Earnings Labs

Genesis Energy, L.P. (GEL)

Q4 2014 Earnings Call· Thu, Feb 19, 2015

$17.30

+2.22%

Key Takeaways · AI generated
AI summary not yet generated for this transcript. Generation in progress for older transcripts; check back soon, or browse the full transcript below.

Same-Day

+0.95%

1 Week

-4.61%

1 Month

-4.78%

vs S&P

-4.79%

Transcript

Unidentified Company Representative

Management

Welcome to the 2014 Fourth Quarter Conference Call for Genesis Energy. Beginning with this quarter Genesis will report its results in five business segments. The Onshore Pipeline Transportation Division is principally engaged in the pipeline transportation of crude oil. The Offshore Pipeline Transportation Division is engaged in providing the critical infrastructure to move oil produced from the long-lived world class reservoirs in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico to onshore refining centers. The Refinery Services Division primarily processes sour gas streams to remove sulfur at refining operations. The Marine Transportation Division is engaged in the maritime transportation of primarily refined petroleum products. The Supply and Logistics Division is engaged in the transportation, handling, blending, storage and supply of energy products including crude oil and refined products. Genesis operations are primarily located in Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Wyoming and the Gulf of Mexico. During this conference call, management may be making forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The law provides Safe Harbor protection to encourage companies to provide forward-looking information. Genesis intends to avail itself of those Safe Harbor provisions and direct you to its most recently filed and future filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We also encourage you to visit our Web site at genesisenergy.com, where a copy of the press release we issued today is located. The press release also presents a reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures to the most comparable GAAP financial measures. At this time, I would like to introduce Grant Sims, CEO of Genesis Energy L.P. Mr. Sims will be joined by Bob Deere, Chief Financial Officer, and Karen Pape, Chief Accounting Officer.

Grant Sims

Management

Good morning and welcome to everyone. This morning we reported available cash before reserves of $62.9 million providing 1.11 times coverage of the distribution we paid on February 13th. That distribution of $0.595 per unit represents the 38th consecutive increase in our quarterly distribution, 33 of which have been greater than 10% over the prior year's quarter and none of which has been less than 8.7%. Our fourth quarter and 2014 results included a non-recurring charges related to our decision to exit certain third-party terminal facilities historically leased by us to support our heavy fuel oil business, including non-recurring cost of approximately $5 million. Our results also include the effects of the change in our unit price on our equity-based compensation plan expense included in available cash before reserves, which had a positive impact of approximately 3.5 million. Pro forma available cash before reserves excluding the effects of these items would have been 64.4 million, excluding the effects of these items as well as the effects of the approximately 1.75 million Class 4 waiver units that were converted to common units during the fourth quarter of 2014. Our pro forma coverage ratio would have been 1.16 for the fourth quarter of 2014. Oil prices have obviously declined. They can potentially go lower and are likely to remain low relative to recent memory for some time. In general our operations are not directly sensitive to the price of oil. We are much less merchanty if there's such a word and we think most people believe. In certain instances the demand for some of our services we can provide can be affected by certain location spread, but the overall performance of our business is not significantly much less materially affected by absolute price levels more geographic spreads. Going through our now expanded…

Bob Deere

Management

Thank you, Grant. In the fourth quarter of 2014, we generated total available cash before reserves of $62.9 million representing an increase of $14.5 million or 30% over the fourth quarter of 2013. Adjusted EBITDA increased $20.5 million over the prior year quarter to $82.5 million representing 33.1% year-over-year growth. Income from continuing operations for the quarter was 26.2 million or $0.28 per unit compared to $16.7 million or $0.19 per unit for the same period in 2013. Beginning with the fourth quarter of 2014, we will be reporting our results on a comparative basis in five business segments. Our previously reported pipeline segment will be reported in two segments, one containing the results of our onshore pipelines and the other containing the results of our offshore pipelines. Additionally due to the growth of our marine business, we will report those results separately from the remaining businesses in our supply and logistics segment. Segment margin from our Onshore Pipeline Transportation segment increased $300,000 or 2% between the fourth quarter periods. The increase was primarily the result of the addition of the Louisiana pipeline system during 2014. Offshore Pipeline Transportation segment margin increased $12.1 million and 92% between the fourth quarter periods. The increase was primarily the result of the financial contribution of the minimum throughput requirements on our SEKCO pipeline which was completed in July 2014. Upon completion of the SEKCO pipeline, we began earning certain minimum fees despite no crude oil throughput until the first quarter of 2015. All of the throughput volumes will benefit our Poseidon pipeline, but not additional contribution from SEKCO unless and until -- but we'll not add additional contribution from SEKCO unless and until throughput exceeds the minimums in our contracts. Refinery Services segment margin increased $1 million or 5% between the fourth quarter…

Grant Sims

Management

Thanks Bob. As discussed even in the lower pricing environment and in-spite of the headwinds which are limited to the first quarter, our businesses are performing well and we expect them to continue to do so. We expect to continue to be well served by our business strategies, including being primarily refinery centric and supporting long-lived world class oil developments as integrated in large independent energy companies. I recall our fourth quarter 2008 conference call. Those were scary times. The world was on the brink of financial collapse and going through a physical de-inventory. No one knew if the sun was going to come up tomorrow. We were all talking about the new normal. Our unit price then was $9.50. Since then, we have paid over $10.50 in cumulative distributions increasing our quarterly distribution before, during and after that real crisis each and every quarter never pausing. These are not scary times like that. We continue to believe our business is coupled with our complementary acquisitions and expected volume ramp from our ongoing suite of organic projects to become operational this year should position us well to continue to achieve our financial goals. As always, we'd like to recognize the efforts in commitment of all of those with whom we're fortunate enough to work including their commitment to providing safe, responsible and reliable services. With that, I'll turn it back to the moderator for any questions.

Operator

Operator

[Operator Instructions]. The first question comes from the line of Cory Garcia with Raymond James. Your line is open.

Cory Garcia

Analyst

I appreciate all the commentary around sort of the misperception, if you will of sort of the merchant business. One quick question I guess drilling down a little bit on your Walnut Hill facility, that one seems to be a little bit more unique where you guys are positioned not necessarily competing with pipes are a lot of people are fearing that, but have you guys seen much of an impact given what we’ve seen in today’s crude environment on shipments into that facility and sort of how should we view that under a new, call it $50 to $60 oil price environment?

Grant Sims

Management

We have seen at Walnut Hill in particular lower year-over-year volumes and we experienced a year ago obviously, it’s not material by any stretch but it is again designed to except rail barrels going into refinery which currently the primary customer currently gets over three quarters of its total crude off of waterborne imports. And we subsequently also through some interconnectivity with the third party now have the ability to offer the same rail unloading facilities to another larger 300,000 plus barrel a day refinery, and we’re working to work out the logistical and contractual arrangements to hopefully increase the throughput through that facility.

Cory Garcia

Analyst

So it sounds like the optionality is actually even improving in that facility right now?

Grant Sims

Management

Correct.

Cory Garcia

Analyst

And kind of switching focus onto the offshore marine market, clearly a very nice acquisition with American Phoenix. Should we view or I guess how do you guys view the growth opportunity set in that market? Is it more of an opportunistic one-off transaction or is there more push that we should see from you guys over the next call, several quarters?

Grant Sims

Management

We felt that M/T America Phoenix was in essence a one-off opportunity for us. We were very familiar with the contract to the counterparties providing both inland marine services for them previously, and so we felt very comfortable with it. We do think that the name of the game it continues to be of getting the right barrel to the right location and while we would evaluate expanding that asset class, it’s not something that we’re necessarily singularly focused on but to the extent that we believe that we can acquire other assets similar to it at the right price and with the right contracted value proposition, it’s something that we would consider.

Operator

Operator

[Operator Instructions] There are no further questions at this time. I will turn the call back over to Mr. Sims for closing remarks.

Grant Sims

Management

Well, thank you very much. Hopefully we didn’t have any technical difficulties on this one as we did on the last quarter call. But we’ll talk to you in another three months or so, if not sooner. Thank you.

Operator

Operator

This concludes today’s conference call. You may now disconnect.