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KLX Energy Services Holdings, Inc. (KLXE)

Q2 2022 Earnings Call· Fri, Aug 12, 2022

$3.73

+6.91%

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Transcript

Operator

Operator

Greetings and welcome to the KLX Energy Services Second Quarter Earnings Conference Call. As a reminder, this conference is being recorded. It’s now my pleasure to introduce your host, Ken Dennard, Investor Relations. Thank you, Ken. You may now begin.

Ken Dennard

Management

Thank you, operator and good morning everyone. We appreciate you joining us for KLX Energy Services conference call and webcast to review second quarter 2022 results. With me today are Chris Baker, KLX Energy’s President and Chief Executive Officer; and Keefer Lehner, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Following my remarks, management will provide a high level commentary on the financial details of the second quarter and outlook before opening the call for your questions. There will be a replay of today’s call that will be available by webcast on the company’s website at klxenergy.com, also be a telephonic recorded replay available until August 26, 2022. More information on how to access these replay features were included in yesterday’s earnings release. Please note that information reported on this call speaks only as of today, August 12, 2022. And therefore, you are advised that time-sensitive information may no longer be accurate as of the time of any replay listening or transcript reading. Also, comments on this call may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States federal securities laws. These forward-looking statements reflect the current views of KLX management. However, various risks and uncertainties and contingencies could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed in the statements made by management. The listener or reader is encouraged to read the annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K to understand certain of those risks, uncertainties and contingencies. The comments today may also include certain non-GAAP financial measures. Additional details and reconciliations to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures are included in the quarterly press release, which can be found on the KLX Energy’s website. And now with that behind me, I’d like to turn the call over to KLX Energy Services President and CEO, Mr. Chris Baker. Chris?

Chris Baker

Management

Thank you, Ken and good morning everyone. Thank you for joining us today. We are very excited to discuss our Q2 results, which exceeded the top end of our prior guidance for both revenue and more importantly, adjusted EBITDA margin as well as our go-forward outlook. The broader macro backdrop for KLX’s services continued to experience strong demand despite somewhat volatile commodity prices. Average U.S. rig count was up approximately 13% during the quarter. Frac spread count was up 4% sequentially. Crude prices averaged over $108 per barrel and natural gas averaged $7.50 per MMBtu. Additionally, supply chain and qualified personnel constraints, continues to support improved pricing. The fundamental industry backdrop remains strong and certainly feels like we are at the very beginning of a multiyear OFS up-cycle. During the second quarter, KLX generated $184.4 million in revenue, up 21% sequentially from $152.3 million in Q1, which was above the top end of our prior guidance. Likewise, we generated Q2 adjusted EBITDA of $17.4 million, increasing $12.5 million sequentially or 255%. Adjusted EBITDA margin increased to 9.4% from 3.2% sequentially or approximately 3x higher than Q1, which was also above the top end of our prior guidance. We continue to benefit from significant operating leverage, driven by the 2020 merger with QES and the associated synergies, but we also experienced higher utilization and more importantly, significantly improved pricing across all product and service lines in the second quarter. In fact, I am proud to say that both revenue and margin increased in every single product line quarter-over-quarter, except for one. We continue to experience extremely high utilization across our drilling, completion, production and intervention businesses due to strong demand for our equipment and services. Directional drilling charge days were up 15% versus a rig count increase of approximately 13%. Fishing…

Keefer Lehner

Management

Thank you, Chris. Good morning, everyone. I will begin this morning by discussing our second quarter 2022 consolidated results, where we experienced broad-based improvement in our revenue and margins across all geo segments and product service lines. For the second quarter, revenues were $184.4 million, an increase of $32.1 million or 21% as compared to the first quarter. Revenue growth was driven by broad increases in our drilling, completion, production and intervention activity and pricing across the majority of our core geographic markets. On a product line basis, drilling, completion, production and intervention products and services contributed approximately 28%, 50%, 12% and 10% to revenue respectively for the second quarter of 2022. These relative contributions are largely unchanged from Q1 and we saw our largest sequential revenue increases in pressure pumping, coiled tubing, directional drilling, wireline, rentals and accommodations. Adjusted operating income for the second quarter was $2.6 million. This is the first positive quarterly result on the adjusted operating income line since Q2 of 2019. Adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margin were $17.4 million and 9.4%, respectively. Adjusted operating income and adjusted EBITDA improved sequentially by $12.1 million and $12.5 million or 127% and 255%, respectively. We generated a very strong 39% incremental margin from Q1 to Q2. Note, we continue to be burdened by $2.1 million of quarterly lease expense related to leased coiled tubing packages. We do not add this cost back, but it does impact comparability to our peer results. Total SG&A expense for Q2 was approximately $18 million, which equates to roughly 9.8% of Q2 revenue. If you back out nonrecurring G&A expense, we were really at 8.6% of revenue. As we’ve discussed on prior calls, post the QES merger integration, KLX now has one of the most efficient fixed cost structures in the OFS…

Chris Baker

Management

Thanks, Keefer. Before we wrap up, I’d like to share some more detail on our outlook and expectations for Q3 in the remainder of 2022. With operating efficiencies in mind, customers are choosing to work with the most experienced and reliable crews and equipment for their drilling and completion and production programs. The tight labor market continues to be a net benefit for KLX as it continues to be the primary catalyst for further improved pricing. Plus KLX is able to attract employees and crews, given our strong reputation, the latest generation equipment and technology and long-standing relationships with top operators. Our pricing strategy and higher utilization should further reduce whitespace through the remainder of 2022. We continue to evaluate opportunities and have seen success in cross-selling and pulling through multiple KLX product lines across the vast number of wells that we touch. We will continue to review opportunities from both a pricing and returns perspective by prioritizing the deployment of assets to customers and basins that maximize free cash flow generation. By deploying our assets in the most profitable basis, we can leverage our operational expertise with improving market dynamics amid a volatile commodity backdrop. Looking ahead, we are extremely bullish about Q3 and the second half of 2022. We exited June on a strong run rate and expect to benefit from a favorable macro backdrop with net pricing improvements and are very confident that we will continue to grow our top line and drive margin expansion in Q3 and into 2023. We expect sequential third quarter revenue growth between 9% and 13%, and Q3 adjusted EBITDA margins to be in the range of 10% to 12%. We are also increasing our full year revenue guidance to a range of $730 million to $750 million. And based on the current trajectory and expected results, believe we may return to positive free cash flow by year end. In closing, we are very excited about the future for KLX. And most importantly, I want to thank our team for delivering superior operational performance in the second quarter. Eliminating white space and maximizing utilization to drive financial results doesn’t come without personal sacrifice and tremendous coordination and planning to maximize revenue and margin opportunities by every single KLX team member. The KLX team executed exceptionally well in the second quarter. We believe we are well on our way back to pre-pandemic activity and margin levels, and KLX is uniquely positioned to benefit from the current up cycle and deliver improved results in the second half of 2022 and beyond. With that, we will now take your questions. Operator?

Operator

Operator

Thank you. And our first question is from the line of John Daniel with Daniel Energy Partners. Please proceed with your question.

John Daniel

Analyst

Hi, good morning, guys.

Chris Baker

Management

Good morning.

Keefer Lehner

Management

Yes. Hi, good morning.

John Daniel

Analyst

Chris, in your prepared – thanks for put me in. In your remarks, you talked about some of the segments with idle capacity that could still be deployed. Could you go through that again? I missed that. And then just elaborate a little bit on what’s out there?

Chris Baker

Management

Yes, sure. Look, we did not – excuse me, we did not give unit counts in that capacity. But I think we’re trying to provide the market with more transparency on our product lines that are really driving the results, right. And I think we did a good job at that talking about where assets and day count was up. As we think about incremental unit capacity, it’s really, as you well know, the coiled tubing space, the wireline space. And then on our frac valve rental business, we have assets that are either undergoing refurbishment or prepared to be deployed if the market warrants in certain basins and if customers have demand. And we’re seeing incremental utilization, and we definitely saw improved results materially in Q2 for all of those businesses, but we’re evaluating the market before we deploy additional assets.

John Daniel

Analyst

Okay, fain enough. Because I was doing the monthly monkey math looking at the revenue guidance and what you’ve got year-to-date and I did this in my head. So I could be wrong here because I was driving, but I had similar to Q4, the implied revenue in that $240 millionish range just by doing the math. I think I’m not mistaken. And so therefore, that would be up quarter-over-quarter. Normally, there is some seasonality that have exposure to weather prone areas. It just feels really good. And so any color there and how you get there from Q4 versus Q3, if my math is right and then the way of driving?

Chris Baker

Management

Yes. So look, we did not guide on Q4 yet. We’re still evaluating to your point seasonality. We brought up last quarter. There is always the potential for fourth quarter budget exhaustion. We are not seeing or hearing that from our clients. And in fact, we’re actually seeing the opposite. We’re seeing a lot of RFQs for – especially on the smaller operator side for incremental fourth quarter activity. So the revenue guide effectively 9% to 13% up quarter-over-quarter for Q3, if you’re extrapolating further into Q4, potentially you get there. I think if seasonality hits it, that’s still TBD at this point in time.

John Daniel

Analyst

Okay. Alright. And I guess the last one is, most of the companies have reported, particularly on the drilling side, talked about the inquiries for 2023, incremental equipment from customers. Can you just speak big picture to what customers are asking you as you prep for ‘23? Any color would be appreciated.

Chris Baker

Management

Yes. So look, we’ve heard about that, I think, more on the drilling and in the completion side, specifically within frac where you typically see contracted service lines, right? We are in the initial throes of talking to customers on RFQs for wireline and other completion type services, the frac rental business, etcetera. But we are definitely having conversations with customers where they are starting to talk about programs that kick off at the end of this year and are going to run flat out through next year. As you well know, it’s well before budget season for our E&P clients. And so they are all initial conversations, right.

John Daniel

Analyst

Okay. Well, that’s all I had. Thank you for taking my questions.

Chris Baker

Management

Appreciate it, John.

Ken Dennard

Management

Thanks John. Chris, Keefer, we have received a number of e-mail questions for people that weren’t going to be on the call or typically don’t ask questions out loud on the call. But the first one was related to M&A. And it says, looks like OFS consolidation has picked back up with recent transactions in coiled tubing and directional drilling. How are you thinking about the M&A landscape for services? And how does KLX fit into the equation?

Chris Baker

Management

Yes. Appreciate it, Ken. I will jump in here. So, we saw a few deals get done in Q2 and early Q3 in both coiled and directional drilling. Candidly, it’s nice to see non-distressed deals getting done as consolidation as we talked about previously is desperately needed in the OFS space. Our customers have done a fantastic job of consolidating the industry, especially in the Rockies and the Marcellus. But the service sector candidly, has not kept pace. And so we think the consolidation is needed. Candidly, we think it improves our marketplace, whether we are a participant in that consolidation similar to the recent deals or not. It’s not just going to improve the marketplace for the target or the acquirer. So, we think KLX is well positioned to continue to participate in consolidation, and we think our improved financial results and long history of successfully integrating acquisitions and growing through consolidation proves out that strategy.

Ken Dennard

Management

Thanks. The next question came regarding ESG. And I wanted to know what steps are KLX taking to address ESG and climate change in the field and strategically?

Chris Baker

Management

Yes. Appreciate it, Ken. I mean look, we have evaluated a number of opportunities on the ESG front throughout our history, including carbon sequestration, methane containment and how our assets might be able to participate in some of those markets as well as looking at drilling geothermal wells. What I would say our primary focus on the ESG front today is really the continuation of electrifying various components of our fleet where that makes sense via conversions or otherwise. And so we have talked about in the past that at this point in time, we have got two electric hybrid wireline units. We are currently undergoing conversions for two additional units. We have actually converted one of our CT units and one of our snubbing units to electric hybrid units, and we are adding electric trucks to our fleet as available and where appropriate. So, we have had conversations with a couple of specific customers in one basin that we would like to have a fully electric KLX spread on the footprint in the very near future. Additionally, we just commercialized our Gen 3 dissolvable plug and have numerous other initiatives in R&D that will assist with our ESG goals along the way. And so from a regulatory and compliance standpoint, we are working to stay ahead of all the regulatory bodies in order to make sure that we collect, analyze all the required data for KLX and our customers. But we expect to know more on formal reporting requirements later this year, early next year.

Ken Dennard

Management

Thank you. Keefer, this one is probably coming to you. The next question here about credit was, given the significant improvement in EBITDA, how are you thinking through options with the balance sheet for both the ABL and the notes?

Keefer Lehner

Management

Yes. Thanks Ken. If you look at June 30th balance sheet and borrowing base certificate, we exited Q2 with gross availability of about $71 million. If you back out the structural holdback related to our fixed charge coverage ratio, that’s a springing covenant in the ABL dock. That holdback was $14 million. You get to about $57 million of available liquidity as of the end of the second quarter. Regarding that ABL facility, it does mature in the fall of next year. So, we continue to advance options with lenders in order to address that maturity prior to the facility going current, including an amend and extend option. On the note side of your question, the notes don’t mature until the fall of 2025. And based on our run rate Q2 results, we are now below 4x net leverage ratio. We didn’t explicitly guide on Q3 adjusted EBITDA guidance, but we did forecast sequential revenue growth as well as an uptick in margins to be 10% to 12% in the third quarter, which would imply that on a run rate basis, our net leverage ratio should continue to improve going forward. So, I think with that said, we are rapidly approaching a much more normalized credit profile, certainly on a run rate basis today. And then lastly, in addition to just the continued improvement in our underlying business and our financial results, we continue to have optionality and opportunities to augment our credit profile, liquidity position and then just from a strategic positioning perspective as well, utilizing both our ATM program as well as the planned asset sales that Chris mentioned during our prepared remarks.

Ken Dennard

Management

Thanks. And speaking of margins, the next question says it appears you experienced very strong sequential margin from Q1 to Q2, how do you think about operating leverage and margins going forward?

Chris Baker

Management

Yes. So, Ken, I will jump in. This is Chris. Keefer can add as necessary. I think to put things in perspective rig count averaged 74 rigs during Q2. We generated an annualized adjusted EBITDA of about $70 million at a 9%-plus margin. The last time rig count was at this level for a quarter was actually Q1 of 2020. And at that point, we were generating annualized EBITDA of approximately $16 million at a 3% margin for that period. So, I think the benefit of fixed cost reductions that we have seen associated with the merger are permanent. They are real. And it should be readily apparent I think when the reader or somebody is doing the math comparing our current performance to historical. I would say the delay in drag in realizing some of that candidly has been similar to many of our peers as you un-stack assets off the fence line, etcetera. R&M expenses increased, and some of that takes a little while to normalize until you reach a certain revenue scale and consistent utilization. And so we saw some of that normalize, I would say, in Q2. And so we have got a tremendous amount of operating leverage in the business. We continue to push price as well as redeploy existing assets as the market warrants from an ROIC perspective. Revenue was up about 21%. However, headcount was up in the low-single digits. So, we are a very labor-intensive business. So, as you think about effective crew utilization and how we push price significantly over the same time, that’s really the driver of the margin. So, we have always been laser-focused on crew utilization as opposed to kind of focusing on asset utilization, and we focus on allocating assets to customers where they are going to maintain utilization for 24 days a month. And so we end up seeing a small change in crew utilization has a very material impact on margin. I guess the last thing I would add to that is, I will just remind you, if you think about 2019 pro forma EBITDA, including the synergies from the QES deal that would have been in excess of $150 million. So, there is still significant room to run to get back to 2019 levels and we are clearly a much leaner and efficient organization, as Keefer pointed out in his prepared remarks around SG&A. So, if we were operating in that 2019 market today, we would likely outperform the legacy KLX business.

Ken Dennard

Management

Thanks Chris.

Operator

Operator

Thank you. We have a follow-up question coming from the line of John Daniel with Daniel Energy Partners. Please proceed with your question.

John Daniel

Analyst

Hey guys. Thanks for putting me back in. I am sorry about my math, but I caught my math there earlier. Chris, a question for you on the – some of the smaller basins that we never really hear about anymore, but given where commodity prices are. Places like the Barnett, San Juan Basin, Utah, anything that you are seeing that would lead you to believe there might be a step change in activity into next year? And just one question, reposition assets there, if you are not there.

Chris Baker

Management

Yes. Look, so I guess two things. One, no problem on the math bust. And like I said before, we haven’t given Q4 guidance, where I assumed you were doing some extrapolation and exponential math, so not a problem. Look, I think we are a very diversified completion – drilling, completion, production and intervention company, as you well know, and we talked on our last call that we are redeploying assets and it’s taken a little while through the integration process. But in certain business lines like flowback and frac rentals, we really try to get scale within certain basins. In other business lines like rentals and fishing, wireline, P&A, etcetera, every one of the basins you mentioned, we are active in. And look, what’s beyond Henry Hub has really supported the incremental activity. And so I don’t want to project what happens to natural gas next year. But I would say, as we have seen NATI hold in north of $5 let alone where it’s been sitting in the last couple of weeks in the $7 to $8 range. Those operators in the smaller basins have definitely become active, and we are trying to take advantage of deploying assets into those spaces.

John Daniel

Analyst

Okay. Great. Thank you very much.

Chris Baker

Management

Yes. I appreciate it John.

Ken Dennard

Management

Thank you, John. Well, it looks like we are coming to the end of the call. I just wanted to let the listener or reader know that management will be at Barclays and at H.C. Wainwright in September. So, sign up and see them in person up at those conferences. And then for final comments and closing of the call, Chris, take it away.

Chris Baker

Management

Yes. Thank you, Ken. Thank you once again for joining us on our call today and your interest in KLX Energy Services. We look forward to speaking to you again next quarter.

Operator

Operator

Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your participation. This does conclude today’s teleconference. You may disconnect your lines at this time and have a wonderful day.