# Texas Pacific Land Corp (TPL) FY 2024 MD&A

Verbatim Item 7 Management's Discussion and Analysis from Texas Pacific Land Corp's 10-K for fiscal year 2024.

SEC filing source: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1811074/000181107425000044/tpl-20241231.htm
Accession: 0001811074-25-000044
Filing date: 2025-02-19
Report date: 2024-12-31
Extracted structurally from real Item 7 body heading to real Item 7A/8 boundary. Published MD&A gate trimmed front/tail over-capture.
Confidence: high

Company profile: /company/TPL/
All MD&A years: /company/TPL/mda/
Previous year: /company/TPL/mda/fy2023/ (FY 2023)
Next year: /company/TPL/mda/fy2025/ (FY 2025)

Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

The following Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operation (“MD&A”) is intended to help the reader understand the results of operations and financial condition of Texas Pacific Land Corporation. MD&A is provided as a supplement to, and should be read in conjunction with, our consolidated financial statements and the accompanying notes to financial statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. This discussion and analysis contains forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including, but not limited to, those factors presented in Part I, Item 1A. “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. This section generally discusses the results of our operations for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the year ended December 31, 2023. For a discussion of the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the year ended December 31, 2022, refer to Part II, Item 7. “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023.

Overview

TPL was originally organized in 1888 as a business trust to hold title to extensive tracts of land in the State of Texas that were previously the property of the Texas and Pacific Railway Company. On January 11, 2021, we completed our Corporate Reorganization from a business trust to a corporation and changed our name from Texas Pacific Land Trust to Texas Pacific Land Corporation.

Our business activity is generated from our surface and royalty interest ownership, primarily in the Permian Basin. Our revenues are derived from oil and gas royalties, water sales, produced water royalties, easements and other surface-related income and land sales. Due to the nature of our operations and concentration of our ownership in one geographic location, our revenue and net income are subject to substantial fluctuations from quarter to quarter and year to year. In addition to fluctuations in response to changes in the market price for oil and gas, our financial results are subject to decisions by not only the owners and operators of oil and gas wells to which our oil and gas royalty interests relate, but also to other owners and operators in the Permian Basin as it relates to our other revenue streams, principally water sales, produced water royalties, easements and other surface-related revenue.

Market Conditions

Average oil prices for the year ended December 31, 2024 were relatively flat compared to average oil prices during the same period last year. Oil prices continue to be impacted by certain actions by OPEC+, geopolitics, and evolving global supply and demand trends, among other factors. Average natural gas prices during 2024 decreased compared to average prior year natural gas prices. Global and domestic natural gas markets have experienced volatility due to macroeconomic conditions, infrastructure and logistical constraints, weather, and geopolitics, among other factors. Since mid-2022, the Waha Hub located in Pecos County, Texas has at times experienced significant negative price differentials relative to Henry Hub, located in Erath, Louisiana, due in part to growing local Permian natural gas production and limited natural gas pipeline takeaway capacity. Midstream infrastructure is currently being developed by operators to provide additional takeaway capacity, though the impact on future basis differentials will be dependent on future natural gas production and other factors. Changes in global and domestic macro-economic conditions could result in additional shifts in oil and gas supply and demand in future periods. Although our revenues are directly and indirectly impacted by changes in oil and natural gas prices, we believe our royalty interests (which require no capital expenditures or operating expense burden from us for well development), strong balance sheet, and liquidity position will help us navigate through potential commodity price volatility.

Permian Basin Activity

The Permian Basin is one of the oldest and most well-known hydrocarbon-producing areas and currently accounts for a substantial portion of oil and gas production in the United States, covering approximately 86,000 square miles in 52 counties across southeastern New Mexico and western Texas. Exploration and production (“E&P”) companies active in the Permian have generally increased their drilling and development activity in 2024 compared to recent prior year activity levels. Per the U.S. Energy Information Administration (“EIA”), Permian production averaged approximately 6.3 million barrels per day during 2024, which represents the highest annual production ever. The EIA currently estimates that Permian oil production for December 2024 was approximately 6.5 million barrels per day.

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Due to our ownership concentration in the Permian Basin, our revenues are directly impacted by oil and gas pricing and drilling activity in the Permian Basin. The metrics below show selected benchmark oil and natural gas prices and approximate activity levels in the Permian Basin for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023:

[[GREPCENT_TABLE]]
[["","","Years Ended December 31,"],["","","2024","","2023"],["Oil and Gas Pricing Metrics:(1)"],["WTI Cushing average price per bbl","","$","76.63","","","$","77.58"],["Henry Hub average price per mmbtu","","$","2.19","","","$","2.53"],["Waha Hub natural gas average price per mmbtu","","$","0.14","","","$","1.68"],["Activity Metrics specific to the Permian Basin:(1)(2)"],["Average monthly horizontal permits","","654","","499"],["Average monthly horizontal wells drilled","","504","","422"],["Average weekly horizontal rig count","","296","","323"],["DUCs as of December 31 for each applicable year","","4,536","","4,656"],["Total Average US weekly horizontal rig count (2)","","536","","620"]]
[[/GREPCENT_TABLE]]

(1)    Commonly used definitions in the oil and gas industry provided in the table above are defined as follows: WTI Cushing represents West Texas Intermediate. Bbl represents one barrel of 42 U.S. gallons of oil. Mmbtu represents one million British thermal units, a measurement used for natural gas. DUCs represent drilled but uncompleted wells. DUC classification is based on well data and date stamps provided by Enverus. DUCs is based on wells that have a drilled/spud date stamp but do not have a completed or first production date stamp. Excludes wells that have been labeled plugged and abandoned or permit expired and wells drilled/spud more than five years ago.

(2)    Permian Basin specific information per Enverus analytics. US weekly horizontal rig counts per Baker Hughes United States Rotary Rig Count for horizontal rigs. Statistics for similar data are also available from other sources. The comparability between these other sources and the sources used by the Company may differ.

While average oil prices for the year ended December 31, 2024 were generally flat compared to the same period in 2023, Henry Hub and Waha Hub natural gas prices for the year ended December 31, 2024 declined compared to the same period last year. E&P companies generally have continued to deploy capital at a measured pace as drilling and development activities across the Permian Basin have remained strong overall. Although average rig counts during the year ended December 31, 2024 were lower compared to the same period last year, increased drilling and completion efficiencies have allowed operators to maintain robust levels of well development. As we are a significant landowner in the Permian Basin and not an oil and gas producer, our revenue is affected by the development decisions made by companies that operate in the areas where we own royalty interests and land. Accordingly, these decisions made by others affect not only our share of production volumes and produced water disposal volumes, but also directly impact our surface-related income and water sales.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Overview

Our principal sources of liquidity are cash and cash flows generated from our operations. Our primary liquidity and capital requirements are for capital expenditures related to our Water Services and Operations segment (the extent and timing of which are under our control), working capital and general corporate needs.

We continuously review our liquidity and capital resources. If market conditions were to change and our revenues were to decline significantly or operating costs were to increase significantly, our cash flows and liquidity could be reduced. Should this occur, we could seek alternative sources of funding. We had no debt, credit facilities, or any off-balance sheet arrangements as of December 31, 2024.

As we evaluate our current capital structure, capital allocation priorities, business fundamentals, and investment opportunities, we have set a target cash and cash equivalents balance of approximately $700 million. Above this target, we will seek to deploy the majority of our free cash flow towards dividends and share repurchases. As of December 31, 2024, we had cash and cash equivalents of $369.8 million that we expect to utilize, along with cash flow from operations, to provide capital to

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support our business, to pay dividends subject to the discretion of our Board, to repurchase shares of our Common Stock subject to market conditions, for potential acquisitions and for general corporate purposes. We believe that cash from operations, together with our cash and cash equivalents balances, will be sufficient to meet ongoing capital expenditures, working capital requirements and other cash needs for at least the next 12 months.

Return of Capital to Shareholders

During the year ended December 31, 2024, we paid total dividends to our stockholders of $347.3 million, consisting of cumulative regular cash dividends of $5.11 per share and a special dividend of $10.00 per share. In addition, we repurchased $29.2 million of our Common Stock (including share repurchases not settled at the end of the period).

Acquisition Activity

We completed the following asset acquisitions and business combination during 2024:

•Acquired mineral interests across 7,490 NRA located primarily in the Midland Basin in Martin, Midland and other counties in Texas and New Mexico for cash consideration of $275.2 million, net of post-closing adjustments.

•Acquired mineral interests across 4,106 NRA located in Culberson County, Texas for a purchase price of $120.3 million, net of post-closing adjustments.

•Acquired 4,120 surface acres in Martin County, Texas along with other surface-related tangible and intangible assets in a business combination for total consideration of $45.0 million.

See Part I, Item 1, “Business — Recent Developments” for further discussion of our acquisition activity during 2024.

Development of New Solutions for Produced Water and Capital Expenditures

In May 2024, we announced our progress towards developing new solutions for produced water in the Permian Basin. Over the last few years, we have been working with a leading industrial technology and manufacturing firm to develop an energy-efficient desalination and treatment process and associated equipment that can recycle produced water into fresh water with quality standards appropriate for surface discharge and beneficial reuse. During the year ended December 31, 2024, we spent $9.9 million on this energy-efficient desalination and treatment process and equipment, of which $7.4 million was capitalized. See the discussion in Part I, Item 1, “Business — Business Segments” for additional information.

Additionally, during the year ended December 31, 2024, we invested approximately $21.7 million to maintain and/or enhance our water sourcing assets.

Cash Flows from Operating Activities

For the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, net cash provided by operating activities was $490.7 million and $418.3 million, respectively. Our cash flow provided by operating activities is primarily from oil, gas and produced water royalties, water and land sales, easements, and other surface-related income. Cash flow used in operations generally consists of operating expenses associated with our revenue streams, general and administrative expenses and income taxes.

The increase in cash flows provided by operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the same period of 2023 was primarily driven by an increase in operating income and changes in working capital requirements.

Cash Flows Used in Investing Activities

For the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, net cash used in investing activities was $471.7 million and $60.3 million, respectively. Our cash flows used in investing activities are primarily related to acquisitions and capital expenditures related to our water services and operations segment. Our acquisitions may include land, royalty interests and other similar tangible and intangible assets.

For further information regarding acquisitions during the year ended December 31, 2024, see “Acquisition Activity” above. Capital expenditures for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 were $29.7 million and $15.0 million, respectively.

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Cash Flows Used in Financing Activities

For the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, net cash used in financing activities was $378.1 million and $144.6 million, respectively. Our cash flows used in financing activities principally consist of activities that return capital to our stockholders such as payments of dividends and repurchases of our Common Stock.

During the year ended December 31, 2024, we paid total dividends of $347.3 million, consisting of cumulative regular cash dividends of $5.11 per share and a special dividend of $10.00 per share. During the year ended December 31, 2023, we paid total dividends of $100.0 million consisting of cumulative regular cash dividends of $4.33 per share. We repurchased $29.2 million and $42.4 million of our Common Stock (in each case, including share repurchases not settled at the end of the period) during the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.

Results of Operations - Consolidated

The following table shows our consolidated results of operations and our results of operations by reportable segment for Land and Resource Management (“LRM”) and Water Service and Operations (“WSO”) for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 (in thousands):

[[GREPCENT_TABLE]]
[["","Years Ended December 31,"],["","2024","","2023"],["","LRM","","WSO","","Consolidated","","LRM","","WSO","","Consolidated"],["Revenues:"],["Oil and gas royalties","$","373,331","","","$","\u2014","","","$","373,331","","","$","357,394","","","$","\u2014","","","$","357,394"],["Water sales","\u2014","","","150,724","","","150,724","","","\u2014","","","112,203","","","112,203"],["Produced water royalties","\u2014","","","104,123","","","104,123","","","\u2014","","","84,260","","","84,260"],["Easements and other surface-related income","63,074","","","10,183","","","73,257","","","67,905","","","3,027","","","70,932"],["Land sales","4,388","","","\u2014","","","4,388","","","6,806","","","\u2014","","","6,806"],["Total revenues","440,793","","","265,030","","","705,823","","","432,105","","","199,490","","","631,595"],["Expenses:"],["Salaries and related employee expenses","27,493","","","26,128","","","53,621","","","21,945","","","21,439","","","43,384"],["Water service-related expenses","\u2014","","","46,124","","","46,124","","","\u2014","","","33,566","","","33,566"],["General and administrative expenses","25,531","","","8,952","","","34,483","","","39,078","","","7,372","","","46,450"],["Depreciation, depletion and amortization","10,968","","","14,194","","","25,162","","","3,073","","","11,684","","","14,757"],["Ad valorem and other taxes","7,257","","","38","","","7,295","","","7,382","","","3","","","7,385"],["Total operating expenses","71,249","","","95,436","","","166,685","","","71,478","","","74,064","","","145,542"],["Operating income","369,544","","","169,594","","","539,138","","","360,627","","","125,426","","","486,053"],["Other income, net","31,707","","","7,976","","","39,683","","","30,384","","","1,124","","","31,508"],["Income before income taxes","401,251","","","177,570","","","578,821","","","391,011","","","126,550","","","517,561"],["Income tax expense","86,350","","","38,511","","","124,861","","","84,305","","","27,611","","","111,916"],["Net income","$","314,901","","","$","139,059","","","$","453,960","","","$","306,706","","","$","98,939","","","$","405,645"]]
[[/GREPCENT_TABLE]]

Year Ended December 31, 2024 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2023

Consolidated Revenues and Net Income:

Total revenues increased $74.2 million, or 11.8%, to $705.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to $631.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. This increase was principally due to the $38.5 million increase in water sales, the $19.9 million increase in produced water royalties and the $15.9 million increase in oil and gas royalty revenue in 2024 over 2023. Individual revenue line items are discussed below under “Segment Results of Operations.” Net income of $454.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 was 11.9% higher than 2023, principally as a result of the increase in total revenues, partially offset by an increase in operating expenses, as discussed below.

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Consolidated Expenses:

Salaries and related employee expenses. Salaries and related employee expenses were $53.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to $43.4 million for 2023. The number of employees increased from 100 at December 31, 2023 to 111 as of December 31, 2024, which, when coupled with market compensation adjustments effective at the beginning of 2024, resulted in increased salary and related employee expenses for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to 2023. Additionally, contract labor expenses for the year ended December 31, 2024 increased over 2023, principally as a result of the 34.3% increase in water sales over the same period.

Water service-related expenses. Water service-related expenses increased $12.6 million to $46.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to 2023. Certain types of water service-related expenses, including, but not limited to, treatment, transfer, water purchases, repairs and maintenance, equipment rental, and fuel costs vary from period to period as our customers’ needs and requirements change. Right of way and other expenses also vary from period to period depending on the location of customer delivery. The increase in water service-related expenses for the year ended December 31, 2024 was principally related to a 34.3% increase in water sales over 2023, primarily as a result of increased water volumes. Research and development expenses related to development of a new energy-efficient method of produced water desalination and treatment were $2.5 million and $1.2 million for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. For further discussion of this new treatment method, see “Liquidity and Capital Resources — Development of New Solutions for Produced Water and Capital Expenditures” above.

General and administrative expenses. General and administrative expenses decreased $12.0 million to $34.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 from $46.5 million for the same period of 2023. The decrease in general and administrative expenses during the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the same period of 2023 was principally related to a reduction in legal and professional fees associated with stockholder matters that occurred during 2023.

Depreciation, depletion and amortization. Depreciation, depletion and amortization was $25.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to $14.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The increase is principally due to additional depletion expense associated with royalty interests acquired in August 2024 and October 2024, as well as additional amortization expense associated with intangible assets acquired in August 2023 and August 2024.

Other income, net. Other income, net was $39.7 million and $31.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. The increase in other income, net was primarily related to increased interest income earned on our cash balances during 2024. Higher interest yields during the year ended December 31, 2024 contributed to the increase in interest income. Additionally, during the year ended December 31, 2024, we recorded a curtailment and settlement gain of $4.6 million related to the Company’s pension plan. See further discussion at Note 8, “Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits” in the notes to our consolidated financial statements included under Part II, Item 8, “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.”

Total income tax expense. Total income tax expense was $124.9 million and $111.9 million for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. The increase in income tax expense was primarily related to increased operating income resulting from increased consolidated revenues.

Segment Results of Operations

We operate our business in two reportable segments: Land and Resource Management and Water Services and Operations. We eliminate any inter-segment revenues and expenses, if any, upon consolidation.

We evaluate the performance of our operating segments separately to monitor the different factors affecting financial results. The reportable segments presented are consistent with our reportable segments discussed in Note 15, “Business Segment Reporting” in the notes to our consolidated financial statements included under Part II, Item 8. “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.” We monitor our reporting segments based upon revenue and net income calculated in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”).

Our oil and gas royalty revenue, and, in turn, our results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2024 have been impacted by lower average commodity prices compared to 2023. However, our oil and gas royalty revenues increased for the year ended December 31, 2024 due to increased royalty production. Additionally, revenues derived from water sales and produced water royalties for the year ended December 31, 2024 were also positively impacted by our active management of our surface and royalty interests in recent years.

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Year Ended December 31, 2024 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2023

Land and Resource Management

Land and Resource Management segment revenues increased $8.7 million, or 2.0%, to $440.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 as compared to 2023. The increase in Land and Resource Management segment revenues was related to a $15.9 million increase in oil and gas royalty revenue, partially offset by a decrease in easements and other surface-related income of $4.8 million and a decrease in land sales of $2.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to 2023.

Oil and gas royalties. Oil and gas royalty revenue was $373.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to $357.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, an increase of 4.5%. Oil and gas royalties for the year ended December 31, 2023 included an $8.7 million recovery with an operator with respect to unpaid oil and gas royalties for older production periods. Excluding the impact of the $8.7 million recovery on 2023 revenue, oil and gas royalties for the year ended December 31, 2024 increased $24.6 million due to increased production volumes over 2023. Our share of production volumes increased to 26.8 thousand Boe per day for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to 23.5 thousand Boe per day for 2023. The average realized prices decreased to $39.87 per Boe for the year ended December 31, 2024 from $42.58 per Boe for 2023.

The table below provides financial and operational data by royalty stream for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023:

[[GREPCENT_TABLE]]
[["","","Years Ended December 31,"],["","","2024","","2023(2)"],["Our share of production volumes (1):"],["Oil (MBbls)","","4,118","","","3,701"],["Natural gas (MMcf)","","17,074","","","14,528"],["NGL (MBbls)","","2,841","","","2,453"],["Equivalents (MBoe)","","9,804","","","8,575"],["Equivalents per day (MBoe/d)","","26.8","","","23.5"],["Oil and gas royalties (in thousands):"],["Oil royalties","","$","298,074","","","$","273,304"],["Natural gas royalties","","18,512","","","29,915"],["NGL royalties","","56,745","","","45,510"],["Total oil and gas royalties","","$","373,331","","","$","348,729"],["Realized prices:"],["Oil ($/Bbl)","","$","75.80","","","$","77.33"],["Natural gas ($/Mcf)","","$","1.17","","","$","2.23"],["NGL ($/Bbl)","","$","21.60","","","$","20.05"],["Equivalents ($/Boe)","","$","39.87","","","$","42.58"]]
[[/GREPCENT_TABLE]]

(1)    Commonly used definitions in the oil and gas industry not previously defined: MBbls represents one thousand barrels of crude oil, condensate or NGLs. Mcf represents one thousand cubic feet of natural gas. MMcf represents one million cubic feet of natural gas. MBoe represents one thousand Boe. MBoe/d represents one thousand Boe per day.

(2)    The metrics and dollars provided for the year ended December 31, 2023 exclude the impact of the $8.7 million recovery of oil and gas discussed above.

Easements and other surface-related income. Easements and other surface-related income was $63.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, a decrease of 7.1% compared to $67.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. Easements and other surface-related income includes revenue related to the use and crossing of our land for oil and gas

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exploration and production, renewable energy, and agricultural operations. The decrease in easements and other surface-related income was principally related to a decrease of $5.1 million in wellbore easements for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to 2023. Easements and other surface-related income is dependent on development decisions made by companies that operate in the areas where we own land and is, therefore, unpredictable and may vary significantly from period to period. See “Permian Basin Activity” above for additional discussion of development activity in the Permian Basin during the year ended December 31, 2024.

Land sales. Land sales were $4.4 million and $6.8 million for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. For the year ended December 31, 2024, we sold 439 acres of land for an aggregate sales price of $4.4 million. For the year ended December 31, 2023, we sold 18,061 acres of land for an aggregate sales price of approximately $6.8 million.

Net income. Net income for the Land and Resource Management segment increased to $314.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to $306.7 million for 2023. Segment operating income increased $8.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to 2023. The increase was principally due to a $15.9 million increase in oil and gas royalty revenue and a $13.5 million decrease in general and administrative expenses, partially offset by increased depletion expense and salaries and related employee expenses. Expenses are discussed further above under “Results of Operations — Consolidated.”

Water Services and Operations

Water Services and Operations segment revenues increased 32.9%, to $265.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to $199.5 million for 2023. The increase in Water Services and Operations segment revenues was principally due to increases in water sales revenue and produced water royalties, which are discussed below. As discussed in “Market Conditions” and “Permian Basin Activity” above, our segment revenues are directly influenced by development decisions made by our customers and the overall activity level in the Permian Basin. Accordingly, our segment revenues and sales volumes, as further discussed below, will fluctuate from period to period based upon those decisions and activity levels.

Water sales. Water sales revenue increased $38.5 million, or 34.3% to $150.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to 2023. The growth in water sales was principally due to an increase of 31.0% in water sales volumes for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the year ended December 31, 2023.

Produced water royalties. Produced water royalties are royalties received from the transfer or disposal of produced water on our land. Produced water royalties are contractual and not paid as a matter of right. We do not operate any saltwater disposal wells. Produced water royalties were $104.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to $84.3 million in 2023. This increase was principally due to increased produced water volumes for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to 2023.

Easements and other surface-related income. Easements and other surface-related income was $10.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, an increase of $7.2 million compared to $3.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The increase in easements and other surface-related income primarily related to an increase in temporary permits for sourced water lines for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to 2023.

Net income. Net income for the Water Services and Operations segment was $139.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to $98.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. Segment operating income increased $44.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to 2023. The increase was principally due to a $65.5 million increase in segment revenues which were partially offset by a $12.6 million increase in water service-related expenses and a $10.9 million increase in income tax expense. Expenses are discussed further above under “Results of Operations — Consolidated.”

Non-GAAP Performance Measures

In addition to amounts presented in accordance with GAAP, we also present certain supplemental non-GAAP performance measurements. These measurements are not to be considered more relevant or accurate than the measurements presented in accordance with GAAP. In compliance with the requirements of the SEC, our non-GAAP measurements are reconciled to net income, the most directly comparable GAAP performance measure. For all non-GAAP measurements, neither the SEC nor any other regulatory body has passed judgment on these non-GAAP measurements.

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EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and Free Cash Flow

EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measurement of earnings before interest expense, taxes, depreciation, depletion and amortization. The purpose of presenting EBITDA is to highlight earnings without finance, taxes, and depreciation, depletion and amortization expense, and its use is limited to specialized analysis. We calculate Adjusted EBITDA as EBITDA plus employee share-based compensation and less pension curtailment and settlement gain. The pension curtailment and settlement gain is related to a buyout by a third party of defined benefit obligations under our pension plan and the subsequent freezing of our pension plan, both of which occurred in the fourth quarter of 2024. We have excluded the pension curtailment and settlement gain from the calculation of Adjusted EBITDA as such gain is a non-recurring item and is not related to our core business. The purpose of presenting Adjusted EBITDA is to highlight earnings without non-cash activity such as share-based compensation and other non-recurring or unusual items, if applicable. We calculate free cash flow as Adjusted EBITDA less current income tax expense and capital expenditures. The purpose of presenting free cash flow is to provide an additional measure of operating performance. We have presented EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and free cash flow because we believe that these metrics are useful supplements to net income in analyzing the Company's operating performance. Our definitions of EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and free cash flow may differ from computations of similarly titled measures of other companies.

The following table presents a reconciliation of EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and free cash flow to net income for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 (in thousands):

[[GREPCENT_TABLE]]
[["","","Years Ended December 31,"],["","","2024","","2023"],["Net income","","$","453,960","","","$","405,645"],["Add:"],["Income tax expense","","124,861","","","111,916"],["Depreciation, depletion and amortization","","25,162","","","14,757"],["EBITDA","","603,983","","","532,318"],["Add (deduct):"],["Employee share-based compensation","","11,364","","","9,124"],["Pension curtailment and settlement gain","","(4,616)","","","\u2014"],["Adjusted EBITDA","","610,731","","","541,442"],["Deduct:"],["Current income tax expense","","(120,257)","","","(110,517)"],["Capital expenditures","","(29,423)","","","(15,431)"],["Free Cash Flow","","$","461,051","","","$","415,494"]]
[[/GREPCENT_TABLE]]

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

The Company has not engaged in any off-balance sheet arrangements.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements. It is our opinion that we fully disclose our significant accounting policies in the notes to the consolidated financial statements. Consistent with our disclosure policies, we include the following discussion related to what we believe to be our most critical accounting policies that require our most difficult, subjective or complex judgment and estimates.

Accrual of Oil and Gas Royalties

The Company accrues oil and gas royalties. An accrual is necessary due to the time lag between the removal of crude oil and natural gas products from the respective mineral reserve locations and generation of the actual payment by operators. The oil and gas royalty accrual is based upon historical production volumes, estimates of the timing of future payments and recent market prices for oil and gas.

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Recent Accounting Pronouncements

For further information regarding recently issued accounting pronouncements, see Note 2, “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” in the notes to our consolidated financial statements included under Part II, Item 8. “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.”