USA Compression Partners, LP 10-Q

ITEM 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations USA Compression Partners, LP (the “Partnership”) is a Delaware limited partnership that operates as one of the nation’s largest independent providers of natural gas compression services in terms of total compression fleet horsepower. We are managed by our general partner, USA Compression GP, LLC (the “General Partner”), which is wholly owned by Energy Transfer. All references in this section to the Partnership, as well as the terms “our,” “we,” “us,” and “its” refer to USA Compression Partners, LP, together with its consolidated subsidiaries, unless the context otherwise requires or where otherwise indicated. DISCLOSURE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This report contains “forward-looking statements.” All statements other than statements of historical fact contained in this report are forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding our plans, strategies, prospects, and expectations concerning our business, results of operations, and financial condition. Many of these statements can be identified by words such as “believe,” “expect,” “intend,” “project,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “continue,” “if,” “outlook,” “will,” “could,” “should,” or similar words or the negatives thereof. Known material factors that could cause our actual results to differ from those represented within these forward-looking statements are described in Part I, Item 1A “Risk Factors” of our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, filed on February 13, 2024 (our “2023 Annual Report”), as well as our subsequent filings with the SEC. Important factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements include, among other things: • changes in economic conditions of the crude oil and natural gas industries, including any impact from the ongoing military conflict involving Russia and Ukraine or the conflict in the Middle East; • changes in general economic conditions, including inflation or supply chain disruptions; • changes in the long-term supply of and demand for crude oil and natural gas, including as a result of actions taken by governmental authorities and other third parties in response to world health events, and the resulting disruption in the oil and gas industry and impact on demand for oil and gas; • competitive conditions in our industry, including competition for employees in a tight labor market; • changes in the availability and cost of capital, including changes to interest rates; • renegotiation of material terms of customer contracts; • actions taken by our customers, competitors, and third-party operators; • operating hazards, natural disasters, epidemics, pandemics, weather-related impacts, casualty losses, and other matters beyond our control; • the deterioration of the financial condition of our customers, which may result in the initiation of bankruptcy proceedings with respect to certain customers; • the restrictions on our business that are imposed under our long-term debt agreements; • information technology risks including the risk from cyberattacks, cybersecurity breaches, and other disruptions to our information systems; • the effects of existing and future laws and governmental regulations; and • the effects of future litigation. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict or anticipate all factors that could affect results reflected in the forward-looking statements contained herein. Should one or more of the risks or uncertainties described in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q occur, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results and plans could differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements included in this report are based on information available to us as of the date of this report and speak only as of the date of this report. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the foregoing cautionary statements. 19 Table of Contents 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. Three Months Ended March 31, Increase 2024 2023 (Decrease) Fleet horsepower (at period end) (1) 3,833,715 3,725,111 2.9 % Total available horsepower (at period end) (2) 3,858,500 3,872,611 (0.4) % Revenue-generating horsepower (at period end) (3) 3,497,457 3,260,535 7.3 % Average revenue-generating horsepower (4) 3,473,007 3,241,296 7.1 % Average revenue per revenue-generating horsepower per month (5) $ 19.96 $ 18.19 9.7 % Revenue-generating compression units (at period end) 4,249 4,170 1.9 % Average horsepower per revenue-generating compression unit (6) 819 780 5.0 % Horsepower utilization (7): At period end 94.8 % 92.7 % 2.1 % Average for the period (8) 94.8 % 92.6 % 2.2 % ________________________________ (1) Fleet horsepower is horsepower for compression units that have been delivered to us (and excludes units on order). As of March 31, 2024, we had 5,000 large horsepower on order for delivery, all of which was delivered in April 2024. (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 as of March 31, 2024 and 2023, was 91.2% and 87.5%, 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 for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, was 91.0% and 87.2%, respectively. The 2.9% increase in fleet horsepower as of March 31, 2024, compared to March 31, 2023, primarily was driven by new compression units added to our fleet to meet incremental demand from customers for our compression services. The increases in revenue-generating horsepower, revenue-generating compression units, average horsepower per revenue-generating compression unit, horsepower utilization, and horsepower utilization based on revenue-generating horsepower and fleet horsepower as of or for the three months ended March 31, 2024, compared to March 31, 2023, primarily were driven by the addition and deployment of new, and redeployment of existing, large-horsepower compression units due to increased demand for our services commensurate with an overall increase in U.S. oil and gas production levels. The 9.7% increase in average revenue per revenue-generating horsepower per month for the three months ended March 31, 2024, compared to the three months ended March 31, 2023, primarily was due to higher market-based rates on newly deployed and redeployed compression units, and CPI-based and other market-based price increases on existing customer contracts that occur as market conditions permit. 20 Table of Contents Financial Results of Operations Three months ended March 31, 2024, compared to the three months ended March 31, 2023 The following table summarizes our results of operations for the periods presented (dollars in thousands): Three Months Ended March 31, 2024 2023 Increase Revenues: Contract operations $ 218,104 $ 188,539 15.7 % Parts and service 5,460 3,878 40.8 % Related party 5,712 4,707 21.4 % Total revenues 229,276 197,124 16.3 % Costs and expenses: Cost of operations, exclusive of depreciation and amortization 75,072 66,665 12.6 % Depreciation and amortization 63,251 59,486 6.3 % Selling, general, and administrative 22,827 19,101 19.5 % Loss (gain) on disposition of assets 1,254 (376) * Impairment of compression equipment — 1,191 * Total costs and expenses 162,404 146,067 11.2 % Operating income 66,872 51,057 31.0 % Other income (expense): Interest expense, net (46,666) (39,790) 17.3 % Loss on extinguishment of debt (4,966) — * Gain on derivative instrument 8,771 — * Other 34 24 41.7 % Total other expense (42,827) (39,766) 7.7 % Net income before income tax expense 24,045 11,291 113.0 % Income tax expense 472 350 34.9 % Net income $ 23,573 $ 10,941 115.5 % ________________________________ * Not meaningful Contract operations revenue . The $29.6 million increase in contract operations revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2024, compared to the three months ended March 31, 2023, primarily was due to (i) a 9.7% increase in average revenue per revenue-generating horsepower per month, as a result of higher market-based rates on newly deployed and redeployed compression units, and CPI-based and other market-based price increases on existing customer contracts that occur as market conditions permit and (ii) a 7.1% increase in average revenue-generating horsepower as a result of increased demand for our services, commensurate with an overall increase in U.S. oil and gas production levels. 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 $1.6 million increase in parts and service revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2024, compared to the three months ended March 31, 2023, 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 $1.0 million increase in related-party revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2024, compared to the three months ended March 31, 2023, primarily was due to an increase in revenues attributable to natural gas treating services driven by increased demand for these services from these entities. 21 Table of Contents Cost of operations, exclusive of depreciation and amortization . The $8.4 million increase in cost of operations, exclusive of depreciation and amortization, for the three months ended March 31, 2024, compared to the three months ended March 31, 2023, primarily was due to (i) a $5.0 million increase in direct labor costs due to increased headcount associated with increased revenue-generating horsepower and higher employee costs, (ii) a $4.1 million increase in direct expenses, primarily driven by increased spending on fluids and parts resulting from higher costs and increased usage associated with increased revenue-generating horsepower, (iii) a $0.8 million increase in retail parts and service expenses, for which a corresponding increase in parts and service revenue also occurred, (iv) a $0.6 million increase in other indirect expenses primarily due to increased consumption and costs of supplies associated with increased revenue-generating horsepower, partially offset by (v) a $2.5 million decrease in outside maintenance costs due to lower use of third-party labor during the current period. Depreciation and amortization expense . The $3.8 million increase in depreciation and amortization expense for the three months ended March 31, 2024, compared to the three months ended March 31, 2023, primarily was due to (i) overhauls and major improvements to compression units, (ii) new trucks in our vehicle fleet, and (iii) new compression units placed in service to meet incremental demand from customers. Selling, general, and administrative expense . The $3.7 million increase in selling, general, and administrative expense for the three months ended March 31, 2024, compared to the three months ended March 31, 2023, primarily was due to (i) a $2.0 million increase in professional fees primarily related to an initiative to improve business performance, (ii) a $1.0 million increase in unit-based compensation expense, attributable to mark-to-market changes to our unit-based compensation liability that occurred as a result of changes to our per-unit trading price as of March 31, 2024, and (iii) a $0.5 million increase in employee-related expenses driven by increased headcount. Impairment of compression equipment . The $1.2 million impairment of compression equipment for the three months ended March 31, 2023 primarily resulted from our evaluation of the future deployment of our idle fleet under then-current market conditions. The primary circumstances supporting these impairments were: (i) unmarketability of certain compression units into the foreseeable future, (ii) excessive maintenance costs associated with certain fleet assets, and (iii) prohibitive retrofitting costs that likely would prevent certain compression units from securing customer acceptance. These compression units were written down to their estimated salvage values, if any. As a result of our evaluation during the three months ended March 31, 2023, we retired six compression units representing approximately 8,700 of aggregate horsepower that previously were used to provide compression services in our business. There was no impairment of compression equipment for the three months ended March 31, 2024. Interest expense, net . The $6.9 million increase in interest expense, net for the three months ended March 31, 2024, compared to the three months ended March 31, 2023, primarily was due to increased borrowings and higher weighted-average interest rates under the Credit Agreement. The average outstanding borrowings under the Credit Agreement were $886.9 million and $670.0 million for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively, and the weighted-average interest rate applicable to borrowings under the Credit Agreement was 7.99% and 7.15% for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. Loss on extinguishment of debt. The $5.0 million loss on extinguishment of debt for the three months ended March 31, 2024 resulted from the satisfaction and discharge of the Senior Notes 2026, which constituted a legal defeasance under GAAP (the “Defeasance”). This loss consists of the write-off of deferred financing costs of $4.3 million and the difference between (i) the purchase price of U.S. government securities of $748.8 million, which were used for the Defeasance, and (ii) the aggregate outstanding principal balance and accrued interest of the Senior Notes 2026 of $748.1 million at the time of Defeasance. For additional information regarding the Defeasance of the Senior Notes 2026, see Note 8 to our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements under Part I, Item 1 “Financial Statements” of this report. Gain on derivative instrument. The $8.8 million gain on derivative instrument for the three months ended March 31, 2024, resulted from the increase in fair value of the interest-rate swap due to an increase in the interest-rate forward curve and cash received during the current period. We had no derivative instruments outstanding for the three months ended March 31, 2023. 22 Table of Contents Other Financial Data The following table summarizes other financial data for the periods presented (dollars in thousands): Other Financial Data: (1) Three Months Ended March 31, Increase 2024 2023 (Decrease) Gross margin $ 90,953 $ 70,973 28.2 % Adjusted gross margin $ 154,204 $ 130,459 18.2 % Adjusted gross margin percentage (2) 67.3 % 66.2 % 1.1 % Adjusted EBITDA $ 139,395 $ 118,161 18.0 % Adjusted EBITDA percentage (2) 60.8 % 59.9 % 0.9 % DCF $ 86,589 $ 62,613 38.3 % DCF Coverage Ratio 1.41 x 1.21 x 16.5 % ________________________________ (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 $20.0 million increase in gross margin for the three months ended March 31, 2024, compared to the three months ended March 31, 2023, was due to (i) a $32.2 million increase in revenues, offset by (ii) an $8.4 million increase in cost of operations, exclusive of depreciation and amortization, and (iii) a $3.8 million increase in depreciation and amortization. Adjusted gross margin and Adjusted gross margin percentage. The $23.7 million increase in Adjusted gross margin for the three months ended March 31, 2024, compared to the three months ended March 31, 2023, was due to a $32.2 million increase in revenues, offset by an $8.4 million increase in cost of operations, exclusive of depreciation and amortization. The 1.1% increase in Adjusted gross margin percentage for the three months ended March 31, 2024, compared to the three months ended March 31, 2023, primarily was due to inflation-driven pressures easing within cost of operations, exclusive of depreciation and amortization, and CPI-based and other market-based price increases on customer contracts that occur as market conditions permit. Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA percentage . The $21.2 million increase in Adjusted EBITDA for the three months ended March 31, 2024, compared to the three months ended March 31, 2023, primarily was due to a $23.7 million increase in Adjusted gross margin, partially offset by a $2.5 million increase in selling, general, and administrative expenses, excluding unit-based compensation expense, transaction expenses, and severance charges. The 0.9% increase in Adjusted EBITDA percentage for the three months ended March 31, 2024, compared to the three months ended March 31, 2023, primarily was due to inflation-driven pressures easing within cost of operations, exclusive of depreciation and amortization, and CPI-based and other market-based price increases on customer contracts that occur as market conditions permit. DCF . The $24.0 million increase in DCF for the three months ended March 31, 2024, compared to the three months ended March 31, 2023, primarily was due to (i) a $23.7 million increase in Adjusted gross margin, (ii) a $7.8 million decrease in distributions on Preferred Units following the conversion of 320,000 Preferred Units into 15,990,804 common units during 2024, (iii) a $2.4 million increase in cash received on derivative instrument, partially offset by (iv) a $6.7 million increase in cash interest expense, net, (v) a $2.5 million increase in selling, general, and administrative expenses, excluding unit-based compensation expense, transaction expenses, and severance charges, and (vi) a $0.7 million increase in maintenance capital expenditures. For additional information regarding the conversion of the Preferred Units, see Note 9 to our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements under Part I, Item 1 “Financial Statements” of this report. DCF Coverage Ratio . The increase in DCF Coverage Ratio for the three months ended March 31, 2024, compared to the three months ended March 31, 2023, was due to the increase in DCF, partially offset by increased distributions due to an increase in the number of common units, largely attributable to the conversion of 320,000 Preferred Units into 15,990,804 common units during 2024 and the conversion of warrants into 2,360,488 common units during 2023. 23 Table of Contents Liquidity and Capital Resources Overview We operate in a capital-intensive industry, and our primary liquidity needs include financing the purchase of additional compression units, making other capital expenditures, servicing our debt, funding working capital, and paying cash distributions on our outstanding preferred and common equity. 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 for the next 12 months. 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. 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 three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, were $5.8 million and $5.0 million, respectively. We currently plan to spend approximately $32.0 million in maintenance capital expenditures for the year 2024, including parts consumed from inventory. Without giving effect to any equipment that we may acquire pursuant to any future acquisitions, we currently plan to spend between $115.0 million and $125.0 million in expansion capital expenditures for the year 2024. Our expansion capital expenditures for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, were $104.8 million and $51.2 million, respectively. As of March 31, 2024, we had binding commitments to purchase $5.9 million worth of additional compression units and serialized parts, all of which is expected to be settled within the next twelve months. Cash Flows The following table summarizes our sources and uses of cash for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, (in thousands): Three Months Ended March 31, 2024 2023 Net cash provided by operating activities $ 65,917 $ 42,338 Net cash used in investing activities (98,573) (40,861) Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities 32,653 (1,506) Net cash provided by operating activities . The $23.6 million increase in net cash provided by operating activities for the three months ended March 31, 2024, compared to the three months ended March 31, 2023, primarily was due to (i) an increase in cash flows from a $23.7 million increase in Adjusted gross margin and (ii) an $18.4 million decrease in cash paid for interest, 24 Table of Contents net of capitalized amounts, driven by the Defeasance of the Senior Notes 2026, partially offset by (iii) a $17.7 million increase in inventory purchases. Net cash used in investing activities . The $57.7 million increase in net cash used in investing activities for the three months ended March 31, 2024, compared to the three months ended March 31, 2023, was due to a $57.2 million increase in capital expenditures, for purchases of new compression units, overhauls and major improvements, and purchases of other equipment, and a $0.5 million decrease in proceeds from disposition of property and equipment. Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities . The $34.2 million decrease in net cash used in financing activities for the three months ended March 31, 2024, compared to the three months ended March 31, 2023, primarily was due to (i) a $1.0 billion increase in proceeds from issuance of the Senior Notes 2029, partially offset by (ii) a $748.8 million increase in investments in government securities purchased in connection with the Defeasance of the Senior Notes 2026, (iii) a $198.8 million decrease in net borrowings under the Credit Agreement, (iv) a $16.6 million increase in deferred financing costs driven by the issuance of the Senior Notes 2029, and (v) a $2.6 million increase in common unit distributions. Revolving Credit Facility As of March 31, 2024, we had outstanding borrowings under the Credit Agreement of $736.1 million and, after accounting for outstanding letters of credit in the amount of $0.5 million, $863.4 million of remaining unused availability, of which, due to restrictions related to compliance with the applicable financial covenants, $429.3 million was available to be drawn. As of March 31, 2024, we were in compliance with all of our covenants under the Credit Agreement. As of May 2, 2024, we had outstanding borrowings under the Credit Agreement of $782.5 million and outstanding letters of credit of $0.5 million. For a more detailed description of the Credit Agreement, see Note 8 to our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements in Part I, Item 1 “Financial Statements” of this report and Note 9 to the consolidated financial statements in Part II, Item 8 “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” included in our 2023 Annual Report. Senior Notes As of March 31, 2024, we had $750.0 million and $1.0 billion aggregate principal amount outstanding on our Senior Notes 2027 and Senior Notes 2029, respectively. On March 5, 2024, we provided notice to the holders of our Senior Notes 2026 that, contingent on receipt of the proceeds from the Senior Notes 2029, the Senior Notes 2026 would be redeemed at par on April 4, 2024. On March 18, 2024, utilizing a portion of the proceeds from the Senior Notes 2029, we deposited government securities with the trustee to satisfy and discharge the Senior Notes 2026 under the Indenture governing the notes. This satisfaction and discharge constituted a legal defeasance, or the Defeasance, under GAAP as of March 18, 2024 of the full outstanding principal balance of $725.0 million. The Senior Notes 2026 were redeemed in full at par on April 4, 2024. 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. The Senior Notes 2029 are due on March 15, 2029, and accrue interest at the rate of 7.125% per year. Interest on the Senior Notes 2029 is payable semi-annually in arrears on each of March 15 and September 15, commencing on September 15, 2024. Net proceeds from the Senior Notes 2029 were used for the Defeasance, with the remainder used to reduce outstanding borrowings under our Credit Agreement. For more detailed descriptions of the Defeasance, Senior Notes 2027, and Senior Notes 2029, see Note 8 to our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements in Part I, Item 1 “Financial Statements” of this report and, for the Senior Notes 2027, Note 10 to the consolidated financial statements in Part II, Item 8 “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” included in our 2023 Annual Report. Derivative Instrument We have an interest-rate swap outstanding to manage interest-rate risk associated with the floating-rate Credit Agreement, see Note 7 to our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements in Part I, Item 1 “Financial Statements” of this report for additional information on this interest-rate swap. 25 Table of Contents DRIP During the three months ended March 31, 2024, distributions of $0.4 million were reinvested under the DRIP resulting in the issuance of 17,050 common units. Such distributions are treated as non-cash transactions in the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated statements of cash flows included under Part I, Item 1 “Financial Statements” of this report. 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. 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): Three Months Ended March 31, 2024 2023 Total revenues $ 229,276 $ 197,124 Cost of operations, exclusive of depreciation and amortization (75,072) (66,665) Depreciation and amortization (63,251) (59,486) Gross margin $ 90,953 $ 70,973 Depreciation and amortization 63,251 59,486 Adjusted gross margin $ 154,204 $ 130,459 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, loss on extinguishment of debt, loss (gain) on derivative instrument, 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. 26 Table of Contents 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. 27 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): Three Months Ended March 31, 2024 2023 Net income $ 23,573 $ 10,941 Interest expense, net 46,666 39,790 Depreciation and amortization 63,251 59,486 Income tax expense 472 350 EBITDA $ 133,962 $ 110,567 Unit-based compensation expense (1) 7,769 6,779 Transaction expenses (2) 108 — Severance charges 107 — Loss (gain) on disposition of assets 1,254 (376) Loss on extinguishment of debt (3) 4,966 — Gain on derivative instrument (8,771) — Impairment of compression equipment (4) — 1,191 Adjusted EBITDA $ 139,395 $ 118,161 Interest expense, net (46,666) (39,790) Non-cash interest expense 1,995 1,822 Income tax expense (472) (350) Transaction expenses (108) — Severance charges (107) — Cash received on derivative instrument 2,422 — Other 60 (15) Changes in operating assets and liabilities (30,602) (37,490) Net cash provided by operating activities $ 65,917 $ 42,338 ________________________________ (1) For the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, unit-based compensation expense included $1.0 million and $1.1 million, respectively, of cash payments related to quarterly payments of DERs on outstanding phantom unit awards. 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) This loss on extinguishment of debt is a result of the Defeasance of the Senior Notes 2026. This amount represents the write-off of deferred financing costs of $4.3 million and the difference between (i) the purchase price of U.S. government securities of $748.8 million and (ii) the aggregate outstanding principal balance and accrued interest of the Senior Notes 2026 of $748.1 million at the time of Defeasance. (4) 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. 28 Table of Contents 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, loss on extinguishment of debt, change in fair value of derivative instrument, 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 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. 29 Table of Contents 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): Three Months Ended March 31, 2024 2023 Net income $ 23,573 $ 10,941 Non-cash interest expense 1,995 1,822 Depreciation and amortization 63,251 59,486 Non-cash income tax expense (benefit) 60 (15) Unit-based compensation expense (1) 7,769 6,779 Transaction expenses (2) 108 — Severance charges 107 — Loss (gain) on disposition of assets 1,254 (376) Loss on extinguishment of debt (3) 4,966 — Change in fair value of derivative instrument (6,349) — Impairment of compression equipment (4) — 1,191 Distributions on Preferred Units (5) (4,388) (12,187) Maintenance capital expenditures (6) (5,757) (5,028) DCF $ 86,589 $ 62,613 Maintenance capital expenditures 5,757 5,028 Transaction expenses (108) — Severance charges (107) — Distributions on Preferred Units 4,388 12,187 Changes in operating assets and liabilities (30,602) (37,490) Net cash provided by operating activities $ 65,917 $ 42,338 ________________________________ (1) For the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, unit-based compensation expense included $1.0 million and $1.1 million, respectively, of cash payments related to quarterly payments of DERs on outstanding phantom unit awards. 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) This loss on extinguishment of debt is a result of the Defeasance of the Senior Notes 2026. This amount represents the write-off of deferred financing costs of $4.3 million and the difference between (i) the purchase price of U.S. government securities of $748.8 million and (ii) the aggregate outstanding principal balance and accrued interest of the Senior Notes 2026 of $748.1 million at the time of Defeasance. (4) 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. (5) During 2024, 320,000 Preferred Units were converted into 15,990,804 common units, all of which occurred on or prior to the distribution record date. (6) 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. DCF Coverage Ratio 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 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. 30 Table of Contents The following table summarizes our DCF Coverage Ratio for the periods presented (dollars in thousands): Three Months Ended March 31, 2024 2023 DCF $ 86,589 $ 62,613 Distributions for DCF Coverage Ratio (1) $ 61,422 $ 51,585 DCF Coverage Ratio 1.41 x 1.21 x ________________________________ (1) Represents distributions to the holders of our common units as of the record date. Critical Accounting Estimates The Partnership’s critical accounting estimates are described in Part II, Item 7 “Critical Accounting Estimates” of our 2023 Annual Report. There have been no material changes to our critical accounting estimates since the date of our 2023 Annual Report. 31 Table of Contents