Western Midstream Announces First-Quarter 2024 Results

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• Reported record first-quarter 2024 Net income attributable to limited partners of $559.5 million, generating record first-quarter Adjusted EBITDA⁽¹⁾ of $608.4 million.
• Reported first-quarter 2024 Cash flows provided by operating activities of $399.7 million, generating first-quarter Free cash flow⁽¹⁾ of $225.0 million.
• Announced a first-quarter Base Distribution of $0.875 per unit, or $3.50 per unit on an annualized basis, which represents a 52-percent increase over the prior-quarter’s distribution.
• Completed the start-up of Mentone Train III ("Mentone III") at our West Texas complex in early April.
• Year-to-date, repurchased a total of $150.0 million of senior notes at approximately 96-percent of par.

HOUSTON, May 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Today Western Midstream Partners, LP (NYSE: WES) ("WES" or the "Partnership") announced first-quarter 2024 financial and operating results. Net income (loss) attributable to limited partners for the first quarter of 2024 totaled $559.5 million, or $1.47 per common unit (diluted), with first-quarter 2024 Adjusted EBITDA⁽¹⁾ totaling $608.4 million. First-quarter 2024 Cash flows provided by operating activities totaled $399.7 million, and first-quarter 2024 Free cash flow⁽¹⁾ totaled $225.0 million.

RECENT HIGHLIGHTS

• Gathered record natural-gas throughput across our asset base and in the Delaware Basin of 5.2 Bcf/d and 1.8 Bcf/d, respectively, representing a 2-percent and 3-percent sequential-quarter increase, respectively.
• Achieved operated asset crude-oil and NGLs throughput of 374 MBbls/d, representing a 2-percent sequential-quarter increase.
• Gathered record Delaware Basin produced-water throughput of 1,149 MBbls/d, representing a 7-percent sequential-quarter increase.
• Achieved sequential-quarter throughput growth for both natural-gas and crude-oil and NGLs in the DJ Basin of 2-percent and 7-percent, respectively.
• Closed all five previously announced non-core asset sales for total aggregate proceeds of $794.8 million, including $5.9 million in pro-rata distributions through closing, during and shortly after the end of the first quarter.
• Completed the start-up of Mentone III, increasing WES’s operated, nameplate natural-gas processing capacity by 300 MMcf/d to approximately 1.9 Bcf/d at our West Texas complex in the Delaware Basin.
• Repurchased $15.1 million of senior notes through open-market transactions during the first quarter, and repurchased an additional $134.9 million to date in the second quarter, all at approximately 96-percent of par.

On May 15, 2024, WES will pay its first-quarter 2024 per-unit Base Distribution of $0.875, which is an increase of 52-percent compared to the prior quarter’s distribution. First-quarter 2024 Free cash flow⁽¹⁾ after distributions totaled $1.5 million. First-quarter 2024 capital expenditures⁽²⁾ totaled $205.4 million.

First-quarter 2024 natural-gas throughput⁽³⁾ averaged 5.0 Bcf/d, representing a 2-percent sequential-quarter increase. First-quarter 2024 throughput for crude-oil and NGLs assets⁽³⁾ averaged 565 MBbls/d, representing a 20-percent sequential-quarter decrease as a result of the previously announced equity-investment asset sales. When focusing specifically on operated throughput, crude-oil and NGLs assets averaged 374 MBbls/d, representing a 2-percent sequential-quarter increase. First-quarter 2024 throughput for produced-water assets⁽³⁾ averaged 1,126 MBbls/d, representing a 7-percent sequential-quarter increase.

"The first quarter was very successful for WES as we generated the highest quarterly Net income and Adjusted EBITDA in our partnership’s history," said Michael Ure, President and Chief Executive Officer. "These records were primarily driven by increased throughput across all operated assets and across all products. We also set new gathering records for natural-gas and produced-water throughput in the Delaware Basin, and we continued to experience natural-gas and crude-oil and NGLs throughput growth in the DJ Basin."

"These strong results, coupled with increased throughput expectations predominately in the Delaware Basin, have caused us to increase our average year-over-year throughput growth expectations for 2024. Additionally, this improved outlook puts WES in a strong position to achieve the high-end of our previously announced 2024 Adjusted EBITDA and Free cash flow guidance ranges."

"I am also extremely pleased to announce that Mentone III at our West Texas complex in the Delaware Basin is now in service and has reached nameplate capacity of 300 MMcf/d. I would like to thank and congratulate the teams that worked so diligently to bring this project to fruition. The addition of Mentone III will bring WES’s operated natural-gas processing capacity in the Delaware Basin to approximately 1.9 Bcf/d and represents our first, major new-build construction project since becoming a standalone enterprise in early 2020."

"We also have now successfully closed on all five of the previously announced non-core asset sales, which enabled us to accelerate the deleveraging process following the fully debt-financed Meritage Midstream acquisition that closed in the fourth quarter of 2023. As of the end of the first quarter, WES’s net leverage ratio on a trailing-twelve-month basis was approximately 3.3 times, which incorporates our five-and-a-half months ownership of Meritage as well as the proceeds received from the non-core asset sales that closed during the first quarter, and we expect to reduce leverage to, or below, our 3.0 times leverage threshold by year-end," continued Mr. Ure.

"Additionally, we remain committed to our strong capital-return framework, and we continue to have line of sight to returning incremental capital to stakeholders as the business performs and Free cash flow continues to grow. Our consistent focus on prudently allocating capital, targeting strong returns, and generating meaningful amounts of Free cash flow has optimized the MLP model and transformed WES into a leader within the midstream space. The adoption of strong operating philosophies combined with our low leverage, robust Free cash flow, and diversified asset base has resulted in a more viable partnership with a strong financial foundation that is well positioned to survive through challenging commodity cycles and market conditions," concluded Mr. Ure.

CONFERENCE CALL TOMORROW AT 1:00 P.M. CT

WES will host a conference call on Thursday, May 9, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. Central Time (2:00 p.m. Eastern Time) to discuss its first-quarter 2024 results. To access the live audio webcast of the conference call, please visit the investor relations section of the Partnership’s website at www.westernmidstream.com. A small number of phone lines are available for analysts; individuals should dial 800-836-8184 (Domestic) or 646-357-8785 (International) ten to fifteen minutes before the scheduled conference call time. A replay of the live audio webcast can be accessed on the Partnership’s website at www.westernmidstream.com for one year after the call.

For additional details on WES’s financial and operational performance, please refer to the earnings slides and updated investor presentation available at www.westernmidstream.com.

ABOUT WESTERN MIDSTREAM

Western Midstream Partners, LP ("WES") is a master limited partnership formed to develop, acquire, own, and operate midstream assets. With midstream assets located in Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming, WES is engaged in the business of gathering, compressing, treating, processing, and transporting natural gas; gathering, stabilizing, and transporting condensate, natural-gas liquids, and crude oil; and gathering and disposing of produced water for its customers. In its capacity as a natural-gas processor, WES also buys and sells natural gas, natural-gas liquids, and condensate on behalf of itself and its customers under certain gas processing contracts. A substantial majority of WES’s cash flows are protected from direct exposure to commodity price volatility through fee-based contracts.

For more information about WES, please visit www.westernmidstream.com.

This news release contains forward-looking statements. WES’s management believes that its expectations are based on reasonable assumptions. No assurance, however, can be given that such expectations will prove correct. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the projections, anticipated results, or other expectations expressed in this news release. These factors include our ability to meet financial guidance or distribution expectations; our ability to safely and efficiently operate WES’s assets; the supply of, demand for, and price of oil, natural gas, NGLs, and related products or services; our ability to meet projected in-service dates for capital-growth projects; construction costs or capital expenditures exceeding estimated or budgeted costs or expenditures; and the other factors described in the "Risk Factors" section of WES’s most-recent Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and other public filings and press releases. WES undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements.

 

WESTERN MIDSTREAM CONTACTS

Daniel Jenkins
Director, Investor Relations
[email protected]
866.512.3523

Rhianna Disch
Manager, Investor Relations
[email protected]
866.512.3523

 

 

 

Western Midstream Partners, LP
RECONCILIATION OF GAAP TO NON-GAAP MEASURES

 

WES defines Adjusted gross margin attributable to Western Midstream Partners, LP ("Adjusted gross margin") as total revenues and other (less reimbursements for electricity-related expenses recorded as revenue), less cost of product, plus distributions from equity investments, and excluding the noncontrolling interest owners’ proportionate share of revenues and cost of product.

WES defines Adjusted EBITDA as net income (loss), plus (i) distributions from equity investments, (ii) non-cash equity-based compensation expense, (iii) interest expense, (iv) income tax expense, (v) depreciation and amortization, (vi) impairments, and (vii) other expense (including lower of cost or market inventory adjustments recorded in cost of product), less (i) gain (loss) on divestiture and other, net, (ii) gain (loss) on early extinguishment of debt, (iii) income from equity investments, (iv) interest income, (v) income tax benefit, (vi) other income, and (vii) the noncontrolling interest owners’ proportionate share of revenues and expenses.

WES defines Free cash flow as net cash provided by operating activities less total capital expenditures and contributions to equity investments, plus distributions from equity investments in excess of cumulative earnings. Management considers Free cash flow an appropriate metric for assessing capital discipline, cost efficiency, and balance-sheet strength. Although Free cash flow is the metric used to assess WES’s ability to make distributions to unitholders, this measure should not be viewed as indicative of the actual amount of cash that is available for distributions or planned for distributions for a given period. Instead, Free cash flow represents the amount of cash that is available in aggregate for distributions, debt repayments, and other general partnership purposes.

Below are reconciliations of (i) gross margin (GAAP) to Adjusted gross margin (non-GAAP), (ii) net income (loss) (GAAP) and net cash provided by operating activities (GAAP) to Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP), and (iii) net cash provided by operating activities (GAAP) to Free cash flow (non-GAAP), as required under Regulation G of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Management believes that Adjusted gross margin, Adjusted EBITDA, and Free cash flow are widely accepted financial indicators of WES’s financial performance compared to other publicly traded partnerships and are useful in assessing WES’s ability to incur and service debt, fund capital expenditures, and make distributions. Adjusted gross margin, Adjusted EBITDA, and Free cash flow as defined by WES, may not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies. Therefore, WES’s Adjusted gross margin, Adjusted EBITDA, and Free cash flow should be considered in conjunction with net income (loss) attributable to Western Midstream Partners, LP and other applicable performance measures, such as gross margin or cash flows provided by operating activities.

 

 

 

 

 

 

SOURCE Western Midstream Partners, LP