Blueknight Energy Partners, L.P. (“BKEP” or the “Partnership”) (NASDAQ:
BKEP) (NASDAQ: BKEPP) reported its financial results today for the three
and six months ended June 30, 2018.
Highlights:
Additional information regarding the Partnership’s results of operations
will be provided in the Partnership’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for
the three and six months ended June 30, 2018, to be filed with the SEC
on August 2, 2018.
Comments from BKEP CEO Mark Hurley:
“Our asphalt terminalling services segment recorded solid
quarter-over-quarter growth, achieving a 13% increase in operating
margin, excluding depreciation and amortization, for the three months
ended June 30, 2018, versus the same period in 2017. The recently
completed acquisition of the Bainbridge, Georgia terminal from Ergon in
December 2017 and of the Muskogee, Oklahoma terminal in March 2018
helped drive the increase in operating margin.
“Total Cushing crude oil inventories are currently at their lowest
levels since November 2014, 51% below the 5-year average and 58% below
last year’s storage level, and the crude oil forward price curve
continues to be backwardated. Given the weak storage market coincides
with our re-contracting efforts, our year-over-year operating margin,
excluding depreciation and amortization, decreased in this business
segment. However, a recently signed, two-million-barrel storage contract
effective November 1, 2018, and continuing through December 31, 2019,
indicates signs of improvement.
“The July 1, 2018, restoration of service on our Eagle pipeline will add
approximately 20,000 barrels per day to our overall Oklahoma pipeline
capacity and enhances our ability to better utilize our overall pipeline
systems. The pipeline will transport lighter crudes to Cushing that are
dominant in the south-central part of Oklahoma, which includes the
active SCOOP region. The increased capacity comes at a time when
increases in crude oil prices have bolstered producer and marketer
activity. We also continue to see increased volumes in our trucking
services segment. Volumes are up quarter-over-quarter and year-over-year
and we expect this trend to continue through the second half of the year.
“The following strategic initiatives were completed during the second
quarter:
“As a result of these steps, we decreased our leverage to 4.7 times at
June 30, 2018, and positioned ourselves to better self-fund projects and
to manage through a challenging crude oil storage market.
“We are also pleased to report that the previously announced Cimarron
Express Pipeline (“Cimarron Express”), a new 16 inch-diameter, 65-mile
crude oil pipeline from northeastern Kingfisher County, Oklahoma to
BKEP’s Cushing, Oklahoma crude oil terminal, is progressing well, with
land right-of-way acquisition underway. Ergon, Inc. and Kingfisher
Midstream, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Alta Mesa Resources, each owns
50% of Cimarron Express. BKEP is managing the construction of the
pipeline under a Construction Management Agreement and will also operate
the pipeline on behalf of Cimarron Express. The pipeline will provide
direct market access at Cushing for producers and will have an initial
capacity of 90,000 barrels per day, expandable to over 175,000 barrels
per day. The new pipeline is expected to be completed in mid-2019.
“As we move forward into what is typically our strongest quarter for the
asphalt business segment, we believe we are doing so with a stronger
balance sheet better positioned to support our business objectives. In
addition, strengthening storage demand and our ability to increase
utilization of our transportation assets will enable us to take
advantage of an improved Oklahoma crude oil production environment.”
Results of Operations
The following table summarizes the financial results for the three and
six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2018 (in thousands except per-unit
data):
The table below summarizes our financial results by segment operating
margin, excluding depreciation and amortization, for the three and six
months ended June 30, 2017 and 2018 (in thousands):
Three Months endedJune 30,
Six MonthsendedJune 30,
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
This press release contains the non-GAAP financial measures of Adjusted
EBITDA, distributable cash flow and total operating margin, excluding
depreciation and amortization. Adjusted EBITDA is defined as earnings
before interest, income taxes, depreciation, amortization, non-cash
equity-based compensation, asset impairment charges, and fees related to
the asset sale transaction. Distributable cash flow is defined as
Adjusted EBITDA, minus cash paid for interest, cash paid for income
taxes, maintenance capital expenditures, and fees related to the asset
sale transaction. Operating margin, excluding depreciation and
amortization, is defined as revenues from related parties and external
customers less operating expenses, excluding depreciation and
amortization. The use of Adjusted EBITDA, distributable cash flow and
total operating margin, excluding depreciation and amortization, should
not be considered as alternatives to GAAP measures such as operating
income, net income or cash flows from operating activities. Adjusted
EBITDA, distributable cash flow and total operating margin, excluding
depreciation and amortization, are presented because the Partnership
believes they provide additional information with respect to its
business activities and are used as supplemental financial measures by
management and external users of the Partnership’s financial statements,
such as investors, commercial banks and others, to assess, among other
things, the Partnership’s operating performance and return on capital as
compared to those of other companies in the midstream energy sector,
without regard to financing or capital structure.
The following table presents a reconciliation of adjusted EBITDA and
distributable cash flow to net income for the periods shown (in
thousands):
(1) Inclusive of preferred and common unit declared cash
distributions
The following table presents a reconciliation of total operating margin,
excluding depreciation and amortization, to operating income for the
periods shown (in thousands):
Three Monthsended June 30,
Six Monthsended June 30,
Investor Conference Call
The Partnership will discuss second quarter 2018 results during a
conference call on Thursday, August 2, 2018, at 10:30 a.m. CDT (11:30
a.m. EDT). The conference call will be accessible by telephone at
1-855-327-6837. International participants will be able to connect to
the conference by calling 1-631-891-4304.
Participants should dial in five to ten minutes prior to the scheduled
start time. An audio replay will be available through the investors
section of the Partnership’s website for 30 days.
Investor Meetings and Materials
Mark Hurley, Chief Executive Officer and Alex Stallings, Chief Financial
Officer, will be participating in investor meetings in New York, New
York on August 6 – 7, 2018. The materials used during the meetings will
be accessible in the Investors section of BKEP’s website at www.bkep.com
on Monday, August 6, 2018.
Forward-Looking Statements
This release includes forward-looking statements. Statements included in
this release that are not historical facts (including, without
limitation, any statements about future financial and operating results,
guidance, projected or forecasted financial results, objectives, project
timing, expectations and intentions and other statements that are not
historical facts) are forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking
statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties. These risks
and uncertainties include, among other things, uncertainties relating to
the Partnership’s debt levels and restrictions in its credit facility,
its exposure to the credit risk of our third-party customers, the
Partnership’s future cash flows and operations, future market
conditions, current and future governmental regulation, future taxation
and other factors discussed in the Partnership’s filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission. If any of these risks or
uncertainties materializes, or should underlying assumptions prove
incorrect, actual results or outcomes may vary materially from those
expected. The Partnership undertakes no obligation to publicly update or
revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new
information, future events or otherwise.
About Blueknight Energy Partners, L.P.
BKEP owns and operates a diversified portfolio of complementary
midstream energy assets consisting of:
BKEP provides integrated terminalling, gathering and transportation
services for companies engaged in the production, distribution and
marketing of liquid asphalt and crude oil. BKEP is headquartered in
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. For more information, visit the Partnership’s
web site at www.bkep.com.
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