generation sector, as a result of milder-than-normal winter and summer weather forecasts, and an increased share of power generation from renewables. The decreases in use for electric power generation is expected to be offset partially by other uses, including increased LNG exports and increased pipeline exports. Natural gas prices averaged $6.42 in 2022 and the EIA Outlook expects natural gas prices to average approximately $5 for both 2023 and 2024. However, we expect the baseload natural gas demand previously described to continue to support long-term domestic natural gas production.
Although our business is focused on providing compression services that do not bear direct exposure to commodity prices, our business exhibits indirect exposure to commodity prices as overall levels of drilling activity are influenced by prevailing commodity prices. Moderate crude oil production increases in major U.S. onshore basins occurred during 2022 as a result of a constructive commodity-price backdrop. Accordingly, we experienced increased demand for our compression services as evidenced by marked improvements to our fleet utilization rates and pricing for our services. Additionally, small horsepower gas lift applications have historically been more susceptible to commodity price swings, and when commodity prices are low, we have experienced, and may again experience, some pressure on service rates and utilization in small horsepower gas lift applications. Other variables, including takeaway capacity, flaring considerations, reservoir pressure and flow rates, high switching costs associated with large-horsepower compressors (borne by our customers), and company-specific dynamics also factor into producers’ decisions with respect to their natural gas compression needs. For example, as wells age, and the reservoir pressures continue to decline naturally, more horsepower may be required to meet the customer’s operational needs. Conversely, decreased drilling activity may cause demand for new compression services to decline.
37
Table of Contents
The broader outlook for commodity prices improved considerably during 2022, and although uncertainty with respect to future natural gas demand may have a varying impact on our business, we believe the longer-term outlook for natural gas fundamentals remains positive for 2023 and beyond. Future demand for our compression services will depend, in part, on the strength and duration of economical commodity prices and producer activity in the basins that we service. While we anticipate that the combination of commodity prices and demand to have a positive impact on activity levels in both the upstream and midstream energy sectors, we cannot predict the ultimate magnitude of that impact on our business and expect it to vary across our operations, depending on the region, customer, nature of our services, contract term, and other factors.
Ultimately, the extent to which our business will be impacted by the factors described above, as well as future developments beyond our control, cannot be predicted with reasonable certainty. However, we continue to believe that overall, the long-term demand for our compression services will continue given the necessity of compression in facilitating the transportation and processing of natural gas as well as the production of crude oil.
Operating Highlights
The following table summarizes certain horsepower and horsepower-utilization percentages for the periods presented and excludes certain gas-treating assets for which horsepower is not a relevant metric.
Year Ended December 31,
2022 2021 Increase
Fleet horsepower (at period end) (1) 3,716,854 3,689,018 0.8 %
Total available horsepower (at period end) (2) 3,826,854 3,689,018 3.7 %
Revenue-generating horsepower (at period end) (3) 3,199,548 2,964,206 7.9 %
Average revenue-generating horsepower (4) 3,067,279 2,951,013 3.9 %
Average revenue per revenue-generating horsepower per month (5) $ 17.35 $ 16.60 4.5 %
Revenue-generating compression units (at period end) 4,116 3,942 4.4 %
Average horsepower per revenue-generating compression unit (6) 765 750 2.0 %
Horsepower utilization (7):
At period end 91.8 % 82.7 % 9.1 %
Average for the period (8) 88.6 % 82.7 % 5.9 %
________________________
(1) Fleet horsepower is horsepower for compression units that have been delivered to us (and excludes units on order). As of December 31, 2022, we had 165,000 large horsepower on order for delivery during 2023.
(2) Total available horsepower is revenue-generating horsepower under contract for which we are billing a customer, horsepower in our fleet that is under contract but is not yet generating revenue, horsepower not yet in our fleet that is under contract but not yet generating revenue and that is subject to a purchase order, and idle horsepower. Total available horsepower excludes new horsepower on order for which we do not have an executed compression services contract.
(3) Revenue-generating horsepower is horsepower under contract for which we are billing a customer.
(4) Calculated as the average of the month-end revenue-generating horsepower for each of the months in the period.
(5) Calculated as the average of the result of dividing the contractual monthly rate, excluding standby or other temporary rates, for all units at the end of each month in the period by the sum of the revenue-generating horsepower at the end of each month in the period.
(6) Calculated as the average of the month-end revenue-generating horsepower per revenue-generating compression unit for each of the months in the period.
(7) Horsepower utilization is calculated as (i) the sum of (a) revenue-generating horsepower, (b) horsepower in our fleet that is under contract, but is not yet generating revenue, and (c) horsepower not yet in our fleet that is under contract but not yet generating revenue and that is subject to a purchase order, divided by (ii) total available horsepower less idle horsepower that is under repair. Horsepower utilization based on revenue-generating horsepower and fleet horsepower was 86.1% and 80.4% as of December 31, 2022, and 2021, respectively.
(8) Calculated as the average utilization for the months in the period based on utilization at the end of each month in the period. Average horsepower utilization based on revenue-generating horsepower and fleet horsepower was 82.9% and 79.8% for the years ended December 31, 2022, and 2021, respectively.
The 3.7% increase in total available horsepower as of December 31, 2022, compared to December 31, 2021, primarily was due to compression units added to our fleet to meet incremental demand from customers for our compression services.
38
Table of Contents
The 7.9% increase in revenue-generating horsepower and 4.4% increase in revenue-generating compression units as of December 31, 2022, compared to December 31, 2021, primarily were driven by the redeployment of certain previously idle compression units due to increased demand for our services, commensurate with increased operating activity in the oil and gas industry.
The 4.5% increase in average revenue per revenue generating horsepower per month for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to the year ended December 31, 2021, primarily was due to select price increases on our existing fleet. The 2.0% increase in average horsepower per revenue-generating compression unit primarily was due to the redeployment of larger-horsepower compression units.
Horsepower utilization increased to 91.8% as of December 31, 2022, compared to 82.7% as of December 31, 2021. The increase primarily was due to an increase in revenue-generating horsepower and an increase in horsepower that is under contract but not yet generating revenue, which was driven by a combination of the redeployment of certain previously idle compression units as well as new units added to our fleet. The increase in horsepower utilization is the result of increased demand for our services, consistent with increased operating activity in the oil and gas industry. The above-stated factors also drove the increase in average horsepower utilization for the year ended December 31, 2022, as compared to the year ended December 31, 2021.
Horsepower utilization based on revenue-generating horsepower and fleet horsepower increased to 86.1% as of December 31, 2022, compared to 80.4% as of December 31, 2021. The increase in horsepower utilization based on revenue-generating horsepower and fleet horsepower primarily was driven by the redeployment of certain previously idle compression units due to increased demand for our services, consistent with increased operating activity in the oil and gas industry. The above-stated factor also drove the increase in average horsepower utilization based on revenue-generating horsepower and fleet horsepower for the year ended December 31, 2022, as compared to the year ended December 31, 2021.
Financial Results of Operations
Year ended December 31, 2022, compared to the year ended December 31, 2021
The following table summarizes our results of operations for the periods presented (dollars in thousands):
Year Ended December 31, Increase
2022 2021 (Decrease)
Revenues:
Contract operations $ 673,214 $ 609,450 10.5 %
Parts and service 15,729 11,228 40.1 %
Related party 15,655 11,967 30.8 %
Total revenues 704,598 632,645 11.4 %
Costs and expenses:
Cost of operations, exclusive of depreciation and amortization 234,336 194,389 20.6 %
Depreciation and amortization 236,677 238,769 (0.9) %
Selling, general, and administrative 61,278 56,082 9.3 %
Loss (gain) on disposition of assets 1,527 (2,588) *
Impairment of compression equipment 1,487 5,121 (71.0) %
Total costs and expenses 535,305 491,773 8.9 %
Operating income 169,293 140,872 20.2 %
Other income (expense):
Interest expense, net (138,050) (129,826) 6.3 %
Other 91 107 (15.0) %
Total other expense (137,959) (129,719) 6.4 %
Net income before income tax expense 31,334 11,153 180.9 %
Income tax expense 1,016 874 16.2 %
Net income $ 30,318 $ 10,279 195.0 %
________________________
* Not meaningful.
39
Table of Contents
Contract operations revenue . The $63.8 million increase in contract operations revenue for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to the year ended December 31, 2021, primarily was due to (i) a 4.5% increase in average revenue per revenue-generating horsepower per month, as a result of Consumer Price Index (“CPI”)-based and other price increases on customer contracts that occur as market conditions permit, (ii) a 3.9% increase in average revenue-generating horsepower as a result of increased demand for our services, consistent with increased operating activity in the oil and gas industry, and (iii) an increase in revenue attributable to natural gas treating services.
Additionally, average revenue per revenue-generating horsepower per month associated with our compression services provided on a month-to-month basis did not differ significantly from the average revenue per revenue-generating horsepower per month associated with our compression services provided under contracts in their primary term during the period.
Parts and service revenue . The $4.5 million increase in parts and service revenue for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to the year ended December 31, 2021, primarily was due to an increase in maintenance work performed on units at customer locations that are outside the scope of our core maintenance activities and that are offered as a convenience, and in directly reimbursable freight and crane charges that are the financial responsibility of the customers. Demand for retail parts and services fluctuates from period to period based on varying customer needs.
Related-party revenue. Related-party revenue was earned through related-party transactions that occur in the ordinary course of business with various affiliated entities of Energy Transfer. The $3.7 million increase in related-party revenue for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to the year ended December 31, 2021, primarily was due to revenue recognized from entities acquired by Energy Transfer during the previously comparable period.
Cost of operations, exclusive of depreciation and amortization. The $39.9 million increase in cost of operations for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to the year ended December 31, 2021, primarily was due to (i) a $19.2 million increase in direct expenses, primarily driven by fluids and parts due to higher costs and increased usage associated with higher revenue-generating horsepower, (ii) a $6.3 million increase in outside maintenance costs due to greater use and higher costs of third-party labor during the current period, (iii) a $3.6 million increase in non-income taxes, primarily due to sales tax refunds received in the prior comparable period, (iv) a $3.4 million increase in direct labor costs due to higher employee costs, (v) a $3.3 million increase in retail parts and service expenses, for which a corresponding increase in parts and service revenue also occurred, and (vi) a $2.8 million increase in expenses related to our vehicle fleet, primarily due to increased fuel costs and increased usage, as well as higher costs of maintenance during the current period.
Depreciation and amortization expense . The $2.1 million decrease in depreciation and amortization expense for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to the year ended December 31, 2021, primarily was due to increased asset disposals and assets reaching the end of their depreciable lives.
Selling, general, and administrative expense . The $5.2 million increase in selling, general, and administrative expense for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to the year ended December 31, 2021, primarily was due to (i) a $2.0 million decrease to the allowance for credit losses, resulting from a $0.7 million reversal of previously recognized credit losses in the current period versus a $2.7 million reversal in the prior comparable period, (ii) a $1.1 million increase in employee-related expenses, (iii) a $0.5 million increase in professional fees, (iv) a $0.5 million increase in severance charges, primarily attributable to the departure of one of our executives during the current period, and (v) a $0.4 million increase in other taxes.
Loss (gain) on disposition of assets. The $4.1 million increase in loss (gain) on disposition of assets for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to the year ended December 31, 2021, primarily was due to the exercise of a lease purchase option on certain compression units by a customer during the prior comparable period. The remaining change primarily relates to various asset disposals.
Impairment of compression equipment . The $1.5 million and $5.1 million impairments of compression equipment during the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively, primarily were the result of our evaluations of the future deployment of our idle fleet under then-existing market conditions. The primary circumstances supporting these impairments were: (i) unmarketability of units into the foreseeable future, (ii) excessive maintenance costs associated with certain fleet assets, and (iii) excessive retrofitting costs that likely would prevent certain units from securing customer acceptance. These compression units were written down to their respective estimated salvage values, if any.
As a result of our evaluations during the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, we retired 15 and 26 compression units, respectively, for a total of approximately 3,200 and 11,000 aggregate horsepower, respectively, that previously were used to provide compression services in our business.
Interest expense, net . The $8.2 million increase in interest expense, net for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to the year ended December 31, 2021, primarily was due to higher weighted-average interest rates and increased borrowings under
40
Table of Contents
the Credit Agreement, partially offset by a decrease in amortization of debt issuance costs attributable to the amendment and restatement of the Credit Agreement in the prior comparable period.
The weighted-average interest rate applicable to borrowings under the Credit Agreement was 4.48% and 2.98% for the years ended December 31, 2022, and 2021, respectively, and average outstanding borrowings under our Credit Agreement were $580.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to $491.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2021.
Income tax expense. The $0.1 million increase in income tax expense for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to the year ended December 31, 2021, primarily was related to taxes associated with the Texas Margin Tax.
Other Financial Data
The following table summarizes other financial data for the periods presented (dollars in thousands):
Year Ended December 31, Increase
Other Financial Data: (1) 2022 2021 (Decrease)
Gross margin $ 233,585 $ 199,487 17.1 %
Adjusted gross margin
$ 470,262 $ 438,256 7.3 %
Adjusted gross margin percentage (2)
66.7 % 69.3 % (2.6) %
Adjusted EBITDA
$ 425,978 $ 398,380 6.9 %
Adjusted EBITDA percentage (2)
60.5 % 63.0 % (2.5) %
DCF
$ 221,499 $ 209,128 5.9 %
DCF Coverage Ratio
1.08 x 1.03 x 4.9 %
________________________
(1) Adjusted gross margin, Adjusted EBITDA, Distributable Cash Flow (“DCF”), and DCF Coverage Ratio are all non-GAAP financial measures. Definitions of each measure, as well as reconciliations of each measure to its most directly comparable financial measure(s) calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP, can be found below under the caption “Non-GAAP Financial Measures”.
(2) Adjusted gross margin percentage and Adjusted EBITDA percentage are calculated as a percentage of revenue.
Gross margin. The $34.1 million increase in gross margin for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to the year ended December 31, 2021, was due to (i) a $72.0 million increase in revenues and (ii) a $2.1 million decrease in depreciation and amortization, partially offset by (iii) a $39.9 million increase in cost of operations, exclusive of depreciation and amortization.
Adjusted gross margin and Adjusted gross margin percentage. The $32.0 million increase in Adjusted gross margin for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to the year ended December 31, 2021, was due to a $72.0 million increase in revenues, partially offset by a $39.9 million increase in cost of operations, exclusive of depreciation and amortization.
The 2.6% decline in Adjusted gross margin percentage primarily was due to the inflation-driven increase in cost of operations, exclusive of depreciation and amortization, that preceded CPI-based and other price increases on customer contracts that occur as market conditions permit.
Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA percentage. The $27.6 million increase in Adjusted EBITDA for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to the year ended December 31, 2021, primarily was due to a $32.0 million increase in Adjusted gross margin, partially offset by a $4.4 million increase in selling, general, and administrative expenses, excluding unit-based compensation expense, severance charges, and transaction expenses.
The 2.5% decline in Adjusted EBITDA percentage primarily was due to the inflation-driven increase in cost of operations, exclusive of depreciation and amortization, that preceded CPI-based and other price increases on customer contracts that occur as market conditions permit.
DCF. The $12.4 million increase in DCF for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to the year ended December 31, 2021, primarily was due to (i) a $32.0 million increase in Adjusted gross margin, partially offset by (ii) a $10.7 million increase in cash interest expense, net, (iii) a $4.4 million increase in selling, general, and administrative expenses, excluding unit-based compensation expense, severance charges, and transaction expenses, and (iv) a $4.3 million increase in maintenance capital expenditures.
41
Table of Contents
DCF Coverage Ratio . The increase in DCF Coverage Ratio for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to the year ended December 31, 2021, primarily was due to the increase in DCF, partially offset by increased distributions due to an increase in the number of outstanding common units.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Overview
We operate in a capital-intensive industry, and our primary liquidity needs are to finance the purchase of additional compression units, make other capital expenditures, service our debt, fund working capital, and pay distributions. Our principal sources of liquidity include cash generated by operating activities, borrowings under the Credit Agreement, and issuances of debt and equity securities, including common units under the DRIP.
We believe cash generated by operating activities and, where necessary, borrowings under the Credit Agreement will be sufficient to service our debt, fund working capital, fund our estimated expansion capital expenditures, fund our maintenance capital expenditures, and pay distributions to our unitholders through 2023.
Because we distribute all of our available cash, which excludes prudent operating reserves, we expect to fund any future expansion capital expenditures or acquisitions primarily with capital from external financing sources, such as borrowings under the Credit Agreement and issuances of debt and equity securities, including under the DRIP.
We are not aware of any regulatory changes or environmental liabilities that we currently expect to have a material impact on our current or future operations. Please see “Capital Expenditures” below.
Capital Expenditures
The compression services business is capital intensive, requiring significant investment to maintain, expand, and upgrade existing operations. Our capital requirements primarily have consisted of, and we anticipate that our capital requirements will continue primarily to consist of, the following:
• maintenance capital expenditures, which are capital expenditures made to maintain the operating capacity of our assets and extend their useful lives, to replace partially or fully depreciated assets, or other capital expenditures that are incurred in maintaining our existing business and related operating income; and
• expansion capital expenditures, which are capital expenditures made to expand the operating capacity or operating-income capacity of assets, including by acquisition of compression units or through modification of existing compression units to increase their capacity, or to replace certain partially or fully depreciated assets that at the time of replacement were not generating operating income.
We classify capital expenditures as maintenance or expansion on an individual-asset basis. Over the long term, we expect that our maintenance capital expenditure requirements will continue to increase as the overall size and age of our fleet increases. Our aggregate maintenance capital expenditures for the years ended December 31, 2022, and 2021, were $23.8 million and $19.5 million, respectively. We currently plan to spend approximately $26.0 million in maintenance capital expenditures during 2023, including parts consumed from inventory.
Without giving effect to any equipment that we may acquire pursuant to any future acquisitions, we currently have budgeted between $260.0 million and $270.0 million in expansion capital expenditures for 2023. Our expansion capital expenditures for the years ended December 31, 2022, and 2021, were $145.1 million and $40.2 million, respectively.
As of December 31, 2022, we had binding commitments to purchase $159.3 million worth of additional compression units and serialized parts, all of which is expected to be settled within the next twelve months.
Other Commitments
As of December 31, 2022, other commitments include operating and finance lease payments totaling $24.9 million, of which we expect to make payments of $5.1 million to be settled in the next twelve months. For a more detailed description of our lease obligations, please refer to Note 7 to our consolidated financial statements in Part II, Item 8 “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data”.
42
Table of Contents
Cash Flows
The following table summarizes our sources and uses of cash for the years ended December 31, 2022, and 2021, (in thousands):
Year Ended December 31,
2022 2021
Net cash provided by operating activities $ 260,590 $ 265,425
Net cash used in investing activities (129,945) (39,188)
Net cash used in financing activities (130,610) (226,239)
Net cash provided by operating activities . The $4.8 million decrease in net cash provided by operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to the year ended December 31, 2021, primarily was due to changes in other working capital, offset by an $18.2 million increase in net income, as adjusted for non-cash items.
Net cash used in investing activities . The $90.8 million increase in net cash used in investing activities for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to the year ended December 31, 2021, primarily was due to an $89.0 million increase in capital expenditures, for purchases of new compression units, reconfiguration costs, and other equipment.
Net cash used in financing activities . The $95.6 million decrease in net cash used in financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to the year ended December 31, 2021, primarily was due to (i) an $87.1 million increase in net borrowings under the Credit Agreement and (ii) a $9.4 million decrease in financing costs, primarily due to costs incurred related to the amendment and restatement of our Credit Agreement in the prior comparable period, partially offset by (iii) a $1.1 million increase in common unit distributions.
Revolving Credit Facility
As of December 31, 2022, we were in compliance with all of our covenants under the Credit Agreement. As of December 31, 2022, we had outstanding borrowings under the Credit Agreement of $646.0 million, $954.0 million of availability and, subject to compliance with the applicable financial covenants, available borrowing capacity of $333.1 million.
As of February 9, 2023, we had outstanding borrowings under the Credit Agreement of $677.0 million.
The Credit Agreement matures on December 8, 2026, except that if any portion of the Senior Notes 2026 are outstanding on December 31, 2025, the Credit Agreement will mature on December 31, 2025.
On December 8, 2021, the Partnership amended and restated the Credit Agreement. The Credit Agreement provides for an asset-based revolving credit facility to be made available to the Partnership in an aggregate amount of $1.6 billion. The Partnership’s obligations under the Credit Agreement are guaranteed by the guarantors party to the Credit Agreement, which currently consists of all of the Partnership’s subsidiaries. In addition, the Partnership’s obligations under the Credit Agreement are secured by: (i) substantially all of the Partnership’s assets and substantially all of the assets of the guarantors party to the Credit Agreement, excluding real property and other customary exclusions; and (ii) all of the equity interests of the Partnership’s U.S. restricted subsidiaries (subject to customary exceptions).
Borrowings under the Credit Agreement bear interest at a per-annum interest rate equal to, at the Partnership’s option, either the Alternate Base Rate or SOFR plus the applicable margin. “Alternate Base Rate” means the greatest of (i) the prime rate, (ii) the applicable federal funds effective rate plus 0.50%, and (iii) one-month SOFR rate plus 1.00%. The applicable margin for borrowings varies (a) in the case of SOFR loans, from 2.00% to 2.75% per annum, and (b) in the case of Alternate Base Rate loans, from 1.00% to 1.75% per annum, and are determined based on a total-leverage-ratio pricing grid. In addition, the Borrower is required to pay commitment fees based on the daily unused amount of the Credit Agreement in an amount equal to 0.375% per annum. Amounts borrowed and repaid under the Credit Agreement may be re-borrowed, subject to borrowing base availability.
The Credit Agreement contains various covenants with which the Partnership and its restricted subsidiaries must comply, including, but not limited to, limitations on the incurrence of indebtedness, investments, liens on assets, repurchasing equity and making distributions, transactions with affiliates, mergers, consolidations, dispositions of assets, and other provisions customary in similar types of agreements. The Partnership also must maintain, on a consolidated basis, as of the last day of each fiscal quarter a Total Leverage Ratio (as defined in the Credit Agreement) of not greater than 5.50 to 1.00 through the third fiscal quarter of 2023 and 5.25 to 1.00 thereafter (except that the Partnership may increase the applicable Total Leverage Ratio by 0.25 for any fiscal quarter during which a Specified Acquisition (as defined in the Credit Agreement) occurs and the following two fiscal quarters, but in no event shall the maximum Total Leverage Ratio exceed 5.50 to 1.00 for any fiscal quarter as a
43
Table of Contents
result of such increase); an Interest Coverage Ratio (as defined in the Credit Agreement) of not less than 2.50 to 1.00; and a Secured Leverage Ratio (as defined in the Credit Agreement) of not greater than 3.00 to 1.00 or less than 0.00 to 1.00. The Credit Agreement also contains various customary representations and warranties, affirmative covenants, and events of default.
We expect to remain in compliance with our covenants under the Credit Agreement throughout 2023. If our current cash flow projections prove to be inaccurate, we expect to be able to remain in compliance with such financial covenants by taking one or more of the following actions: issue equity in a public or private offering; request a modification of our covenants from our bank group; reduce distributions from our current distribution rate or suspend distributions altogether; delay discretionary capital spending and reduce operating expenses; or obtain an equity infusion pursuant to the terms of the Credit Agreement.
For a more detailed description of the Credit Agreement, including the covenants and restrictions contained therein, please refer to Note 9 to our consolidated financial statements in Part II, Item 8 “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.”.
Senior Notes
As of December 31, 2022, we had $725.0 million and $750.0 million aggregate principal amount outstanding on our Senior Notes 2026 and Senior Notes 2027, respectively.
The Senior Notes 2026 are due on April 1, 2026, and accrue interest at the rate of 6.875% per year. Interest on the Senior Notes 2026 is payable semi-annually in arrears on each of April 1 and October 1.
The Senior Notes 2027 are due on September 1, 2027, and accrue interest at the rate of 6.875% per year. Interest on the Senior Notes 2027 is payable semi-annually in arrears on each of March 1 and September 1.
For more detailed descriptions of the Senior Notes 2026 and Senior Notes 2027, please refer to Note 9 to our consolidated financial statements in Part II, Item 8 “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data”.
DRIP
During the years ended December 31, 2022, and 2021, distributions of $2.1 million and $1.8 million, respectively, were reinvested under the DRIP resulting in the issuance of 124,255 and 118,399 common units, respectively.
Such distributions are treated as non-cash transactions in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows included in Part II, Item 8 “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this report.
See Note 11 to our consolidated financial statements in Part II, Item 8 “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” for more information regarding the DRIP.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
Adjusted Gross Margin
Adjusted gross margin is a non-GAAP financial measure. We define Adjusted gross margin as revenue less cost of operations, exclusive of depreciation and amortization expense. We believe Adjusted gross margin is useful to investors as a supplemental measure of our operating profitability. Adjusted gross margin primarily is impacted by the pricing trends for service operations and cost of operations, including labor rates for service technicians, volume, and per-unit costs for lubricant oils, quantity and pricing of routine preventative maintenance on compression units, and property tax rates on compression units. Adjusted gross margin should not be considered an alternative to, or more meaningful than, gross margin or any other measure presented in accordance with GAAP. Moreover, our Adjusted gross margin, as presented, may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies. Because we capitalize assets, depreciation and amortization of equipment is a necessary element of our cost structure. To compensate for the limitations of Adjusted gross margin as a measure of our performance, we believe it is important to consider gross margin determined under GAAP, as well as Adjusted gross margin, to evaluate our operating profitability.
44
Table of Contents
The following table reconciles Adjusted gross margin to gross margin, its most directly comparable GAAP financial measure, for each of the periods presented (in thousands):
Year Ended December 31,
2022 2021
Total revenues $ 704,598 $ 632,645
Cost of operations, exclusive of depreciation and amortization (234,336) (194,389)
Depreciation and amortization (236,677) (238,769)
Gross margin $ 233,585 $ 199,487
Depreciation and amortization 236,677 238,769
Adjusted gross margin $ 470,262 $ 438,256
Adjusted EBITDA
We define EBITDA as net income (loss) before net interest expense, depreciation and amortization expense, and income tax expense (benefit). We define Adjusted EBITDA as EBITDA plus impairment of compression equipment, impairment of goodwill, interest income on capital leases, unit-based compensation expense (benefit), severance charges, certain transaction expenses, loss (gain) on disposition of assets, and other. We view Adjusted EBITDA as one of management’s primary tools for evaluating our results of operations, and we track this item on a monthly basis as an absolute amount and as a percentage of revenue compared to the prior month, year-to-date, prior year, and budget. Adjusted EBITDA is used as a supplemental financial measure by our management and external users of our financial statements, such as investors and commercial banks, to assess:
• the financial performance of our assets without regard to the impact of financing methods, capital structure, or the historical cost basis of our assets;
• the viability of capital expenditure projects and the overall rates of return on alternative investment opportunities;
• the ability of our assets to generate cash sufficient to make debt payments and pay distributions; and
• our operating performance as compared to those of other companies in our industry without regard to the impact of financing methods and capital structure.
We believe Adjusted EBITDA provides useful information to investors because, when viewed in conjunction with our GAAP results and the accompanying reconciliations, it may provide a more complete assessment of our performance as compared to considering solely GAAP results. We also believe that external users of our financial statements benefit from having access to the same financial measures that management uses to evaluate the results of our business.
Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered an alternative to, or more meaningful than, net income (loss), operating income (loss), cash flows from operating activities, or any other measure presented in accordance with GAAP. Moreover, our Adjusted EBITDA, as presented, may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies.
Because we use capital assets, depreciation, impairment of compression equipment, loss (gain) on disposition of assets, and the interest cost of acquiring compression equipment also are necessary elements of our aggregate costs. Unit-based compensation expense related to equity awards granted to employees also is a meaningful business expense. Therefore, measures that exclude these cost elements have material limitations. To compensate for these limitations, we believe that it is important to consider net income (loss) and net cash provided by operating activities as determined under GAAP, as well as Adjusted EBITDA, to evaluate our financial performance and liquidity. Our Adjusted EBITDA excludes some, but not all, items that affect net income (loss) and net cash provided by operating activities, and these excluded items may vary among companies. Management compensates for the limitations of Adjusted EBITDA as an analytical tool by reviewing comparable GAAP measures, understanding the differences between the measures, and incorporating this knowledge into their decision making.
45
Table of Contents
The following table reconciles Adjusted EBITDA to net income and net cash provided by operating activities, its most directly comparable GAAP financial measures, for each of the periods presented (in thousands):
Year Ended December 31,
2022 2021
Net income $ 30,318 $ 10,279
Interest expense, net 138,050 129,826
Depreciation and amortization 236,677 238,769
Income tax expense 1,016 874
EBITDA $ 406,061 $ 379,748
Interest income on capital lease — 48
Unit-based compensation expense (1) 15,894 15,523
Transaction expenses (2) 27 34
Severance charges 982 494
Loss (gain) on disposition of assets 1,527 (2,588)
Impairment of compression equipment (3) 1,487 5,121
Adjusted EBITDA $ 425,978 $ 398,380
Interest expense, net (138,050) (129,826)
Non-cash interest expense 7,265 9,765
Income tax expense (1,016) (874)
Interest income on capital lease — (48)
Transaction expenses (27) (34)
Severance charges (982) (494)
Other (851) (2,742)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities (31,727) (8,702)
Net cash provided by operating activities $ 260,590 $ 265,425
________________________
(1) For the years ended December 31, 2022, and 2021, unit-based compensation expense included $4.4 million and $4.2 million, respectively, of cash payments related to quarterly payments of DERs on outstanding phantom unit awards and $1.3 million and $0.3 million, respectively, related to the cash portion of any settlement of phantom unit awards upon vesting. The remainder of unit-based compensation expense for all periods was related to non-cash adjustments to the unit-based compensation liability.
(2) Represents certain expenses related to potential and completed transactions and other items. We believe it is useful to investors to exclude these expenses.
(3) Represents non-cash charges incurred to decrease the carrying value of long-lived assets with recorded values that are not expected to be recovered through future cash flows.
Distributable Cash Flow
We define DCF as net income (loss) plus non-cash interest expense, non-cash income tax expense (benefit), depreciation and amortization expense, unit-based compensation expense (benefit), impairment of compression equipment, impairment of goodwill, certain transaction expenses, severance charges, loss (gain) on disposition of assets, proceeds from insurance recovery, and other, less distributions on Preferred Units and maintenance capital expenditures.
We believe DCF is an important measure of operating performance because it allows management, investors, and others to compare the cash flows that we generate (after distributions on the Preferred Units but prior to any retained cash reserves established by the General Partner and the effect of the DRIP) to the cash distributions that we expect to pay our common unitholders.
DCF should not be considered an alternative to, or more meaningful than, net income (loss), operating income (loss), cash flows from operating activities, or any other measure presented in accordance with GAAP. Moreover, our DCF, as presented, may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies.
Because we use capital assets, depreciation, impairment of compression equipment, loss (gain) on disposition of assets, the interest cost of acquiring compression equipment, and maintenance capital expenditures are necessary components of our
46
Table of Contents
aggregate costs. Unit-based compensation expense related to equity awards granted to employees also is a meaningful business expense. Therefore, measures that exclude these cost elements have material limitations. To compensate for these limitations, we believe that it is important to consider net income (loss) and net cash provided by operating activities as determined under GAAP, as well as DCF, to evaluate our financial performance and liquidity. Our DCF excludes some, but not all, items that affect net income (loss) and net cash provided by operating activities, and these excluded items may vary among companies. Management compensates for the limitations of DCF as an analytical tool by reviewing comparable GAAP measures, understanding the differences between the measures, and incorporating this knowledge into their decision making.
The following table reconciles DCF to net income and net cash provided by operating activities, its most directly comparable GAAP financial measures, for each of the periods presented (in thousands):
Year Ended December 31,
2022 2021
Net income $ 30,318 $ 10,279
Non-cash interest expense 7,265 9,765
Depreciation and amortization 236,677 238,769
Non-cash income tax benefit (151) (42)
Unit-based compensation expense (1) 15,894 15,523
Transaction expenses (2) 27 34
Severance charges 982 494
Loss (gain) on disposition of assets 1,527 (2,588)
Impairment of compression equipment (3) 1,487 5,121
Distributions on Preferred Units (48,750) (48,750)
Maintenance capital expenditures (4) (23,777) (19,477)
DCF $ 221,499 $ 209,128
Maintenance capital expenditures 23,777 19,477
Transaction expenses (27) (34)
Severance charges (982) (494)
Distributions on Preferred Units 48,750 48,750
Other (700) (2,700)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities (31,727) (8,702)
Net cash provided by operating activities $ 260,590 $ 265,425
________________________
(1) For the years ended December 31, 2022, and 2021, unit-based compensation expense included $4.4 million and $4.2 million, respectively, of cash payments related to quarterly payments of DERs on outstanding phantom unit awards and $1.3 million and $0.3 million, respectively, related to the cash portion of any settlement of phantom unit awards upon vesting. The remainder of unit-based compensation expense for all periods was related to non-cash adjustments to the unit-based compensation liability.
(2) Represents certain expenses related to potential and completed transactions and other items. We believe it is useful to investors to exclude these expenses.
(3) Represents non-cash charges incurred to decrease the carrying value of long-lived assets with recorded values that are not expected to be recovered through future cash flows.
(4) Reflects actual maintenance capital expenditures for the period presented. Maintenance capital expenditures are capital expenditures made to maintain the operating capacity of our assets and extend their useful lives, replace partially or fully depreciated assets, or other capital expenditures that are incurred in maintaining our existing business and related cash flow.
Coverage Ratios
DCF Coverage Ratio is defined as the period’s DCF divided by distributions declared to common unitholders in respect of such period. We believe DCF Coverage Ratio is an important measure of operating performance because it permits management, investors, and others to assess our ability to pay cash distributions to common unitholders out of the cash flows that we generate. Our DCF Coverage Ratio, as presented, may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies.
47
Table of Contents
The following table summarizes our DCF Coverage Ratio for the periods presented (dollars in thousands):
Year Ended December 31,
2022 2021
DCF $ 221,499 $ 209,128
Distributions for DCF Coverage Ratio (1) $ 205,559 $ 203,978
DCF Coverage Ratio 1.08 x 1.03 x
________________________
(1) Represents distributions to the holders of our common units as of the record date.
Critical Accounting Estimates
The discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations is based on our financial statements. These financial statements were prepared in conformity with GAAP. As such, we are required to make certain estimates, judgments, and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the periods presented. We base our estimates on historical experience, available information, and other assumptions we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. On an ongoing basis, we evaluate our estimates; however, actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. The accounting estimates that we believe require management’s most difficult, subjective, or complex judgments, and that are the most critical to its reporting of results of operations and financial position are as follows:
Long-Lived Assets
Long-lived assets, which include property and equipment, and intangible assets, comprise a significant amount of our total assets. Long-lived assets to be held and used by us are reviewed to determine whether any events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying amount of the asset may not be recoverable. For long-lived assets to be held and used, we base our evaluation on impairment indicators such as the nature of the assets, the future economic benefit of the assets, the consistency of performance characteristics of compression units in our idle fleet with the performance characteristics of our revenue-generating horsepower, any historical or future profitability measurements, and other external market conditions or factors that may be present. If such impairment indicators are present or other factors exist that indicate the carrying amount of the asset may not be recoverable, we determine whether an impairment has occurred through the use of an undiscounted cash flows analysis. If an impairment has occurred, we recognize a loss for the difference between the carrying amount and the estimated fair value of the asset. The fair value of the asset is measured using quoted market prices or, in the absence of quoted market prices, is based on an estimate of discounted cash flows, the expected net sale proceeds compared to other similarly configured fleet units we recently sold, a review of other units recently offered for sale by third parties, or the estimated component value of similar equipment we plan to continue to use.
Potential events or circumstances that reasonably could be expected to negatively affect the key assumptions we used in estimating whether or not the carrying value of our long-lived assets are recoverable include the consolidation or failure of crude oil and natural gas producers, which may result in a smaller market for our services and may cause us to lose key customers, and cost-cutting efforts by crude oil and natural gas producers, which may cause us to lose current or potential customers or achieve less revenue per customer. If our projections of cash flows associated with our units decline, we may have to record an impairment of compression equipment in future periods.
For the years ended December 31, 2022, and 2021, we evaluated the future deployment of our idle fleet assets under then-existing market conditions and retired 15 and 26 compressor units, respectively, for a total of approximately 3,200 and 11,000 aggregate horsepower, respectively, that previously were used to provide compression services in our business. As a result, we recorded impairments of compression equipment of $1.5 million and $5.1 million for the years ended December 31, 2022, and 2021, respectively. The primary circumstances supporting these impairments were: (i) unmarketability of units into the foreseeable future, (ii) excessive maintenance costs associated with certain fleet assets, and (iii) excessive retrofitting costs that likely would prevent certain units from securing customer acceptance. These compression units were written down to their respective estimated salvage values, if any.
Estimated Useful Lives of Property and Equipment
Property and equipment is carried at cost. Depreciation is computed on a straight-line basis using useful lives that are estimated based on assumptions and judgments that reflect both historical experience and expectations regarding future use of
48
Table of Contents
our assets. The use of different assumptions and judgments in the calculation of depreciation, especially those involving useful lives, likely would result in significantly different net book values of our assets and results of operations.
Commitments and Contingencies
From time to time, we and our subsidiaries may be involved in various claims and litigation arising in the ordinary course of business. Additionally, our compliance with state and local sales tax regulations is subject to audit by various taxing authorities. Certain taxing authorities have either claimed or issued an assessment that specific operational processes, which we and others in our industry regularly conduct, result in transactions that are subject to state sales taxes. We and others in our industry have disputed these claims and assessments based on either existing tax statutes or published guidance by the taxing authorities.
We utilize both internal and external counsel in evaluating our potential exposure to adverse outcomes from orders, judgments, or settlements. While we are unable to predict the ultimate outcome of these actions, the accounting standard for contingencies requires management to make judgments about future events that are inherently uncertain. We are required to record a loss during any period in which we believe a contingency is probable and can be reasonably estimated. To the extent that actual outcomes differ from our estimates, or additional facts and circumstances cause us to revise our estimates, our earnings will be affected. We expense legal costs as incurred, and all recorded legal liabilities are revised, as required, as better information becomes available to us.
We currently are protesting certain assessments made by the Oklahoma Tax Commission (“OTC”). We believe it is reasonably possible that we could incur losses related to this assessment depending on whether the administrative law judge assigned by the OTC accepts our position that the transactions are not taxable and we ultimately lose any and all subsequent legal challenges to such determination. We estimate that the range of losses we could incur is from $0 to approximately $21.8 million, including penalties and interest.
As of December 31, 2021, we had recorded a $44.9 million accrued liability and $44.9 million related-party receivable from Energy Transfer related to open audits with the Office of the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts (the “Comptroller”), wherein the Comptroller had challenged the applicability of the manufacturing exemption. During August 2022, a Compromise and Settlement Agreement (“Agreement”) was entered into with the Comptroller for the period January 1, 2008, through March 31, 2018, related to such open audits. Pursuant to an indemnification agreement between us and Energy Transfer, Energy Transfer paid all amounts due under the Agreement in full. As a result, the $44.9 million accrued liability and $44.9 million related-party receivable from Energy Transfer was reduced to zero as of December 31, 2022.
Allowance for Credit Losses
We maintain an allowance for credit losses for our trade accounts receivable based on specific customer collection issues and historical experience.
Our determination of the allowance for credit losses requires us to make estimates and judgments regarding our customers’ ability to pay amounts due. We continuously evaluate the financial strength of our customers and the overall business climate in which our customers operate, and make adjustments to the allowance for credit losses as necessary. We evaluate the financial strength of our customers by reviewing the aging of their receivables owed to us, our collection experience with the customer, correspondence, financial information, and third-party credit ratings. We evaluate the business climate in which our customers operate by reviewing various publicly available materials regarding our customers’ industry, including the solvency of various companies in the industry.
For the year ended December 31, 2022, we recognized a reversal of $0.7 million of our provision for expected credit losses. Favorable market conditions for customers, attributable to sustained increases in commodity prices, was the primary factor supporting the recorded decrease to the allowance for credit losses for the year ended December 31, 2022.
For the year ended December 31, 2021, we recognized a reversal of $2.7 million of our provision for expected credit losses. Improved market conditions for customers resulting from improved commodity prices was the primary factor supporting the recorded decrease to the allowance for credit losses for the year ended December 31, 2021.