Energy Transfer Reports Solid Third Quarter 2019 Results

Energy Transfer LP (NYSE:ET) (“ET” or the “Partnership”) today reported financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2019.

ET reported net income attributable to partners for the three months ended September 30, 2019 of $832 million, an increase of $461 million compared to the three months ended September 30, 2018. For the prior period, net income attributable to partners continues to reflect only the amount of net income attributable to the legacy Energy Transfer LP partners prior to the simplification merger transaction of ET and Energy Transfer Operating, L.P. (“ETO”) on October 19, 2018 (the “ETO Merger”).

Adjusted EBITDA for the three months ended September 30, 2019 was $2.79 billion, an increase of $209 million compared to the three months ended September 30, 2018. Results were supported by continued strong performance among several of the Partnership’s core segments, with another record operating performance in the Partnership’s NGL and refined products segment.

Distributable Cash Flow attributable to partners, as adjusted, for the three months ended September 30, 2019 was $1.52 billion, an increase of $137 million compared to the three months ended September 30, 2018. The increase was primarily due to the increase in Adjusted EBITDA.

Key accomplishments and current developments:

Operational

• The JC Nolan Pipeline joint venture successfully commissioned its diesel fuel pipeline in West Texas during the third quarter of 2019.
• The Arrowhead III processing plant went into service in early July 2019 and is projected to be full by year-end.
• Phase II of the Red Bluff Express pipeline was completed ahead of schedule in August 2019.
• The Permian Express 4 expansion went into full service on October 1, 2019.

Strategic

• On September 16, 2019, the Partnership entered into a definitive merger agreement to acquire SemGroup Corporation (“SemGroup”) in a unit and cash transaction (the “SemGroup Merger”). Total consideration, including the assumption of debt is approximately $5 billion, based on the closing price of the Partnership’s common units on September 13, 2019. The transaction is subject to the approval of SemGroup’s stockholders, and the SemGroup stockholders’ meeting is scheduled for December 4, 2019. We expect to close the transaction shortly after receipt of the vote, and the Partnership expects to contribute the SemGroup assets to ETO subsequent to closing the acquisition.

Financial

• In October 2019, ET announced a quarterly distribution of $0.305 per unit ($1.220 annualized) on ET common units for the quarter ended September 30, 2019. The distribution coverage ratio for the third quarter of 2019 is 1.88x.
• In October 2019, ETO entered into a term loan credit agreement providing for a $2 billion three-year term loan credit facility. Borrowings under the term loan agreement mature on October 17, 2022.
• As of September 30, 2019, ETO’s $6.00 billion revolving credit facilities had an aggregate $3.32 billion of available capacity, and ETO’s leverage ratio, as defined by its credit agreement, was 3.63x.

ET benefits from a portfolio of assets with exceptional product and geographic diversity. The Partnership’s multiple segments generate high-quality, balanced earnings with no single segment contributing more than 30 percent of the Partnership’s consolidated Adjusted EBITDA for the three months ended September 30, 2019. The vast majority of the Partnership’s segment margins are fee-based and therefore have limited commodity price sensitivity.

Conference Call information:

The Partnership has scheduled a conference call for 8:00 a.m. Central Time, Thursday, November 7, 2019 to discuss its third quarter 2019 results and provide a partnership update. The conference call will be broadcast live via an internet webcast, which can be accessed through www.energytransfer.com or ir.energytransfer.com and will also be available for replay on the Partnership’s website for a limited time.

Energy Transfer LP (NYSE: ET) owns and operates one of the largest and most diversified portfolios of energy assets in the United States, with a strategic footprint in all of the major domestic production basins. ET is a publicly traded limited partnership with core operations that include complementary natural gas midstream, intrastate and interstate transportation and storage assets; crude oil, NGL and refined product transportation and terminalling assets; NGL fractionation; and various acquisition and marketing assets. ET, through its ownership of Energy Transfer Operating, L.P., also owns Lake Charles LNG Company, as well as the general partner interests, the incentive distribution rights and 28.5 million common units of Sunoco LP (NYSE: SUN), and the general partner interests and 46.1 million common units of USA Compression Partners, LP (NYSE: USAC). For more information, visit the Energy Transfer LP website at www.energytransfer.com.

Sunoco LP (NYSE: SUN) is a master limited partnership with core operations that include the distribution of motor fuel to approximately 10,000 convenience stores, independent dealers, commercial customers and distributors located in more than 30 states, as well as refined product transportation and terminalling assets. SUN’s general partner is owned by Energy Transfer Operating, L.P., a subsidiary of Energy Transfer LP (NYSE: ET). For more information, visit the Sunoco LP website at www.sunocolp.com.

USA Compression Partners, LP (NYSE: USAC) is a growth-oriented Delaware limited partnership that is one of the nation’s largest independent providers of compression services in terms of total compression fleet horsepower. USAC partners with a broad customer base composed of producers, processors, gatherers and transporters of natural gas and crude oil. USAC focuses on providing compression services to infrastructure applications primarily in high-volume gathering systems, processing facilities and transportation applications. For more information, visit the USAC website at www.usacompression.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release may include certain statements concerning expectations for the future that are forward-looking statements as defined by federal law. Such forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond management’s control. An extensive list of factors that can affect future results are discussed in the Partnership’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and other documents filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Partnership undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement to reflect new information or events.

The information contained in this press release is available on our website at www.energytransfer.com.

In the following analysis of segment operating results, a measure of segment margin is reported for segments with sales revenues. Segment margin is a non-GAAP financial measure and is presented herein to assist in the analysis of segment operating results and particularly to facilitate an understanding of the impacts that changes in sales revenues have on the segment performance measure of Segment Adjusted EBITDA. Segment margin is similar to the GAAP measure of gross margin, except that segment margin excludes charges for depreciation, depletion and amortization. Among the GAAP measures reported by the Partnership, the most directly comparable measure to segment margin is Segment Adjusted EBITDA; a reconciliation of segment margin to Segment Adjusted EBITDA is included in the following tables for each segment where segment margin is presented.

Transported volumes increased primarily due to increased utilization of our Texas pipelines.

Segment Adjusted EBITDA. For the three months ended September 30, 2019 compared to the same period last year, Segment Adjusted EBITDA related to our intrastate transportation and storage segment increased due to the net impacts of the following:

• an increase of $9 million in transportation fees primarily due to increased utilization of our Texas pipelines;
• an increase of $2 million in realized natural gas sales and other due to higher realized gains from pipeline optimization activity; and
• an increase of $1 million in realized storage margin primarily due to higher storage fees; partially offset by
• a decrease of $2 million in retained fuel revenue primarily due to lower gas prices.

Interstate Transportation and Storage

Transported volumes increased as a result of the following: the Rover pipeline being placed fully in-service in November 2018; production increases in the Haynesville Shale and deliveries to intrastate markets resulting in increased deliveries off of our Tiger pipeline; and increased utilization of higher contracted capacity on the Panhandle and Trunkline pipelines.

Segment Adjusted EBITDA. For the three months ended September 30, 2019 compared to the same period last year, Segment Adjusted EBITDA related to our interstate transportation and storage segment decreased due to the net impacts of the following:

• an increase of $37 million in operating expenses primarily due to an increase to ad valorem expenses of $48 million on the Rover pipeline system due to placing the final portions of this asset into service, partially offset by $5 million in lower maintenance expenditures and $4 million in lower storage lease expenses on our Panhandle system due to lower leased capacity; and
• a decrease in EBITDA from unconsolidated affiliates of $11 million primarily resulting from a $7 million decrease due to lower earnings from MEP as a result of lower capacity being re-contracted and lower rates on expiring contracts, and a $3 million decrease due to Citrus resulting from the Texas Brine settlement being received in 2018; partially offset by
• an increase of $24 million in reservation fees from placing the Rover pipeline fully in-service and $7 million from increased utilization of our Transwestern and Trunkline pipelines; and
• an increase of $4 million in interruptible transportation volumes due to improved market conditions on our Rover, Transwestern, Trunkline and Panhandle pipeline systems.

Gathered volumes increased primarily due to new production in the Northeast, South Texas and Permian regions. For the three months ended September 30, 2019 compared to the same period last year, NGL production decreased due to ethane rejection in the South Texas and North Texas regions.

Segment Adjusted EBITDA. For the three months ended September 30, 2019 compared to the same period last year, Segment Adjusted EBITDA related to our midstream segment decreased slightly due to the net effects of the following:

• a decrease of $54 million in non-fee-based margin due to lower NGL prices of $51 million and lower gas prices of $14 million, partially offset by an increase of $11 million from increased throughput volumes in the Permian region;
• an increase of $2 million in selling, general and administrative expenses due to an increase in allocated overhead costs; and
• an increase of $23 million in operating expenses primarily due to increases in outside services, maintenance project costs, and employee costs; partially offset by
• an increase of $59 million in fee-based margin due to volume growth in the Northeast, Permian and South Texas regions, offset by declines in the Mid-Continent/Panhandle regions.

NGL transportation volumes increased as throughput barrels on our Texas NGL pipeline system increased due to higher receipt of liquids production from both wholly-owned and third-party gas plants primarily in the Permian and North Texas regions. In addition, NGL transportation volumes on our Northeast assets increased due to the initiation of service on the Mariner East 2 pipeline system.

Refined products transportation volumes decreased primarily due to the closure of the Philadelphia Energy Services refinery during the third quarter of 2019.

NGL and refined products terminal volumes increased primarily due to the initiation of service on our Mariner East 2 pipeline which commenced operations in the fourth quarter of 2018.

Average fractionated volumes at our Mont Belvieu, Texas fractionation facility increased primarily due to the commissioning of our fifth and sixth fractionators in July 2018 and February 2019, respectively.

Segment Adjusted EBITDA. For the three months ended September 30, 2019 compared to the same period last year, Segment Adjusted EBITDA related to our NGL and refined products transportation and services segment increased due to net impacts of the following:

• an increase of $152 million in transportation margin primarily due to an $87 million increase resulting from the initiation of service on our Mariner East 2 pipeline in the fourth quarter of 2018, a $54 million increase resulting from higher throughput volumes received from the Permian region on our Texas NGL pipelines, and an $11 million increase due to higher throughput volumes received from the Barnett and Southeast Texas regions;
• an increase of $45 million in terminal services margin primarily due to the initiation of service on our Mariner East 2 pipeline in the fourth quarter of 2018;
• an increase of $30 million in fractionation and refinery services margin primarily resulting from the commissioning of our sixth fractionator in February 2019 and higher NGL volumes from the Permian region feeding our Mont Belvieu fractionation facility. This increase was partially offset by a $3 million decrease resulting from a reclassification between our fractionation and storage margins; and
• an increase of $7 million in storage margin primarily due to a $3 million increase from throughput pipeline fees collected at our Mont Belvieu storage facility, a $3 million increase resulting from a reclassification between our storage and fractionation margins; partially offset by
• a decrease of $59 million in marketing margin primarily due to lower optimization gains resulting from less favorable market conditions and an $8 million write down on the value of stored NGL inventory; and
• an increase of $5 million in selling, general and administrative expenses due to a $3 million increase in allocated overhead costs and a $2 million increase in legal fees.

Crude transportation and terminal volumes benefited from an increase in barrels through our existing Texas pipelines and our Bakken pipeline. Crude terminal volumes decreased for the three month period as a result of the closure of a refinery that was the primary customer utilizing one of our northeast crude terminals.

Segment Adjusted EBITDA. For the three months ended September 30, 2019 compared to the same period last year, Segment Adjusted EBITDA related to our crude oil transportation and services segment increased due to the net impacts of the following:

• an increase of $5 million in segment margin (excluding unrealized gains and losses on commodity risk management activities) primarily due to a $63 million increase from higher throughput on our Texas crude pipeline system primarily due to increased production from the Permian region, a $90 million increase from higher throughput on the Bakken pipeline, and a $6 million increase from higher ship loading and tank rental fees at our Nederland terminal; partially offset by a $106 million decrease (excluding a net change of $116 million in unrealized gains and losses on commodity risk management activities) from our crude oil acquisition and marketing business primarily resulting from non-cash inventory valuation adjustments and lower basis differentials between the Permian producing region and the Nederland terminal on the Gulf Coast, as well as a $5 million decrease due to lower throughput volumes at our refinery terminal in the Northeast. The remainder of the offsetting decrease was primarily attributable to a change in the presentation of certain intrasegment transactions, which were eliminated in the current period presentation but were shown on a gross basis in revenues and operating expenses in the prior period;
• a decrease of $16 million in operating expenses primarily due to the impact of certain intrasegment transactions discussed above, partially offset by a $17 million increase in ad valorem taxes; and
• a decrease of $3 million in Adjusted EBITDA related to unconsolidated affiliates due to lower margin from jet fuel sales by our joint ventures.

The Investment in Sunoco LP segment reflects the consolidated results of Sunoco LP.

Segment Adjusted EBITDA. For the three months ended September 30, 2019 compared to the same period last year, Segment Adjusted EBITDA related to our investment in Sunoco LP segment decreased due to the net impacts of the following:

• a decrease of $23 million in segment margin, excluding inventory valuation adjustments and unrealized gains and losses on commodity risk management activities, primarily due to a one-time benefit of approximately $25 million related to a cash settlement with a fuel supplier in the prior period, partially offset by an increase in motor fuel gallons sold; partially offset by
• a net decrease of $6 million in operating expenses and selling, general and administrative expenses, excluding non-cash compensation, primarily as a result of lower lease expense and utilities.

The Investment in USAC segment reflects the consolidated results of USAC.

Segment Adjusted EBITDA. For the three months ended September 30, 2019 compared to the same period last year, Segment Adjusted EBITDA related to our investment in USAC segment increased due to the net impacts of the following:

• an increase of $7 million in segment margin primarily due to an increase in demand for compression services driven by increased U.S. production of crude oil and natural gas;
• a decrease of $7 million in operating expenses primarily due to a $3 million decrease in outside maintenance services, a $2 million decrease in ad valorem taxes primarily due to prior year refunds received in the current period, a $2 million decrease in direct labor costs, and a $1 million decrease in indirect expenses, such as transportation and freight, partially offset by a $3 million increase in parts and fluids expenses as a result of higher revenue generating horsepower; and
• a decrease of $2 million in selling, general and administrative expenses primarily due to transaction related expenses as a result of transactions completed during 2018.

Segment Adjusted EBITDA. For the three months ended September 30, 2019 compared to the same period last year, Segment Adjusted EBITDA related to our all other segment increased due to the net impacts of the following:

• an increase of $3 million from power trading activities;
• an increase of $5 million in optimized gains on residue gas sales;
• an increase of $5 million from settled derivatives;
• an increase of $6 million from the recognition of deferred revenue related to a bankruptcy; and
• a decrease of $24 million in selling, general and administrative expenses, which includes a decrease of $9 million in merger and acquisition expenses, a decrease of $6 million in professional fees, and a decrease of $4 million in insurance expenses.

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