TULSA, Okla. – Magellan Midstream Partners, L.P. (NYSE: MMP) today reported record quarterly operating profit of $128.7 million for second quarter 2011 compared to $124.7 million for second quarter 2010. The partnership also generated record quarterly net income of $103 million for second quarter 2011 compared to $102.5 million for second quarter 2010.
Net income per limited partner unit was 91 cents in second quarter 2011 versus 96 cents in the corresponding 2010 period. Net income per unit excluding mark-to-market (MTM) commodity-related pricing adjustments, a non-generally accepted accounting principles (non-GAAP) financial measure, was also 91 cents for second quarter 2011, exceeding the 87-cent guidance provided by management in early May.
Distributable cash flow (DCF), a non-GAAP financial measure that represents the amount of cash generated during the period that is available to pay distributions, increased 17% to $117.6 million for second quarter 2011 compared to $100.7 million during second quarter 2010.
“Magellan continues to perform well this year, delivering record quarterly financial results during the second quarter of 2011,” said Michael Mears, chief executive officer. “Contributions from recently-completed acquisitions and expansion projects have exceeded our initial expectations, and along with strong commodity performance, are keeping us on track for a record year. We remain focused on additional opportunities to grow our partnership further.”
An analysis by segment comparing second quarter 2011 to second quarter 2010 is provided below based on operating margin, a non-GAAP financial measure that reflects operating profit before general and administrative (G&A) expense and depreciation and amortization:
Petroleum pipeline system. Pipeline operating margin was $146.4 million, an increase of $12 million and a quarterly record for this segment. Transportation and terminals revenues increased between periods primarily due to higher shipments for gasoline and diesel fuel and contributions from recent acquisitions. Excluding the Texas pipelines acquired in Sept. 2010, which shipped 23.1 million barrels of product during second quarter 2011, transportation volumes on the partnership’s pipeline system increased 5% for second quarter 2011 due to new customer commitments. Second-quarter 2011 revenues also improved due to higher fees for pipeline capacity and storage leases, terminal throughput, ethanol blending and other blending services.
Transportation revenue per barrel shipped declined between periods because the tariffs related to the partnership’s new Texas pipelines are significantly lower than its remaining pipeline system due to the short distance of the pipeline movements between Houston and Texas City, Texas. Excluding these recently-acquired pipelines, average transportation rates increased for the remainder of the partnership's pipeline system by 3%.
Operating expenses increased between periods primarily due to an impairment charge for a terminal the partnership may sell or close in 2011, higher maintenance spending and power costs and an accrual for potential historical air emission fees during the current period. These higher costs were partially offset by more favorable product overages, which reduce expenses.
Product margin (defined as product sales revenues less product purchases) declined between periods primarily due to timing of MTM adjustments for New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) positions used to economically hedge the partnership’s commodity-related activities. Details of these items can be found on the Distributable Cash Flow Reconciliation to Net Income schedule that accompanies this news release. The partnership's actual cash product margin reflecting only transactions that settled during the quarter decreased slightly between periods primarily due to lower results from the partnership’s Houston-to-El Paso commodity sales activities and petroleum products blending activities, which were partially offset by higher fractionation profits in second quarter 2011.
Petroleum terminals. Terminals operating margin was $35.4 million, an increase of $0.4 million. The current period benefited from recently-acquired crude oil storage in Cushing, Oklahoma, which the partnership purchased in Sept. 2010, recently-constructed crude oil storage in Cushing and new tank construction and higher storage fees at the partnership’s other storage facilities. Higher ethanol fees at the partnership’s inland terminals also contributed to the improvement, offsetting lower throughput volumes. Operating expenses increased between periods due to an accrual for potential historical air emission fees, higher losses on asset retirements resulting from the demolition of older tanks to make room for new tank construction and operating costs related to the recently-acquired crude oil storage.
Ammonia pipeline system. Ammonia operating margin was $2 million, an increase of $1.5 million. Revenues increased due to higher shipments as the pipeline was down during much of second quarter 2010 for hydrostatic testing. Operating expenses increased between periods primarily due to higher power costs to move the additional volumes.
Other items. Depreciation and amortization increased due to recent expansion capital expenditures, and G&A expense increased primarily due to enhanced payout expectations for the partnership’s equity-based compensation program.
Net interest expense also increased in the current quarter as a result of additional borrowings to fund recent expansion capital expenditures, including acquisitions.
Capital spending expectations
Management continues to pursue expansion opportunities, including organic growth construction projects and acquisitions. Based on the progress of expansion projects already underway, the partnership currently expects growth capital spending of $240 million for 2011, with an additional $60 million of spending thereafter to complete these projects. The latest spending estimates are $45 million higher than previous guidance due to a number of new projects, including:
- Acquisition of 0.5 million barrels of petroleum products storage in Missouri, which the partnership is connecting to its nearby petroleum pipeline system;
- Construction of 1 million barrels of petroleum products storage at locations along Magellan’s petroleum pipeline system, supported by long-term contracts; and
- Establishing capabilities to load petroleum products onto rail cars from the partnership’s Minneapolis, Minnesota terminal.
Further, the partnership continues to make progress on the construction of crude oil storage in Cushing, Oklahoma. Of the 4.25 million barrels of new storage included in this project, 2.5 million barrels are currently in service. The remaining tanks are expected to be placed in service by the end of Oct. 2011.
The partnership continues to evaluate more than $500 million of potential growth projects in earlier stages of development, which have been excluded from the spending estimates, such as the potential reversal and conversion of a portion of the partnership’s Houston-to-El Paso pipeline to crude oil service. Management is in advanced discussions with potential shippers and remains optimistic sufficient volumes will be committed in the near future to proceed with the project.
Financial guidance for 2011
Management is raising its 2011 DCF guidance by $5 million to approximately $445 million and remains committed to its stated goal of 7% distribution growth for the year. Net income per limited partner unit is now estimated to be $3.45 for 2011, with third-quarter guidance of 68 cents. Guidance assumes no future NYMEX MTM adjustments.
Earnings call details
An analyst call with management regarding second-quarter results and outlook for the remainder of 2011 is scheduled today at 1:30 p.m. Eastern. To participate, dial (888) 259-8883 and provide code 5635195. Investors also may listen to the call via the partnership’s website at http://www.magellanlp.com/webcasts.aspx.
Audio replays of the conference call will be available from 4:30 p.m. Eastern today through midnight on Aug. 9. To access the replay, dial (888) 203-1112 and provide code 5635195. The replay also will be available at http://www.magellanlp.com.
Non-GAAP financial measures
Management believes that investors benefit from having access to the same financial measures utilized by the partnership. As a result, this news release and supporting schedules include the non-GAAP financial measures of operating margin, product margin, DCF and net income per unit excluding MTM commodity-related pricing adjustments, which are important performance measures used by management.
Operating margin reflects operating profit before G&A expense and depreciation and amortization. This measure forms the basis of the partnership’s internal financial reporting and is used by management to evaluate the economic performance of the partnership’s operations.
Product margin, which is calculated as product sales revenues less product purchases, is used by management to evaluate the profitability of the partnership’s commodity-related activities.
DCF is important in determining the amount of cash generated from the partnership’s operations that is available for distribution to its unitholders. Management uses this measure as a basis for recommending to the board of directors the amount of cash distributions to be paid each period.
Reconciliations of operating margin to operating profit and DCF to net income accompany this news release.
The partnership uses NYMEX futures contracts to hedge against price changes of petroleum products associated with its commodity-related activities. Most of these NYMEX contracts do not qualify for hedge accounting treatment. However, because these NYMEX contracts are generally effective at hedging price changes, management believes the partnership’s profitability should be evaluated excluding the unrealized NYMEX gains and losses associated with petroleum products that will be sold in future periods. Further, because the financial guidance provided by management generally excludes future MTM commodity-related pricing adjustments, a reconciliation of actual results to those excluding these adjustments is provided for comparability to previous financial guidance.
Because the non-GAAP measures presented in this news release include adjustments specific to the partnership, they may not be comparable to similarly-titled measures of other companies.
About Magellan Midstream Partners, L.P.
Magellan Midstream Partners, L.P. (NYSE: MMP) is a publicly traded partnership formed to own, operate and acquire a diversified portfolio of energy assets. The partnership primarily transports, stores and distributes refined petroleum products, such as gasoline and diesel fuel, and crude oil. The partnership’s primary assets include: the longest petroleum products pipeline system in the continental United States at 9,600 miles, which can access more than 40% of the country’s refining capacity and imports, as well as 85 petroleum terminals with over 70 million barrels of storage. More information is available at http://www.magellanlp.com.
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Portions of this document constitute forward-looking statements as defined by federal law. Although management believes any such statements are based on reasonable assumptions, there is no assurance that actual outcomes will not be materially different. Among the key risk factors that may have a direct impact on the partnership’s results of operations and financial condition are: (1) its ability to identify growth projects or to complete identified projects on time and at expected costs; (2) price fluctuations for natural gas liquids and refined petroleum products; (3) overall demand for natural gas liquids, refined petroleum products, natural gas, oil and ammonia in the United States; (4) changes in the partnership’s tariff rates implemented by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the United States Surface Transportation Board and state regulatory agencies; (5) shut-downs or cutbacks at major refineries, petrochemical plants, ammonia production facilities or other businesses that use or supply the partnership’s services; (6) changes in the throughput or interruption in service on petroleum pipelines owned and operated by third parties and connected to the partnership’s petroleum terminals or petroleum pipeline system; (7) the occurrence of an operational hazard or unforeseen interruption for which the partnership is not adequately insured; (8) the treatment of the partnership as a corporation for federal or state income tax purposes or if the partnership becomes subject to significant forms of other taxation; (9) an increase in the competition the partnership’s operations encounter; (10) disruption in the debt and equity markets that negatively impacts the partnership’s ability to finance its capital spending and (11) failure of customers to meet or continue contractual obligations to the partnership. Additional information about issues that could lead to material changes in performance is contained in the partnership's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The partnership undertakes no obligation to revise its forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring after today's date.