WES
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Western Midstream Announces Second-Quarter 2022 Results

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  • Reported second-quarter 2022 Net income attributable to limited partners of $299.6 million, generating second-quarter record-breaking Adjusted EBITDA(1) of $548.3 million.
  • Reported second-quarter 2022 Cash flows provided by operating activities of $467.0 million, generating second-quarter Free cash flow(1) of $372.1 million.
  • Repurchased 17.1 million common units for aggregate consideration of $425.4 million year-to-date through July 29, 2022.


Today Western Midstream Partners, LP (NYSE: WES) (“WES” or the “Partnership”) announced second-quarter 2022 financial and operating results. Net income (loss) attributable to limited partners for the second quarter of 2022 totaled $299.6 million, or $0.74 per common unit (diluted), with second-quarter 2022 Adjusted EBITDA(1) totaling $548.3 million, second-quarter 2022 Cash flows provided by operating activities totaling $467.0 million, and second-quarter 2022 Free cash flow(1) totaling $372.1 million.

RECENT HIGHLIGHTS

  • Processed record Delaware Basin natural-gas throughput of 1.5 Bcf/d for the second quarter, representing a 13-percent sequential-quarter increase.
  • Gathered record Delaware Basin produced-water throughput of 864 MBbls/d for the second quarter, representing a 15-percent sequential-quarter increase.
  • Repurchased 17,115,367 common units for aggregate consideration of $425.4 million year-to-date through July 29, 2022, which includes 10,000,000 common units purchased from Occidental on July 21, 2022, as part of the previously announced buyback program of up to $1.0 billion of the Partnership’s common units through December 31, 2024. Total common units repurchased since September 2020 now represents 13.2% of total unaffected units outstanding.
  • Retired $502.2 million of Senior notes due 2022 on April 1, 2022, and repurchased an additional $1.4 million of senior notes through open-market transactions by quarter end. Total senior notes repurchased since January 2020 now exceeds $1.65 billion.

On August 12, 2022, WES will pay its second-quarter 2022 per-unit distribution of $0.50, which is in line with the prior quarter’s distribution and is consistent with the Partnership’s previously announced annualized regular quarterly distribution (“Base Distribution”) target of $2.00 per unit. Second-quarter 2022 Free cash flow after distributions totaled $165.9 million. Second-quarter 2022 and year-to-date capital expenditures(3) totaled $124.1 million and $210.7 million, respectively.

Second-quarter 2022 total natural-gas throughput(5) averaged 4.3 Bcf/d, representing a 5-percent sequential-quarter increase. Second-quarter 2022 total throughput for crude-oil and NGLs assets(5) averaged 666 MBbls/d, representing a 1-percent sequential-quarter decrease. Second-quarter 2022 total throughput for produced-water assets(5) averaged 864 MBbls/d, representing a 15-percent sequential-quarter increase.

“WES continued its track record of strong operational and financial performance by achieving record-breaking Adjusted EBITDA for the second straight quarter and generating substantial Free cash flow,” said Michael Ure, President and Chief Executive Officer. “Our second-quarter success was primarily driven by increased throughput across all three products in the Delaware Basin and higher distributions from our equity investments, partially offset by higher operation and maintenance expense. With our substantial asset footprint in the Delaware Basin and strong producer activity levels, we expect continued throughput growth through the remainder of 2022 and into 2023.”

Mr. Ure continued, “Over the last two years, we have focused on efficiently allocating capital and improving the health of our balance sheet. By increasing our financial flexibility, we have been well positioned to capitalize on recent market dynamics and opportunistically return a significant amount of capital to our unitholders. As of July 29th, we have now completed approximately 43-percent of our $1.0 billion unit buyback program that continues through year-end 2024. Inclusive of these additional unit repurchases post quarter end, our Debt-to-Trailing Twelve Month Adjusted EBITDA ratio remains below our year-end net leverage threshold of 3.4x, which puts us in a strong position to assess other opportunities to return additional capital to our unitholders.”

2021 – 2022 SUSTAINABILITY REPORT

Today WES released its third-annual Sustainability Report focused on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues. The report details the Partnership’s continued focus on its three core pillars of its ESG approach – supporting sustainable environments, focusing on people, and operating responsibly. To download and read the full report, please click on the Sustainability section of our website at www.westernmidstream.com.

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

WES will host a conference call on Thursday, August 4, 2022, at 1:00 p.m. Central Time (2:00 p.m. Eastern Time) to discuss second-quarter 2022 results. To participate, individuals should dial 888-330-2354 (Domestic) or 240-789-2706 (International) fifteen minutes before the scheduled conference call time and enter participant access code 32054. 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 replay of the conference call also will be available on the website following 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 Delaware master limited partnership formed to acquire, own, develop, and operate midstream assets. With midstream assets located in Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, and Pennsylvania, 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 as an agent for its customers under certain contracts.

For more information about Western Midstream Partners, LP, 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; the ultimate impact of efforts to fight COVID-19 on the global economy and any related impact on commodity demand and prices; 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 and Form 10-Q 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.

________________________________________

(1)

Please see the definitions of the Partnership’s non-GAAP measures at the end of this release and reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP measures.

(2)

A reconciliation of the Adjusted EBITDA range to net cash provided by operating activities and net income (loss), and a reconciliation of the Free cash flow range to net cash provided by operating activities, is not provided because the items necessary to estimate such amounts are not reasonably estimable at this time. These items, net of tax, may include, but are not limited to, impairments of assets and other charges, divestiture costs, acquisition costs, or changes in accounting principles. All of these items could significantly impact such financial measures. At this time, WES is not able to estimate the aggregate impact, if any, of these items on future period reported earnings. Accordingly, WES is not able to provide a corresponding GAAP equivalent for the Adjusted EBITDA or Free cash flow ranges.

(3)

Accrual-based, includes equity investments, excludes capitalized interest, and excludes capital expenditures associated with the 25% third-party interest in Chipeta.

(4)

Subject to Board review and approval on a quarterly basis based on the needs of the business.

(5)

Represents total throughput attributable to WES, which excludes (i) the 2.0% Occidental subsidiary-owned limited partner interest in WES Operating and (ii) for natural-gas throughput, the 25% third-party interest in Chipeta, which collectively represent WES’s noncontrolling interests.

Western Midstream Partners, LP

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(Unaudited)

Three Months Ended

Six Months Ended

June 30,

June 30,

thousands except per-unit amounts

2022

2021

2022

2021

Revenues and other

Service revenues – fee based

$

655,952

$

618,985

$

1,287,550

$

1,191,260

Service revenues – product based

70,498

27,803

111,365

59,455

Product sales

149,736

72,256

235,325

143,061

Other

233

87

476

329

Total revenues and other

876,419

719,131

1,634,716

1,394,105

Equity income, net – related parties

48,464

58,666

98,071

110,831

Operating expenses

Cost of product

148,556

78,044

221,404

167,013

Operation and maintenance

168,153

153,028

297,129

293,360

General and administrative

47,848

44,448

96,450

89,564

Property and other taxes

22,662

17,967

41,104

32,351

Depreciation and amortization

139,036

137,849

273,618

268,402

Long-lived asset and other impairments

90

12,738

90

27,604

Total operating expenses

526,345

444,074

929,795

878,294

Gain (loss) on divestiture and other, net

(1,150

)

1,225

(780

)

642

Operating income (loss)

397,388

334,948

802,212

627,284

Interest expense

(80,772

)

(95,290

)

(166,227

)

(193,783

)

Gain (loss) on early extinguishment of debt

91

91

(289

)

Other income (expense), net

(45

)

84

61

(1,123

)

Income (loss) before income taxes

316,662

239,742

636,137

432,089

Income tax expense (benefit)

1,491

1,465

3,296

2,577

Net income (loss)

315,171

238,277

632,841

429,512

Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests

8,854

7,018

17,807

12,462

Net income (loss) attributable to Western Midstream Partners, LP

$

306,317

$

231,259

$

615,034

$

417,050

Limited partners’ interest in net income (loss):

Net income (loss) attributable to Western Midstream Partners, LP

$

306,317

$

231,259

$

615,034

$

417,050

General partner interest in net (income) loss

(6,767

)

(4,964

)

(13,550

)

(8,957

)

Limited partners’ interest in net income (loss)

$

299,550

$

226,295

$

601,484

$

408,093

Net income (loss) per common unit – basic

$

0.74

$

0.55

$

1.49

$

0.99

Net income (loss) per common unit – diluted

$

0.74

$

0.55

$

1.49

$

0.99

Weighted-average common units outstanding – basic

403,027

413,070

403,140

413,087

Weighted-average common units outstanding – diluted

404,162

413,720

404,280

413,557

Western Midstream Partners, LP

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(Unaudited)

June 30,

December 31,

thousands except number of units

2022

2021

Total current assets

$

863,443

$

684,764

Net property, plant, and equipment

8,477,567

8,512,907

Other assets

2,047,849

2,075,408

Total assets

$

11,388,859

$

11,273,079

Total current liabilities

$

754,677

$

1,140,197

Long-term debt

6,656,123

6,400,616

Asset retirement obligations

303,548

298,275

Other liabilities

369,508

338,231

Total liabilities

8,083,856

8,177,319

Equity and partners’ capital

Common units (400,248,341 and 402,993,919 units issued and outstanding at June 30, 2022,

and December 31, 2021, respectively)

3,164,328

2,966,955

General partner units (9,060,641 units issued and outstanding at June 30, 2022, and

December 31, 2021)

(2,825

)

(8,882

)

Noncontrolling interests

143,500

137,687

Total liabilities, equity, and partners’ capital

$

11,388,859

$

11,273,079

Western Midstream Partners, LP

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(Unaudited)

Six Months Ended

June 30,

thousands

2022

2021

Cash flows from operating activities

Net income (loss)

$

632,841

$

429,512

Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by operating activities and

changes in assets and liabilities:

Depreciation and amortization

273,618

268,402

Long-lived asset and other impairments

90

27,604

(Gain) loss on divestiture and other, net

780

(642

)

(Gain) loss on early extinguishment of debt

(91

)

289

Change in other items, net

(163,799

)

(11,504

)

Net cash provided by operating activities

$

743,439

$

713,661

Cash flows from investing activities

Capital expenditures

$

(191,357

)

$

(139,928

)

Contributions to equity investments – related parties

(5,040

)

(3,508

)

Distributions from equity investments in excess of cumulative earnings – related parties

25,407

21,373

Proceeds from the sale of assets to third parties

1,096

8,003

(Increase) decrease in materials and supplies inventory and other

(1,053

)

7,656

Net cash used in investing activities

$

(170,947

)

$

(106,404

)

Cash flows from financing activities

Borrowings, net of debt issuance costs

$

634,010

$

100,000

Repayments of debt

(883,548

)

(531,085

)

Increase (decrease) in outstanding checks

13,038

(29,102

)

Distributions to Partnership unitholders

(340,946

)

(264,234

)

Distributions to Chipeta noncontrolling interest owner

(3,182

)

(1,521

)

Distributions to noncontrolling interest owner of WES Operating

(8,812

)

(5,292

)

Net contributions from (distributions to) related parties

784

4,508

Unit repurchases

(79,217

)

(16,241

)

Other

(9,184

)

(3,639

)

Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities

$

(677,057

)

$

(746,606

)

Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents

$

(104,565

)

$

(139,349

)

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period

201,999

444,922

Cash and cash equivalents at end of period

$

97,434

$

305,573

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 should be considered indicative of the amount of cash that is available 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.

Western Midstream Partners, LP

RECONCILIATION OF GAAP TO NON-GAAP MEASURES (CONTINUED)

(Unaudited)

Adjusted Gross Margin

Three Months Ended

June 30,

March 31,

thousands

2022

2022

Reconciliation of Gross margin to Adjusted gross margin

Total revenues and other

$

876,419

$

758,297

Less:

Cost of product

148,556

72,848

Depreciation and amortization

139,036

134,582

Gross margin

588,827

550,867

Add:

Distributions from equity investments

66,016

55,795

Depreciation and amortization

139,036

134,582

Less:

Reimbursed electricity-related charges recorded as revenues

19,042

18,404

Adjusted gross margin attributable to noncontrolling interests (1)

19,166

18,090

Adjusted gross margin

$

755,671

$

704,750

Adjusted gross margin for natural-gas assets

$

528,983

$

488,909

Adjusted gross margin for crude-oil and NGLs assets

155,686

148,247

Adjusted gross margin for produced-water assets

71,002

67,594

(1) For all periods presented, includes (i) the 25% third-party interest in Chipeta and (ii) the 2.0% Occidental subsidiary-owned limited partner interest in WES Operating, which collectively represent WES’s noncontrolling interests.

Western Midstream Partners, LP

RECONCILIATION OF GAAP TO NON-GAAP MEASURES (CONTINUED)

(Unaudited)

Adjusted EBITDA

Three Months Ended

June 30,

March 31,

thousands

2022

2022

Reconciliation of Net income (loss) to Adjusted EBITDA

Net income (loss)

$

315,171

$

317,670

Add:

Distributions from equity investments

66,016

55,795

Non-cash equity-based compensation expense

7,038

7,743

Interest expense

80,772

85,455

Income tax expense

1,491

1,805

Depreciation and amortization

139,036

134,582

Impairments

90

Other expense

181

Less:

Gain (loss) on divestiture and other, net

(1,150

)

370

Gain (loss) on early extinguishment of debt

91

Equity income, net – related parties

48,464

49,607

Other income

106

Adjusted EBITDA attributable to noncontrolling interests (1)

14,072

13,917

Adjusted EBITDA

$

548,318

$

539,050

Reconciliation of Net cash provided by operating activities to Adjusted EBITDA

Net cash provided by operating activities

$

466,981

$

276,458

Interest (income) expense, net

80,772

85,455

Accretion and amortization of long-term obligations, net

(1,804

)

(1,782

)

Current income tax expense (benefit)

703

673

Other (income) expense, net

45

(106

)

Distributions from equity investments in excess of cumulative earnings – related parties

15,482

9,925

Changes in assets and liabilities:

Accounts receivable, net

114,696

165,134

Accounts and imbalance payables and accrued liabilities, net

(97,201

)

14,292

Other items, net

(17,284

)

2,918

Adjusted EBITDA attributable to noncontrolling interests (1)

(14,072

)

(13,917

)

Adjusted EBITDA

$

548,318

$

539,050

Cash flow information

Net cash provided by operating activities

$

466,981

$

276,458

Net cash used in investing activities

(99,330

)

(71,617

)

Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities

(518,466

)

(158,591

)

(1) For all periods presented, includes (i) the 25% third-party interest in Chipeta and (ii) the 2.0% Occidental subsidiary-owned limited partner interest in WES Operating, which collectively represent WES’s noncontrolling interests.

Western Midstream Partners, LP

RECONCILIATION OF GAAP TO NON-GAAP MEASURES (CONTINUED)

(Unaudited)

Free Cash Flow

Three Months Ended

June 30,

March 31,

thousands

2022

2022

Reconciliation of Net cash provided by operating activities to Free cash flow

Net cash provided by operating activities

$

466,981

$

276,458

Less:

Capital expenditures

107,386

83,971

Contributions to equity investments – related parties

2,970

2,070

Add:

Distributions from equity investments in excess of cumulative earnings – related parties

15,482

9,925

Free cash flow

$

372,107

$

200,342

Cash flow information

Net cash provided by operating activities

$

466,981

$

276,458

Net cash used in investing activities

(99,330

)

(71,617

)

Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities

(518,466

)

(158,591

)

Western Midstream Partners, LP

OPERATING STATISTICS

(Unaudited)

Three Months Ended

June 30,

March 31,

2022

2022

Throughput for natural-gas assets (MMcf/d)

Gathering, treating, and transportation

410

406

Processing

3,501

3,325

Equity investments (1)

516

479

Total throughput

4,427

4,210

Throughput attributable to noncontrolling interests (2)

157

152

Total throughput attributable to WES for natural-gas assets

4,270

4,058

Throughput for crude-oil and NGLs assets (MBbls/d)

Gathering, treating, and transportation

320

315

Equity investments (3)

360

374

Total throughput

680

689

Throughput attributable to noncontrolling interests (2)

14

14

Total throughput attributable to WES for crude-oil and NGLs assets

666

675

Throughput for produced-water assets (MBbls/d)

Gathering and disposal

882

766

Throughput attributable to noncontrolling interests (2)

18

15

Total throughput attributable to WES for produced-water assets

864

751

Per-Mcf Adjusted gross margin for natural-gas assets (4)

$

1.36

$

1.34

Per-Bbl Adjusted gross margin for crude-oil and NGLs assets (5)

2.57

2.44

Per-Bbl Adjusted gross margin for produced-water assets (6)

0.90

1.00

(1) Represents the 22% share of average Rendezvous throughput, 50% share of average Mi Vida and Ranch Westex throughput, and 30% share of average Red Bluff Express throughput.
(2) For all periods presented, includes (i) the 2.0% Occidental subsidiary-owned limited partner interest in WES Operating and (ii) for natural-gas assets, the 25% third-party interest in Chipeta, which collectively represent WES’s noncontrolling interests.

(3)

Represents the 10% share of average White Cliffs throughput; 25% share of average Mont Belvieu JV throughput; 20% share of average TEG, TEP, Whitethorn, and Saddlehorn throughput; 33.33% share of average FRP throughput; and 15% share of average Panola and Cactus II throughput.

(4)

Average for period. Calculated as Adjusted gross margin for natural-gas assets, divided by total throughput (MMcf/d) attributable to WES for natural-gas assets.

(5)

Average for period. Calculated as Adjusted gross margin for crude-oil and NGLs assets, divided by total throughput (MBbls/d) attributable to WES for crude-oil and NGLs assets.

(6)

Average for period. Calculated as Adjusted gross margin for produced-water assets, divided by total throughput (MBbls/d) attributable to WES for produced-water assets.

Western Midstream Partners, LP

OPERATING STATISTICS (CONTINUED)

(Unaudited)

Three Months Ended

June 30,

March 31,

2022

2022

Throughput for natural-gas assets (MMcf/d)

Delaware Basin

1,493

1,326

DJ Basin

1,336

1,321

Equity investments

516

479

Other

1,082

1,084

Total throughput for natural-gas assets

4,427

4,210

Throughput for crude-oil and NGLs assets (MBbls/d)

Delaware Basin

198

192

DJ Basin

83

88

Equity investments

360

374

Other

39

35

Total throughput for crude-oil and NGLs assets

680

689

Throughput for produced-water assets (MBbls/d)

Delaware Basin

882

766

Total throughput for produced-water assets

882

766

Daniel Jenkins

Director, Investor Relations

[email protected]

832.636.1009

Shelby Keltner

Manager, Investor Relations

[email protected]

832.636.1009

Source: Western Midstream Partners, LP.

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