KNOT Offshore Partners LP Earnings Release—Interim Results for the Period Ended March 31, 2021

Rhea-AI Summary

KNOT Offshore Partners reported strong financial performance for Q1 2021, with total revenues of $71.5 million, an increase from the $69.9 million in Q4 2020. The Partnership generated operating income of $27.6 million and net income of $28.1 million. Adjusted EBITDA reached $51.3 million, with a distribution coverage ratio of 1.20. Notably, the Partnership maintained robust liquidity, ending with $115 million available. CEO Gary Chapman highlighted strong cash flow and effective vessel utilization despite challenges posed by COVID-19.

Positive

• Total revenues increased to $71.5 million in Q1 2021, up from $69.9 million in Q4 2020.
• Net income of $28.1 million indicates strong profitability.
• Adjusted EBITDA of $51.3 million supports solid financial health.
• Distribution coverage ratio of 1.20 reflects healthy cash flow for distributions.
• Available liquidity increased to $115 million, enhancing financial stability.

Negative

• Operating income decreased to $27.6 million from $30.4 million in Q4 2020.
• Vessel operating expenses rose by $3.0 million to $18.6 million due to higher operational costs.
• Interest expenses increased to $7.4 million, attributed to the sale and leaseback transaction.

 

Financial Highlights

For the three months ended March 31, 2021, KNOT Offshore Partners LP (“KNOT Offshore Partners” or the “Partnership”):

• Generated total revenues of $71.5 million, operating income of $27.6 million and net income of $28.1 million.
• Generated Adjusted EBITDA of $51.3 million (1)
• Generated distributable cash flow of $21.7 million (1)
• Reported a distribution coverage ratio of 1.20 (2)
• Reported $115.0 million in available liquidity, which included cash and cash equivalents of $60.0 million at March 31, 2021 (compared to $73.3 million of available liquidity and $52.6 million of cash and cash equivalents at December 31, 2020)

Other Partnership Highlights and Events

• Fleet operated with 91.6% utilization for scheduled operations and 89.1% utilization overall. Utilization was lower in the first quarter due to the offhire of the Windsor Knutsen due to repairs to her main engine block (90 days) and the scheduled drydocking of the Bodil Knutsen (38 days). As Windsor Knutsen benefited from loss of hire insurance for 90 days in the quarter, including the vessel as onhire increases utilization to 97.5%.
• The Partnership’s operations remained materially unaffected by the COVID-19 outbreak to date.
• On January 19, 2021, the Partnership, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Knutsen Shuttle Tankers 19 AS, which owned the Raquel Knutsen, closed a sale and leaseback agreement with a Japanese-based lessor for a lease period of ten years.
• On May 13, 2021, the Partnership will pay a quarterly cash distribution of $0.52 per common unit with respect to the quarter ended March 31, 2021 to all common unitholders of record on April 29, 2021. On May 13, 2021, the Partnership will pay a cash distribution to holders of Series A Convertible Preferred Units (“Series A Preferred Units”) with respect to the quarter ended March 31, 2021 in an aggregate amount equal to $1.8 million.
• The Partnership has agreed on the commercial terms for a one-year fixed time charter contract for the Windsor Knutsen (with potential options to extend the charter by one one-year period and then one six-month period) with a major oil company to commence in the third quarter of 2021.
• During the first quarter, the Bodil Knutsen successfully completed its scheduled second renewal survey drydocking, leaving the dockyard on March 24, 2021. The Partnership took advantage of the drydocking to also install a ballast water treatment system on the vessel.
• On March 9, 2021, the charterer of the Bodil Knutsen, Equinor ASA (“Equinor”) did not notify the Partnership by this due date of its intention to exercise its option to extend the time charter for the vessel and, as a consequence, the vessel was effectively redelivered to the Partnership on February 22, 2021 at the start of the vessel’s drydock. The Partnership is now marketing the vessel for new time charter employment. Absent any such employment and to provide some support to the Partnership in the interim period, the Partnership and Knutsen NYK Offshore Tankers AS (“Knutsen NYK”) have agreed for Knutsen NYK to time charter the vessel from the Partnership on a rolling three month basis, possibly for the remainder of 2021, at a reduced rate, commencing on a date to be agreed in May 2021 based on operational practicality.
• In May 2021, the Partnership reached an agreement with the VOC Industry Co-operation Norwegian Sector (“VOCIC Norway”) whereby VOCIC Norway would fund loss of hire (at a reduced rate) during, and costs related to, the installation of a VOC (”Volatile Organic Compound”) recovery plant on the Bodil Knutsen. The work is expected to be carried out in the third or fourth quarter of 2021 and take around one month. This will significantly improve the operational attractiveness of the vessel in the North Sea and Norwegian sectors going forward as well as virtually eliminate the non-methane VOC released into the atmosphere arising from the vessel’s cargo.

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(1)		EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and distributable cash flow are non-GAAP financial measures used by management and external users of the Partnership’s financial statements. Please see Appendix A for definitions of EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and distributable cash flow and a reconciliation to net income, the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure.
(2)		Distribution coverage ratio is equal to distributable cash flow divided by distributions declared for the period presented.

Gary Chapman, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of KNOT Offshore Partners LP, commented, “By continuing to achieve a high effective utilization and strong cashflow throughout the first quarter, we were able to once again provide an attractive, well-covered distribution to our unitholders and we expect our current contract portfolio to continue providing solid distribution coverage throughout the year. We are also making good progress in securing full contract coverage beyond the current year, though the recent effects of COVID on our customers’ capex schedules have created near-term headwinds for shuttle tanker demand. However, given the recovery being seen in certain parts of the global economy already, we are confident that this situation will reverse and represents only an issue of timing. As we move further ahead, we continue to be optimistic about the expansion of shuttle tanker-serviced fields in Brazil and the North Sea in the mid to long term and the growth opportunities that this expansion would present to us as the leading player in the high barrier-to-entry shuttle tanker market.”

Financial Results Overview

Total revenues were $71.5 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 (the “first quarter”), compared to $69.9 million for the three months ended December 31, 2020 (the “fourth quarter”). The first quarter revenues were positively affected by earnings from the time charter for the Tove Knutsen being included in the results of operations from December 31, 2020 and increased earnings from the Windsor Knutsen related to loss of hire recoveries in connection with repairs to her main engine block in the fourth quarter of 2020. The increased earnings were offset by reduced revenues from the Bodil Knutsen as a result of 38 days offhire as she started the scheduled drydocking during the first quarter and two less operational days during the first quarter of 2021.

Vessel operating expenses for the first quarter of 2021 were $18.6 million, an increase of $3.0 million from $15.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2020. The increase is mainly due to the Tove Knutsen being included in the results of operations from December 31, 2020 and increased operating costs for the Bodil Knutsen due to bunkers consumption and increased operating costs in general in connection with the scheduled drydocking in the first quarter.

Depreciation was $23.7 million for the first quarter, an increase of $1.2 million from $22.5 million in the fourth quarter. The increase is related to the Tove Knutsen being included in operations from December 31, 2020.

General and administrative expenses increased $0.2 million from $1.4 million in the fourth quarter to $1.6 million in the first quarter. The increase primarily reflects the effect of additional activity in connection with the year-end accounts.

As a result, operating income for the first quarter was $27.6 million, compared to $30.4 million in the fourth quarter.

Interest expense for the first quarter was $7.4 million, an increase of $1.3 million from $6.1 million for the fourth quarter. The increase was mainly due to the sale and leaseback transaction related to Raquel Knutsen as a result of which both the financial obligation and interest rate increased. In addition, the interest expense increased due to the additional debt incurred in connection with the acquisition of the Tove Knutsen. This was partially offset by two less days in the first quarter compared to the fourth quarter and a lower LIBOR rate on average.

Realized and unrealized gain on derivative instruments was $8.0 million in the first quarter, compared to $0.2 million in the fourth quarter. T

FAQ

What are KNOT Offshore Partners' total revenues for Q1 2021?

KNOT Offshore Partners reported total revenues of $71.5 million for Q1 2021.

How did KNOT Offshore Partners perform financially in Q1 2021?

The Partnership generated $27.6 million in operating income and $28.1 million in net income for Q1 2021.

What was the distribution coverage ratio for KNOT Offshore Partners in Q1 2021?

The distribution coverage ratio was 1.20 for Q1 2021.

What factors impacted KNOT Offshore Partners' operational performance in Q1 2021?

Operational performance was impacted by increased vessel operating expenses and a decrease in operating income compared to Q4 2020.

What is the outlook for KNOT Offshore Partners in 2021?

The company remains optimistic about securing full contract coverage and expanding operations despite near-term headwinds from COVID-19.