Robert Shaw
Analyst · Howard Weil
Thank you, Darron.
During the quarter, revenues increased 25% to $62.6 million from $50.1 million in Q4. The increase was mainly attributable to 2 main areas: the increased activity of our wireline completions business and higher hourly rates for our high-spec rigs in the Well Services segment.
Revenues by segment were as follows.
Well Services segment revenue increased 25% to $59.7 million in Q1 2018 from $47.7 million in Q4 2017. Our high-spec rig activity revenues increased 13% to $37.6 million in Q1 versus Q4 mainly due to average hourly rate increased 7% to $487 on improved pricing and stronger revenue rigs -- mix driven by a sustained increase in our completions work. Given the many moving parts in our business, it is difficult to give a precise breakdown of the impact of pricing versus regional mix versus completions and production activity. Total hours, rig hours, increased 5% to approximately 73,600 hours in Q1 from 69,800 in Q4. Our completions activity hours increased 10% to approximately 1/4 of our total hours.
For the quarter, the average number of rigs in our fleet increased to 134 rigs from 130 in Q4 2017. During the quarter, 2 rigs were delivered; and 6 new rigs entered service, of which 5 were delivered in Q4 2017 and 1 in Q1 2018. At the end of the quarter, we had 137 rigs delivered, of which 136 were ready for service. The remaining rig deliveries are expected to be 3 in Q2, 2 in Q3 and 2 in Q4. Rig utilization as measured by average monthly hours per rig increased slightly to 184 or approximately 76% utilization from 179 in Q4 2017 or 74%.
Revenues in our Permian Basin wireline completions business increased by close to 3x quarter-over-quarter with a full quarter of increased activity and 2 new trucks delivered in the quarter. As a result, our other Well Services revenue increased to $21.1 million in Q1. At the end of the quarter, we had 8 wireline trucks, 6 doing completions in the Permian Basin and 2 doing mainly P&A work up North. 2 additional trucks are being delivered in Q2 to our Permian Basin completions business.
Processing Solutions revenue increased to 29 -- $2.9 million in Q1 2018 from $2.4 million in Q4 2017 mainly due to increased mobilization revenue. We had 22 out of our 25 MRUs contracted; and are having 2 additional MRUs and rental equipment delivered in late Q2, early Q3, for a total of 27 MRUs. We expect higher utilization by the end of Q3 2018.
During the quarter, operating loss increased to 8 -- $10.8 million from $5.2 million in Q4 2017. The company wrote off all of its $9 million of goodwill. In addition, we had a $700,000 loss on the sale of idle noncore equipment in the quarter. This equipment was mainly unused frac tanks inherited during previous acquisitions, which obviously did not fit in our operations, as well as the sale of some older pickup trucks. Excluding the $9 million goodwill impairment and the $700,000 loss on sale of equipment, the operating loss improved by $4.1 million to $1.1 million, as compared to 2017 -- Q4 2017. And this was mainly due to an improved gross margin.
Regarding our gross margin -- profit in Well Services of $9.8 million, it increased $3.5 million on a revenue increase of $12 million, a 30% flow-through.
Depreciation and amortization was flat at $6.1 million for the quarter. Depreciation in the Well Services sector increased mainly from delivery of rigs, offset by reductions in depreciation in Processing Solutions. For the full year, we expect depreciation to be between $26 million and $28 million.
We had a tax benefit in Q1 2018 due to our net loss. For modeling purposes, the effective tax rate is 7.7% for 2018.
During the quarter, net loss increased by $5.2 million to $10.8 million from $5.6 million in Q4 2017. Adjusted EBITDA increased to $5.2 million in Q1 2018 from $3.8 million in Q4 2017. The increase was mainly due to increased revenues from our wireline activity, higher hourly -- higher average hourly rates for high-spec rigs resulting in higher gross margin and profit in Well Services, partially offset by higher underlying general and administrative costs. G&A for the quarter, excluding the $700,000 loss on equipment sales, was $6.3 million, approximately 10% of debt.
Regarding liquidity and balance sheet.
Cash flow. Net cash used in our operating activities was $1.1 million for Q1 2018. The sharp increase of our wireline business increased accounts receivable and accounted for most of the net increase of $6.5 million in receivables. We expect collections to normalize going forward. Despite this, our DOS was approximately 50 days at March 31, 2018. The accounts payable use of cash was 2 -- $1.2 million. Within this number, payments -- or use of cash was $3.1 million for the payment on rigs in our deferred payment program.
Net cash used in investing activities was $11 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2018, which includes offsetting asset sales proceeds of $1.2 million. The $8.2 million capital expenditures consisted mainly of spend on wireline trucks, process solutions equipment and rig ancillary equipment. Not included in these numbers was $5 million of noncash asset additions for rigs delivered in the quarter but not fully paid for, and $1.3 million in assets purchased via capital leasing financing during Q1 2018. This is mainly for pickup trucks.
Financing activities. Net cash provided by financing activities was $7.9 million for Q1 2018 and consisted mainly of $15.6 million of borrowings under our line of credit offset by $7.7 million of final payments on a capital lease of -- for certain rigs. The borrowing capacity under our $50 million line of credit based on eligible accounts receivable was approximately $32 million as of March 31, 2018. The borrowing base under the credit agreement is expected to grow as our business expands.
Thank you, and I will now hand it back over to Darron.