Step Energy Services Ltd. Reports Third Quarter 2024 Results

In This Article:

CALGARY, Alberta, November 14, 2024--(BUSINESS WIRE)--STEP Energy Services Ltd. (the "Company" or "STEP") (TSX: STEP) is pleased to announce its financial and operating results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024. The following press release should be read in conjunction with the management’s discussion and analysis ("MD&A") and the unaudited condensed consolidated financial interim statements and notes thereto as at September 30, 2024 (the "Financial Statements"). Readers should also refer to the "Forward-looking information & statements" legal advisory and the section regarding "Non-IFRS Measures and Ratios" at the end of this press release. All financial amounts and measures are expressed in Canadian dollars unless otherwise indicated. Additional information about STEP is available on the SEDAR+ website at www.sedarplus.ca, including the Company’s Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2023 dated March 11, 2024 (the "AIF").

CONSOLIDATED HIGHLIGHTS

FINANCIAL REVIEW

($000s except percentages and per share amounts)

Three months ended

Nine months ended

September 30,

September 30,

September 30,

September 30,

 

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

Consolidated revenue

$

255,991

 

$

255,235

 

$

807,512

 

$

750,676

 

Net income (loss)

$

(5,460

)

$

20,734

 

$

46,366

 

$

55,663

 

Per share-basic

$

(0.08

)

$

0.29

 

$

0.65

 

$

0.77

 

Per share-diluted

$

(0.08

)

$

0.28

 

$

0.62

 

$

0.74

 

Adjusted EBITDA (1)

$

43,800

 

$

52,286

 

$

164,999

 

$

145,142

 

Adjusted EBITDA % (1)

 

17%

 

21%

 

20%

 

19%

Free Cash Flow (1)

$

28,404

 

$

37,121

 

$

102,347

 

$

87,269

 

Per share-basic

$

0.40

 

$

0.51

 

$

1.43

 

$

1.21

 

Per share-diluted

$

0.40

 

$

0.49

 

$

1.38

 

$

1.17

 

(1) Adjusted EBITDA and Free Cash Flow are non-IFRS financial measures, Adjusted EBITDA % is a non-IFRS financial ratio. These metrics are not defined and have no standardized meaning under IFRS. See Non-IFRS Measures and Ratios.

OPERATIONAL REVIEW

($000s except days, proppant pumped, crews, horsepower and units)

Three months ended

Nine months ended

September 30,

 

September 30,

 

September 30,

 

September 30,

 

 

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

Fracturing services

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fracturing operating days (2)

 

360

 

 

407

 

 

1,304

 

 

1,273

 

Proppant pumped (tonnes)

 

594,000

 

 

589,000

 

 

2,064,000

 

 

1,693,000

 

Fracturing crews

 

7

 

 

8

 

 

7

 

 

8

 

Dual fuel horsepower ("HP"), ended

 

367,050

 

 

205,250

 

 

367,050

 

 

205,250

 

Total HP, ended

 

490,000

 

 

478,750

 

 

490,000

 

 

478,750

 

Coiled tubing services

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Coiled tubing operating days (2)

 

1,340

 

 

1,311

 

 

4,060

 

 

3,713

 

Active coiled tubing units, ended

 

22

 

 

21

 

 

22

 

 

21

 

Total coiled tubing units, ended

 

35

 

 

35

 

 

35

 

 

35

 

(2) An operating day is defined as any coiled tubing or fracturing work that is performed in a 24-hour period, exclusive of support equipment.

($000s except shares)

 

September 30,

 

December 31,

 

 

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

Cash and cash equivalents

$

1,482

 

$

1,785

 

Working Capital (including cash and cash equivalents) (1)

$

60,643

 

$

42,104

 

Total assets

$

665,361

 

$

606,519

 

Total long-term financial liabilities (1)

$

89,536

 

$

118,970

 

Net Debt (1)

$

60,725

 

$

87,844

 

Shares outstanding

 

71,728,384

 

 

72,233,064

 

(1) Working Capital, Total long-term financial liabilities and Net Debt are non-IFRS financial measures. They are not defined and have no standardized meaning under IFRS. See Non-IFRS Measures and Ratios.

THIRD QUARTER 2024 HIGHLIGHTS

  • Consolidated revenue for the three months ended September 30, 2024 of $256.0 million, in line with revenue of $255.2 million for the three months ended September 30, 2023 and an increase of 11% from $231.4 million for the three months ended June 30, 2024.

  • Net loss for the three months ended September 30, 2024 of $5.5 million ($0.08 loss per diluted share) compared to net income of $20.7 million ($0.28 per diluted share) in the same period of 2023 and $10.5 million ($0.14 per diluted share) for the three months ended June 30, 2024. Included in net income for three months ended September 30, 2024 was:

    • share based compensation expense of $1.0 million, compared to $4.0 million in the same period of the prior year, and;

    • impairment expense of $12.7 million compared to nil in the same period of the prior year. The impairment was taken on real estate and legacy Tier 1 and Tier 2 diesel engine powered fracturing pumps and associated ancillary fracturing equipment held in the U.S. fracturing cash generating unit.

  • For the three months ended September 30, 2024, Adjusted EBITDA was $43.8 million (17% of revenue) compared to $52.3 million (21% of revenue) in Q3 2023 and $41.7 million (18% of revenue) in Q2 2024.

  • Free Cash Flow for the three months ended September 30, 2024 was $28.4 million compared to $37.1 million in Q3 2023 and $20.5 million in Q2 2024.

  • STEP also made significant progress on debt reduction during the quarter while continuing to invest into the long-term sustainability of the business:

    • The Company had Net Debt of $60.7 million at September 30, 2024, compared to $87.8 million at December 31, 2023 and $75.8 million at June 30, 2024. STEP has reduced Net Debt by $245 million from peak levels in 2018.

    • The Company invested $17.7 million into sustaining and optimization capital budget expenditures. Optimization capital continues to be focused on the upgrade of fracturing fleets with the latest Tier 4 dual fuel engine technology, which displaces up to 85% of diesel with natural gas. At September 30, 2024, 75% of the Tier 2 and Tier 4 engines in STEP’s fracturing fleet have been transitioned to dual fuel technology.

  • Working Capital as at September 30, 2024 of $60.6 million was $18.5 million higher than the $42.1 million at December 31, 2023 and lower by $4.0 million compared to the $64.6 million as at June 30, 2024. Working capital fluctuations are typical and are influenced by activity levels and timing of client receipts.

  • Subsequent to September 30, 2024, the Company entered into a definitive agreement with its major shareholder (ARC Energy Fund 8) and 2659160 Alberta Ltd. pursuant to which 2659160 Alberta Ltd. would acquire, via plan of arrangement, all the issued and outstanding common shares of STEP not already owned, directly or indirectly, by ARC Energy Fund 6 and ARC Energy Fund 8, and after which it is expected that the Company’s shares will be delisted from trading on the TSX and STEP would cease to be a reporting issuer. Refer to the subsequent event note below for more details.