Select Water Solutions, Inc. (WTTR) FY 2024 MD&A
This page reproduces the company's own Item 7 MD&A text from the linked SEC filing. It is filer text, not grepcent analysis, scoring, or investment advice.
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and related notes thereto in Part II, Item 8. “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data”. This discussion and analysis contains forward-looking statements based on our current expectations that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of various factors as described under “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” and Part I, Item 1A. “Risk Factors.” We assume no obligation to update any of these forward-looking statements.
Overview
We are a leading provider of sustainable water-management solutions to the energy industry in the U.S. As a leader in the water solutions industry, we place the utmost importance on safe, environmentally responsible management of oilfield water throughout the lifecycle of a well. Additionally, we believe that responsibly managing water resources through our operations to help conserve and protect the environment in the communities in which we operate is paramount to our continued success.
In many regions of the country, there has been growing concern about the volumes of water required for new oil and gas well completions, as well as volumes of water injected into subterranean zones where seismicity can be triggered. Working with our customers and local communities, we strive to be an industry leader in the development of sustainable cost-effective alternatives to fresh water. Specifically, we offer solutions through our infrastructure networks that enable our E&P customers to gather, treat and reuse produced water, thereby reducing the demand for freshwater while also reducing the volumes of saltwater that must be disposed by injection. In many areas, we have also acquired sources of non-potable water, such as brackish water or municipal or industrial effluent. Through our expertise in chemical technologies and our FluidMatch™ design solutions, we provide water profiling and fluid assessment services for our customers to support the optimization of their fluid systems, enabling the economic use of these alternative sources. We also work with our E&P customers to lower their emissions through methane combustion technology, and reduce the environmental footprint of their operations through the use of temporary hose and permanent pipeline systems, which are supported by extensive monitoring and automation technology solutions that provide safer and more efficient water resource management. These solutions significantly reduce the demand for trucking operations, thereby reducing gasoline and diesel exhaust emissions, increasing safety and decreasing traffic congestion in nearby communities.
Recent Trends and Outlook
During 2024, Select executed six strategic business combinations totaling $148.1 million, and eight asset acquisitions totaling $14.6 million, enhancing current and future water infrastructure capabilities. The Trinity Acquisition added strategic saltwater disposal wells and pipelines in the Permian Basin. The Iron Mountain Acquisition and the Tri-State Acquisition strengthened fluids and solids treatment and disposal assets in the Haynesville region. The Buckhorn Acquisition expanded solids management services by adding landfills in North Dakota and Montana. The Bobcat Acquisition enhanced disposal operations and provided comprehensive produced water solutions in the Marcellus/Utica region. Finally, the Rockies Infrastructure Acquisition improved water disposal operations in that region. These strategic acquisitions collectively position Select for future growth and operational efficiency in the water infrastructure segment.
Select is prioritizing investments in water infrastructure projects, which often bring a more predictable and steady revenue stream through long-term contracts and production-related operations. These investments typically produce higher gross margins and also foster stronger partnerships with customers, as Select becomes an integral partner
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in ensuring well productivity for ongoing customer production over the life of a well. Our focus is on integrated solutions that enhance contracted infrastructure projects with logistics services and chemical solutions, and expanding the value we provide to our customers. Our approach, historically and during the year ended December 31, 2024, has been to streamline operations and offer a more comprehensive and valuable overall package to customers that is built around optimizing the entire water lifecycle as such integrated solutions drive revenue growth and enhance overall value to clients.
The armed conflict between Ukraine and Russia continued into 2024, as well as ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, including heightened tensions with Iran. As a result of the Russian invasion of the Ukraine, the U.S., the United Kingdom, the member states of the European Union and other public and private actors have imposed severe sanctions on Russian financial institutions, businesses and individuals. In the Middle East, various conflicts have resulted in increased hostilities and instability in oil and gas producing regions in the Middle East as well as in key adjacent shipping lanes and supply chains, including elevated tensions with Iran, a major oil producer.
The Russia-Ukraine conflict, and the resulting sanctions and concerns regarding global energy security, has contributed to, and conflicts in the Middle East may contribute to, increases and volatility in the prices for oil and natural gas. Such volatility, coupled with an increased cost of capital, due, in part to elevated rates of inflation and interest rates, may lead to a more difficult investing and planning environment for us and our customers. The ultimate geopolitical and macroeconomic consequences of these conflicts and associated sanctions and/or international responses cannot be predicted, and such events, or any further hostilities elsewhere, could severely impact the world economy and may adversely affect our financial condition. An end to these conflicts and an easing or elimination of the related sanctions and/or international response could result in a significant fall in commodity prices as hydrocarbons become more readily accessible in global markets, which could have an adverse effect on our customers, and therefore adversely affect our
customers’ demand for our services. An intensification of that conflict could also have an adverse effect on our customers and their demand for our services.
In addition, since 2021, OPEC+ countries instituted production cuts (as well as voluntary production cuts), which currently cut output by 5.86 million barrels/day in the aggregate. In December 2024, OPEC+ announced an extension of such production cuts through the end of 2026. OPEC+ may, at its discretion, continue to decrease, or increase, production, which will continue to impact crude oil and natural gas price volatility. The actions of OPEC+ countries with respect to oil production levels and announcements of potential changes in such levels, including agreement on and compliance with production targets, may result in volatility in the industry in which we and our customers operate. The average price of West Texas Intermediate (“WTI”) crude oil remained relatively flat in 2024 versus 2023, primarily due to sluggish demand and relatively high production outside of OPEC+ countries, offset by OPEC+ production cuts. During the year ended December 31, 2024, the average spot price of WTI crude oil was $76.63 versus an average price of $77.58 for the year ended December 31, 2023. While WTI price levels marginally declined during 2024 relative to 2023, these WTI price levels remain supportive of our customers’ drilling and completion programs in the major shale basins. The average Henry Hub natural gas spot price during the year ended December 31, 2024, was $2.19 versus an average of $2.53 for the year ended December 31, 2023. Henry Hub natural gas price levels in 2024 have declined relative to 2023 and have negatively impacted activity levels in the natural gas basins though prices did see a recovery in the second half of 2024 relative to the first half of the year.
Additionally, increased inflation in recent years has resulted in higher interest rates and increased cost of capital for Select and for our customers. As costs of capital has increased, many of our customers have demonstrated their resolve to manage their capital spending within budgets and cash flow from operations and increase redemptions of debt and/or returns of capital to investors. Additionally, consolidation among our customers, such as the consolidation of E&P companies in the Permian Basin, can disrupt our market in the near term and the resulting demand for our services. Overall however, even though commodity prices have moderated recently, the financial health of the oil and gas industry is in a generally healthy position overall, including many of our customers specifically, as reflected in revenues and earnings, debt metrics, recent capital raises, and equity valuations.
In addition, global macroeconomic developments, such as the development or change in international trade policies, including the imposition of tariffs, may adversely affect our ability to source raw materials and the demand for our services. While we have positioned ourselves to largely not be reliant on any sole supplier and believe we would be
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able to find alternative sources for our raw materials, any trading disruption (such as tariffs, product restrictions, etc.) in the trading relationships between the U.S. and other nations may adversely impact our business. For example, on February 1, 2025, the White House issued three executive orders directing the U.S. to impose an increase of the duty on imports from Canada, Mexico and China and empowering the U.S. president to raise the tariffs further should any country retaliate. On February 3, 2025, the prospective tariffs on Canada and Mexico were deferred for 30 days, though the execution of these tariff increases remain possible beyond the current short-term reprieve. The 10% additional tariff on all imports from China went into effect, and on February 4, 2025 China retaliated with various levels of tariffs on certain products imported from the U.S., including a 10% tariff on crude oil and a 15% tariff on liquified natural gas. The continuation, expansion or worsening of these tariffs may adversely affect the industry in which we operate and reduce demand for our services.
When one customer acquires another, drilling and completions activity levels may decrease overall, but acquisitions can lead to larger blocks of consolidated development and production acreage, which can increase the demand for our longer-term integrated full water lifecycle solutions. This consolidation may streamline operations, as Select can offer integrated solutions to clients with larger water volumes to manage in certain areas. The Company’s position in the market may strengthen, as it becomes an essential partner for long-term production integrity in larger, more comprehensive water projects. However, it also means Select must meet the changing needs and structures of these consolidated entities to maintain and grow these relationships. While customers involved in acquisitions may initially slow activity to focus on integration and portfolio management, we believe we are well-positioned to meet the increased responsibilities of overall water management, including water reuse, recycling, transmitting and balancing across customers and regions, and ultimately disposal, for these larger customers and blocks of contiguous acreage.
While the financial health of the broader oil and gas industry has shown improvement as compared to prior periods, central bank policy actions and associated liquidity risks and other factors may negatively impact the value of our equity and that of our customers, and may reduce our and their ability to access liquidity in the bank and capital markets or result in capital being available on less favorable terms, which could negatively affect our financial condition and that of our customers.
From an operational standpoint, many of the recent trends still apply to ongoing unconventional oil and gas development. The continued trend towards multi-well pad development and simultaneous well completions, executed within a limited time frame, combined with service price inflation and elevated interest rates, has increased the overall intensity, complexity and cost of well completions, while increasing fracturing efficiency and the use of lower-cost in-basin sand has decreased total costs for our customers. However, we note the continued efficiency gains in the well completions process can limit the days we spend on the wellsite and, therefore, negatively impact the total revenue opportunity for certain of our services utilizing day-rate pricing models.
This multi-well pad development, combined with upstream acreage consolidation and corporate mergers as well as the growing trends around the recycling and reuse applications of produced water provides a significant opportunity for companies like us that can deliver increasingly complex solutions for our E&P customers across large swathes of acreage through our regional infrastructure networks, delivering solutions for the full completion and production lifecycle of wells. While these trends have advanced the most in the Permian Basin to date, they are emerging in other basins as well and Select has recently performed recycling projects in the Haynesville, Rockies and South Texas regions as well.
The increased reuse of produced water requires additional chemical treatment solutions. We have a dedicated team of specialists focused every day on developing and deploying innovative water treatment and reuse services for our customers. Our FluidMatch™ design solutions enable our customers to economically use these alternative sources to optimize their fluid systems by providing water profiling and fluid assessment services working towards real-time. This trend also supports more complex “on-the-fly” solutions that treat, proportion, and blend various streams of water and chemicals at the wellsite. This complexity favors service companies that are able to provide advanced technology solutions. Ultimately, we intend to play an important role in the advancement of water and chemical solutions that are designed to meet the sustainability goals of key stakeholders.
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Our water logistics, treatment, and chemical application expertise, in combination with advanced technology solutions, are applicable to other industries beyond oil and gas. We are working to further commercialize our services in other businesses and industries through our industrial solutions group.
Our Segments
Our services are offered through three reportable segments: (i) Water Infrastructure; (ii) Water Services; and (iii) Chemical Technologies.
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Water Infrastructure. The Water Infrastructure segment consists of the Company’s fixed infrastructure assets, including operations associated with our water distribution pipeline infrastructure, our water recycling solutions, and our produced water pipeline gathering systems and SWDs, as well as solids management facilities, primarily serving E&P companies. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Water Services. The Water Services segment consists of the Company’s services businesses, including water sourcing, water transfer, flowback and well testing, fluids hauling, water monitoring, water containment and water network automation, primarily serving E&P companies. Additionally, this segment includes the operations of our accommodations and rentals business. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Chemical Technologies. The Chemical Technologies segment provides technical solutions, products and expertise related to chemical applications in the oil and gas industry. We develop, manufacture, manage logistics and provide a full suite of chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing, stimulation, cementing and well completions for customers ranging from pressure pumpers to major integrated and independent oil and gas producers. This segment also utilizes its chemical experience and lab testing capabilities to customize tailored water treatment solutions designed to optimize the fracturing fluid system in conjunction with the quality of water used in well completions. |
How We Generate Revenue
We currently generate most of our revenue through our water-management services associated with well completions as well as ongoing produced water management, provided through our Water Infrastructure and Water Services segments. Most of this revenue is realized through customer agreements with fixed pricing terms and is recognized when delivery of services is provided, generally at our customers’ sites. While we have some long-term pricing arrangements, particularly in our Water Infrastructure segment, most of our water and water-related services are priced based on prevailing market conditions, giving due consideration to the customer’s specific requirements.
We also generate revenue by providing completion and specialty chemicals through our Chemical Technologies segment. We invoice the majority of our Chemical Technologies customers for services provided based on the quantity of chemicals used or pursuant to short-term contracts as customer needs arise.
Costs of Conducting Our Business
The principal expenses involved in conducting our business are labor costs, vehicle and equipment costs (including depreciation, rental, repair and maintenance and leasing costs), raw materials and water sourcing costs and fuel costs. Our fixed costs are relatively low. Most of the costs of serving our customers are variable, i.e., they are incurred only when we provide water and water-related services, or chemicals and chemical-related services to our customers.
Labor costs associated with our employees and contract labor comprise the largest portion of our costs of doing business. We incurred labor and labor-related costs of $530.7 million, $554.4 million and $476.2 million for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively. The majority of our recurring labor costs are variable and dependent on the market environment and are incurred only while we are providing our operational services. We also incur costs to employ personnel to ensure safe operations, sell and supervise our services and perform maintenance on our assets, which is not directly tied to our level of business activity. Additionally, we incur selling, general and
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administrative costs for compensation of our administrative personnel at our field sites and in our operational and corporate headquarters, as well as for third-party support, licensing and services.
We incur significant vehicle and equipment costs in connection with the services we provide, including depreciation, repairs and maintenance, rental and leasing costs. We incurred vehicle and equipment costs of $312.9 million, $318.9 million and $266.6 million for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
We incur raw material costs in manufacturing our chemical products, as well as for water that we source for our customers. We incurred raw material costs of $242.7 million, $299.9 million and $300.8 million for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
We incur variable transportation costs associated with our service lines, predominately fuel and freight. We incurred fuel and freight costs of $83.4 million, $115.6 million and $118.1 million for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Variability in fuel prices impact our transportation costs, which affect the results of our operations.
How We Evaluate Our Operations
We use a variety of operational and financial metrics to assess our performance. Among other measures, management considers each of the following:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Revenue; |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Gross Profit; |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Gross Margins; |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | EBITDA; |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Adjusted EBITDA; |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Cash Flows; and |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | Free Cash Flow. |
Revenue
We analyze our revenue and assess our performance by comparing actual monthly revenue to our internal projections and across periods. We also assess incremental changes in revenue compared to incremental changes in direct operating costs and selling, general and administrative expenses across our reportable segments to identify potential areas for improvement, as well as to determine whether segment performance is meeting management’s expectations.
Gross Profit
To measure our financial performance, we analyze our gross profit, which we define as revenues less direct operating expenses (including depreciation, amortization and accretion expenses). We believe gross profit provides insight into profitability and the true operating performance of our assets. We also compare gross profit to prior periods and across segments to identify trends as well as underperforming segments.
Gross Margins
Gross margins provide an important gauge of how effective we are at converting revenue into profits. This metric works in tandem with gross profit to ensure that we do not seek to increase gross profit at the expense of lower
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margins, nor pursue higher gross margins at the expense of declining gross profits. We track gross margins by segment and service line and compare them across prior periods and across segments and service lines to identify trends as well as underperforming segments.
EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA
We view EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA as important indicators of performance. We define EBITDA as net income/(loss), plus interest expense, income taxes, and depreciation, amortization and accretion. We define Adjusted EBITDA as EBITDA plus/(minus) loss/(income) from discontinued operations, plus any impairment and abandonment charges or asset write-offs pursuant to accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. (“GAAP”), plus non-cash losses on the sale of assets or subsidiaries, non-recurring compensation expense, non-cash compensation expense, and non-recurring or unusual expenses or charges, including severance expenses, transaction costs, or facilities-related exit and disposal-related expenditures, plus/(minus) foreign currency losses/(gains), plus/(minus) losses/(gains) on unconsolidated entities and plus tax receivable agreements expense less bargain purchase gains from business combinations. The adjustments to EBITDA are generally consistent with such adjustments described in our Sustainability-Linked Credit Facility. See “—Comparison of Non-GAAP Financial Measures—EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA” for more information and a reconciliation of EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA to net income, the most directly comparable financial measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP.
Cash Flows and Free Cash Flow
We define free cash flow as net cash provided by (used in) operating activities less purchases of property and equipment, plus proceeds received from sale of property and equipment. Our board of directors and executive management team use free cash flow to assess our liquidity and ability to repay maturing debt, fund operations and make additional investments. We believe free cash flow provides useful information to investors because it is an important indicator of our liquidity, including our ability to reduce net debt, make strategic investments, pay dividends and distributions and repurchase common stock. Our measure of free cash flow may not be directly comparable to similar measures reported by other companies. Furthermore, free cash flow is not a substitute for, or more meaningful than, net cash provided by (used in) operating activities nor any other measure prescribed by GAAP, and there are limitations to using non-GAAP measures such as free cash flow. Accordingly, free cash flow should not be considered a measure of the income generated by our business or discretionary cash available to it to invest in the growth of our business.
Factors Affecting the Comparability of Our Results of Operations to Our Historical Results of Operations
Our future results of operations may not be comparable to our historical results of operations for the periods presented, primarily for the reasons described below and those described in “—Recent Trends and Outlook” above.
Acquisition Activity
As described above, we continuously evaluate potential investments, particularly in water infrastructure and other water-related services and technology. To the extent we consummate acquisitions, any incremental revenues or expenses from such transactions are not included in our historical results of operations.
Between January 2023 and December 2024, we completed six business combinations and approximately fourteen asset acquisitions. Our historical financial statements for periods prior to the respective date each acquisition was completed do not include the results of operations of that acquisition. See “—Recent Developments” and “Note 3—Acquisitions” for a description of these transactions.
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Results of Operations
The following table sets forth our results of operations, including revenue by segment, for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the year ended December 31, 2023. The results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the year ended December 31, 2022 is set forth in Part II, Item 7 of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 under the caption “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.”
Year Ended December 31, 2024 Compared to the Year Ended December 31, 2023
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | Year ended December 31, | | Change | | ||||||||
| | 2024 | 2023 | Dollars | Percentage | | ||||||||
| | | | (in thousands) | | | | | | | ||||
| Revenue | | | | | | ||||||||
| Water Infrastructure | | $ | 290,900 | | $ | 229,970 | | $ | 60,930 | | 26.5 | % | |
| Water Services | | | 901,657 | | | 1,032,896 | | | (131,239) | (12.7) | % | | |
| Chemical Technologies | | | 259,518 | | | 322,487 | | (62,969) | (19.5) | % | | ||
| Total revenue | | 1,452,075 | | 1,585,353 | | (133,278) | (8.4) | % | | ||||
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Costs of revenue | | | | | | | | ||||||
| Water Infrastructure | | | 137,573 | | | 138,191 | | (618) | (0.4) | % | | ||
| Water Services | | 720,876 | | 814,609 | | (93,733) | (11.5) | % | | ||||
| Chemical Technologies | | | 220,617 | | | 262,078 | | | (41,461) | | (15.8) | % | |
| Depreciation, amortization and accretion | | 153,543 | | 138,813 | | 14,730 | 10.6 | % | | ||||
| Total costs of revenue | | 1,232,609 | | 1,353,691 | | (121,082) | (8.9) | % | | ||||
| Gross profit | | 219,466 | | 231,662 | | (12,196) | (5.3) | % | | ||||
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Operating expenses | | | | | | | | ||||||
| Selling, general and administrative | | 159,978 | | | 155,548 | | 4,430 | 2.8 | % | | |||
| Depreciation and amortization | | 3,404 | | | 2,276 | | 1,128 | 49.6 | % | | |||
| Impairments and abandonments | | | 1,237 | | | 12,607 | | | (11,370) | | NM | | |
| Lease abandonment costs | | 358 | | | 42 | | 316 | NM | | | |||
| Total operating expenses | | 164,977 | | 170,473 | | (5,496) | (3.2) | % | | ||||
| Income from operations | | 54,489 | | 61,189 | | (6,700) | (10.9) | % | | ||||
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Other income (expense) | | | | | | | | ||||||
| Gain (loss) on sales of property and equipment and divestitures, net | | | 3,255 | | | (210) | | | 3,465 | NM | | | |
| Interest expense, net | | (6,965) | | | (4,393) | | (2,572) | 58.5 | % | | |||
| Tax receivable agreements expense | | | (836) | | | (38,187) | | | 37,351 | NM | | | |
| Other | | (573) | | | 2,424 | | (2,997) | NM | | | |||
| Income before income tax (expense) benefit and equity in losses of unconsolidated entities | | 49,370 | | 20,823 | | 28,547 | 137.1 | % | | ||||
| Income tax (expense) benefit | | (13,568) | | 60,196 | | (73,764) | (122.5) | % | | ||||
| Equity in losses of unconsolidated entities | | | (352) | | (1,800) | | 1,448 | NM | | | |||
| Net income | | $ | 35,450 | | $ | 79,219 | | $ | (43,769) | (55.3) | % | |
Revenue
Our revenue decreased $133.3 million, or 8.4%, to $1.45 billion for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to $1.59 billion for the year ended December 31, 2023. The decrease was composed of a $131.2 million decrease in Water Services revenue and a $63.0 million decrease in Chemical Technologies revenue partially offset by a $60.9 million increase in Water Infrastructure revenue. The net $133.3 million decrease was driven primarily by macroeconomic factors stemming from lower frac crew deployments and associated price reductions impacted by
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competitor price cuts. Included in the increases in Water Infrastructure were incremental revenue contributions from our 2024 acquisitions. For the year ended December 31, 2024, our Water Infrastructure, Water Services and Chemical Technologies revenues constituted 20.0%, 62.1% and 17.9% of our total revenue, respectively, compared to 14.5%, 65.2% and 20.3%, respectively, for the year ended December 31, 2023. The revenue changes by reportable segment are as follows:
Water Infrastructure. Revenue increased by $60.9 million, or 26.5%, to $290.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to $230.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The increase was primarily driven by additional revenue from acquisitions, which contributed to higher disposal and landfill revenue earned during 2024, and organic growth in our recycling business line, offset by lower pipeline distribution volumes.
Water Services. Revenue decreased $131.2 million, or 12.7%, to $901.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to $1.0 billion for the year ended December 31, 2023. The decrease in revenues was primarily attributable to lower customer activity levels primarily driven by macroeconomic factors stemming from lower frac crew deployments and associated price reductions impacted by competitor price cuts. The decrease impacted all Water Services business lines, except for a slight increase in Water Sourcing revenue, which experienced modest growth during the year.
Chemical Technologies. Revenue decreased $63.0 million, or 19.5%, to $259.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to $322.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The decrease in revenues was primarily driven by macroeconomic factors stemming from lower frac crew deployments and associated price reductions impacted by competitor price cuts.
Costs of Revenue
Costs of revenue decreased $121.1 million, or 8.9%, to $1.2 billion for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to $1.4 billion for the year ended December 31, 2023. The decrease was primarily composed of a $0.6 million decrease in Water Infrastructure costs, a $93.7 million decrease in Water Services costs and a $41.5 million decrease in Chemical Technologies costs reflecting the lower revenue-producing activity discussed above, partially offset by an increase of $14.7 million in depreciation, amortization and accretion.
Water Infrastructure. Costs of revenue decreased $0.6 million, or 0.4%, to $137.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to $138.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. Cost of revenue as a percent of revenue decreased to 47.3% from 60.1%, due primarily to the growth in high margin recycling revenue and an increase in disposal margin impacted by the margin accretive contributions of acquired disposal operations, improved operational throughput and execution, as well as higher skim oil sales, partially offset by a decline in high-margin pipeline revenue.
Water Services. Costs of revenue decreased $93.7 million, or 11.5%, to $720.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to $814.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. Cost of revenue as a percent of revenue increased to 80.0% from 78.9% primarily driven by lower Water Containment margins and reduced Accommodation & Rentals margins, both affected by decreased revenue stemming from macroeconomic conditions. Additionally, the decrease was impacted by lower Fluids Hauling margins due to macroeconomic conditions and price reductions. These declines were partially offset by improved Water Transfer and Flowback margins, both benefiting from effective cost controls, as well as higher Water Sourcing margins, benefiting from effective cost controls and increased revenue.
Chemical Technologies. Costs of revenue decreased $41.5 million, or 15.8%, to $220.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to $262.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. Cost of revenue as a percent of revenue increased to 85.0% from 81.3% primarily driven by higher absorption costs in our manufacturing facilities due to lower volumes as well as modest price reductions stemming from macroeconomic factors.
Depreciation amortization and accretion. Depreciation, amortization and accretion expense increased $14.7 million, or 10.6%, to $153.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to $138.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 primarily due to a higher fixed asset base resulting from recent acquisitions as well as investments made into fixed infrastructure projects.
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Gross Profit
Gross profit was $219.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to $231.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The decrease was due primarily to lower revenue and gross profit in our Water Services and Chemical Technologies segments, partially offset by higher revenue and gross profit in our Water Infrastructure segment. Gross profit increased by $61.5 million in our Water Infrastructure segment, decreased by $37.5 million in our Water Services segment and decreased by $21.5 million in our Chemical Technologies segment. Also contributing to the decrease in gross profit was a $14.7 million increase in depreciation, amortization and accretion expense. Gross margin as a percentage of revenue was 15.1% and 14.6% during the years ended December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively.
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses
Selling, general and administrative expenses increased $4.4 million, or 2.8%, to $160.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to $155.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The increase was due primarily to a $11.7 million increase in incentive and equity-based compensation cost, $4.9 million in higher wages, associated payroll taxes and employer 401(k) match contributions, $3.2 million in higher legal and professional fees, $0.9 million in higher research and development costs, $0.6 million in higher information technology costs and $0.6 million in severance expense partially offset by $10.5 million in lower transaction and rebranding costs, a $5.1 million decrease in credit loss expense, $0.8 million in lower vehicle lease costs and $1.1million from a combination of other expenses.
Impairments and Abandonments
For the years ended December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, we recorded $1.2 million and $1.4 million of abandonment that was primarily attributable to abandoned property and equipment, respectively. For the year ended December 31, 2023, we recorded $11.1 million of trademark abandonment in the Chemical Technologies segment as well as $0.1 million of impairment in our Water Services segment to write-off the remaining value of a cost-method investment.
Net Interest Expense
Net interest expense increased by $2.6 million, or 58.5%, to $7.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to $4.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 due primarily to higher average borrowing on our Prior Sustainability-Linked Credit Facility partially offset by interest income on cash balances.
Tax Receivable Agreements Expense
As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, we determined that we were in a position to reasonably estimate the amount of the liability associated with the Tax Receivable Agreements and determined that future payment under the terms of the Tax Receivable Agreements were probable, and therefore recorded expense of $0.8 million and $38.2 million for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
Income Tax Expense
For the years ended December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, we recorded $13.6 million in income tax expense and $60.2 million in income tax benefit, respectively. The benefit in 2023 was due to a release of a portion of the valuation allowance on our deferred tax assets at the end of 2023.
Net Income
Net Income decreased by $43.8 million, to a net income of $35.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to $79.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, driven primarily by a $73.8 million income tax expense increase partially offset by a $37.4 million decrease in tax receivable agreements expense. Also impacting the
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decrease was lower gross profit and higher selling, general and administrative expenses partially offset by the trademark abandonment during the year ended December 31, 2023.
Comparison of Non-GAAP Financial Measures
Our board of directors, management and investors use EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA to assess our financial performance because it allows them to compare our operating performance on a consistent basis across periods by removing the effects of our capital structure (such as varying levels of interest expense), asset base (such as depreciation, amortization and accretion) and items outside the control of our management team. We present EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA because we believe they provide useful information regarding the factors and trends affecting our business in addition to measures calculated under GAAP.
Note Regarding Non-GAAP Financial Measures
EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are not financial measures presented in accordance with GAAP. We believe that the presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures will provide useful information to investors in assessing our financial performance and results of operations. Net income is the GAAP measure most directly comparable to EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA. Our non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered as alternatives to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure. Each of these non-GAAP financial measures has important limitations as an analytical tool due to the exclusion of some but not all items that affect the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures. One should not consider EBITDA or Adjusted EBITDA in isolation or as substitutes for an analysis of our results as reported under GAAP. Because EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA may be defined differently by other companies in our industry, our definitions of these non-GAAP financial measures may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies, thereby diminishing their utility.
The following table sets forth our reconciliation of EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA to our net (loss) income, which is the most directly comparable GAAP measure, for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023.
| | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | Year ended December 31, | ||||
| | | 2024 | 2023 | |||
| | | | | | | |
| Net income | | $ | 35,450 | | $ | 79,219 |
| Interest expense, net | | | 6,965 | | | 4,393 |
| Income tax expense (benefit) | | | 13,568 | | | (60,196) |
| Depreciation, amortization and accretion | | | 156,947 | | | 141,089 |
| EBITDA | | | 212,930 | | | 164,505 |
| Tax receivable agreements expense | | | 836 | | | 38,187 |
| Non-cash compensation expenses | | | 26,358 | | | 17,369 |
| Non-recurring severance expenses(1) | | | 648 | | | — |
| Non-cash loss on sale of assets or subsidiaries(2) | | | 3,609 | | | 3,350 |
| Transaction and rebranding costs(3) | | | 10,038 | | | 20,447 |
| Lease abandonment costs | | | 358 | | | 42 |
| Impairments and abandonments | | | 1,237 | | | 12,607 |
| Equity in losses of unconsolidated entities | | | 352 | | | 1,800 |
| Other(4) | | | 2,029 | | | 6 |
| Adjusted EBITDA | | $ | 258,395 | | $ | 258,313 |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| (1) | For the year ended December 31, 2024, these costs related to severance costs associated with our former CFO. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| (2) | For all periods presented, the losses were primarily due to sales of real estate and underutilized or obsolete property and equipment. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| (3) | For all periods presented, these costs were primarily legal-related due diligence costs and rebranding costs as well as costs related to certain acquired subsidiaries. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| (4) | The majority of amounts for the year ended December 31, 2024 relate to the settlement of sales tax audits with respect to acquired entities. |
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EBITDA was $212.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to $164.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The $48.4 million increase in EBITDA was driven primarily by $38.2 million in tax receivable agreements expense in 2023 compared to $0.8 million in 2024, a $2.5 million increase in gross profit and an $11.4 million decrease in impairments and abandonments partially offset by a $4.4 million increase in selling, general and administrative expense. Adjusted EBITDA was $258.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to $258.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2023.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Overview
Our primary sources of liquidity are cash on hand, borrowing capacity under the Sustainability-Linked Credit Facility, cash flows from operations and proceeds from the sale of excess property and equipment. Our primary uses of capital have been to fund current operations, maintain our asset base, implement technological advancements, make capital expenditures to support organic growth, fund acquisitions and minority investments, pay dividends and distributions, make payments under the Tax Receivable Agreements, and when appropriate, repurchase shares of Class A common stock in the open market. Depending on available opportunities, market conditions and other factors, we may also issue debt and equity securities, in the future, if needed.
As of December 31, 2024, we had $85.0 million in outstanding borrowings. We prioritize sustained positive free cash flow and a strong balance sheet, and evaluate potential acquisitions and investments in the context of those priorities, in addition to the economics of the opportunity. We believe this approach provides us with additional flexibility to evaluate larger investments as well as improved resilience in a sustained downturn versus many of our peers.
Based on our current cash and cash equivalents balance, operating cash flow, available borrowings under our Sustainability-Linked Credit Facility and the ongoing actions discussed above, we believe that we will be able to maintain sufficient liquidity to satisfy our obligations and remain in compliance with our existing debt covenants through the next twelve months and beyond, prior to giving effect to any future financing that may occur.
We intend to finance most of our capital expenditures, contractual obligations and working capital needs with cash on hand, cash generated from operations and borrowings under our Sustainability-Linked Credit Facility. For a discussion of the Sustainability-Linked Credit Facility, see “—Sustainability-Linked Credit Facility” below. Although we cannot provide any assurance, we believe that our current cash balance, operating cash flow and available borrowings under our Sustainability-Linked Credit Facility will be sufficient to fund our operations for at least the next twelve months.
During the fourth quarter of 2022, we initiated a quarterly dividend and distribution program of $0.05 per share and $0.05 per unit for holders of Class A and Class B shares, respectively. We paid quarterly dividends at the same rate through the third quarter of 2023, then the board of directors increased the quarterly dividend paid on November 17, 2023 to $0.06 per share and $0.06 per unit for holders of Class A and Class B shares, respectively. We paid quarterly dividends at the same rate through the third quarter of 2024, then the board of directors increased the quarterly dividend paid on November 15, 2024 to $0.07 per share and $0.07 per unit for holders of Class A and Class B shares, respectively. This program resulted in a financing outflow of $29.7 million and $24.9 million during the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. This quarterly dividend program is expected to continue into 2025 and beyond. All future dividend payments are subject to quarterly review and approval by our board of directors.
As of December 31, 2024, cash and cash equivalents totaled $20.0 million and we had approximately $114.8 million of available borrowing capacity under our Prior Sustainability-Linked Credit Facility. As of December 31, 2024, the borrowing base under the Prior Sustainability-Linked Credit Facility was $218.8 million, we had $85.0 million in outstanding borrowings, and outstanding letters of credit totaled $19.0 million. As of February 17, 2025, we had $250.0 million in outstanding indebtedness, the borrowing base for the Revolving Credit Facility (as defined below) under the Sustainability-Linked Credit Facility was $231.2 million, the borrowing base for the Term Loan (as defined below)
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under the Sustainability-Linked Credit Facility was $426.3 million, the outstanding letters of credit totaled $19.9 million, and the available borrowing capacity under the Sustainability-Linked Credit Facility was $211.3 million.
In 2022, our trade accounts receivable experienced a notable surge, rising from $232.8 million to $430.0 million. This increase was attributed to multiple factors, including the growth in our revenue, the addition of receivables from acquired entities, and the complexities encountered during the integration of these acquisitions. During 2023, in parallel with integration efforts related to previously acquired companies, we implemented enhancements to our billing and collection processes, yielding tangible benefits, with continued strong collections throughout 2024. These improvements resulted in a more efficient management of our working capital, thereby augmenting our generation of cash. This increased cash flow provides us with greater flexibility to reinvest in our business or return capital to our shareholders.
As of December 31, 2024, we had no material off-balance sheet arrangements. As such, we are not exposed to any material financing, liquidity, market or credit risk that could arise if we had engaged in such financing arrangements.
Our contractual obligations include, among other things, our Sustainability-Linked Credit Facility and operating leases. Refer to “Note 6—Leases” for operating lease obligations as of December 31, 2024 and “Note 10—Debt” for an update to our Sustainability-Linked Credit Facility as of December 31, 2024.
Cash Flows
The following table summarizes our cash flows for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023. The summary of our cash flows for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 is set forth in Part II, Item 7 of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 under the caption “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.”
Cash Flow Changes Between the Years Ended December 31, 2024 and 2023
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | Year ended December 31, | | Change | | |||||||
| | 2024 | 2023 | Dollars | Percentage | | |||||||
| | | (in thousands) | | | | | | | ||||
| Net cash provided by operating activities | | $ | 234,886 | | $ | 285,355 | | $ | (50,469) | | (17.7) | % |
| Net cash used in investing activities | | | (318,623) | | | (137,168) | | | (181,455) | | (132.3) | % |
| Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities | | | 46,641 | | | (98,423) | | | 145,064 | | 147.4 | % |
| Subtotal | | | (37,096) | | | 49,764 | | | | | | |
| Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents | | | (9) | | | (3) | | | (6) | | NM | |
| Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents | | $ | (37,105) | | $ | 49,761 | | | | | | |
Operating Activities. Net cash provided by operating activities was $234.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to $285.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The $50.5 million decrease is comprised of a $45.8 million reduction in converting working capital to cash and a decrease of $4.7 million of net income combined with non-cash adjustments.
Investing Activities. Net cash used in investing activities was $318.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to $137.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The $181.5 million increase in net cash used in investing activities was due primarily to an increase of $143.6 million spent for acquisitions net of cash received, a $37.3 million increase in purchases of property and equipment and a $1.1 million decrease in proceeds received from sales of property and equipment.
Financing Activities. Net cash provided by financing activities was $46.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to net cash used in financing activities of $98.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The $145.1 million increase in net cash provided by financing activities was due primarily to borrowings net of debt repayments increasing $101.0 million and a $53.9 million decrease in repurchases of shares of Class A common
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stock partially offset by $4.4 million of cash received from noncontrolling interest holders net of payments during the year ended December 31, 2023, $4.8 million increase in dividends and distributions paid and $0.5 million paid with respect to tax receivable agreements during the year ended December 31, 2024.
Free Cash Flow
The following table summarizes our free cash flow for the periods indicated:
| | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | Year ended December 31, | ||||
| | 2024 | 2023 | ||||
| | | (in thousands) | ||||
| Net cash provided by operating activities | | $ | 234,886 | | $ | 285,355 |
| Purchase of property and equipment | | | (173,153) | | | (135,866) |
| Proceeds received from sale of property and equipment | | | 15,809 | | | 16,891 |
| Free cash flow | | $ | 77,542 | | $ | 166,380 |
Sustainability-Linked Credit Facility
On January 24, 2025 (the “Closing Date”), SES Holdings, LLC (“SES Holdings”), a subsidiary of the Company, Select Water Solutions, LLC, a subsidiary of SES Holdings (the “Select LLC”), Bank of America, N.A., as administrative agent, issuing lender and swingline lender (the “Administrative Agent”), and the other lenders party thereto, entered into that certain sustainability-linked senior secured credit facility (the “Sustainability-Linked Credit Facility”), which initially provides for $300.0 million in revolving commitments (the “Revolving Credit Facility”) and $250.0 million in term commitments (the “Term Loan Facility”), in each case, subject to a borrowing base. The Sustainability-Linked Credit Facility also has a sublimit of $50.0 million for letters of credit and a sublimit of $30.0 million for swingline loans. Subject to obtaining commitments from existing or new lenders, Select LLC has the option to increase the maximum amount under the sustainability-linked senior secured credit facility by (i) $150.0 million for additional revolving commitments and (ii) $50.0 million for additional term commitments, in each case, during the first four years following the Closing Date. As of the Closing Date, (i) there were no borrowings outstanding under the Revolving Credit Facility and approximately $20 million of letters of credit issued and outstanding thereunder and (ii) the Term Loan Facility was fully funded. Capitalized terms used but not defined herein have the meaning ascribed to them in the Sustainability-Linked Credit Facility.
The Borrowing Base for the Revolving Credit Facility is calculated as the sum of (i) 90% of the Eligible Investment Grade Billed Receivables, plus (ii) 85% of the Eligible Billed Receivables (other than Eligible Investment Grade Billed Receivables), plus (iii) the lesser of (a) 75% of the amount of Eligible Unbilled Receivables and (b) an amount equal to 40% of the Borrowing Base, plus (iv) the least of (x) the product of 70% multiplied by the value of Eligible Inventory at such time, (y) the product of 85% multiplied by the Net Recovery Percentage identified in the most recent Acceptable Appraisal of Inventory, multiplied by the value of Eligible Inventory at such time and (z) an amount equal to 30% of the Borrowing Base, minus (v) the aggregate amount of Reserves, if any, established by the Administrative Agent from time to time. As of the Closing Date, the Borrowing Base under the Revolving Credit Facility was $219.0 million. The Borrowing Base is thereafter calculated on a monthly basis (or if an Increased Reporting Period is in effect as described in the Sustainability-Linked Credit Facility, on a weekly basis) pursuant to a borrowing base certificate delivered by Select LLC to the Administrative Agent.
The Term Advance Borrowing Base for the Term Loan Facility is calculated as the lesser of (i) the product of 100% multiplied by the Net Book Value of all M&E and (ii) the product of 65% multiplied by the NOLV-IP of the Term Advance Collateral. As of the Closing Date, the Term Advance Borrowing Base under the Term Loan Facility was $426.27 million. The Term Advance Borrowing Base is thereafter only subject to reporting and redetermination during the period commencing after the date that excess availability is less than the greater of (a) 25% of the lesser of (1) the aggregate revolving commitments and (2) the then-effective borrowing base (such lesser amount, the “Borrowing Limit”) and (b) $30.0 million for three or more consecutive business days and ending on the first date that excess availability has equaled or exceeded the greater of (1) 25% of the Borrowing Limit and (2) $30.0 million for 30 consecutive days.
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Borrowings under the Sustainability-Linked Credit Facility bear interest, at Select LLC’s election, at either Term SOFR (subject to a zero percent floor) or the Base Rate (“Base Rate” being equal to the greater of (a) the Prime Rate for such day; (b) the Federal Funds Rate for such day, plus 0.50%; or (c) Term SOFR for a one month Interest Period as of such day, plus 1.0%), in each case plus an applicable margin. The applicable margin for Term SOFR loans under the Term Loan Facility ranges from 3.00% to 3.50% and the applicable margin for Base Rate loans under the Term Facility ranges from 2.00% to 2.50%, in each case, depending on Select LLC’s average excess availability under the Sustainability-Linked Credit Facility. Additionally, the applicable margin for Term SOFR loans under the Revolving Credit Facility ranges from 1.50% to 2.00% and the applicable margin for Base Rate loans under the Revolving Credit Facility ranges from 0.50% to 1.00%, in each case, depending on Select LLC’s average excess availability under the Sustainability-Linked Credit Facility. Until March 31, 2025, the applicable margin will be (i) 3.25% for Term SOFR loans under the Term Loan Facility, (ii) 2.25% for Base Rate loans under the Term Loan Facility, (iii) 1.75% for Term SOFR loans under the Revolving Credit Facility, and (iv) 0.75% for Base Rate loans under the Revolving Credit Facility. Interest is payable monthly in arrears for Base Rate loans and, for Term SOFR loans, at the end of each applicable Interest Period, which may be one month or three months at Select LLC’s election. A commitment fee accrues on the unused commitments under the Revolving Credit Facility at either 0.25% per annum or 0.375% per annum depending on Select LLC’s average utilization of the Revolving Credit Facility in the preceding calendar month and is payable monthly in arrears. Until February 28, 2025, the commitment fee rate is 0.375% per annum. The Sustainability-Linked Credit Facility is scheduled to mature on the fifth anniversary of the Closing Date or the earlier termination in full of the Commitments.
Under the Sustainability-Linked Credit Facility, the interest rate margin and the facility fee rates are also subject to annual adjustments based on the Select LLC’s performance of specified sustainability target thresholds with respect to (i) total recordable incident rate, as the Employee Health and Safety Metric, and (ii) barrels of recycled produced water recycled at facilities of the Credit Parties, as the Water Stewardship Metric, in each case, subject to limited assurance verification by a qualified independent external reviewer. The adjustment for the interest rate margin is a range of plus and minus 5.00 basis points and the adjustment for the commitment fee rate is a range of plus and minus 1.00 basis point, subject to the mechanics under the Sustainability-Linked Credit Facility. As of the Closing Date, the margin adjustment in effect is a reduction of 5.00 basis points and the commitment fee adjustment in effect is a reduction of 1.00 basis point.
The obligations under the Sustainability-Linked Credit Facility are guaranteed by SES Holdings and certain subsidiaries of SES Holdings and Select LLC and secured by a security interest in substantially all of the personal property assets of SES Holdings, Select LLC and their domestic subsidiaries that are guarantors.
The Sustainability-Linked Credit Facility contains certain customary representations and warranties, affirmative and negative covenants and events of default. If an event of default occurs and is continuing, the lenders may declare all amounts outstanding under the Sustainability-Linked Credit Facility to be immediately due and payable.
In addition, the Sustainability-Linked Credit Facility restricts SES Holdings’ and Select LLC’s ability to make distributions on, or redeem or repurchase, its equity interests, except for certain distributions, including distributions of cash so long as, both at the time of the distribution and after giving effect to the distribution, no default or event of default exists under the Sustainability-Linked Credit Facility or would result from the making of such distribution and (a) the fixed charge coverage ratio of SES Holdings is equal to or greater than 1.0 to 1.0 on a pro forma basis, (b) the leverage ratio of SES Holdings is not greater than 3.5 to 1.0 on a pro forma basis, (c) excess availability at all times during the preceding 30 consecutive days, on a pro forma basis and after giving effect to such distribution, is not less than the greater of (1) 20% of the Borrowing Limit and (2) $27.0 million. Additionally, the Sustainability-Linked Credit Facility generally permits Select LLC to make distributions required under its existing tax receivable agreements, subject to certain limitations.
The Sustainability-Linked Credit Facility also requires SES Holdings to maintain (i) a fixed charge coverage ratio of at least 1.0 to 1.0 and (ii) a leverage ratio of not more than 3.5 to 1.0, in each case, as of the last day of any fiscal quarter.
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Beginning with the first full quarter ending after the first anniversary of the closing date, the Term Loan Facility will amortize in quarterly installments equal to $15.625 million (subject to reduction of such amount on account of certain prepayments). Upon the repayment in full of the Term Loan Facility, certain terms of the Sustainability-Linked Credit Facility will be automatically adjusted (including the conditions to the making of cash distributions and the financial maintenance covenants) and the Term Advance Collateral will be released as Collateral, in each case, as described in the Sustainability-Linked Credit Facility.
Certain lenders party to the Sustainability-Linked Credit Facility and their respective affiliates have from time to time performed, and may in the future perform, various financial advisory, commercial banking and investment banking services for the Company and its affiliates in the ordinary course of business for which they have received and would receive customary compensation. In addition, in the ordinary course of their various business activities, such parties and their respective affiliates may make or hold a broad array of investments and actively trade debt and equity securities (or related derivative securities) and financial instruments (including bank loans) for their own account and for the accounts of their customers, and such investments and securities activities may involve the Company’s securities and/or instruments.
In connection with the entry into the Sustainability-Linked Credit Facility, the obligations of SES Holdings and Select LLC under the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, dated as of March 17, 2022, by and among Select LLC, SES Holdings, Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., as administrative agent, and the lenders party thereto (the “Prior Sustainability-Linked Credit Facility”) were repaid in full and the Previous Credit Facility was terminated on the Closing Date.
Refer to “Note 10—Debt” and “Note 19—Subsequent Events” for further discussion of the Prior Sustainability-Linked Credit Facility and the Sustainability-Linked Credit Facility.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures about any contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Our critical accounting policies are described below to provide a better understanding of how we develop our assumptions and judgments about future events and related estimations and how they can impact our financial statements. The following accounting policies involve critical accounting estimates because they are dependent on our judgment and assumptions about matters that are inherently uncertain.
We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions we believe to be reasonable according to the current facts and circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Estimates and assumptions about future events and their effects are subject to uncertainty and, accordingly, these estimates may change as new events occur, as more experience is acquired, as additional information is obtained, and as the business environment in which we operate changes. We believe the current assumptions, judgments and estimates used to determine amounts reflected in our consolidated financial statements are appropriate, however, actual results may differ under different conditions. This discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and related notes included in this Annual Report.
Goodwill and other intangible assets: The purchase price of acquired businesses is allocated to its identifiable assets and liabilities based upon estimated fair values as of the acquisition date. Goodwill and other intangible assets are initially recorded at their fair values. Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price of acquisitions over the fair value of the net assets acquired in a business combination. Goodwill and other intangible assets not subject to amortization are tested for impairment annually or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that the asset might be impaired. Intangible assets with finite useful lives are amortized either on a straight-line basis over the asset’s estimated useful life or on a basis that reflects the pattern in which the economic benefits of the intangible assets are realized.
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Impairment of goodwill, long-lived assets and intangible assets: Long-lived assets, such as property and equipment and finite-lived intangible assets, are evaluated for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that their carrying value may not be recoverable. Recoverability is measured by a comparison of their carrying amount to the estimated undiscounted cash flows to be generated by those assets. If the undiscounted cash flows are less than the carrying amount, we record impairment losses for the excess of their carrying value over the estimated fair value. Fair value is determined, in part, by the estimated cash flows to be generated by those assets. Our cash flow estimates are based upon, among other things, historical results adjusted to reflect our best estimate of future market rates, utilization levels, and operating performance. Development of future cash flows also requires management to make assumptions and to apply judgment, including the timing of future expected cash flows, using the appropriate discount rates and determining salvage values. The estimate of fair value represents our best estimates of these factors based on current industry trends and reference to market transactions and is subject to variability. Assets are generally grouped at the lowest level of identifiable cash flows. We operate within the oilfield service industry, and the cyclical nature of the oil and gas industry that we serve and our estimates of the period over which future cash flows will be generated, as well as the predictability of these cash flows, can have a significant impact on the estimated fair value of these assets and, in periods of prolonged down cycles, may result in impairment charges. Changes to our key assumptions related to future performance, market conditions and other economic factors could adversely affect our impairment valuation.
We conduct our annual goodwill impairment tests in the fourth quarter of each year, and whenever impairment indicators arise, by examining relevant events and circumstances which could have a negative impact on its goodwill such as macroeconomic conditions, industry and market conditions, cost factors that have a negative effect on earnings and cash flows, overall financial performance, acquisitions and divestitures and other relevant entity-specific events. If a qualitative assessment indicates that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, we are required to perform a quantitative impairment test for goodwill comparing the reporting unit’s carrying value to its fair value. Our reporting units are based on our organizational and reporting structure. In determining fair values for the reporting units, we rely primarily on the income and market approaches for valuation. In the income approach, we discount predicted future cash flows using a weighted-average cost of capital calculation based on publicly-traded peer companies. In the market approach, valuation multiples are developed from both publicly-traded peer companies as well as other company transactions. The cost approach, when used, considers replacement cost as the primary indicator of value.
If the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value, goodwill impairment is calculated by subtracting the fair value of the reporting unit from the carrying value. Application of the goodwill impairment test requires judgment, including the identification of reporting units, allocation of assets (including goodwill) and liabilities to reporting units and determining the fair value. The determination of reporting unit fair value relies upon certain estimates and assumptions that are complex and are affected by numerous factors, including the general economic environment and levels of E&P activity of oil and gas companies, our financial performance and trends and our strategies and business plans, among others. Unanticipated changes, including immaterial revisions, to these assumptions, could result in a provision for impairment in a future period. Given the nature of these evaluations and their application to specific assets and time frames, it is not possible to reasonably quantify the impact of changes in these assumptions.
Retentions: We assume risk of loss through deductibles and self-insured retentions, up to certain levels for losses related to general liability, workers’ compensation and employer’s liability, vehicle liability, and health insurance. Our exposure (i.e., the self-insured retention or deductible) per occurrence is $1.0 million for general liability, $1.0 million for workers’ compensation and employer’s liability, $2.0 million for auto liability and $0.4 million for health insurance. We also have an excess loss policy over these coverages with a limit of $100.0 million in the aggregate. Management reviews its estimates of reported and unreported claims and provides for losses through reserves. We use actuarial estimates to record our liability for future periods. If the number of claims or the costs associated with those claims were to increase significantly over our estimates, additional charges to earnings could be necessary to cover required payments. As of December 31, 2024, we estimate the range of exposure to be from $18.9 million to $22.8 million and have recorded liabilities of $20.0 million, which represents management’s best estimate of probable loss related to workers’ compensation and employer’s liability, and auto liability. Additionally, as of December 31, 2024, accrued health insurance and accrued general liabilities were $4.4 million and $2.2 million, respectively.
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Tax Receivable Agreements: We intend to fund any obligation under the Tax Receivable Agreements with cash from operations or borrowings under our Sustainability-Linked Credit Facility. With respect to obligations under each of our Tax Receivable Agreements (except in cases where we elect to terminate the Tax Receivable Agreements early, the Tax Receivable Agreements are terminated early due to certain mergers or other changes of control or we have available cash but fail to make payments when due), generally we may elect to defer payments due under the Tax Receivable Agreements if we do not have available cash to satisfy our payment obligations under the Tax Receivable Agreements or if our contractual obligations limit our ability to make these payments. Any such deferred payments under the Tax Receivable Agreements generally will accrue interest.
We account for any amounts payable under the Tax Receivable Agreements in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 450, Contingencies. For a discussion regarding an acceleration of the amounts payable under the Tax Receivable Agreements if we elect to terminate the Tax Receivable Agreements early or they are terminated early due to our failure to honor a material obligation thereunder or due to certain mergers, asset sales, other forms of business combinations or other changes of control and the potential impact of such an acceleration and the potential impact of such acceleration, please read Part I, Item 1A. “Risk Factors – Risks Related to Our Organizational Structure. In certain cases, payments under the Tax Receivable Agreements may be accelerated and/or significantly exceed the actual benefits, if any, we realize in respect of the tax attributes subject to the Tax Receivable Agreements.
We have assessed the amount of any liability under the Tax Receivable Agreements required under the provisions of ASC 450 in connection with preparing the consolidated financial statements. As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, we determined that we were in a position to reasonably estimate an amount of liability associated with the Tax Receivable Agreements and determined that future payments under the terms of the Tax Receivable Agreements were probable, and therefore recorded liabilities of $38.5 million and $38.2 million, respectively. The projection of future taxable income and utilization of tax attributes associated with the Tax Receivable Agreements involve estimates which require significant judgment. The amount of the Company’s actual taxable income, passage of future legislation, or consummation of significant transactions in the future may significantly impact the liability related to the Tax Receivable Agreements.
Realizability of Deferred Tax Assets: We establish valuation allowances when necessary to reduce deferred tax assets to the amounts more likely than not to be realized. Deferred income tax assets are evaluated quarterly to determine if valuation allowances are required or should be adjusted. The ability to realize deferred tax assets depends on the ability to generate sufficient taxable income within the carryback or carryforward periods provided for in the tax law for each applicable tax jurisdiction. The assessment regarding whether a valuation allowance is required or should be adjusted is based on an evaluation of possible sources of taxable income and also considers all available positive and negative evidence factors. Our accounting for the realization of deferred tax assets incorporates, amongst other factors, our best estimate of future events. Changes in our current estimates, due to unanticipated market conditions, governmental legislative actions or events, could have a material effect on our ability to utilize deferred tax assets. As of December 31, 2024, valuation allowances against deferred tax assets were $105.4 million. See “Note 15—Income Taxes” for additional information.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
Refer to “Note 2—Significant Accounting Policies” for recent accounting pronouncements.