Westlake Chemical Partners LP Announces Record Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2021 Results
- Declared quarterly distribution of $0.4714 per unit; 30th consecutive quarterly distribution
HOUSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Westlake Chemical Partners LP (NYSE: WLKP) (the “Partnership”) today reported record net income attributable to the Partnership in the fourth quarter of 2021 of $29.5 million, or $0.84 per limited partner unit, an increase of $14.5 million compared to fourth quarter 2020 net income of $15.0 million. The Partnership’s net income in the fourth quarter of 2021 benefited from a buyer deficiency fee as well as recovery of certain other costs from Westlake Corporation (“Westlake”) attributable to an unplanned outage. Cash flows from operating activities in the fourth quarter of 2021 were $21.9 million, a decrease of $10.6 million compared to fourth quarter 2020 cash flows from operating activities of $32.5 million. This decrease in cash flows from operating activities was primarily due to the buyer deficiency fee and recovery of certain costs from Westlake that will be paid in 2022. For the three months ended December 31, 2021, MLP distributable cash flow of $15.3 million was comparable to fourth quarter 2020 MLP distributable cash flow.
For the full year 2021, record net income attributable to the Partnership of $82.5 million, or $2.34 per limited partner unit, increased by $16.3 million compared to full year of 2020 net income attributable to the Partnership of $66.2 million. The increase in net income attributable to the Partnership was primarily due to strong third-party sales margins and benefited from a buyer deficiency fee as well as recovery of certain other costs from Westlake. Cash flows from operating activities in the full year of 2021 were $408.4 million, an increase of $35.0 million compared to the full year of 2020 cash flows from operating activities of $373.4 million. This increase in cash flows from operating activities was primarily due to the receipt of a prior year receivable from Westlake. For the year ended December 31, 2021, MLP distributable cash flow of $70.1 million was comparable MLP distributable cash flow of $72.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2020.
On January 24, 2022, the Partnership announced that the Board of Directors of Westlake Chemical Partners GP LLC had approved a quarterly distribution for the fourth quarter of 2021 of $0.4714 per unit to be payable on February 17, 2022 to unitholders of record as of February 3, 2022, representing the 30th consecutive quarterly distribution to our unitholders. MLP distributable cash flow provided full year coverage of 1.06x the declared distributions for 2021.
“The Partnership’s performance in 2021 is a testament to the sustaining earnings power of the Partnership despite the impacts of a winter storm and hurricanes, as well as planned and unplanned outages at our facilities while maintaining solid coverage. The provisions in our long-term Ethylene Sales Agreement with Westlake insulate our earnings and cash flows from unexpected volatility,” said Albert Chao, President and Chief Executive Officer. “As we look into 2022, we are excited about the continued strong performance of the Partnership and delivering solid value and healthy returns to our unitholders.”
OpCo’s Ethylene Sales Agreement with Westlake is designed to provide for stable and predictable cash flows. The agreement provides that 95% of OpCo’s ethylene production is sold to Westlake for a cash margin of $0.10 per pound, net of operating costs, maintenance capital expenditures and reserves for future turnaround expenditures.
The statements in this release and the related teleconference relating to matters that are not historical facts, such as those with respect to the ability to deliver value and returns, and the expectation for sustained performance are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially, based on factors including, but not limited to, the COVID-19 pandemic and the response thereto; operating difficulties; the volume of ethylene that we are able to sell; the price at which we are able to sell ethylene; changes in the price and availability of feedstocks; changes in prevailing economic conditions; actions and commitments of Westlake Corporation; actions of fourth parties; inclement or hazardous weather conditions, including flooding, and the physical impacts of climate change; environmental hazards; changes in laws and regulations (or the interpretation thereof); inability to acquire or maintain necessary permits; inability to obtain necessary production equipment or replacement parts; technical difficulties or failures; labor disputes; difficulty collecting receivables; inability of our customers to take delivery; fires, explosions or other industrial accidents; our ability to borrow funds and access capital markets; and other risk factors. For more detailed information about the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, please refer to the Partnership’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, which was filed with the SEC in March 2021 and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2021, June 30, 2021 and September 30, 2021 which were filed with the SEC in May 2021, August 2021 and November 2021, respectively.
This release is intended to be a qualified notice under Treasury Regulation Section 1.1446-4(b). Brokers and nominees should treat one hundred percent (100.0%) of the Partnership’s distributions to non-U.S. investors as being attributable to income that is effectively connected with a United States trade or business. Accordingly, the Partnership’s distributions to non-U.S. investors are subject to federal income tax withholding at the highest applicable effective tax rate.
Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures
This release makes reference to certain “non-GAAP” financial measures, such as MLP distributable cash flow and EBITDA. For this purpose, a non-GAAP financial measure is generally defined by the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) as a numerical measure of a registrant’s historical or future financial performance, financial position or cash flows that (1) excludes amounts, or is subject to adjustments that have the effect of excluding amounts, that are included in the most directly comparable measure calculated and presented in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”) in the statement of income, balance sheet or statement of cash flows (or equivalent statements) of the registrant; or (2) includes amounts, or is subject to adjustments that have the effect of including amounts, that are excluded from the most directly comparable measure so calculated and presented. We report our financial results in accordance with U.S. GAAP, but believe that certain non-GAAP financial measures, such as MLP distributable cash flow and EBITDA, provide useful supplemental information to investors regarding the underlying business trends and performance of our ongoing operations and are useful for period-over-period comparisons of such operations. These non-GAAP financial measures should be considered as a supplement to, and not as a substitute for, or superior to, the financial measures prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. We define MLP distributable cash flow as distributable cash flow less distributable cash flow attributable to Westlake Corporation’s noncontrolling interest in OpCo and distributions attributable to the incentive distribution rights holder. MLP distributable cash flow does not reflect changes in working capital balances. We define EBITDA as net income before interest expense, income taxes, depreciation and amortization. MLP distributable cash flow and EBITDA are non-GAAP supplemental financial measures that management and external users of our consolidated financial statements, such as industry analysts, investors, lenders and rating agencies, may use to assess our operating performance as compared to other publicly traded partnerships, our ability to incur and service debt and fund capital expenditures and the viability of acquisitions and other capital expenditure projects and the returns on investment of various investment opportunities. Reconciliations of MLP distributable cash flow to net income and to net cash provided by operating activities and of EBITDA to net income, income from operations and net cash provided by operating activities can be found in the financial schedules at the end of this press release.
Westlake Chemical Partners LP
Westlake Chemical Partners is a limited partnership formed by Westlake Corporation to operate, acquire and develop ethylene production facilities and other qualified assets. Headquartered in Houston, the Partnership owns a 22.8% interest in Westlake Chemical OpCo LP. Westlake Chemical OpCo LP’s assets consist of three ethylene production facilities in Calvert City, Kentucky, and Lake Charles, Louisiana and an ethylene pipeline. For more information about Westlake Chemical Partners LP, please visit http://www.wlkpartners.com.
Westlake Chemical Partners LP Conference Call Information:
A conference call to discuss Westlake Chemical Partners’ fourth quarter and full year 2021 results will be held Tuesday, February 22, 2022 at 1:00 PM Eastern Time (12:00 PM Central Time). To access the conference call, dial (855) 765-5686 or (234) 386-2848 for international callers, approximately 10 minutes prior to the scheduled start time and reference passcode 636 98 19.
A replay of the conference call will be available beginning two hours after its conclusion until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, March 1, 2022. To hear a replay, dial (855) 859-2056 or (404) 537-3406 for international callers. The replay passcode is 636 98 19.
The conference call will also be available via webcast at: https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/vb94ivzb and the earnings release can be obtained via the Partnership web page at: https://investors.wlkpartners.com/corporate-profile/default.aspx.
|
WESTLAKE CHEMICAL PARTNERS LP (“WESTLAKE PARTNERS”) |
||||||||||||||||
|
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS |
||||||||||||||||
|
(Unaudited) |
||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
Three Months Ended |
|
Twelve Months Ended |
||||||||||||
|
December 31, |
|
December 31, |
||||||||||||||
|
|
|
2021 |
|
2020 |
|
2021 |
|
2020 |
||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
|
|
|
(In thousands of dollars, except per unit data) |
||||||||||||||
|
Revenue |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
|
Net sales—Westlake Corporation (“Westlake”) |
|
$ |
317,940 |
|
|
$ |
228,223 |
|
|
$ |
1,026,586 |
|
|
$ |
888,245 |
|
|
Net co-product, ethylene and other sales—third parties |
|
|
12,516 |
|
|
|
17,429 |
|
|
|
188,272 |
|
|
|
78,425 |
|
|
Total net sales |
|
|
330,456 |
|
|
|
245,652 |
|
|
|
1,214,858 |
|
|
|
966,670 |
|
|
Cost of sales |
|
|
183,406 |
|
|
|
160,738 |
|
|
|
773,152 |
|
|
|
587,787 |
|
|
Gross profit |
|
|
147,050 |
|
|
|
84,914 |
|
|
|
441,706 |
|
|
|
378,883 |
|
|
Selling, general and administrative expenses |
|
|
6,284 |
|
|
|
7,305 |
|
|
|
31,018 |
|
|
|
25,895 |
|
|
Income from operations |
|
|
140,766 |
|
|
|
77,609 |
|
|
|
410,688 |
|
|
|
352,988 |
|
|
Other income (expense) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
|
Interest expense—Westlake |
|
|
(2,166 |
) |
|
|
(2,337 |
) |
|
|
(8,816 |
) |
|
|
(12,038 |
) |
|
Other income, net |
|
|
10 |
|
|
|
8 |
|
|
|
62 |
|
|
|
733 |
|
|
Income before income taxes |
|
|
138,610 |
|
|
|
75,280 |
|
|
|
401,934 |
|
|
|
341,683 |
|
|
Provision for income taxes |
|
|
216 |
|
|
|
156 |
|
|
|
549 |
|
|
|
564 |
|
|
Net income |
|
|
138,394 |
|
|
|
75,124 |
|
|
|
401,385 |
|
|
|
341,119 |
|
|
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests in Westlake Chemical OpCo LP (“OpCo”) |
|
|
108,882 |
|
|
|
60,099 |
|
|
|
318,838 |
|
|
|
274,952 |
|
|
Net income attributable to Westlake Partners |
|
$ |
29,512 |
|
|
$ |
15,025 |
|
|
$ |
82,547 |
|
|
$ |
66,167 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
|
Net income per limited partner unit attributable to Westlake Partners (basic and diluted) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
|
Common units |
|
$ |
0.84 |
|
|
$ |
0.43 |
|
|
$ |
2.34 |
|
|
$ |
1.88 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
|
Distributions declared per unit |
|
$ |
0.4714 |
|
|
$ |
0.4714 |
|
|
$ |
1.8856 |
|
|
$ |
1.8856 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
|
MLP distributable cash flow |
|
$ |
15,297 |
|
|
$ |
15,603 |
|
|
$ |
70,057 |
|
|
$ |
71,983 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
|
Distribution declared |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||
|
Limited partner units—public and privately held |
|
$ |
9,943 |
|
|
$ |
9,936 |
|
|
$ |
39,760 |
|
|
$ |
39,736 |
|
|
Limited partner units—Westlake |
|
|
6,657 |
|
|
|
6,657 |
|
|
|
26,628 |
|
|
|
26,629 |
|
|
Total distribution declared |
|
$ |
16,600 |
|
|
$ |
16,593 |
|
|
$ |
66,388 |
|
|
$ |
66,365 |
|
|
EBITDA |
|
$ |
166,760 |
|
|
$ |
103,004 |
|
|
$ |
519,564 |
|
|
$ |
456,875 |
|
|
WESTLAKE CHEMICAL PARTNERS LP |
||||||||
|
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS |
||||||||
|
(Unaudited) |
||||||||
|
|
|
December 31, |
|
December 31, |
||||
|
2021 |
|
2020 |
||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||
|
|
|
(In thousands of dollars) |
||||||
|
ASSETS |
|
|
|
|
||||
|
Current assets |
|
|
|
|
||||
|
Cash and cash equivalents |
|
$ |
17,057 |
|
|
$ |
17,154 |
|
|
Receivable under the Investment Management Agreement—Westlake Corporation (“Westlake”) |
|
|
106,243 |
|
|
|
123,228 |
|
|
Accounts receivable, net—Westlake |
|
|
142,791 |
|
|
|
108,028 |
|
|
Accounts receivable, net—third parties |
|
|
5,825 |
|
|
|
11,029 |
|
|
Inventories |
|
|
8,898 |
|
|
|
3,474 |
|
|
Prepaid expenses and other current assets |
|
|
396 |
|
|
|
392 |
|
|
Total current assets |
|
|
281,210 |
|
|
|
263,305 |
|
|
Property, plant and equipment, net |
|
|
1,043,539 |
|
|
|
1,050,677 |
|
|
Other assets, net |
|
|
155,949 |
|
|
|
42,506 |
|
|
Total assets |
|
$ |
1,480,698 |
|
|
$ |
1,356,488 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||
|
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY |
|
|
|
|
||||
|
Current liabilities (accounts payable and accrued liabilities) |
|
$ |
106,796 |
|
|
$ |
39,754 |
|
|
Long-term debt payable to Westlake |
|
|
399,674 |
|
|
|
399,674 |
|
|
Other liabilities |
|
|
1,530 |
|
|
|
1,923 |
|
|
Total liabilities |
|
|
508,000 |
|
|
|
441,351 |
|
|
Common unitholders—public and privately held |
|
|
481,796 |
|
|
|
471,701 |
|
|
Common unitholder—Westlake |
|
|
54,754 |
|
|
|
48,270 |
|
|
General partner—Westlake |
|
|
(242,572 |
) |
|
|
(242,572 |
) |
|
Total Westlake Partners partners’ capital |
|
|
293,978 |
|
|
|
277,399 |
|
|
Noncontrolling interest in OpCo |
|
|
678,720 |
|
|
|
637,738 |
|
|
Total equity |
|
|
972,698 |
|
|
|
915,137 |
|
|
Total liabilities and equity |
|
$ |
1,480,698 |
|
|
$ |
1,356,488 |
|
|
WESTLAKE CHEMICAL PARTNERS LP |
||||||||
|
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS |
||||||||
|
(Unaudited) |
||||||||
|
|
|
Twelve Months Ended December 31, |
||||||
|
|
|
2021 |
|
2020 |
||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||
|
|
|
(In thousands of dollars) |
||||||
|
Cash flows from operating activities |
|
|
|
|
||||
|
Net income |
|
$ |
401,385 |
|
|
$ |
341,119 |
|
|
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities: |
|
|
|
|
||||
|
Depreciation and amortization |
|
|
108,814 |
|
|
|
103,154 |
|
|
Other balance sheet changes |
|
|
(101,760 |
) |
|
|
(70,876 |
) |
|
Net cash provided by operating activities |
|
|
408,439 |
|
|
|
373,397 |
|
|
Cash flows from investing activities |
|
|
|
|
||||
|
Additions to property, plant and equipment |
|
|
(81,171 |
) |
|
|
(36,968 |
) |
|
Investments with Westlake under the Investment Management Agreement |
|
|
(276,000 |
) |
|
|
(349,000 |
) |
|
Maturities of investments with Westlake under the Investment Management Agreement |
|
|
293,000 |
|
|
|
388,000 |
|
|
Other |
|
|
(130 |
) |
|
|
— |
|
|
Net cash provided by (used for) investing activities |
|
|
(64,301 |
) |
|
|
2,032 |
|
|
Cash flows from financing activities |
|
|
|
|
||||
|
Quarterly distributions to noncontrolling interest retained in OpCo by Westlake |
|
|
(277,856 |
) |
|
|
(311,835 |
) |
|
Quarterly distributions to unitholders |
|
|
(66,379 |
) |
|
|
(66,363 |
) |
|
Net cash used for financing activities |
|
|
(344,235 |
) |
|
|
(378,198 |
) |
|
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents |
|
|
(97 |
) |
|
|
(2,769 |
) |
|
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the year |
|
|
17,154 |
|
|
|
19,923 |
|
|
Cash and cash equivalents at end of the year |
|
$ |
17,057 |
|
|
$ |
17,154 |
|
|
WESTLAKE CHEMICAL PARTNERS LP |
||||||||||||||||||||
|
RECONCILIATION OF MLP DISTRIBUTABLE CASH FLOW TO NET INCOME |
||||||||||||||||||||
|
AND NET CASH PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES |
||||||||||||||||||||
|
(Unaudited) |
||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
Three Months |
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||
|
Ended |
|
Three Months Ended |
|
Twelve Months Ended |
||||||||||||||||
|
September 30, |
|
December 31, |
|
December 31, |
||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
2021 |
|
2021 |
|
2020 |
|
2021 |
|
2020 |
||||||||||
|
|
|
(In thousands of dollars) |
||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
|
Net cash provided by operating activities |
|
$ |
99,459 |
|
|
$ |
21,862 |
|
|
$ |
32,521 |
|
|
$ |
408,439 |
|
|
$ |
373,397 |
|
|
Changes in operating assets and liabilities and other |
|
|
(33,384 |
) |
|
|
116,532 |
|
|
|
42,603 |
|
|
|
(7,054 |
) |
|
|
(32,278 |
) |
|
Net Income |
|
|
66,075 |
|
|
|
138,394 |
|
|
|
75,124 |
|
|
|
401,385 |
|
|
|
341,119 |
|
|
Add: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
|
Depreciation, amortization and disposition of property, plant and equipment |
|
|
26,958 |
|
|
|
28,442 |
|
|
|
25,387 |
|
|
|
113,032 |
|
|
|
104,154 |
|
|
Mark-to-market adjustment gain on derivative contracts |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
(1,125 |
) |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
(1,340 |
) |
|
Less: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
|
Contribution to turnaround reserves |
|
|
(10,795 |
) |
|
|
(44,500 |
) |
|
|
(10,240 |
) |
|
|
(80,090 |
) |
|
|
(39,937 |
) |
|
Maintenance capital expenditures |
|
|
(15,346 |
) |
|
|
(46,350 |
) |
|
|
(11,485 |
) |
|
|
(87,783 |
) |
|
|
(37,343 |
) |
|
Distributable cash flow attributable to noncontrolling interest in OpCo |
|
|
(53,915 |
) |
|
|
(60,689 |
) |
|
|
(62,058 |
) |
|
|
(276,487 |
) |
|
|
(294,670 |
) |
|
MLP distributable cash flow |
|
$ |
12,977 |
|
|
$ |
15,297 |
|
|
$ |
15,603 |
|
|
$ |
70,057 |
|
|
$ |
71,983 |
|
|
WESTLAKE CHEMICAL PARTNERS LP |
||||||||||||||||||||
|
RECONCILIATION OF EBITDA TO NET INCOME AND NET CASH |
||||||||||||||||||||
|
PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES |
||||||||||||||||||||
|
(Unaudited) |
||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
Three Months |
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||
|
Ended |
|
Three Months Ended |
|
Twelve Months Ended |
||||||||||||||||
|
September 30, |
|
December 31, |
|
December 31, |
||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
2021 |
|
2021 |
|
2020 |
|
2021 |
|
2020 |
||||||||||
|
|
|
(In thousands of dollars) |
||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
|
Net cash provided by operating activities |
|
$ |
99,459 |
|
|
$ |
21,862 |
|
|
$ |
32,521 |
|
|
$ |
408,439 |
|
|
$ |
373,397 |
|
|
Changes in operating assets and liabilities and other |
|
|
(33,384 |
) |
|
|
116,532 |
|
|
|
42,603 |
|
|
|
(7,054 |
) |
|
|
(32,278 |
) |
|
Net Income |
|
|
66,075 |
|
|
|
138,394 |
|
|
|
75,124 |
|
|
|
401,385 |
|
|
|
341,119 |
|
|
Less: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
|
Other income, net |
|
|
24 |
|
|
|
10 |
|
|
|
8 |
|
|
|
62 |
|
|
|
733 |
|
|
Interest expense |
|
|
(2,190 |
) |
|
|
(2,166 |
) |
|
|
(2,337 |
) |
|
|
(8,816 |
) |
|
|
(12,038 |
) |
|
Income tax benefit (provision) |
|
|
105 |
|
|
|
(216 |
) |
|
|
(156 |
) |
|
|
(549 |
) |
|
|
(564 |
) |
|
Income from operations |
|
|
68,136 |
|
|
|
140,766 |
|
|
|
77,609 |
|
|
|
410,688 |
|
|
|
352,988 |
|
|
Add: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
|
Depreciation and amortization |
|
|
26,586 |
|
|
|
25,984 |
|
|
|
25,387 |
|
|
|
108,814 |
|
|
|
103,154 |
|
|
Other income, net |
|
|
24 |
|
|
|
10 |
|
|
|
8 |
|
|
|
62 |
|
|
|
733 |
|
|
EBITDA |
|
$ |
94,746 |
|
|
$ |
166,760 |
|
|
$ |
103,004 |
|
|
$ |
519,564 |
|
|
$ |
456,875 |
|
Contacts
(713) 585-2900
Investors—Steve Bender
Media—L. Benjamin Ederington
