STEP Energy Services Ltd. Reports Second Quarter 2024 Results

In This Article:

CALGARY, Alberta, August 06, 2024--(BUSINESS WIRE)--STEP Energy Services Ltd. (the "Company" or "STEP") is pleased to announce its financial and operating results for the three and six months ended June 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 June 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

Six months ended

June 30,

June 30,

June 30,

June 30,

 

 

2024

 

2023

 

2024

 

2023

Consolidated revenue

$

231,375

$

232,073

$

551,521

$

495,441

Net income

$

10,469

$

15,273

$

51,826

$

34,929

Per share-basic

$

0.15

$

0.21

$

0.72

$

0.49

Per share-diluted

$

0.14

$

0.21

$

0.70

$

0.47

Adjusted EBITDA (1)

$

41,665

$

47,404

$

121,198

$

92,756

Adjusted EBITDA % (1)

 

18%

 

20%

 

22%

 

19%

Free Cash Flow (1)

$

20,460

$

34,797

$

73,943

$

50,148

Per share-basic

$

0.29

$

0.48

$

1.03

$

0.70

Per share-diluted

$

0.28

$

0.47

$

1.00

$

0.68

(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, horsepower and units)

Three months ended

Six months ended

June 30,

June 30,

June 30,

June 30,

 

 

2024

 

2023

 

2024

 

2023

Fracturing services

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fracturing operating days (2)

 

377

 

394

 

944

 

866

Proppant pumped (tonnes)

 

638,000

 

594,000

 

1,470,000

 

1,104,000

Fracturing crews

 

8

 

8

 

8

 

8

Dual fuel horsepower ("HP"), ended

 

349,800

 

212,500

 

349,800

 

212,500

Total HP, ended

 

490,000

 

490,000

 

490,000

 

490,000

Coiled tubing services

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Coiled tubing operating days (2)

 

1,368

 

1,139

 

2,720

 

2,402

Active coiled tubing units, ended

 

23

 

21

 

23

 

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)

 

June 30

December 31,

 

 

2024

 

2023

Cash and cash equivalents

$

2,955

$

1,785

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

$

64,584

$

42,104

Total assets

$

673,650

$

606,519

Total long-term financial liabilities (1)

$

106,417

$

118,970

Net Debt (1)

$

75,812

$

87,844

Shares outstanding

 

71,641,362

 

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.

SECOND QUARTER 2024 HIGHLIGHTS

  • Consolidated revenue for the three months ended June 30, 2024 of $231.4 million, was effectively in line with revenue of $232.1 million for the three months ended June 30, 2023 and decreased 28% from $320.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2024.

  • Net income for the three months ended June 30, 2024 of $10.5 million ($0.14 per diluted share) compared to $15.3 million ($0.21 per diluted share) in the same period of 2023 and $41.4 million ($0.55 per diluted share) for the three months ended March 31, 2024. Included in net income for three months ended June 30, 2024 was share based compensation expense of $2.1 million, compared to $1.4 million during the three months ended June 30, 2023. STEP has generated positive net income for nine of the last ten quarters.

  • For the three months ended June 30, 2024, Adjusted EBITDA was $41.7 million (18% of revenue) compared to $47.4 million (20% of revenue) in Q2 2023 and $79.5 million (25% of revenue) in Q1 2024.

  • Free Cash Flow for the three months ended June 30, 2024 was $20.5 million compared to $34.8 million in Q2 2023 and $53.5 million in Q1 2024.

  • STEP continued to advance its shareholder return strategy in 2024:

    • During the second quarter of 2024, the Company repurchased and cancelled 882,008 shares at an average price of $4.08 per share under its Normal Course Issuer Bid ("NCIB"). Under the NCIB, the Company can repurchase and cancel 3.6 million shares, representing 5% of Company’s issued and outstanding shares.

  • 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 $75.8 million at June 30, 2024, compared to $87.8 million at December 31, 2023 and $107.9 million at March 31, 2024. STEP has reduced Net Debt by $235 million from peak levels in 2018.

    • The Company invested $26.4 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 June 30, 2024, 74% of the Tier 2 and Tier 4 engines in STEP’s fracturing fleet have been transitioned to dual fuel technology.

  • Working Capital as at June 30, 2024 of $64.6 million was $22.5 million higher than the $42.1 million at December 31, 2023 and lower by $26.3 million compared to the $90.9 million as at March 31, 2024. Working capital fluctuations are typical and are influenced by activity levels and timing of client receipts.