Signature Sponsor
Alliance Resource Partners, L.P. Reports Fourth Quarter Financial and Operating Results; Declares Quarterly Cash Distribution of $0.70 Per Unit; and Provides 2025 Guidance

 

 

February 3, 2025 - Alliance Resource Partners, L.P. (NASDAQ: ARLP) ("ARLP" or the "Partnership") has reported financial and operating results for the quarter and full year ended December 31, 2024 (the "2024 Quarter" and "2024 Full Year"). This release includes comparisons of results to the quarter and year ended December 31, 2023 (the "2023 Quarter" and "2023 Full Year", respectively), as well as the quarter ended September 30, 2024 (the "Sequential Quarter"). All references in the text of this release to "net income" refer to "net income attributable to ARLP." For a definition of Adjusted EBITDA and related reconciliation to its comparable GAAP financial measure, please see the end of this release.


Total revenues in the 2024 Quarter decreased 5.6% to $590.1 million compared to $625.4 million for the 2023 Quarter primarily as a result of reduced coal sales volumes, which declined 2.3%, and lower transportation revenues. Net income for the 2024 Quarter was $16.3 million, or $0.12 per basic and diluted limited partner unit, compared to $115.4 million, or $0.88 per basic and diluted limited partner unit, for the 2023 Quarter as a result of lower revenues, higher per ton operating expenses, which include $13.1 million of non-cash accruals for certain long-term liabilities, and $31.1 million of non-cash impairment charges in the 2024 Quarter due to market uncertainty at our MC Mining operation, partially offset by a $14.0 million increase in the fair value of our digital assets. Adjusted EBITDA for the 2024 Quarter was $124.0 million compared to $185.4 million in the 2023 Quarter.


Total revenues in the 2024 Quarter decreased 3.8% compared to $613.6 million in the Sequential Quarter primarily as a result of reduced coal sales prices, which declined 5.7% due in part to lower export price realizations. Net income for the 2024 Quarter decreased by 81.1% compared to the Sequential Quarter as a result of lower revenues and higher non-cash accruals relating to certain long-term liabilities and impairment charges in the 2024 Quarter, partially offset by an increase in the fair value of our digital assets. Adjusted EBITDA for the 2024 Quarter decreased 27.2% compared to the Sequential Quarter, as a result of higher non-cash accruals for certain long-term liabilities in the Illinois Basin, higher expenses related to the continuation of challenging geological conditions at our Tunnel Ridge and MC Mining operations in Appalachia, and lower revenue per ton for spot coal sold and per BOE in the Royalties segment.


Total revenues decreased 4.6% to $2.45 billion for the 2024 Full Year compared to $2.57 billion for the 2023 Full Year primarily due to lower coal sales volume, partially offset by higher other revenues. Net income for the 2024 Full Year was $360.9 million, or $2.77 per basic and diluted limited partner unit, compared to $630.1 million, or $4.81 per basic and diluted limited partner unit, for the 2023 Full Year as a result of lower revenues, increased operating expenses and non-cash impairment charges, partially offset by a $22.4 million increase in the fair value of our digital assets. Adjusted EBITDA for the 2024 Full Year was $714.2 million compared to $933.1 million in the 2023 Full Year.


CEO Commentary


"Due to the continued strength of our coal contracts, our average coal sales price per ton for the 2024 Full Year of $63.38 came close to the record level achieved in the 2023 Full Year of $64.17. However, lower sales volumes, higher operating costs and several non-cash accruals caused 2024 Full Year financial results to fall short of last year’s record revenues and net income," said Joseph W. Craft III, Chairman, President and CEO. "The cold winter weather at the start of this year has driven higher natural gas prices and increased coal consumption in the eastern United States, helping reduce inventories. We are seeing customer solicitations for both near-term and long-term supply contracts, and if the colder weather continues to be above normal, we are hopeful we can reach our goal to ship 30 million tons to the domestic market in 2025."


Mr. Craft continued, "Having substantially completed major infrastructure projects at Tunnel Ridge, Hamilton, Warrior, and River View in 2024, we expect to see improved costs and productivity along with reduced capital spending this year. Additionally, the combination of cold winter weather and new LNG export terminal capacity should support strong domestic natural gas prices in 2025, benefiting both our Coal and Royalties segments."


Mr. Craft concluded, "The increase in forecasted electricity demand, particularly from data centers and growth in AI, is highlighting the inadequacy of current resource plans without extended use of fossil fuel plants. These market realities, coupled with what we expect to be a more favorable regulatory environment, are laying the foundation for Alliance to continue serving as a cornerstone of the country’s reliable electricity infrastructure for years to come. We look forward to what we can achieve in 2025."


Coal Operations


Total coal sales volumes for the 2024 Quarter decreased 2.3% compared to the 2023 Quarter while remaining relatively consistent compared to the Sequential Quarter. In Appalachia, tons sold decreased by 17.1% and 24.6% in the 2024 Quarter compared to the 2023 Quarter and Sequential Quarter, respectively, primarily as a result of lower production levels which reduced domestic sales volumes from our Tunnel Ridge operation. Partially offsetting these decreases, tons sold increased by 2.8% and 10.5% in the Illinois Basin compared to the 2023 Quarter and Sequential Quarter, respectively, due to improved sales performance from our River View, Hamilton, and Gibson South mines. Coal sales price per ton increased by 4.4% in Appalachia compared to the 2023 Quarter as a result of higher domestic price realizations at our Tunnel Ridge mine. In the Illinois Basin, coal sales prices decreased by 3.9% in the 2024 Quarter compared to the Sequential Quarter primarily due to reduced domestic price realizations from our Hamilton operation. ARLP ended the 2024 Quarter with total coal inventory of 0.6 million tons, representing decreases of 0.7 million tons and 1.4 million tons compared to the end of the 2023 Quarter and Sequential Quarter, respectively.


Segment Adjusted EBITDA Expense per ton for the 2024 Quarter increased by 12.8% and 5.2% in the Illinois Basin compared to the 2023 Quarter and Sequential Quarter, respectively, due primarily to reduced production, higher labor costs and lower recoveries at several mines in the region as well as an $11.0 million non-cash deferred purchase price adjustment recorded in the 2024 Quarter related to the 2015 acquisition of our Hamilton mine. In Appalachia, Segment Adjusted EBITDA Expense per ton for the 2024 Quarter increased by 20.9% and 17.4% compared to the 2023 Quarter and Sequential Quarter, respectively, due to lower recoveries across the region as well as challenging mining conditions which reduced production and led to higher materials and supplies and maintenance costs at our Tunnel Ridge operation.


Royalties


Segment Adjusted EBITDA for the Oil & Gas Royalties segment decreased to $25.6 million in the 2024 Quarter compared to $31.0 million and $28.7 million in the 2023 Quarter and Sequential Quarter, respectively, due primarily to lower average sales price per BOE, which decreased 17.2% and 7.3%, respectively, partially offset by decreased expenses. A reduction in oil & gas volumes compared to the Sequential Quarter also contributed to the sequential decrease.


Segment Adjusted EBITDA for the Coal Royalties segment increased 3.6% to $10.5 million for the 2024 Quarter compared to $10.2 million for the 2023 Quarter as a result of higher royalty tons sold, which increased 9.4%, partially offset by increased selling expenses and lower average royalty rates per ton received from the Partnership's mining subsidiaries. Compared to the Sequential Quarter, Segment Adjusted EBITDA decreased 4.8% due to higher selling expenses, partially offset by increased sales volumes.


Balance Sheet and Liquidity


As of December 31, 2024, total debt and finance leases outstanding were $490.8 million, including $400 million in recently issued Senior Notes due 2029. The Partnership’s total and net leverage ratios were 0.69 times and 0.50 times debt to trailing twelve months Adjusted EBITDA, respectively, as of December 31, 2024. ARLP ended the 2024 Quarter with total liquidity of $593.9 million, which included $137.0 million of cash and cash equivalents and $456.9 million of borrowings available under its revolving credit and accounts receivable securitization facilities. ARLP also held 482 bitcoins valued at $45.0 million as of December 31, 2024.


Distributions


On January 28, 2025, the Board of Directors of ARLP’s general partner (the "Board") approved a cash distribution to unitholders for the 2024 Quarter of $0.70 per unit (an annualized rate of $2.80 per unit), payable on February 14, 2025, to all unitholders of record as of the close of trading on February 7, 2025. The announced distribution is consistent with the cash distributions for the 2023 Quarter and Sequential Quarter.


Outlook


"For 2025, we expect improved coal production costs to counterbalance lower market prices, keeping Coal segment margins near 2024 Full Year levels," commented Mr. Craft. "In the Oil & Gas Royalty business, we achieved record production volumes for the 2024 Full Year despite only making modest additions to our overall acreage position. We continue to favor the cash flow generation profile and ability to self-fund growth in the Oil & Gas Royalties segment, and therefore, will actively pursue growth in this segment in 2025."


Mr. Craft concluded, "Looking forward, we anticipate a more supportive regulatory environment from the new administration that will help address the growing need for affordable, reliable baseload power without prematurely retiring critical generation sources. As the realities of physics meet the needs of the grid, we believe previously announced retirements will be delayed and our products will remain a cornerstone of energy security in some of the strongest industrial growth areas of the country for years to come."

 


Conference Call


A conference call regarding ARLP's 2024 Quarter and Full Year financial results is scheduled for today at 10:00 a.m. Eastern. To participate in the conference call, dial (877) 407-0784 and request to be connected to the Alliance Resource Partners, L.P. earnings conference call. International callers should dial (201) 689-8560 and request to be connected to the same call. Investors may also listen to the call via the "Investors" section of ARLP's website at www.arlp.com.


An audio replay of the conference call will be available for approximately one week. To access the audio replay, dial U.S. Toll Free (844) 512-2921; International Toll (412) 317-6671 and request to be connected to replay using access code 13750955.


About Alliance Resource Partners, L.P.


ARLP is a diversified energy company that is currently the second largest coal producer in the eastern United States, supplying reliable, affordable energy domestically and internationally to major utilities, metallurgical and industrial users. ARLP also generates operating and royalty income from mineral interests it owns in strategic coal and oil & gas producing regions in the United States. In addition, ARLP is evolving and positioning itself as a reliable energy partner for the future by pursuing opportunities that support the advancement of energy and related infrastructure.


News, unit prices and additional information about ARLP, including filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), are available at www.arlp.com. For more information, contact the investor relations department of ARLP at (918) 295-7673 or via e-mail at investorrelations@arlp.com.


The statements and projections used throughout this release are based on current expectations. These statements and projections are forward-looking, and actual results may differ materially. These projections do not include the potential impact of any mergers, acquisitions or other business combinations that may occur after the date of this release. We have included more information below regarding business risks that could affect our results.

 

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