TETRA TECHNOLOGIES INC quarterly report, Q2 FY2022

TETRA Technologies, Inc. — Q2 2022 Form 10-Q Summary

Business context and reporting period

TETRA Technologies is an industrial and oil and gas products and services company operating on six continents. Its continuing operations comprise the Completion Fluids & Products Division and the Water & Flowback Services Division. The filing covers the three and six months ended June 30, 2022; results are unaudited. Former Compression and Offshore operations are presented as discontinued operations.

Financial performance and liquidity

MetricThree months ended June 30, 2022Three months ended June 30, 2021Six months ended June 30, 2022Six months ended June 30, 2021
Total revenue$140.7 million$102.3 million$270.8 million$179.7 million
Gross profit$28.1 million$16.4 million$60.5 million$24.3 million
Gross margin20.0%16.1%22.4%13.5%
Income before taxes and discontinued operations$1.3 million$(5.3) million$10.2 million$(17.0) million
Net income attributable to TETRA stockholders$1.7 million$(6.8) million$9.5 million$102.0 million
Diluted EPS attributable to TETRA stockholders$0.01$(0.05)$0.07$0.81
Operating cash flowNot separately providedNot separately provided$23.8 million$7.6 million

Six-month revenue increased 50.7% year over year, driven by higher customer activity, commodity prices and pricing recovery. Completion Fluids & Products revenue rose 33.2% to $148.0 million, while Water & Flowback Services revenue rose 79.2% to $122.8 million. Water & Flowback Services moved from a $5.5 million gross loss to $12.7 million of gross profit.

Second-quarter adjusted EBITDA was $18.7 million, or 13.3% of revenue, compared with $20.5 million, or 15.7%, in the first quarter. Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP measure and may not be comparable with similarly titled measures used by other companies.

Cash and cash equivalents were $36.3 million at June 30, 2022, compared with $31.6 million at December 31, 2021. Reported liquidity was $103.0 million, including unrestricted cash and availability under credit facilities. Six-month capital expenditures were $20.4 million, and net cash used in investing activities was $15.9 million.

Total debt was $153.2 million at June 30, 2022, including $153.2 million outstanding under the term credit agreement. The term facility carried a 7.92% interest rate and matures in September 2025. The ABL facility had no borrowings, $6.0 million of letters of credit and guarantees, and $61.8 million of availability. Management stated that the company was in compliance with all debt covenants.

Material changes versus comparable periods

  • Second-quarter revenue increased 37.6% year over year, while six-month revenue increased 50.7%.
  • Second-quarter net income attributable to stockholders improved from a $6.8 million loss to $1.7 million of income.
  • Six-month continuing operations became profitable, with $9.5 million of income attributable to stockholders versus an $18.6 million loss in the prior-year period.
  • The prior-year six-month results included a primarily non-cash $120.6 million gain from the 2021 GP Sale and deconsolidation of CSI Compressco. Accordingly, total net income declined year over year despite significantly improved continuing operations.
  • Second-quarter gross margin declined sequentially from 24.9% to 20.0%, primarily because the first quarter included a $3.8 million insurance recovery and the second quarter included $2.3 million of impairments.
  • General and administrative expense increased 18.5% in the first six months, primarily due to higher wages, benefits, incentive compensation and staffing. Interest expense declined 16.4% due largely to prior debt repayments.

Outlook, commentary, risks and unusual items

  • Management cited sustained high oil and natural gas prices, improved customer activity, stronger pricing and increased utilization of SandStorm water-management units as key business drivers.
  • Management expected third-quarter Water & Flowback Services adjusted EBITDA margins to improve, supported by better U.S. onshore pricing, stronger activity and the start of two early production facilities in Argentina.
  • Supply-chain disruptions related indirectly to the Russia-Ukraine conflict reduced deliveries of certain raw materials to the Finland plant and affected calcium chloride production and second-quarter margins. The timing and magnitude of the financial impact remain uncertain.
  • TETRA continued evaluating bromine and lithium resources in approximately 31,100 net acres in Arkansas. A resource report was expected in the third quarter of 2022, and an engineering firm was being engaged for a preliminary economic assessment of a 3,600-acre development area. Commercial viability, timing and required investment remain uncertain.
  • The company recorded $2.3 million of second-quarter impairments, including equipment, inventory, and land and building impairments.
  • TETRA filed for arbitration against LANXESS concerning a proposed price increase under a bromine supply agreement. The proceeding was pending, and the company could not predict its duration, scope or outcome.
  • Product purchase obligations totaled approximately $104.6 million as of June 30, 2022, extending through 2029.
  • The company had a $400 million universal shelf registration available for potential debt or equity offerings, which could increase leverage or dilute existing shareholders if utilized.
  • There was no stated quantitative full-year revenue or earnings guidance in the filing.

Important facts for investors to verify

  • Reconcile reported revenue references: $140.7 million is second-quarter revenue, while $270.8 million is six-month revenue.
  • Assess the sustainability of improved Water & Flowback profitability and the impact of pricing, utilization, labor costs and capital spending.
  • Monitor raw-material availability, Finland production and margin effects from supply-chain disruptions.
  • Review term-debt maturities, the 7.92% borrowing rate, excess-cash-flow prepayment requirements and covenant compliance.
  • Evaluate the cash returns and risks of SandStorm expansion, Argentina facilities, and Arkansas bromine and lithium development.
  • Consider the nonrecurring insurance recovery, impairments, investment fair-value changes and discontinued-operation effects when assessing underlying earnings.
  • Follow the LANXESS arbitration and the company’s approximately $104.6 million of product purchase obligations.