Teekay LNG Partners Reports Fourth Quarter and Record Annual 2020 Results

Teekay GP L.L.C., the general partner (the General Partner) of Teekay LNG Partners L.P. (Teekay LNG or the Partnership) (NYSE: TGP), today reported the Partnership’s results for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2020.

Fourth Quarter of 2020 Compared to Third Quarter of 2020

GAAP net income and non-GAAP adjusted net income attributable to the partners and preferred unitholders were positively impacted for the three months ended December 31, 2020, compared to the three months ended September 30, 2020, primarily due to fewer scheduled dry dockings in the fourth quarter of 2020.

GAAP net income attributable to the partners and preferred unitholders was also negatively impacted by write-downs recorded in the fourth quarter of 2020 of four wholly-owned multi-gas carriers by $6.0 million and four, 50 percent-owned liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carriers by $17.0 million. These decreases to GAAP net income were partially offset by lower unrealized credit loss provisions recorded in the fourth quarter of 2020 compared to the third quarter of 2020.

Fourth Quarter of 2020 Compared to Fourth Quarter of 2019

GAAP net income and non-GAAP adjusted net income attributable to the partners and preferred unitholders were positively impacted for the three months ended December 31, 2020, compared to the same quarter of the prior year, primarily due to: the delivery of liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier newbuildings, commencement of terminal use payments for the Partnership’s 30 percent-owned Bahrain LNG Terminal, higher LPG rates, and lower net interest expense. These increases were partially offset by more scheduled dry dockings during the fourth quarter of 2020 and lower charter rates earned by certain of the Partnership’s LNG carriers and in addition, the increases in non-GAAP adjusted net income attributable to the partners and preferred unitholders were partially offset by the sales of two LNG carriers in January 2020.

GAAP net income attributable to the partners and preferred unitholders was also negatively impacted by write-downs recorded in the fourth quarter of 2020 of four wholly-owned multi-gas carriers and four, 50 percent-owned LPG carriers; a gain recognized in the fourth quarter of 2019 upon derecognition of two LNG carriers and reclassification as sales-type leases; and lower unrealized gains on non-designated derivative instruments in the fourth quarter of 2020 compared to the fourth quarter of 2019.

CEO Commentary

“For both the fourth quarter and fiscal year 2020, we generated strong earnings and cash flows resulting in the highest ever recorded annual adjusted results for Teekay LNG,” commented Mark Kremin, President and Chief Executive Officer of Teekay Gas Group Ltd. “During a year which saw extreme volatility in gas prices, LNG shipping rates and equity markets, our strategy of chartering substantially all of our LNG fleet on long-term contracts helped us to achieve consistently strong results throughout the year and to maintain certainty and forward visibility amid the unprecedented uncertainty and volatility that impacted many others in the broader energy space in 2020.” Mr. Kremin continued, “In 2020, we increased our total adjusted EBITDA(i) and adjusted net income(i) by 11 percent and 39 percent, respectively, over our 2019 fiscal results, while simultaneously reducing our proportionate net debt(ii) by nearly $560 million(iii), or over 10 percent.”

“I’m also pleased to announce our plan to increase our common unit distributions by 15 percent, to $1.15 per common unit per annum, commencing with the first quarter’s distribution to be paid in May 2021. This represents our third consecutive year of double-digit increases to our distributions, which is supported by not only a record level of adjusted earnings, but also an industry-leading revenue backlog of long-term contracts to a diversified portfolio of strong counterparties. As a result, Teekay LNG’s distributions are well-covered, which enables the Partnership to provide an attractive distribution to existing and new investors while also build equity value and financial flexibility through continued balance sheet delevering.”
(i) These are non-GAAP financial measures. Please refer to “Definitions and Non-GAAP Financial Measures” and the Appendices to this release for definitions of these terms and reconciliations of these non-GAAP financial measures as used in this release to the most directly comparable financial measures under GAAP.
(ii) Including Teekay LNG’s proportionate share of net debt in its equity-accounted joint ventures.
(iii) Including $260 million of proceeds received from the sale of two LNG carriers in January 2020.

Summary of Recent Events

Chartering Activities

In October 2020, the charterer of the 52 percent-owned LNG carrier Marib Spirit exercised its options to extend the current charter by 14 months at a higher charter rate, extending the vessel’s charter coverage to early-2022.

In December 2020, the Partnership’s 52 percent-owned joint venture with Marubeni Corporation (the MALT Joint Venture) secured a two-year, fixed-rate charter contract, with a one-year option, for the Methane Spirit which is expected to commence after its current charter contract ends in March 2021.

Financing Activities

In December 2020, the Partnership’s 50 percent-owned joint venture with Exmar NV (the Exmar LPG Joint Venture) successfully refinanced its $254 million revolving credit facility and term loan by entering into a new revolving credit facility in the amount of $310 million maturing in December 2023.

On February 8, 2021, the Partnership’s 70 percent-owned joint venture with PT Berlian Laju Tanker (the Tangguh Joint Venture), refinanced its $191.5 million term loan which was scheduled to mature in 2021, by entering into a new $191.5 million term loan maturing in February 2026.

Operating Results

The following table highlights certain financial information for Teekay LNG’s segments: the Liquefied Natural Gas Segment, the Liquefied Petroleum Gas Segment and, until the sale of our last conventional tanker in October 2019, the Conventional Tanker Segment (please refer to the “Teekay LNG’s Fleet” section of this release below and Appendices D and E for further details).

(i) These are non-GAAP financial measures. Please refer to “Definitions and Non-GAAP Financial Measures” and the Appendices to this release for definitions of these terms and reconciliations of these non-GAAP financial measures as used in this release to the most directly comparable financial measures under GAAP.

Liquefied Natural Gas Segment

Income from vessel operations for the LNG segment for the three months ended December 31, 2020, compared to the same quarter of the prior year, decreased primarily due to a $14.3 million gain on the derecognition of the WilForce and WilPride LNG carriers as they were reclassified as sales-type leases prior to their sale in January 2020. Consolidated adjusted EBITDA(1) for the LNG segment for the three months ended December 31, 2020, compared to the same quarter of the prior year, decreased primarily due to a reduction in earnings upon the sales of the WilForce and WilPride LNG carriers.

Equity income and adjusted EBITDA from equity-accounted vessels(1) for the LNG segment for the three months ended December 31, 2020, compared to the same quarter of the prior year, increased primarily due to the deliveries of two ARC7 LNG carrier newbuildings in November and December 2019 to the Partnership’s 50 percent-owned joint venture with China LNG (the Yamal LNG Joint Venture) and commencement of terminal use payments in January 2020 to the Partnership’s 30 percent-owned joint venture in Bahrain (the Bahrain LNG Joint Venture). These increases were partially offset by lower earnings from the Partnership’s 52 percent-owned MALT Joint Venture as a result of lower charter rates earned upon redeployment of the Arwa Spirit, Marib Spirit and Methane Spirit between May and July 2020. In addition, GAAP equity income was negatively impacted by increases in unrealized credit loss provisions in the fourth quarter of 2020 related to the adoption of the new accounting standards on credit losses (Accounting Standards Codification 326: Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (ASC 326)) at the beginning of 2020 and lower unrealized gains on non-designated derivative instruments in the Partnership’s equity-accounted joint ventures in the fourth quarter of 2020 compared to fourth quarter of 2019.

Liquefied Petroleum Gas Segment

Loss from vessel operations for the LPG segment for the three months ended December 31, 2020, compared to the same quarter of the prior year, was negatively impacted by write-downs recorded in the fourth quarter of 2020 on four multi-gas carriers by $6.0 million.

Consolidated adjusted EBITDA(1) for the LPG segment for the three months ended December 31, 2020 was comparable to the same quarter of the prior year.

Equity (loss) income and adjusted EBITDA from equity-accounted vessels(1) for the LPG segment for the three months ended December 31, 2020, compared to the same quarter of the prior year, were positively impacted from higher charter rates earned in the Partnership’s 50 percent-owned Exmar LPG Joint Venture. In addition, equity (loss) income for the LPG segment for the three months ended December 31, 2020, compared to the same quarter of the prior year, was negatively impacted by the write-downs of four LPG carriers in the Partnership’s 50 percent-owned Exmar LPG Joint Venture by $17.0 million.

Conventional Tanker Segment

There were no results from vessel operations for the conventional tanker segment for the three months ended December 31, 2020, as the last of the Partnership’s conventional tanker, the Alexander Spirit, was sold in October of 2019.
(1) These are non-GAAP financial measures. Please refer to “Definitions and Non-GAAP Financial Measures” and the Appendices to this release for definitions of these terms and reconciliations of these non-GAAP financial measures as used in this release to the most directly comparable financial measures under GAAP.

Teekay LNG’s Fleet

The following table summarizes the Partnership’s fleet as of February 1, 2021. In addition, the Partnership owns a 30 percent interest in an LNG regasification terminal in Bahrain.

Liquidity

As of December 31, 2020, the Partnership had total liquidity of $461.6 million (comprised of $206.8 million in cash and cash equivalents and $254.8 million in undrawn credit facilities) compared to $430.8 million as of September 30, 2020.

Full Report

Source: Teekay LNG Partners L.P.